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adoptianism : or adoptionism is a doctrine of Christianity that claims Christ was the son of God in nature, and only adopted the form of humanity.

As the theological doctrine of the Logos which bulks so largely in the writings of the apologists of the 2nd century came to the front, the trinitarian problem became acute. The necessity of a constant protest against polytheism led to a tenacious insistence on the divine unity, and the task was to reconcile this unity with the deity of Christ. Some thinkers fell back on the "modalistic" solution which regards "Father" and "Son" as two aspects of the same subject, but the theological doctrine of adoptionism concerned to distinguish between the divine and human natures of Christ. Adoptionism held that in his divinity Christ was the son of God by nature, but in his humanity by adoption only.

The doctrine was opposed by the English scholar Alcuin and condemned as heresy by the Council of Frankfurt (794). Similar views were held by Paul of Samosata and the followers of Monarchianism.

This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopędia Britannica, which is in the public domain.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoptianism"

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This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopędia Britannica, which is in the public domain.

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