Docetism

[ doh-see-tiz-uhm, doh-si-tiz- ]

/ doʊˈsi tɪz əm, ˈdoʊ sɪˌtɪz- /

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noun

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.

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

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Origin of Docetism

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

OTHER WORDS FROM Docetism

Do·ce·tic, adjectiveDo·ce·tist, noun, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Docetism in a sentence

Docetic elements are apparent even in the fragment of the Gospel of Peter recently discovered.
History of Dogma, Volume 1 (of 7)|Adolph Harnack
That room was made for docetic views, and value put upon a strict asceticism.
History of Dogma, Volume 1 (of 7)|Adolph Harnack
Hilary especially illustrates the prevalence of naive Docetic views as regards the details of the Incarnation.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5|Various
This gospel was originally still more Docetic than it now is, according to Lipsius.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2|Various

The heresies against which Ignatius contends imply the rise of the later Gnostic and Docetic sects.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Docetism

Docetism

/ (ˈdəʊsɪˌtɪzəm) /

noun

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

Word Origin for Docetism

C19: from Medieval Latin Docētae, from Greek Dokētai, from dokein to seem

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012