Trinity

TRINITY & OTHER DOCTRINES OF GOD:
PROF. M. M. NINAN
Early Christians considered Islam as a heresy of Christianity rather than a separate
religion.
Elipando (717 - 808?)
Chief proponent of the 8th-century heresy of adoptionism in Spain; b. July 25, 717; d. after 800 (807?).
He was appointed archbishop of Toledo c. 783. In condemning Migetius for sabellianism (Seville, c. 782),
Elipandus himself became the author of the Spanish form of adoptionism, claiming that there are two
distinct persons in Christ. Felix of Urgel, a contemporary and a subject of Charlemagne, introduced
adoptionism into the southern part of Charles's kingdom. He is sometimes considered the author of
adoptionism; but alcuin blames Elipandus (Patrologia Latina 101:231–300). beatus of liÉbana and
Etherius, Bishop of Osma [Symbolum fidei Elipandianae (785); (Patrologia Latina 96:916–920], opposed
Elipandus, and Pope adrian I condemned him.
Bishop Elipando was one of the founders of the Adoptivi sect.
Although he affirmed Catholic teaching that Jesus is true Son of God, eternally begotten
from God the Father and thus of one divine nature with the Father. Spanish advocates
predicated the term adoptivus of Christ only in respect to his humanity; once the divine
Son of God "emptied himself" of divinity and "took the form of a servant" (Philippians
2:7), Christ's human nature was "adopted" as divine.
"The Son of God himself, who by emptying himself, takes up adoption."
The purpose of introducing the category of adoption was to make clear the right of
Christ's humanity to the title "Son of God. Jesus, as the son of David, according to his
human nature was the adopted rather than he being the natural son of God. Elipando's
assertion seemed to suggest that Christ's human nature existed separately from His
divine personhood. Thus, it seemed to be a nuanced form of Nestorianism and came to
be known as Adoptionism. Elipando's teaching was condemned as heresy by the
Councils of Ratisbon in 792 and of Frankfurt in 794.
Another leading advocate of this Christology was Felix of Urgel.
Bishop Felix of Urgel defended his views in the presence of Charlemagne at the Council of Regensburg
(792) where he was induced to recant. Sent to Rome by Charlemagne, he was compelled to sign an
orthodox confession which he subsequently repudiated. Alcuin* wrote extensively against him, opposing
his use of the phrase “adopted son” with regard to Christ in His human nature. At the Council of
Aix-la-Chapelle (798) Felix again acknowledged himself defeated, wrote a recantation, and called on the
clergy of Urgel to follow his example. He was placed under the supervision of the archbishop of Lyons till
his death.
12th century and later: Neo-Adoptionism
A third wave was the revived form ("Neo-Adoptionism") of Peter Abelard in the 12th
century. Later, various modified and qualified Adoptionist tenets emerged from some
theologians in the 14th century. Duns Scotus (1300) and Durandus of Saint-Pourçain
(1320) admit the term Filius adoptivus in a qualified sense. In more recent times the
Jesuit Gabriel Vásquez, and the Lutheran divines Georgius Calixtus and Johann Ernst
Immanuel Walch, have defended Adoptionism as essentially orthodox.
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