Docetism

Docetism (from Greek dokein, "to seem") is the teaching that Christ only seemed to have a physical body and to suffer and die.

History

• It is attacked in the New Testament (1 John 4:2–3; 2 John 7) and by Ignatius of Antioch (about 110 AD, Letter to the Smyrnaeans 2–4; Trallians 10).
• It appears in many Gnostic systems: Basilides (who taught that Simon of Cyrene was crucified in Jesus' place), Valentinians, the Second Treatise of the Great Seth and the Apocalypse of Peter from Nag Hammadi. It also appears in Marcion (2nd century), the Gospel of Peter, and the Acts of John.
• Opponents included Irenaeus (Against Heresies, about 180 AD), Tertullian (On the Flesh of Christ) and Hippolytus.
• It was rejected by orthodox Christianity. The Councils of Nicaea (325) and Chalcedon (451) affirmed Christ as fully human.
• It reappeared in the Middle Ages among the Cathars and Bogomils. The Qur'an 4:157 ("it was made to appear so to them") is sometimes compared to it.

Helian view

Tradition / belief The Helian Way holds that the divine manifests through an avatar (see Phaethon (Helian Way)). It treats Docetism as a kindred insight. This is founder's belief.