Hypostatic union

Part of a series on
Christology
Concepts Christ (Messiah) Kyrios Son of God God the Son Logos Incarnation Pre-existence Active obedience Communicatio idiomatum Consubstantiality Exaltation Humiliation God-man Homoiōma Hypostatic union Person Prosopon Imitation Intercession Kenosis Syncatabasis Knowledge Love Perfection Wisdom Threefold office Redeemer
Doctrines Christological doctrines Adoptionism Apollinarism Eutychianism Chalcedonism (Neo) Docetism Dyoenergism Monoenergism Dyothelitism Monothelitism Dyophysitism Monophysitism Miaphysitism Henotikon Homoousionism Homoiousianism Homoianism Nestorianism Theopaschism By denomination Extra calvinisticum Lutheran Christology
v t e

Hypostatic union (from the Greek: ὑπόστασις hypóstasis, 'person, subsistence') is a technical term in Christian theology employed in mainstream Christology to describe the union of Christ's humanity and divinity in one hypostasis, or individual personhood.^[1]

In the most basic terms, the concept of hypostatic union states that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. He is simultaneously perfectly divine and perfectly human, having two complete and distinct natures at once.

The Athanasian Creed recognized this doctrine and affirmed its importance by stating:

He is God from the essence of the Father, begotten before time; and he is human from the essence of his mother, born in time; completely God, completely human, with a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as regards divinity, less than the Father as regards humanity. Although he is God and human, yet Christ is not two, but one. He is one, however, not by his divinity being turned into flesh, but by God's taking humanity to himself. He is one, certainly not by the blending of his essence, but by the unity of his person. For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh, so too the one Christ is both God and human.