 |
Business | Industries | Finance | Tax |
| Index: > A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
|
|||||
| First Prev [ 1 2 3 4 5 ] Next Last |
The word "heresy" comes from the Greek αιρεσις, hairesis (from αιρεομαι, haireomai, "choose"), which means either a choice of beliefs or a faction of dissident believers. It was given wide currency by Irenaeus in his tract Contra haeresis (Against Heresies) to describe and discredit his opponents in the early Christian Church. He described his own position as orthodox (from ortho- "straight" + doxa "thinking") and his position eventually evolved into the position of the early Christian Church.
Few heretics define their own beliefs as being heretical, indeed opposing orthodox beliefs would be viewed as heretical to their own. What constitutes heresy is a value-judgment; it is the expression of the point-of-view of an established belief system. For instance, Roman Catholics held the view that Protestantism is a heresy while some non-Catholics have considered Catholicism the " Great Apostasy."
For a heresy to exist there must be an authoritative system of dogmas designated as orthodox, such as those proposed by Catholicism. The term orthodox is also used in Eastern Orthodoxy, some Protestant churches, in Islam, some Jewish denominations, but to a lesser extent in other religions. Variance from orthodox Marxism-Leninism is described as "right" or "left deviationism." The Church of Scientology uses the term "squirreling" to refer to unauthorized alterations of its teachings or methods.
The use of the term heresy the context of Christianity is less common today, except for some notable exceptions: see for example the entry Rudolf Bultmann and the character of debates over ordaining women and gay priests. Popular imagination relegates "heresy" to the Middle AgesThe Middle Ages formed the middle period in a schematic division of European history into three 'ages': Classical civilization, the Middle Ages, and Modern Civilization. It is commonly dated from the end of the Western Roman Empire ( 5th century) until th, when the Church's power in Europe was at its height, but the case of the scholar and humanist Giordano BrunoGiordano Bruno ( 1548 February 17 1600), a. Bruno Nolano or Bruno the Nolan was an Italian philosopher, astronomer, and occultist executed as a heretic. Life He was born named Filippo in Nola, in Campania, the son of Giovanni Bruno, a soldier. In 1565 he was not the last execution for heresy. Heresy remained an officially punishable offense in Roman Catholic nations until the late 18th century. In Spain, heretics were prosecuted and punished even after the Napoleonic Era.
Urgent concerns with the uniformity of belief and practice have characterized Christianity from the outset. The process of establishing orthodox Christianity was in full swing by middle to late first century when Paul wrote the epistles that comprise a large part of the New Testament. On many occasions, he defends his own apostleship, and urges Christians in various places to beware of false teachers, or of anything contrary to what was handed to them. The epistles of John and Jude in the New Testament also warn of false teachers. Beyond these, early attacks upon alleged heresies formed the matter of TertullianQuintus Septimius Florens Tertullian (b. 150- 160, d. 220- 240) is a highly ambivalent character in early Christianity. On one hand, he was the first great writer of Latin Christianity. He was born, lived, wrote, and died in Carthage, in what is today Tun's Prescription Against Heretics (in 44 chapters, from Rome), Irenaeus of Lyons' Against Heresies (five volumes); the letters of Ignatius of AntiochIgnatius of Antioch (probably died AD 107) was the third bishop of Antioch, after Saint Peter and Euodius, whom Ignatius succeeded around AD 68. Ignatius, who also called himself Theophorus was most likely a disciple of both Apostles Peter and John. Sever and Polycarp of Smyrna to various churches warned against false teachers; and the Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas is an epistle with twenty-one chapters, contained complete in the Codex Sinaiticus at the end of the New Testament. It is traditionally ascribed to the Barnabas mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. A complete Greek manuscript was warned about mixing Judaism with Christianity; as well as other writers, leading to decisions reached in the first ecumenical council, convoked by the Emperor Constantine at Nicaea in 325.
During those first three centuries, Christianity was effectively outlawed by requirements to worship the Roman emperor and Roman gods. Consequently, the Church labeled its enemies as heretics without persecuting them. However, those called "heretics" were also called a number of other things (e.g. "fools," "wild dogs," "servants of Satan"), so the word "heretic" had negative associations from the beginning, and intentionally so.
Before 325 AD, the "heretical" nature of some beliefs was a matter of much public debate. After 325 AD, some opinion was formulated as dogma. Each phrase in the Nicene Creed, which was hammered out at the Council of Nicaea, addresses some aspect that had been under passionate discussion and closes the books on the argument, with the weight of the agreement of over 300 bishops gathered from around the empire. However, that did not prevent the Arians who were defeated at the council of 325 from dominating most of the church for the greater part of the fourth century, often with the aid of Roman emperors who favored them.
Irenaeus was the first to argue that the "proto-orthodox" position was the same faith that Jesus Christ gave to the apostles, and that the identity of the apostles, their successors, and the teachings of the same were all well known public knowledge. This was therefore an earlier argument on the basis of apostolic succession. Irenaeus' opponents claimed to have received secret teachings from Jesus via other apostles which were not publicly known.
The Hispanic ascetic Priscillian of Avila was the first person to be executed for heresy, only sixty years after the First Council of Nicaea, in 385. He was executed at the orders of Emperor Magnus Maximus, over the objections of bishops Ambrose of Milan and Martin of Tours.
A number of the beliefs the Catholic Church has come to regard as heretical have to do with the nature of Jesus Christ and the relationship between Christ and God the Father. The orthodox teaching is that Christ was fully divine and at the same time fully human, and that the three persons of the Trinity are equal and eternal. Note that this position was not formally established as the orthodox position until it was challenged in the fourth century by Arius ( Nicene creed in 325); nor was the New Testament put into its present form until the end of the 4th century ( Athanasius first lists the 27 books we have in the current New Testament in 367(?), but disputes continued; see Biblical Canon).
Over the years, numerous Christian scholars and preachers have disagreed with the Church on various issues or doctrines. When the Church has become aware of these beliefs, they have been condemned as heretical. Historically, this often happened when the belief challenged, or was seen to challenge, Church authority, or drew a movement of followers who challenged the established order socially. For entirely nonreligious reasons, some influential people have had an interest in maintaining the status quo or condemning a group they wished to be removed. The Church's internal explanations for its actions were based purely on objection to beliefs and philosophies that ran contrary to its interpretation of the holy scriptures and holy Tradition.
See also Manichaeism, a pre-Christian religion that influenced early Christians, notably Augustine, often in ways held to be heretical.
| Politics | Business | Finance |
 |
 |
 |
|