Docetism

American  

[doh-see-tiz-uhm, doh-si-tiz-] / doʊˈsi tɪz əm, ˈdoʊ sɪˌtɪz- /

noun

1. an early Christian doctrine that the sufferings of Christ were apparent and not real and that after the crucifixion he appeared in a spiritual body.

2. Roman Catholic Church. an ancient heresy asserting that Jesus lacked full humanity.

---

Docetism British  

/ ˈdəʊsɪˌtɪzəm /

noun

1. (in the early Christian Church) a heresy that the humanity of Christ, his sufferings, and his death were apparent rather than real

---

Other Word Forms

• Docetist
  noun
• Docetic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Docetism

First recorded in 1840–50; Docet(ae) + -ism

Example Sentences

By calling Himself 'Son of Man,' Epiphanius says, our Lord asserts His proper manhood and repels Docetism, and, by claiming 'power upon earth,' He declares that earth not to belong to an alien creation.

From The Gospels in the Second Century An Examination of the Critical Part of a Work Entitled 'Supernatural Religion' by Sanday, William

In the first place, it seems to have overcome the tendency of Logos theology to produce Docetism.

From Landmarks in the History of Early Christianity by Lake, Kirsopp

In "Philippians" especially, many expressions seem to verge upon Docetism, the extreme form of Gnosticism, according to which the human body of Jesus was only a phantom.

From The Unseen World and Other Essays by Fiske, John

The Docetism of Valentinus comes out in the following.

From A Source Book for Ancient Church History by Ayer, Joseph Cullen

Obviously the tendency of Ephesian Christianity was to minimise the human characteristics of the historic Jesus, and to merge into Docetism.

From Landmarks in the History of Early Christianity by Lake, Kirsopp