The nomenclature “Docetism” does not lend itself to an easy definition. Ancient authors, such as Serapion, wrote of a heretical group “whom we call Docetists” (οὓς Δοκηταὶ καλοῦμεν; Eus. Hist. eccl. 6.12). Ignatius of Antioch informed us of a group of unnamed “unbelievers” who claimed that Jesus suffered in appearance only (τίνες λέγουσιν τὸ δοκεῖν αὐτὸ πεπονθέναι; Ign. Smyrn. 2.1; Trall. 10) and…