History of Christianity. Lecture 8 of 30. The Gnostic and Docetist Visions of the Christ. The greatest threat to the infant Church came not from the Roman state or any of the faiths with which she competed, but from within the ranks of the faithful. Many Christians (Gnostics and Docetists) espoused a more mystical vision of the Christ than the Church Fathers felt was warranted by the four Gospels.
