modalism means the nontrinitarian doctrine that God, who is one person, has three modes of divine revelation (the Father, Son, and Spirit), contrary to the orthodox belief that the three persons are all fully God. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “modalism” is a great word
MODALISM — [Noun] The nontrinitarian theological doctrine that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three distinct persons but are three different modes or aspects of the one God. From modal (relating to mode or manner) + -ism (denoting a system, principle, or doctrine). First recorded in English 1845–50. Unlike Trinitarianism, which posits three co-equal persons in one being, or Tritheism, which errs toward three separate gods, modalism collapses all distinction into a singular divine actor. It is God as a solitary flame manifesting sequentially as light, heat, and consumed wax; a lone performer donning the masks of Creator, Redeemer, and Comforter on a vast, empty stage; a consciousness for whom communion is an eternal monologue—the profound loneliness of a deity who can only ever wear one face at a time.
Etymology
From modal + -ism.
noun
- The nontrinitarian doctrine that God, who is one person, has three modes of divine revelation (the Father, Son, and Spirit), contrary to the orthodox belief that the three persons are all fully God.