In Christianity, docetism (from the Greek dokeō, "to seem") is the belief that Jesus' physical body was an illusion, as was his crucifixion; that is, Jesus only seemed to have a physical body and to physically die, but in reality he was incorporeal, a pure spirit, and hence could not physically die.

This belief treats the sentence "the Word was made Flesh" (John 1:14) as merely figurative.

Docetism is regarded as heretical by the Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, and many others.