Docetism
Docetism is a theological concept originating in the early Christian Church, characterized by the belief that Jesus Christ was purely a spiritual being and that his physical existence, including his bodily death on the cross, was an illusion. The term itself derives from the Greek word "dokesis," meaning "appearance" or "semblance." While the ideas associated with Docetism can be traced back to the first century, they became more formally identified by the second century, notably linked with Gnostic thought, which emphasized the spiritual realm over the material world.
Key figures associated with Docetism include Marcion of Sinope, who argued that Jesus was not the son of the God of the Hebrews but of a more benevolent deity, reflecting a broader Gnostic disdain for the physical world. This belief system contradicted mainstream Christian doctrine, which holds that Jesus was both fully divine and fully human, a concept central to the doctrine of the Incarnation. The early Church, particularly through the teachings of theologians like Ignatius of Antioch and the formal condemnation at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, rejected Docetism as heretical, reaffirming the belief in Jesus's true physical existence and the significance of Mary as the God-bearer. The historical debate surrounding Docetism highlights the struggles within early Christianity to define the nature of Christ and the implications for faith and doctrine.
Docetism
Docetism is a Christian heresy, or false teaching, dating back to the early days of the Church. Docetism states that Jesus Christ existed as a spirit only. The teaching asserts that what appeared to be Jesus's body was an illusion, as was his death on the cross. Mentions of Docetism in the Bible indicate that some held this belief from the very earliest days of the Church, but it became more fully formed by about the second century after Christ's death. Beliefs such as these are among the reasons that the idea of the virgin conception of Jesus became a significant issue in the church.
Background
The word docetism comes from the Greek word dokesis, which means "semblance" or "appearance," and refers to the belief that Jesus only seemed to have a human body, or had the appearance of having one. The term docetists was not applied to them until around 200 Common Era (CE), when Serapion of Antioch (191–211), a theologian and writer, first used it. Although the belief had no formal name at the time, the concept is alluded to in the first letter of John in the New Testament, which was written in the first century after Christ's death. The letter discounts the validity of those who do not believe in the corporeal nature of Jesus Christ.
The Gnostics expanded on the idea in the second century. This religious cult favored the spiritual over the natural world because they saw the natural world as flawed and of inferior value. Although they believed the human form was also flawed, they felt that some humans had a divine spark in them and that these people could communicate more directly with the spiritual world. The term gnostic comes from the Greek word for knowledge and was applied to the Gnostics because they believed that they had secret knowledge of spiritual matters.
The Gnostic most closely associated with Docetism is Marcion of Sinope (85–160). He was the son of the Bishop of Sinope in the Republic of Türkiye and ran a successful shipping business, which gave him the time and resources to engage in theological discussion and study. His interest caused him to develop a dislike for the physical world and a preference for the realm of the spirit; his teachings related to this caused the Church to cast him out.
Marcion resettled in Rome, where he rejoined the Church and began sharing his views that Jesus was not the son of the God of the Hebrews but instead was the son of a more spiritual, less wrathful God. Marcion said that the God of the Hebrews was inferior to this other God, even though the God of the Hebrews did create the universe. In addition, Marcion said that just as his father was a spiritual being, so too was Jesus, and what seemed to be a human body while he was on earth was merely an illusion. After trying to convince Marcion of the error of his thinking, the Church in Rome also ejected him for his heretical teachings in about the year 144. Most other Gnostics were also asked to leave the established churches. Some, like Marcion, established their own churches in various areas. Others left behind writings, including those found in Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945, commonly referred to as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Overview
Docetism was considered a heresy because it contradicted the accepted Christian belief that Jesus was both human and God. Some followers of Docetism believed that Jesus at times had a sort of body, but all denied that he underwent death and, therefore, that he rose bodily from the dead. Some followers of Docetism went as far as to suggest that someone else died on the cross in Jesus's place. Their denial is rooted in their belief that the physical, natural world is inferior to the spirit world and in the related denial of the possibility of a truly divine being taking on an inferior human form. For a spiritual being to take on a physical form would be a significant step-down.
Most believers in Docetism, like Marcion, rejected any attempt to dissuade them from their views. They dismissed attempts to convince them through the words of the Gospel of John—which states that the Word, the promised savior, became a flesh-and-blood being and walked the earth—by altering the words to say that the Word took on the appearance of flesh to live among humankind. This teaching was officially labeled heresy in the second century by Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35–107), who was a bishop at the time. It was also soundly condemned by a number of early Christian theologians, including Irenaeus (115–190), Hippolytus (170–235), and Tertullian (c. 155–c. 240).
The established church fought back against the teachings of Docetism by affirming the virgin conception and birth of Jesus through Mary. This concept—the Incarnation of Christ—is central to Christian teachings. Incarnation means to take on flesh, as Christian teachings say Jesus did, while at the same time remaining fully God as well.
The church formally condemned Docetism in 451 at the Council of Chalcedon. The Chalcedonian Council, which met from October 8 to November 1 in the city of Chalcedon in what is now the Republic of Türkiye, declared Mary to be the theotokos, or the God-bearer, affirming her as the mother of the human Jesus. It also affirmed Jesus as vere deus, vere homo, or at once truly God and truly man, and said that Jesus was like all people in his humanity. This doctrine is formally known as the Definition of the Union of the Divine and Human Natures of the Person of Christ, also known as the Chalcedonian Definition.
Docetism disagrees with the central tenet of Christianity: Jesus was both divine and human. Early leaders of the Roman Catholic Church worked to prevent beliefs that Jesus was not a physical being, though some refused to accept this belief. This gulf led the Church to condemn followers of Docetism.
Bibliography
Arendzen, John. "Docetae." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5, Robert Appleton Company, 1909, www.newadvent.org/cathen/05070c.htm. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
"Chalcedonian Definition." The Episcopal Church, www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/chalcedonian-definition/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
"Docetism." The Episcopal Church, www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/docetism. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
“Docetism.” Lutheran Spokesman, 2 Dec. 2020, lutheranspokesman.org/2020/12/02/docetism. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Jones, Timothy Paul. Christian History Made Easy. Rose Publishing, 2009, pp. 23-29.
MacCulloch, Diarmaid. Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years. Penguin, 2010, pp. 125-129.
Snyder, Dean. “It Is about the Money.” Christian Century, vol. 129, no. 5, Mar. 2012, pp. 11–12. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=72887568&site=ehost-live. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.