Oneness
Oneness theology is a non-Trinitarian view of God that was rejected by the church in the third century AD. It is the fundamental belief of a minority of Pentecostal denominations and most churches that follow William Branham. Prior to the 20th century, the Christian church referred to the Oneness doctrine as Sabellianism, Patripassianism, Modalism or modalistic monarchianism.
If you are a follower of Oneness theology or are wanting to talk to someone who follows Oneness doctrine, you should first read our article on Cognitive Dissonance.
History of Oneness theology
Oneness Pentecostalism emerged in 1914 within the Assemblies of God, introducing a modalistic understanding of God and insisting on baptism in the name of Jesus Christ rather than the traditional Trinitarian formula. The movement traces its modern origins to April 15, 1914, when prominent leaders Frank Ewart and Glenn Cook publicly baptized themselves using the Jesus-name formula instead of the Trinitarian one. The theological seeds had been planted earlier through a baptismal sermon near Los Angeles in 1913, which Ewart then developed into systematic doctrine within a year.
The movement took organizational form in 1917 following expulsion from the Assemblies of God. In 1916, the Trinitarian-Oneness controversy led to the formation of the General Assembly of Apostolic Assemblies, which merged with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in 1918. Originally called the “New Issue” or “Jesus Only,” the movement adopted the designations “Jesus Name,” “Apostolic,” or “Oneness” pentecostalism by 1930.
Despite its antiquity within Pentecostalism, Oneness Pentecostalism remains relatively unknown among trinitarian Pentecostals.
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