Homoousion

English

Etymology

From ecclesiastical Koine Greek ὁμοούσιον (homooúsion), neuter of ὁμοούσιος (homooúsios), formed by combining ὁμός (homós, “same”) and οὐσία (ousía, “being”) with the adjectival morpheme -ῐος (-ios).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /hɒməʊˈuːzɪɒn/

Noun

Homoousion (uncountable)

1. (theology) The inclusion of the term ὁμοούσιος (homooúsios, “of one essence”) in the Nicene Creed to describe the principle that the Son is ‘of one substance’ with the Father (as opposed to the Homoiousion).
   • 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 215:

     The campaign to get rid of the Homoousion from Christian credal statements split the Church in the empire for another half-century and more.

Derived terms

• homoousian, homoousianism

See also

• homoiousian, homoiousianism
• heteroousian, heteroousianism
• consubstantialis, consubstantial
• essentia, essence
• substantia, substance