adoptianism

Adoptionism refers to a Christian heresy that posits Jesus of Nazareth became the Son of God through adoption, rather than by nature. This belief emerged in two main forms: one in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, also known as Dynamic Monarchianism, and another in 8th-century Spain.12

The Spanish form, associated with Elipandus, archbishop of Toledo, distinguished between Christ's human and divine natures. Elipandus referred to Christ's humanity as the "adopted son," contrasting it with his divinity as the natural Son of God. This view was opposed and condemned by Pope Adrian I and later Pope Leo III. While Felix, bishop of Urgel, recanted his support, Elipandus remained unrepentant. The doctrine was largely abandoned after Elipandus's death, though it saw a brief revival in the 12th century.1