Adoptionists

Adoptionism is a Christological position within Christian theology that holds Jesus of Nazareth was a human being who was adopted as the Son of God at a particular moment or through a specific event, rather than being divine by nature from the outset. Proponents typically describe Jesus as a righteous man whom God designated as His Son through an act of adoption or divine bestowal, often associated with events such as Jesus’ baptism or resurrection. The doctrine emphasizes Jesus’ humanity and a special divine approbation rather than a pre-existent divine nature.

Historically, Adoptionism arose in several periods and contexts. In the early centuries of Christianity, figures such as Paul of Samosata argued that Jesus became divine or uniquely related to God after birth, a view deemed heretical by mainstream orthodoxy as it appeared to undermine the pre-existence and equality of the Son with the Father. In the medieval period, a form of Adoptionism resurfaced in the Iberian Peninsula, notably in the late 8th and early 9th centuries with bishops such as Elipandus of Toledo and Felix of Urgel, precipitating a notable controversy and eventual condemnation by broader church authorities. Across these phases, Adoptionism was contrasted with more established Christologies that affirm the eternal divine status of the Son and the unity of the divine with the human in Jesus.

In modern scholarship, Adoptionism is generally treated as a historical heresy rather than a viable theological option within mainstream Christian orthodoxy. It is discussed primarily in studies of early Christian debates and medieval Christology to illustrate how understandings of Jesus’ nature and the relationship between the divine and human were contested.