Editing Patripassianism (section)

==History==
Patripassianism is attested as early as the 2nd century; theologians such as [[Praxeas]] speak of God as unipersonal.<ref>Tertullian, Adversus Praxean, Ch. 1</ref> Patripassianism was referred to as a belief ascribed to those following [[Sabellianism]], after a chief proponent, [[Sabellius]], especially by the chief opponent [[Tertullian]], who also opposed Praexas. Sabellius, considered a founder of an early movement, was a priest who was excommunicated from the Church by [[Pope Callixtus I]] in 220 and lived in [[Rome]]. Sabellius advanced the doctrine of one God sometimes referred to as the "economic Trinity" and he opposed the orthodox doctrine of the "essential Trinity". Praxeas and [[Noetus]] were some major followers.

Because the writings of Sabellius were destroyed, it is difficult to know if he actually believed in Patripassianism, but one early version of the [[Apostles' Creed]], recorded by [[Tyrannius Rufinus|Rufinus]], explicitly states that the Father is '[[Impassibility|impassible]].' This reading dates to about 390 AD. This addition was made in response to patripassianism, which Rufinus evidently regarded as a heresy,<ref>Philip Schaff, ''The Creeds of Christendom'' (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2007): vol. 2, pp. 49–50.</ref> and [[Ignatius of Antioch|Ignatius]] believed the incarnate one is the impassible: "being impassible, He was in a passible body, being immortal, He was in a mortal body".<ref>Ignatius, Letter to the Ephesians, ch. 7</ref>

Cyprian and Tertullian famously accused the [[Modalism|Modalistic]] [[Monarchianism|Monarchians]] of patripassianism.<ref name="History of the Christian Church">Williston Walker, ''History of the Christian Church'', Page 73, Charles Scribner's Sons 1949</ref> The Monarchians taught the unity of the Godhead in Christ and that as the Son suffered the Father also experienced the sufferings. They did not teach that the Father died on the cross though they were sometimes accused of that.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

The term has been used by others such as F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone to describe other Oneness religions.<ref>eds., ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press), accessed via [http://www.oxfordreference.com Oxford Reference Online] August 21, 2009</ref>