Monothelitism

Monothelitism was the christological doctrine that Jesus Christ had one will but two natures (divine and human). Under the influence of the Patriarch Sergios (of Constantinople), monothelitism was developed during the reign of Heraclius as a response to Monoenergism and as an attempt to reconcile the Monophysites with the Chalcedonians. However, it was rejected by the Church, and was never accepted by most of the monophysites either. One prominent proponent of the doctrine was Maximus the Confessor, who insisted instead on dythelitism, the belief that Christ had two wills rather than one.

The doctrine's significant extends beyond simply the corridors of 7th century church history. That Christ had two wills illuminates the church's understanding of his two natures, namely, that each has a volitional aspect and that each distinctly has feelings and desires. The most important aspect of this doctrine is that it also contributes to the church's understanding of Christ's mediatory work, as the divine Son and as the 2nd Adam. Each nature participated in mediation.