Docetism Series

Docetism

Docetism was a refinement of Gnosticism. In the history of Christianity, Docetism is the heretical doctrine that the phenomenon of Jesus, his historical and bodily existence, and above all, the human form of Jesus, was mere semblance without any actual reality. Its followers believed that Jesus' body was an illusion and that he was wholly spiritual. Simply put, Gnosticism (from gnosis – Greek - knowledge) has the notion that it is secret mystical knowledge that saves rather than faith in God; Docetism ( Latin - docere - to seem) is the belief that Jesus only seemed to be a real man but was a kind of avatar.

Questions and Answers

How do Gnosticism and Docetism differ? Or What is the difference between Docetism and Gnosticism? One (Gnosticism) is a thread running through many sects and religions. The other (Docetism) is a specific sect.

Gnosticism is a classification of sects and religions that focus on experiential knowledge of the divine rather than relying on faith. Many notable sects fell into this classification, including Docetism, Valentinians, Sethians, Manicheans, and Mandeans. Prior to the Catholic Church’s rise to dominance, there were dozens of different sects of Christianity, some with compatible beliefs and many with contradictory beliefs. Those that relied on experiential knowledge of the Divine (gnosis) were eventually considered heretical and were either wiped out or forced into subjugation. However, there were considerable differences in belief even among the Gnostic sects.

It should be noted that Gnosticism is not limited to being classified as a Christian. Any religion that focuses on experiential knowledge over faith could be considered Gnostic. Docetism is broadly defined as any teaching that claims that Jesus' body was either absent or imagined. The term 'docetic' is somewhat vague. Two varieties were widely known. In one version, as in *Marcionism, Christ was so divine that he could not have been human since God lacked a material body that could not physically suffer. Jesus only appeared to be a flesh-and-blood man; his body was an apparition. Other groups accused of Docetism held that Jesus was a man in the flesh. However, Christ was a separate entity who entered Jesus' body as a dove at his baptism, empowered him to perform miracles, and abandoned him upon his death on the cross.

*Marcionism was an early Christian dualistic belief system that originated from the teachings of Marcion of Sinope in Rome around the year 144. Marcion was an early Christian theologian, evangelist, and an important figure in early Christianity. He was the son of a bishop of Sinope in Pontus. About the middle of the 2nd Century, he traveled to Rome, where he joined the Syrian Gnostic Cerdo.

One of those Gnostic sects within early Christianity was Docetism. The term derives from the Greek word for “to seem.” The idea behind Docetism was that Jesus was never really here in the flesh; he only seemed to be here. So rather than being a flesh and blood person, it was just the apparition of Jesus that appeared to his followers. This helped overcome the issues with Jesus, being God incarnate, living in the impure wrappings of the human body.

Who started Docetism?

The word "Illusionists," referring to early groups who denied Jesus's humanity, first occurred in a letter by Bishop Serapion of Antioch. It appears to have arisen over theological contentions concerning the meaning, figurative or literal, of a sentence from the Gospel of John: "the Word was made Flesh."

Docetism was unequivocally rejected at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and is regarded as heretical by the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Armenian Apostolic Church, Orthodox Church, and many Protestant denominations.

What was the heresy of Docetism? The chart below contains the heresy, description, origin, condemnation, and other comments of various beliefs (including Docetism).

Trinitarian/Christological heresies

Heresy Description Origin Official condemnation Other

Adoptionism

The belief that Jesus was born as a mere (non-divine) man was supremely virtuous and that he was adopted later as the "Son of God" by the descent of the Spirit on him. Propounded by Theodotus of Byzantium, a leather merchant, in Rome c.190, later revived by Paul of Samosata

Pope Victor excommunicated Theodotus, and the Synod of Antioch condemned Paul in 268 Alternative names: Psilanthropism and Dynamic Monarchianism. Later criticized as presupposing Nestorianism (see below)

Apollinarism

Apollinaris further taught that other souls and their bodies propagated the souls of men Proposed by Apollinaris of Laodicea (died 390) Declared to be a heresy in 381 by the First Council of Constantinople

Arabic

The belief that the soul perished with the body and that both would be revived on Judgement Day. Founder unknown but associated with 3rd-century Christians from Arabia. I am Reconciled to the main body of the Church after a council in 250 led by Origen.