controversy
Adoptionism
Also known as Dynamic monarchianism
undated
Teaching that Jesus was a man adopted as Son of God, associated with Theodotus and Paul of Samosata.
Wikipedia extract
Adoptionism, closely associated with dynamic monarchianism, is an early Christian nontrinitarian theological doctrine, subsequently revived in various forms. Adoptionism is a theology about relationship, which does not affirm the virgin birth and holds that Jesus was adopted as the Son of God at his baptism, his resurrection, or his ascension. Dynamic Monarchianism does not hold Jesus' sonship was through adoption. Dynamic monarchianism is a theology about divinity, and holds there is one God, the Father, and Jesus was a man, born of virgin birth, empowered by God's own divinity through the Holy Spirit, and raised to unity with God, but not a pre-existent distinct divine person. The chronology of the development of adoptionist and high Christologies remain a matter of debate within contemporary scholarship. Some scholars see adoptionism as the belief of the earliest followers of Jesus, based on the epistles of Paul and other early literature, though most scholars find Christ's pre-existence within the Pauline letters. However, adoptionist views sharply declined in prominence in the fourth and fifth centuries, as Church leaders condemned it as a heresy.
CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikipedia contributors. Source page
Sources
- Adoptionism · Wikipedia contributorsAccessed 2026-11-12 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikidata Q366287 · Wikidata contributorsAccessed 2026-11-12 · CC0 1.0
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1907-1912) article · Various (Catholic Encyclopedia)Accessed 2026-11-12 · 1907-1912 text public domain in the US; dated and confessional, use for history of reception
Authority files
- Q366287
- Catholic Encyclopedia 01150a
Related
- Theodotus of Byzantium · person
christology · monarchians · 2nd-century