Patripassians A sect that appeared about the latter end of the second century; so called from their ascribing the passion or sufferings of Christ to the Father; for they asserted the unity of God in such a manner as to destroy all distinctions of persons, and to make the Father and Son precisely the same; in which they were followed by the Sabellians and others. The author and head of the Patripassians was Praxias, a philosopher of Phrygia, in Asia.