My interest in the corpus of writings of Bishop Elipandus of Toledo began last month with a reference to followers of the Iberian heretic Migetius in correspondence between the ninth century Mozarabic writer Álvaro of Córdoba and Bishop Saul. Now, more than a month later, I am pleased to say that I have translated all the surviving works of Elipandus, who wrote a refutation of Migetius' heretical teachings on the Trinity but then espoused his own doctrine of Adoptionism (i.e. that Christ, in his human nature, was the adopted Son of God) that came to be denounced as heresy. The exact origin of this Adoptionism is debated: for example, some may attribute it to the influence of Elipandus' environment in Muslim-controlled Spain, others may see it as developing out of the refutation of Migetius' heresy. Whatever the case, the doctrine appears to have gained some following among Christians in Muslim-controlled Spain during the late eighth century CE and could have spread more widely among the populations in the Christian realms Asturias and the Carolingian Empire. However, the sharp denunciations of Adoptionism as heresy and the deaths of Elipandus and Felix led to the trend's eventual demise.
While I have dedicated individual translations and commentaries in this series to various friends, I dedicate the entire collection to Daniel Martyn Lewis. A truly fine musician (to quote the New York Concert Review's description of him), Daniel is a concert pianist best known for his interpretations and tutorials on the works of JS Bach. During my youth, he inspired in me a love for playing the piano that I retain to this day, as well as a love for the King James Version among the English translations of the Bible. It was a great honour to be taught by him and he continues to devote time to providing advice on performing piano pieces when I need it. I very much recommend following Daniel on his website, Facebook page and Youtube channel. Daniel, as I have translated these texts in the Elipandus corpus and have observed all the Biblical references here, I am very much reminded of you. I hope you will enjoy reading this collection of writings and I would very much like to hear your thoughts.
Below is the Elipandus corpus compiled in URLs.
. Letter to Migetius
. Symbol of the Elipandian Faith
. Letter to Fidelis
. Letter of the Bishops of Spain
. Letter to Charlemagne
. Letter to Alcuin of York
. Letter to Felix