psilanthropism
Definition
Noun (uncountable) - Theological doctrine: "psilanthropism" is the belief or doctrine that Jesus Christ was solely a human being and not divine. It denies the divinity of Christ, asserting his nature was entirely human.
Usage Examples
- (The belief that Christ was only human was rejected by early Christian authorities.)
- (Scholars re-examine the idea that Jesus was purely human.)
- (This doctrine is opposite to the mainstream Christian belief in both human and divine natures.)
Advanced Usage
"Psilanthropism vs. Docetism": Psilanthropism is often contrasted with Docetism, which denied Christ's true humanity.
- While Docetism claimed Jesus only seemed human, psilanthropism insisted he was only human. (These two heresies represent opposite errors about Christ's nature.)
"Historical psilanthropism": The term is sometimes applied to movements like Unitarianism that reject the Trinity.
- Unitarianism's roots in psilanthropism are clear in its rejection of Christ's divinity. (Unitarian beliefs align with this doctrine.)
Variants and Related Words
Psilanthropy (n): a synonym for psilanthropism, less commonly used.
- The scholar wrote extensively on psilanthropy in the 19th century. (He studied the belief that Christ was only human.)
Psilanthropic (adj): relating to or characteristic of psilanthropism.
- His psilanthropic views caused controversy in the seminary. (His beliefs about Christ's mere humanity sparked debate.)
Synonyms
- Humanitarianism (in a theological context): the belief that Christ was merely human.
- Socinianism: a specific historical movement that denied Christ's divinity (closely related to psilanthropism).
Related Idioms
- None directly associated with this specialized term. However, the phrase "mere man" is often used in discussions of psilanthropism.
- The psilanthropist argued that Jesus was a mere man. (He insisted Christ had no divine nature.)