Christian Heresies

Apollinarianism-- Jesus fully God -- partially or incompletely human--
Appollinaris' (c. 350) views of Christ's nature were condemned at the Council of Constantinople in 381.

Arianism-- Jesus less than God -- more than human--
The Arian controversy began in Alexandria, Egypt about 318 AD. Arius (c. 250-c. 336) was a popular Alexandrian priest whose theology about who Jesus was was condemned as heretical by the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and also at the First Council of Constantinople in 381. Arius disagreed with the Bishop Alexander of Alexandria's idea of the Trinity. Arius thought that Alexander was confusing the Son with the Father, who stressed the divinity of the Logos and also his exact likeness with the Father. Arius argued that Jesus, the Logos, was a "creature" who was "begotten" of the Father, who was "unbegotten." Arius, like Origen, believed that the Father was the only true God. The Nicene Creed was written to respond to Arianism.

Docetism-- Jesus wholly divine -- his humanity and suffering only seemed to be real--
This heresy emerged in about 110 C. E. The term "docetism" is derived from the Greek word dokesis, "to seem." Ignatius warned the church of Smyrna of the danger of this new heresy.

"Docetist" was first used to identify a particular group in Serapion's condemnation of the Gospel of Peter (c 190 CE). Eusebius reports that Serapion forbade use of the Gospel of Peter on the basis of its docetism.(Eusebius, EH VI.xii).-- from Docetism by A. K. M. Adam (www.evansville.edu/~ecoleweb/articles/docetism.html)

Donatism--personal holiness of individuals validates a church office--
Donatism, named after its leader Donatus the Great, was a form of North African Christianity that glorified martyrdom ("cult of the martyrs"). The Donatist controversy emerged about 311 but its origins were in the times following Diocletian's first edict against Christians (February 24, 303). The emperor commanded their churches to be destroyed and their Sacred Books burned.He outlawed Christianity.

    Anyone who apostasized during that time by giving up the Sacred Books, by delivering sacred objects, or betraying other Christians to the government authorities were called a traditor. The Donatist schism began around 311 when a Caecilian, a man who opposed the cult of the martyrs, was irregularly elected bishop of Carthage, after the equally disliked (by the Donatists) Mensurius died. The Donatists argued that Caecilian's ordination was invalid because one of the men who ordained him was a traditor. When Constantine recognized Caecilian, the Donatists appealed. Ultimately, at Constantine's referral, a bishop's council that met in Arles, Gaul (314) rejected the Donatists' argument that a morally unworthy clergyman could not perform valid ecclessial actions. A schism then occurred with the Donatists claiming that they were the only true church. Later Augustine of Hippo (354-430) also spent a great deal of energy fighting Donatism. The schismatic African church remained into the seventh century, when both it and Roman Catholicism were overcome by the Islamic religion.

Ebionite-- Jesus regarded as prophet rather than divine Word of God--
Ebionites originally were a first century Jewish-Christian sect. They emphasized Jewish law and rejected Paul's teachings. Most considered him to be a man, not God. Later use of this term refers to anyone who minimizes the divinity of Christ.

Encratite--sexual continence required for salvation--
The word "Encratite" comes from the Greek word enkrateia, meaning "continence." It is a name applied to several early Christian sects, most of which were Gnostic. Encratites were ascetics who refrained from alcohol, animal products, and sex. Their ascetic practices were not heteretical but rather the theology upon which their continence was based.

The name of Tatian (c. 120-173 CE), who edited a complilation of the gospels called the Diatesseron is associated with this heresy. Around 172, Tatian became a Gnostic of the Encratite sect. Tatian reinterpreted the story of Adam and Eve and Christian documents such as 1 Corinthians 7:3-6 to support the idea that humans must abandon sexual intercourse in order to regain the Spirit of God that had been lost because of Adam and Eve's fraility. People were to be married to God, not to each other.

Eutychianism-- Christ has but one nature, divine--
Named after Eutyches of Constantinople, who with Chrysphius, and Dioscoros tried in 433 to make the 12 Anathemas of Cyril of Alexandria the standard of orthodoxy and "do in" the "inspired man" Christology of Antioch. A goal was to make Alexandria, instead of Constantinople, the second most powerful see in Christendom (next to Rome). From Cyril, Eutyches argued that Christ was one nature after the union. (See also Monophysitism and Nestorianism.)

