Religion Test Heresies

What is St. Thomas Aquinas' definition of heresy?

"A species of unbelief belonging to those who profess Christian faith, but corrupt its dogmas"

What title did Pope John Paul II give to the Jews?

"our older brothers in the Faith" to recognize that Christianity is built on Judaism.

Type of Heresy: A nationally known Catholic youth minister had been a priest at one time, and now is a paid speaker for youth activities. His presentation includes a segment called "Pope for a Day". He encourages young people to consider such things as married clergy and women priests as things they could change about the Catholic Church if they were "Pope for a Day".

Formal. He is a priest and knows it is wrong.

Type of Heresy: In a seminary the priests invite a speaker to addresses young men on contemporary issues. The speaker, who is a priest, tells the men that the Catholic Church needs to address the popular demands of the laity and allow for abortions.

Formal: Because he understands he is contradicting the church and is teaching against it.

Describe the basic belief of Gnosticism?

Gnosticism basically teaches that salvation is attained through an esoteric knowledge that is entrusted to only a few

What was Gnosticism's disagreement with Judaism?

Gnosticism claimed that Jews worshipped the wrong god - The Demiurge - who was evil. Also believed Judaism and Christianity claimed the created order was good. Gnosticism claimed that jewish faith kept the diving spark imprisoned.

What did Marcion do with regard to the Scriptures, and how did the Catholic Church respond?

He cut out anything that he did not agree with. The Catholic Church started working on an offician canon of Scriptures which was greate benefit to all believers.

How did Marcion adapt Gnosticism to create his own personal heresy?

He reinterpreted the Demiurge to be the harsh vengeful, jealous and legalistic God of the Old Testament. Jesus is the true God to bring an end to the Demiurge. The God of Jesus is a God of love who has nothing to do with the Law.

How did the philosophy of Plato see the created or material world?

It saw the material world as inferior to the worl of ideas; it was an obstacle to contemplation and perfection. For this reason some early heresies denied Jesus' humanity since a material body, acording to their thought, would be imcompatile with the perfection of one who would be the son of God.

What does the Greek word gnosis mean?

Knowledge

Who was the founder of Manichaeism, and where was he from?

Mani. born in Persia around 216 AD

Type of Heresy: A young woman goes through his life believing that the Eucharist is only a symbolic representation of Jesus because that is what he was taught in religion class.

Material because she is living in ignorance because she was taught that from early on.

Type of Heresy: A number of men who were invited leave the above-mentioned conference believing that is acceptable for them to support "abortions" because they were told to do so by a priest. They reason that there is no conflict between them supporting abortions while receiving Communion when they attend Mass.

Material: They thought the former priest was a good source.

Who did Marcion accept as an authentic Christian authority, and why did he this see this man as such?

St. Paul, because many of his writings emphasize love over the Law.

What are some of the aspects of Platonic and neo-Platonic thought that were compatible with Christian teachings?

Neo-Platonic thought presents us with a Supreme Being as the One who creates.

Type of Heresy: A Muslim man refuses to believe that Jesus is the Son of God since the Quran teaches that Jesus is only a prophet.

Not a heresy because the man is not a Christian.

Describe the confusion that surrounds the logos.

St. John used the word "logos" to refer to Jesus in the opening verses of his Gospel. But since the "logos" ofPlato was a lesser being created by the Supreme Being many people began to believe that God the Son was somehow not equal to God the Father. The denial of Jesus' divinity is in direct conflict of the Trinity.

Who was considered by the early Christians to be the founder of Gnosticism?

Simon Magnus

29. What great mind of the Church fell into the heresy of Manichaeism and then later repudiated?

St. Augustine

Describe the Gnostic "Divine Being"

The Divine Being creatd the Demiurge. The Divine Being is remote and unknowable living in a perfect and spiritual realm.

Why were the first heresies particularly dangerous?

The first heresies struck right at the heart of Christianity, which is the Person of Christ himself.

Why are other religions, like the Jewish or Hindu faiths, not considered to be heresies?

They cannot be because Jews and Hindus do not belong tot he Christian Faith. Heretics are Christians who have embraced false beliefs of the Christian Faith and handed down to us in Scriptures and Apostolic Tradition.

13. Explain Gnosticism's distorted understanding of Christianity

They thought it was unthinkable to teach that God to assume a physical body. Jesus came as the Gnostic redeemer to give secret knowledge to people. Jesus was a rep of the Divine Being. The spirit of the Devine Being was within Jesus but left before his crucifixion.

How is Gnosticism alive and well in our times?

Various New Age movements are just Gnosticism under a new mask.

What are the three basic beliefs of Gnosticism?

a. Matter is corruption of spirit, therefore the world (created order) is corrupt. b. Man must seek knowledge to overcome the fallen state and return to God. c. God has made this possible by sending us a savior who is usually held to be Jesus.

16. Where else in history have traces of Gnosticism been found?

in Babylonian religion that arose after the conquest of Cyrus of Persia; there have been found some similarities between Gnostic and Greek thought.

According to Gnosticism, what is the divine spark?

something that originates in the Divine Being, found in some people. a redeemer sent from Divine Being comes to liberate the spark and return it to the Devine Being.

28. How were the followers of Manichaeism expected to live their lives?

strict asceticism and sacrifice such as fasting and other personal disciplines.

What was the central teaching of Manichaeism?

that Satan had stolen particles of light and placed them in the brains of humans. The goal was to share secret knowledge that would liberate these particles so that they could return to the original source.