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What was the disagreement between Chalcedonian Christians and Monophysites during Justinian I’s reign?

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Mosaic detail of Emperor Justinian I with a jeweled crown and halo, wearing ornate robes, from the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. — Justinian I Justinian I, detail of a mosaic in the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy.

During the reign of Justinian I, the primary theological disagreement between Chalcedonian Christians and those labeled as Monophysites centered on the nature of Jesus Christ following the Incarnation.1

The Chalcedonian position, established at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, maintained that Christ possessed two distinct natures—divine and human—that coexisted without being mixed, transmuted, divided, or separated.21

In contrast, those labeled Monophysites (who often preferred the term miaphysites) emphasized the unity of Christ, arguing that he possessed a single nature. They believed that after the union of divinity and humanity, Christ’s nature was essentially one. This view was particularly strong in Egypt and Syria, where it was often linked to regional nationalistic sentiments and resentment toward Byzantine rule.321

Justinian I faced the difficult task of upholding the Chalcedonian orthodoxy to maintain ties with Rome and the West while attempting to reconcile with the Monophysites to preserve the unity of his eastern provinces. His efforts, which included attempts at compromise and the convening of the Second Council of Constantinople, ultimately failed to resolve the schism.1