Binitarianism
Christian theology of a “binity“ (i.e.two persons/personas/aspects in one substance/divinity/God), as opposed to the Trinity of most branches of Christianity
Binitarianism is a Christian theology of two persons, personas, or aspects in one substance/Divinity (or God). Classically, binitarianism is understood as a form of monotheism—that is, that God is absolutely one being—and yet with binitarianism there is a "twoness" in God, which means one God family. (In contrast to ditheism/duotheism) The other common forms of monotheism are "unitarianism", a belief in one God with one person, and "trinitarianism", a belief in one God with three persons. Binitarianism differs from Trinitarianism only through its affirmation that the holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Father and the Son, rather than a distinct person apart from the Father and the Son.
Scholarly views of early Christian theology
Larry W. Hurtado of University of Edinburgh uses the word "binitarian" to describe the position of early Christian devotion to God, which ascribes to the Son (Jesus) an exaltedness that in Judaism would be reserved for God alone, while still affirming as in Judaism that God is one and is alone to be worshiped. He writes:...there are a fairly consistent linkage and subordination of Jesus to God 'the Father' in these circles, evident even in the Christian texts from the latter decades of the 1st century that are commonly regarded as a very 'high' Christology, such as the Gospel of John and Revelation. This is why I referred to this Jesus-devotion as a 'binitarian' form of monotheism: there are two distinguishable figures (God and Jesus), but they are posited in a relation to each other that seems intended to avoid the ditheism of two gods.
Hurtado does not describe binitarianism as antithetical to Nicene Christianity but rather as an indication that Christians before the First Council of Nicaea were monotheistic (as evidenced by their singular reference to the Father as God), yet also devoted to Jesus as pre-existent, co-eternal, the creator, embodying the power of God, by whom the Father is revealed, and in whose name alone the Father is worshiped. He writes, "The central place given to Jesus ... and ...
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