Early Church Heresies
Terms
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- Gnosticism
- Movement stressing salvation through secret knowledge or "gnosis". Dualism of Good God (creator of spiritual world) and Evil God (creator of physical world)
- Dualism of Good God (creator of spiritual world) and Evil God (creator of spiritual world)
- Gnosticism
- Movement stressing salvation through secret knowledge or "gnosis".
- Gnosticism
- Ebionism
- Conservative Jewish Christian view that God is one and that Jesus must be understood in terms of Old Testament categories. Jesus was merely a specially blessed prophet.
- Jesus was merely a specially blessed prophet.
- Ebionism
- Conservative Jewish Christian view that God is one and that Jesus must be understood in terms of Old Testament categories. Jesus was merely a specially blessed prophet.
- Ebionism
- Doceticism
- Heresy proporting that Jesus was wholly divine and that his manhood was merely an illusion. From Greek dokein - "to seem" or "appear to be." Related to gnosticism.
- Heresy proporting that Jesus was wholly divine and that his manhood was merely an illusion.
- Doceticism
- From Greek dokein - "to seem" or "appear to be."
- Doceticism
- Related to gnosticism.
- Doceticism
- Marcionism
-
Belief in total discontinuity between OT and NT, between Israel and the Church, and even between the god of the OT (the demiurge, who created the material world,) and the Father of Christ.
Similar to and influenced by Gonosticism. - Belief in total discontinuity between OT and NT, between Israel and the Church, and even between the god of the OT (the demiurge, who created the material world,) and the Father of Christ.
- Marcionism
- demiurge
- According to Marcionites, the evil god of the OT who created the material world (as distinguished from the Father of Christ.)
- Marcion's "canon":
-
10 Pauline epistles
A "purified" gospel of Luke - with all references to Christ's human birth removed. -
10 Pauline epistles
A "purified" gospel of Luke - with all references to Christ's human birth removed. - Marcion's "canon":
- Montanism - what century?
- 2nd Century
- Montanism
- Named for Montanus, who converted in AD 155 and prophesied (with women Priscilla and Maximilla,) declaring he had been possessed by the HS. Claimed their movement was the beginning of the last age, marked by the outpouring of the HS (as opposed to Christian belief that that "last age" began at Pentecost. Believed in a rigorous moral life.
- Two women who prophisied with Montanus
- Priscilla and Maximilla
- Movement that stressed a rigorous moral life.
- Montanism
- Claimed their movement was the beginning of the last age, marked by the outpouring of the HS (as opposed to Christian belief that that "last age" began at Pentecost.
- Montanism
- Manicheism
- Eastern (Persian) mystical teaching claiming that Light (God) and Dark (Matter) are both eternal and that salvation consists in separating the two and preparing our spirits for a return to pure light. Manicheism claims that Christ did not come in the flesh. Pursued for a time by young Augustine in his search for truth.
- Heresy that Christ did not come in the flesh.
- Manicheism
- Eastern (Persian) mystical teaching claiming that Light (God) and Dark (Matter) are both eternal and that salvation consists in separating the two and preparing our spirits for a return to pure light.
- Manicheism
- Eastern mystical teaching pursued for a time by young Augustine in his search for truth.
- Manicheism
- Eutychianism
-
Think: Wine and Water
Christological view that Christ's humanity was absorbed by his divinity.
Eutychians are monophysites: they believe in Christ having one nature. Eutychianism was supported by the council of Ephesus in 449, which came to be known as the "robber synod." - Think: Wine and Water
- Eutychianism
- Christological view that Christ's humanity was absorbed by his divinity.
- Eutychianism
- Eutychians are ___________: they believe in Christ having one nature.
- monophysites
- Eutychianism was supported by the council of ________ in _____, which came to be known as the _______________.
- Ephesus, 449, "robber synod"
- Council of Ephesus, 449
-
"The Robber Synod"
Supported Eutychianism -
"The Robber Synod"
Supported Eutychianism - Council of Ephesus, 449
- Year of "The Robber Synod"
- 449 (Council of Ephesus)
- Nestorianism
-
Think: Oil and Water
Christological view which says that Christ's divinity and his humanity exist side-by-side, but not co-mingled.
Jesus is fully God and fully man, in two persons. Nestorius said that Mary could be "Mother of Christ" but NOT "Mother of God" - Think: Oil and Water
- Nestorianism
- Jesus is fully God and fully man, in two persons.
- Nestorianism
- Christological view which says that Christ's divinity and his humanity exist side-by-side, but not co-mingled.
- Nestorianism
- Because of this view, it was argued that Mary could be "Mother of Christ" but NOT "Mother of God"
- Nestorianism
- Apollinarianism
-
Think: Envelope and Letter
Christological view that says that Christ's humanity was a receptacle for His divinity. Jesus was fully God but only partially man: He had a divine mind and will.) This was the view attacked by the Capadocians, who said "what was not assumed was not healed." - This was the view attacked by the Capadocians, who said "What was not assumed was not healed."
- Apollinarianism
- Think: Envelope and Letter
- Apollinarianism
- Christological view that says that Christ's humanity was a receptacle for His divinity.
