Communication of Idioms
Because Christ is one person, what is said of his humanity can be said of God, and the reverse
The communication of idioms holds that, because Christ is one person in two natures, the properties of each nature may be predicated of the one person. The principle is associated with Cyril of Alexandria and received later development among Lutherans. It is broadly affirmed across traditions, but Lutheran and Reformed theologians dispute its extent—especially the genus maiestaticum, the question of whether Christ's humanity shares divine attributes—so the traditions differ.
How it traveled
- Against Praxeas.— · c. 220 CEexplains
- Melito, the Philosopher.— · c. 220 CEexplains
- Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.)Alexandria · c. 373 CEexplains
- Select Orations of Saint Gregory NazianzenNazianzus · c. 390 CEexplains
- Against EunomiusNyssa · c. 395 CEexplains
- Exposition of the Christian FaithMilan · c. 397 CEexplains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. JohnConstantinople (Istanbul) · c. 407 CEexplains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the HebrewsConstantinople (Istanbul) · c. 407 CEexplains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · c. 407 CEexplains
- Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. JohnHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- On the Holy TrinityHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- Letters of St. AugustinHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- The Third Ecumenical Council: The Council of EphesusEphesus · c. 431 CEexplains
- The Seven Books of John Cassian on the Incarnation of the Lord, Against NestoriusMarseille · c. 435 CEexplains
- The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All HeresiesLérins · c. 445 CEexplains
- The Fourth Ecumenical Council. The Council of ChalcedonChalcedon · c. 451 CEexplains
- The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of TheodoretCyrrhus · c. 458 CEexplains
- The Letters and Sermons of Leo the GreatRome · c. 461 CEexplains
- Selected Epistles of Gregory the GreatRome · c. 604 CEexplains
- John of Damascus: Exposition of the Orthodox FaithDamascus · c. 749 CEexplains
- Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)Paris · c. 1274 CEexplains
- Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90)Paris · c. 1274 CEexplains
- Treatise on The Most Holy Trinity (QQ[27-43])Paris · c. 1274 CEexplains
- Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic ChurchGeneva · c. 1564 CEexplains
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · c. 1564 CEexplains
- XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
Key passages(20)
Each passage is tagged by what it does with the idea: explains it, applies it in practice, redefines it with a new meaning, or challenges it. Relevance shows how directly the passage is about this idea.
Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
I answer that, On this question there was a difference of opinion between Nestorians and Catholics. The Nestorians wished to divide words predicated of Christ, in this way, viz. that such as pertained
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The Seven Books of John Cassian on the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius · John Cassian
And so it is clear that through the mystery of the Word of God joined to man, the Word, which was sent to save men, can be termed Saviour, and the Saviour, who was born in the flesh, can through union
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
I answer that, What belongs to one cannot be said of another, unless they are both the same; thus "risible" can be predicated only of man. Now in the mystery of the Incarnation the Divine and human na
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The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of All Heresies · Vincent of Lérins
The Union of the Divine with the Human Nature took place in the very Conception of the Virgin. The appellation “The Mother of God.” [40.] This unity of Person, then, in Christ was not effected after
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Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) · Athanasius of Alexandria
τούτῳ χρώμενος ὀργάνῳ infr.42. and ὄργανον πρὸς τὴν ἐνέργειαν καὶ τὴν ἔκλαμψιν τῆς θεότητος. 53. This was a word much used afterwards by the Apollinarians, who looked on our Lord’s manhood as merely a
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Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) · Athanasius of Alexandria
33. Who will not admire this? or who will not agree that such a thing is truly divine? for if the works of the Word’s Godhead had not taken place through the body, man had not been deified; and again,
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John of Damascus: Exposition of the Orthodox Faith · John of Damascus
Therefore, in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ, seeing that we recognise that He has two natures but only one subsistence compounded of both, when we contemplate His natures we speak of His divinity
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John of Damascus: Exposition of the Orthodox Faith · John of Damascus
Confessing, then, the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, to be perfect God and perfect man, we hold that the same has all the attributes of the Father save that of being ingenerate, and all the attributes o
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John of Damascus: Exposition of the Orthodox Faith · John of Damascus
Leo, Epist. 1 ad Flav. Note, therefore, that in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ, we speak sometimes of His two natures and sometimes of His one person: and the one or the other is referred to one c
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The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret · Theodoret of Cyrus
Orth.—Very right. But it is also important to recognise the fact that no confusion of natures results from both having one name. Wherefore we are endeavouring to distinguish how the same being is Son
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The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret · Theodoret of Cyrus
Eran.—And where is this taught in the divine Scripture? Orth.—It is all full of this teaching. Eran.—Give proof of what you assert. Orth.—Do you not acknowledge the properties of each nature? Eran
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The Third Ecumenical Council: The Council of Ephesus · The Ecumenical Councils
XII. Whosoever shall not recognize that the Word of God suffered in the flesh, that he was crucified in the flesh, and that likewise in that same flesh he tasted death and that he is become the first
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
Hence, supposing the truth of the Catholic belief, that the true Divine Nature is united with true human nature not only in person, but also in suppositum or hypostasis; we say that this proposition i
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
Objection 2: Further, Christ is called God in respect of His Divine Nature. But the Divine Nature did not first originate from the Virgin. Therefore the Blessed Virgin should not be called the Mother
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
Objection 2: Further, the principle of men's salvation is the Godhead Itself, according to Ps. 36:39: "But the salvation of the just is from the Lord." Consequently, if Christ's Passion did not appert
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
HOW TWO NATURES CONSTITUTE THE PERSON OF THE MEDIATOR. This chapter contains two principal heads: I. A brief exposition of the doctrine of Christ’s two natures in one person, sec. 1–4. II. A refutati
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John of Damascus: Exposition of the Orthodox Faith · John of Damascus
Book III. Chapter I.—Concerning the Divine Œconomy and God’s care over us, and concerning our salvation. Man, then, was thus snared by the assault of the arch-fiend, and broke his Creator’s command,
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The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret · Theodoret of Cyrus
Eran.—If the proper qualities of the natures remain distinct, how does the soul together with the body crave for food? Orth.—The soul does not crave for food. How could it when it is immortal? But th
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The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret · Theodoret of Cyrus
The Anathemas of Cyril in Opposition to Nestorius. ———————————— (Mansi T. IV. p. 1067–1082, Migne Cat. 76, col. 391. The anathemas of Nestorius against Cyril are to be found in Hardouin i. 1297.) I
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Letters of St. Augustin · Augustine of Hippo
8. Wherefore it behoves us, in reading any statements made concerning the Son of God, to observe in reference to which of these two natures they are spoken. For by His assumption of the soul and body
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