Gnosticism-- dualistic worldview, gnosis is Greek for "knowledge"--
Gnostics did not share all the same beliefs; 13 papyrus volumes of Gnostic texts were discovered in Nag Hammadi, Egypt in the middle of the 20th century. They have given invaluable insight into this diverse movement. According to the Gnostic Society Archives, "Gnosticism is the teaching based on Gnosis, the knowledge of transcendence arrived at by way of interior, intuitive means. Although Gnosticism thus rests on personal religious experience, it is a mistake to assume all such experience results in Gnostic recognitions." (www.webcom.com/~gnosis/gnintro.htm)

Manichaeism-- Dualistic religion (good vs. evil, etc.) founded in Persia (Iran) by Syriac-speaking Manes (215-75 A.D.) --
This belief system is a blend of Gnostic Christianity, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism.

Marcionism-- Rejection of the Old Testament and differentiation between a superior God of goodness and a God of justice, the Creator God of the Jews--
Marcion proposed the first canon based on the "Western text": it consisted of Luke and ten of Paul's epistles; however he deleted any references in these that appeared to approve of the Old Testament and the Creator God of the Jews. He also made other changes to the materials. His proposal helped to spur others to respond with other canons that retained the Hebrew scriptures and did not reject Christianity's Judeo-heritage.

Monarchianism--Undivided unity and sovereignty (monarchia) of God--
This viewpoint flourished in the 3rd century among eastern and western Christians.

• Dynamic Monarchianism
  Jesus a human who became a God--
• Modalistic Monarchianism
  Argued that the Trinity is one God with different modes of divine action rather than distinct persons.

Monophysitism--Jesus was a God with human attributes; he had one (mono) dominant nature: divine--
Monophysitism was popular in Palestine, Egypt, and Antioch. The fourth church council Chalcedon declared this belief to be heresy in 451. Descendants of the groups declared heretical still exist today: they are the Oriental Orthodox churches, who accept the first three church councils but not the fourth. Their biblical canons are also different from the Roman Catholic Church. These churches, who are in ecumenical dialogue concerning the split of the church, prefer to be called "non-Chalcedonian." The Oriental Orthodox churches include:

• The Coptic Church of Egypt
• The Ethiopian Orthodox Church
• The Syrian Orthodox Church
• The Armenian Orthodox Church
• The Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Church

The Oriental Orthodox churches have been responsible for the preservations of a number of ancient manuscripts that might otherwise have been lost. The Ethiopian Orthodox church has the largest Christian canon.

Monothelitism--
Jesus's acts expressed one divine-human energia instead of two cooperating wills--
A Christology proposed in the 7th century by the patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria in an attempt to unify the Eastern church which had be split by the monophysite controversy. The Maronite Church in Syria today holds to this monthelite view.

Montanism-- An apocalyptic movement emphasizing revelation named after its leader Montanus--
Called "the New Prophecy" by its followers, Montanism, which began about 170 A.D., emphasized prophecy, direct revelation from the Holy Spirit, and a strict moral code. Two women, Priscilla and Maximilla, were leaders who delivered messages while in states of ecstasy. It announced that Jesus was about to return. It spread to Asia Minor, Antioch, Syria, and Rome. In the East, the Book of Revelation was initially rejected because it was considered to be tainted by Montanism. In the West, the Book of Hebrews was rejected for similar reasons.

Nestorianism--
   Refers to theology of Nestorius of Antioch, who became Bishop of Constantinople in 428 A.D.

Nestorius believed that Mary was mother only of the human Jesus, not the divine Logos and in the Antiochine "two-nature" Christology. Cyril of Alexandria (who had the female Platonist philosopher Hypatia murdered in 415) first attacked his doctrines in a letter in 428. In his third letter to Nestorius (430), Cyril attacked Nestorius' Christology and demanded that he agree with Cyril's 12 Anathemas, which condemned the Antiochine theology of two natures. Nestorius was to agree that the Word of God suffered in the flesh (not that only the human part of Jesus suffered).

Politics became heaviest at the Council of Ephesus in 431. Nestorius' strongest supporters, John of Antioch and other Syrians were delayed because of weather. Nestorius himself was given military protection because of danger to his person at the hands of the monks related to Memnon, bishop of Ephesus and strong supporter of Cyril. Nestorius' views were misrepresented --he was accused of teaching that Christ was only an human being-- and he was excommunicated. Four days later, the Syrians arrived and condemned Cyril and Memnon. Then the Roman delegates of Pope Celestine arrived and deposed John of Antioch.

In short, the situation was a mess and the bad feelings and actions did not end at Ephesus. (See a church history book for more information.) In 435, Nestorius, who continued to insist on his innocence, was exiled to the Egyptian desert.

Certain bishops in Syria agreed with Nestorius and founded a new church. There still is a small Nestorian church based in Iran, whose New Testament canon is the smallest of Christian churches (22 instead of 27 books)

Sabellianism-- See Modalistic Monarchianism--
Sabellius originated this theory of the Trinity, which flourished in the 3rd century.