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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• Docetic
  adjective
• Docetist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Docetism

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

Example Sentences

Clement and Origen, at the head of the Alexandrian school, took a somewhat subtle view of the Incarnation, and Docetism pervades their controversies with the Monarchians.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5 "Dinard" to "Dodsworth" by Various

The heresy combated by Ignatius is a type of Gnostic Judaism, the Gnostic element manifesting itself in a sharp form of Docetism.

From The Quarterly Review, Volume 162, No. 324, April, 1886 by Various

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

If Ephesian Christianity had never come to Rome, and met its complement in the Adoptionists, it might, in spite of the Fourth Gospel, have degenerated into thorough-going Docetism, or have been represented only by Gnostics.

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

As compared with this, Docetism in Origen's case appears throughout in a weakened form; see Bigg, p.

From History of Dogma, Volume 2 (of 7) by Buchanan, Neil