- Apollinarianism
- Jesus was fully God but only partially man: He had a divine mind and will.)
- Apollinarianism
- Capadocian response to Apollinarianism
- "What was not assumed was not healed."
- "What was not assumed was not healed."
- Capadocian response to Apollinarianism
- Orthodox doctrine of Christ as accepted at Chalcedon.
- Jesus was fully God, and fully man, in one person.
- Jesus was fully God, and fully man, in one person.
- Orthodox view of nature of Christ as accepted at Chalcedon.
- Modalism
- The doctrine that the various persons of the Trinity are "modes" in which God appears. Tertullian refuted this in "Against Praxeas" Sabellians are Modalists.
- The doctrine that the various persons of the Trinity are "modes" in which God appears.
- Modalism
- Tertullian refuted this in "Against Praxeas"
- Modalism (along with Patripassionism)
- ______________ are Modalists.
- Sabellians
- Sabellianism
- Doctrine of Christ that says that Christ and the Father are the same. Christ is only a temporary "mode" of God. Also called Modalistic Monarchianism.
- Doctrine of Christ that says that Christ and the Father are the same.
- Sabellianism
- Christ is only a temporary "mode" of God.
- Sabellianism (also, Modalism)
- Also called Modalistic Monarchianism.
- Sabellianism
- Monophysitism
- Belief that Jesus is God, with human attributes, that is, that He has only ONE nature. Controversial issue with Eastern Orthodox Church causing lasting division. Opposition to two natures of Christ.
- Belief that Jesus is God, with human attributes, that is, that He has only ONE nature.
- Monophysitism
- Controversial issue with Eastern Orthodox Church causing lasting division.
- Monophysitism
- Opposition to two natures of Christ.
- Monophysitism
- Eunomianism
- Belief that Christ and the Father are not even similar.
- Belief that Christ and the Father are not even similar.
- Eunomianism
- Photinianism
- Belief that Christ is only man, and not God at all.
- Belief that Christ is only man, and not God at all.
- Photinianism
- Monothelitism
- Belief in Christ having one will. Jesus is God, and man, without a human will.
- Belief in Christ having one will.
- Monothelitism
- Jesus is God, and man, without a human will.
- Monothelitism
- Dyothelitism
- Christ having TWO wills.
- Christ having TWO wills
- Dyothelitism
- Dynamic Monarchianism
- Belief that Jesus was a man who became a god: God "adopted" the human Jesus, at His brith or baptism, as His special son and gave Him and extra measure of divine power. Dynamic Monarchianists are also called Adoptionists.
- Dynamic Monarchianists are also called
- Adoptionists
- Adoptionists are also called
- Dynamic Monarchianists
- Belief that Jesus was a man who became a god: God "adopted" the human Jesus, at His brith or baptism, as His special son and gave Him and extra measure of divine power.
- Dynamic Monarchianism
- Donatism
- Arose out of problem of "tratitoris" - those who had given over copies of scripture or in other ways caved in to persecution during time of Diocletian. Donatists insisted that the "true church" was the "Church of the Martyrs." By Augustine's time, most churches in North Africa were Donatist.
- Arose out of problem of "tratitoris" - those who had given over copies of scripture or in other ways caved in to persecution during time of Diocletian.
- Donatism
- _______ insisted that the "true church" was the "Church of the Martyrs."
- Donatists
- By Augustine's time, most churches in North Africa were _____________
- Donatist
- Arianism
- Heresy that says that Jesus is something less than God, but more than man - that Jesus as Word/Logos, was created by God before time. Christ and the Father have similar natures. Dispute that neccesitated the council of Nicea in 325.
- Heresy that says that Jesus is something less than God, but more than man.
- Arianism
- Jesus as Word/Logos, was created by God before time.
- Arianism
- Christ and the Father have similar natures.
- Arianism
- Patripassianism
- The doctrine that the Father suffered the passion. (Tertullian refuted in "Against Praxaes")
- The doctrine that the Father suffered the passion.
- Patripassianism
- Tertullian refuted in "Against Praxaes"
- Patripassianism (and modalism)
- Dispute that neccesitated the council of Nicea in 325.
- Arianism - Heresy that says that Jesus is something less than God, but more than man - that Jesus as Word/Logos, was created by God before time. Christ and the Father have similar natures.
- Two examples of monophysite churches
- Coptic Orthodox and Syrian Ortodox
- Coptic Orthodox and Syrian Ortodox are examples of
- monophysite churches
- Pelagianism
- View taught by Pelagius in the late 4th/early 5th century, that says we can live good lives if we set our minds to it. We are neutral at birth, have the possibility to do good or bad, and can attain goodness and perfection.
- We are neutral at birth, have the possibility to do good or bad, and can attain goodness and perfection.
- Pelagianism
- View taught in the late 4th/early 5th century, that says we can live good lives if we set our minds to it.
- Pelagianism
- We are neutral at birth
- Pelagianism
- We have the possibility to do good or bad, and can attain goodness and perfection.
- Pelagianism