Relating to or characteristic of the theological doctrine that God adopted Jesus as his son rather than Jesus being his biological son.
From Late Latin 'adoptianus,' derived from 'adoptio' (adoption). This term emerged in medieval Christian theology to describe a specific interpretation of the nature of Christ's relationship to God the Father.
Adoptian theology was so controversial that it sparked bitter church debates in the 8th-9th centuries—some bishops were exiled for supporting it. It shows how deeply language and theology intertwine, with small word choices (adoption vs. generation) creating massive theological fault lines.
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