Fully divine and human; one divine Person, two natures, Chalcedonian
Catholic Christology follows the definition of the Council of Chalcedon (451): Jesus Christ is one divine Person—the eternal Son of God—subsisting in two complete and unconfused natures, divine and human. This is the 'hypostatic union.' As God, Christ is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit; as man, he was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered, died, and rose bodily. The Council of Ephesus (431) defined Mary as Theotokos (God-bearer), affirming the unity of person in Christ.
Catholic theology articulates the Incarnation as the central mystery of the faith: 'The Word became flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1:14). The Catechism (§§461–483) elaborates that Christ assumed a full human nature—body, soul, intellect, and will—without ceasing to be the eternal Son of God. His human will was perfectly aligned with his divine will. Catholic moral theology and sacramental life flow from the conviction that Christ's humanity is the instrument of salvation for the world.
Key Distinctions
- Natures formula:
- two complete natures (divine and human) united in one person (hypostatic union)
- Conciliar affiliation:
- Council of Chalcedon (451) affirmed
Scripture References
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), §§461–483
- Council of Chalcedon (451), Definition of Faith
- Council of Ephesus (431)
- Council of Constantinople III (681)