Editing Docetism (section)

{{Short description|View that Jesus' body was illusory}}
{{Distinguish|Donatism}}
{{Christology|expanded=Doctrines}}

In the [[history of Christianity]], '''docetism''' (from the {{langx|grc-x-koine|δοκεῖν/δόκησις}} ''dokeĩn'' "to seem", ''dókēsis'' "apparition, phantom"<ref>{{harvnb|González|2005|pp=46–47}}: "A term derived from the Greek ''dokein'', to seem, or to appear."</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Strecker|2000|p=438}}.</ref>) was the doctrine that the phenomenon of [[Jesus]], his historical and bodily existence, and above all the human form of Jesus, was mere semblance without any true reality.<ref>{{harvnb|Brox|1984|p=306}}.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Schneemelcher|Maurer|1994|p=220}}.</ref> Broadly, it is taken as the belief that Jesus only seemed to be human, and that his human form was an illusion.

The word {{lang|grc|Δοκηταί}} ''Dokētaí'' ("Illusionists") referring to early groups who denied Jesus's humanity, first occurred in a letter by Bishop [[Serapion of Antioch]] (197–203),{{sfn|Breidenbaugh|2008|p=179–81}} who discovered the doctrine in the [[Gospel of Peter]], during a pastoral visit to a Christian community using it in [[Arsuz|Rhosus]], and later condemned it as a forgery.{{sfn|Ehrman|2005|p=16}}<ref>{{harvnb|Foster|2009|p=79}}. Serapion first approved its use, and only reversed his opinion on returning to his bishopric in Antioch, after being informed of its contents. He wrote a "Concerning the So-Called Gospel of St&nbsp;Peter", which is alluded to in [[Eusebius]]'s ''[[Church History (Eusebius)|Church History]]'' VI&nbsp;12.3–6.</ref> It appears to have arisen over theological contentions concerning the meaning, figurative or literal, of a sentence from the [[Gospel of John]]: "the Word was made Flesh".<ref>{{harvnb|Smith|Wace|1877|pp=867–870}}.</ref>

Docetism was unequivocally rejected at the [[First Council of Nicaea]] in 325<ref name="Ridgeon 2001 xv">{{harvnb|Ridgeon|2001|p=xv}}.</ref> and is regarded as [[heresy in Christianity|heretical]] by the [[Catholic Church]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria]], [[Armenian Apostolic Church]], [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]],{{sfn|Arendzen|2012}} and many Protestant denominations that accept and hold to the statements of these early church councils, such as [[Calvinist]] ([[Reformed confessions of faith|Reformed Christians]]), [[Reformed Baptists]], [[Waldensians]], and all [[Trinity|Trinitarian Christians]].