Course:Carey HIST501/Project 1/Adoptionism

Biographical information of key leaders of Adoptionism

Early Christians:

According to Epiphanius in the 4th century, Adoptionism was also adhered to by the Jewish Christians known as Ebionites, who believed that Jesus was chosen on account of his sinless devotion to the will of God.

2nd-3rd Century:

Adoptionism is a Christological position that Jesus was a human and was adopted (or exalted) as the son of God. It is also one of two types of Monarchianism (known as Dynamic Monarchianism), which is essentially an Adoptionist view. Monarchianism is a position that affirms the sole deity of God the Father . Dynamic Monarchianism held that Christ was a mere man, miraculously conceived, but constituted the Son of God simply by the infinitely high degree in which he had been filled with divine wisdom and power. This view was taught at Rome about the end of the 2nd century by Theodotus The Tanner, who was excommunicated by Pope Victor, and taught somewhat later by Artemon, who was excommunicated by Pope Zephyrinus. About 260 it was again taught by Paul of Samosata (Bishop of Antioch from 260 to 268). .

Theodotus The Tanner: A wealthy and cultured tanner of Byzantium, Theodotus went to Rome c. 189 during the reign of Pope Victor I. He soon developed a following with his Dynamic Monarchianism. Condemned and excommunicated by Pope Victor in 190, Theodotus nevertheless continued to acquire disciples, forming the Theodotians, a sect that lasted into the 3rd century under another Theodotus, the Money-changer.

8th-9th century:

In around the 8th-9th century, Spanish Adoptionism was articulated by archbishop Elipandus of Toledo (717-805AD), as well as Felix of Urgel (Bishop of Urgell 783-99AD . Elipandus gained the support of Felix (Bishop of Urgel), engaged in a literary duel with Alcuin of York over the doctrine Felix was forced to recant in 799. Elipandus remained unrepentant, however, and continued as archbishop of Toledo, but the Adoptionist view was almost universally abandoned after his death.

12th century:

It was temporarily revived in the 12th century in the teachings of Peter Abelard (1079 – 1142 AD, French Scholastic Philosopher) and his followers.

21st century:

Bart Ehrman has published a book in 2014 "How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee", which is a New York Times bestseller. Bart Ehrman holds that the New Testament writings contain two different Christologies, namely a "low" or adoptionist Christology, and a "high" or "incarnation Christology." The "low Christology" or "adoptionist Christology" is the belief "that God exalted Jesus to be his Son by raising him from the dead," thereby raising him to "divine status." The other early Christology is "high Christology," which is "the view that Jesus was a pre-existent divine being who became a human, did the Father’s will on earth, and then was taken back up into heaven whence he had originally come,"and from where he appeared on earth. .

There is also an idea of an "evolutionary model/theories" proposed by Bousset, followed by Brown, that the Christology understanding of Christ developped over time, from low to high Christology.

Time frame when Adoptionism “flourished”

• 2nd and 3rd Century:
  • Known as Dynamic Monarchianism (aka Monarchianism)
• 8th Century:
  • Spanish Adoptionism
    • Teaching by Elipandus (Archbishop of Toledo) and Felix of Urgel
• 12th Century:
  • Only temporarily revived by Peter Abelard

Historical context

Looking at the timeline of the first prominent time when Adoptionism flourished, it was in the time frame of 2nd and 3rd century. During this timeframe, the nicene creed (325 AD) has not been developed, so during this time, there is no universally accepted teaching of the doctrine of Trinity yet. Based on the debate between Bart Ehrman and Michael F. Bird, Ehrman asserts that perhaps even the disciples and early Christians (In the 1st-2nd century) may have had an Adoptionist view. The Spanish adoptionism, on the other hand, was in around the 8th-9th century, when the Trinity doctrine and nicene creed are already available. The context of the development of the Spanish Adoptionism had the purpose of introducing the category of adoption was to make clear the right of Christ's humanity to the title "Son of God"

Central beliefs

Adoptionism, also called dynamic monarchianism, is an early Christian nontrinitarian theological doctrine, which holds that Jesus was adopted as the Son of God at his baptism, his resurrection, or his ascension.

Opponents to Adoptionism and/or church council which dealt with Adoptionism

• 2nd-3rd century (Dynamic Monarchianism)
  • Pope Victor (14th Bishop of Rome, 189-199AD ) excommunicated Theodotus
  • Pope Zephyrinus (15th Bishop of Rome, 199-217AD ) excommunicated Artemon
• 8th-9th century (Spanish Adoptionism)
  • Opposed by Beatus of Liebana (Monk, 730-800 AD in Spain region)
  • Condemned in Carolingian territories by
    • Pope Hadrian I
    • Alcuin of York
    • Agobard
    • Council of Frankfurt (794)
  • Pope Adrian I (Bishop of Rome, 772-795 AD）condemn the teaching.
  • In 798, Pope Leo III held a council in Rome that condemned "Adoptionism" of Felix.
    • Felix was forced to recant in 799.
    • Elipandus remained unrepentant

Impact of the Adoptionism to the Christian Church

The position of Adoptionism goes against the Trinity doctrine, which is central to mainstream Christianity. As the doctrine of Trinity is sometimes difficult to understand by Christians, then "if we can explain that Jesus started out as a man and God, essentially, turned him into a deity, then that gets rid of the weird mental hurdles surrounding the idea that Jesus was fully God, fully man, one man, two natures." Even though Adoptionism seems to a heresy of the past, it's still debated in recent days. As an example, Bart Ehrman has published a book in 2014 "How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee", which is a New York Times bestseller. "In a book that took eight years to research and write, Ehrman sketches Jesus’s transformation from a human prophet to the Son of God exalted to divine status at his resurrection. " New Testament scholar Michael F. Bird, in 2016, had a debate with Bart Ehrman and it's available on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtkeNuCwinc . Until this day, there are still heresies that hold an Adoptionist position, such as Jehovah's Witness.