Adoptionism is a view held by some early medieval Christians, that Jesus was born a human only, and was not divine until his baptism, at which point he was adopted as the Son by God the Father. Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure in Christianity. ... Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ...

It is one of two main forms of monarchianism; the other is modalism. Adoptionism held that Christ as God is indeed the Son of God by generation and by nature, but Christ as man is Son of God only by adoption and grace, dispensed from the moment of his baptism. This position was one in a long series of Christian disagreements about the precise nature of Christ (see Christology) in the developing dogma of the Trinity, an attempt to explain the relationship between Jesus Christ, both as man and God and God the Father, while maintaining Christianity's monotheism. It differs significantly from the doctrine of the Trinity that was later adopted by the ecumenical councils. Monarchianism, or Monarchism as it is sometimes called, is a belief that was held by some in the early time of Christianity and centers around God as one person, that God is the single and only ruler. ... In Christianity, Sabellianism (also known as modalism) is the second-century belief that the three persons of the Trinity are merely different modes or aspects of God, rather than three distinct persons. ... Christology is that part of Christian theology that studies and defines who Jesus Christ was and is. ... This article concerns the Holy Trinity of Christianity and related religious denominations. ... Monotheism (in Greek monon = single and Theos = God) is the belief in a single, universal, all-encompassing deity. ... This article concerns the Holy Trinity of Christianity and related religious denominations. ... In Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, an ecumenical council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ...

There were three waves of Adoptionist speculation. The first adoptionism, called Hispanicus error, in the late 8th century maintained by Elipandus, bishop of Toledo in the Caliphate of Cordoba and by Felix, bishop of Urgell in the foothills of the Pyrenees; Alcuin, the leading intellect at the court of Charlemagne was called in to write refutations against both of the bishops. Against Felix he wrote: The façade of Toledo cathedral The largest Toledo in the world is Toledo, Ohio. ... Córdoba most commonly means Córdoba, Spain, a famous city in Spain inhabited since the time of ancient Rome, and the seat of the Emir of Córdoba and the Caliph of Córdoba. ... Urgell is one of the historical Catalan counties, bordering on the counties of Pallars and Cerdanya. ... Flaccus Albinus Alcuin (about 735 - May 19, 804) was a monk from York, England. ...

"As the Nestorian impiety divided Christ into two persons because of the two natures, so your unlearned temerity divided Him into two sons, one natural and one adoptive"

A second wave was the revived form ("Neo-Adoptionism") of Abelard in the 12th century. Later, various modified and qualified Adoptionist tenets of some theologians from the 14th century. The term Nestorianism is eponymous, even though the person who lent his name to it always denied the associated belief. ... Pierre Abélard (in English, Peter Abelard) or Abailard (1079 - April 21, 1142) was a French scholastic philosopher. ...

One of the early exponents of Adoptionism was Theodotus of Byzantium. The belief was declared heretical by Pope Victor I. Theodotus of Byzantium (also known as Theodotus the Tanner) (fl. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... Saint Victor I was pope from 189 to 199 (the Vatican cites 186 or 189 to 197 or 201). ...

In The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture Bart Ehrman argues that the adoptionist view may date back almost to the time of Jesus. Jesus, also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure in Christianity. ...

External link

• Catholic Encyclopedia: (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01150a.htm) Adoptionism, from a Roman perspective.