PATRIPASSIANI, in church-history, a Christian sect, who appeared about the latter end of the 2d century; so called, from their afflicting the passion to the Father; for they affected 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 Praxeas, a philosopher of Phrygia in Asia.