(5th6th century AD) Doctrine that emphasized the single nature (the term means literally "of one nature") of Christ, as a wholly divine being rather than part-divine and part-human.
Monophysitism began to appear in the 5th century; though condemned as a heresy at the Council of Chalcedon (451), it was tolerated by such Byzantine leaders as Justin II , Theodora , and Zeno , resulting in a full-fledged schism between East and West. Several Monophysite churches, including the Coptic Orthodox Church , were founded in the 6th century.