Heresies & Heretics

Simultaneously saint and sinner

simul iustus et peccato

Luther - change in view of God

justification by grace alone - following st. Augustine - luther says good works are a result of gods grace not the cause of gods grace -council of trent - by grace and good works =council that stops the sale of indulgences

(Trinitarian) Arian controversy: Sabellianism (the binary opposite)

(Modalism, Patripassionism) - Father and Son are the same; no distinction in the parts of the Trinity -God simply took different forms at different times

Cathars (and earlier, the Manichees)

-Neo manichaeans - Dualist - 2 principles; good and evil -old testament evil new good earth place of punishment

Luther - his background

Von Staupitz - mentor sends him to Wittenburg in germany

Augustine and Pelagius: What does Pelagius mean when he speaks of free will and grace?

-Pelagius makes trip to rome and sees sin -believes that christians need to take responsibility for their actions - Grace -its by gods grace that you have this freewill and it is your responsibility to do the right thing -you are not born with sin (Clean Slate) -clean slate - grace is the face that God gave humans the ability to choose the good

Roles of Jesus is Gospel of Mark; Acts 10 & 15 - what happened and why important?

- Jesus in the gospel of Mark Exs of the Preacher/teacher -dinner at tax collectors house -plucking grain on Sabbath -cleanliness and food -scribes ; widows mite Ex of Jesus as the Healer -the paralytic, he heals and forgives sins -man withered hand -woman with a hemorrhage -boy with demon/epilepsy Exs of the Miracle Worker -raising a dead girl -feeding 5000+ people -feeding 4000+ people Exs of the Criminal -Jesus brought before the Council charge of blasphemy -out-maneuvering the authority -upset in the temple -back to the paralytic; claiming authority to forgive sin places self at level of God -jesus guilty of blasphemy, but is it not blasphemy that Jesus is excutec for he is excited for treason because he was viewed as someone who wanted to overthrow the government Exs of the Risen Lord - empty tomb "He has been raised he is not here -appearances to Mary Magdalene two more disciples and then to the heaven -Acts 10 Cornelius - angel comes to him -- God shows no partiality, brings people together, new ideas and different ideas; persistent; Israelite God is for all people- universal god; -Acts 15 The Jerusalem Council -- Council is made up of Jesus believing Jews; cirumcision a sign of the Covenant; ;paul says that the covant wind save you, Jesus will =save you so you do not have to get circumcized ( the Gentiles) Acts 15 -1st Jerusalem Council (all Jesus believing Jews) -Leaders gather to make decisions on new idea -Accepted universal God, but had to figure out how to incorporate it into practices -Had to make decision about whether people needed to get circumcised or not -Decide they don't but must follow other laws Acts 10 -Cornelius= Gentile good relationships with Jews/synagogue (receives vision from angel to go meet Peter) -Peter's Vision= trance, sheep with creatures inside it and he's told to eat

(Trinitarian) Arian controversy: Arius's view

- trinitarian controversy because it deals with father son relationship -son subordinate to father (lesser) being -a creature created being- not eternal with the father

Luther - view of God

-Consubstantion - body and blood of christ are in with and under the bread and wine - calls in REAL PRESENCE (christ is really present

Definition of "heresy" - development of definition

-Heresy - comes from greek word aireo (to choose) -"False" choice/beliefs 1)A variant belief - variant ("wrong") practice 2) A persistent "false" belief or practice 3) In the Middle Ages - becomes more specific - become civil as well as ecclesial (Church ruling) 4) Insider term (muslim not likely to call Christian heretic and vice versa)

Valentinus (gnosticism)

-Rome -pleroma - all the spirit world -eternal being pleroma - encompasses all spiritual things -eternal being gives off emanations or sparks of eternal beings - aeons -ogdoad - sophia / wisdom - gives birth to the demiurge - creature of great ignorance and arrogance - produces the material world realm (bad) -sphia dispenses a divine spark to some human beings -Jesus sent by eternal being to spread information -Jesus's purpose is the reveal gnosis (knowledge) -three different kinds of people in the world pneumatics- spirit beings -psychics - some possibility for return to origins -hylics -material beings - no poss. of returning to origins

Early threats to developing orthodoxy: Ebionism

-adoptionists --Judaizers maybe Ebionites (out of Essenes) 1)God sent fourth 2 forces: good and evil - good force sent Jesus 2) rejected the idea of the virgin birth

John Wycliffe and the Lollards

-born 1324 -theologian at Oxford -wants to go back to apostolic way -against the establishment -Francisicans began to own property- against the view of initial founder -gets to be well known at 1374 -Secular Authority say the church has too much power church has just enough power - clerical party Things Wycliffe does 1) Sends out "Poor Priests" lay people (not clerical) 2) Stress on Bible and preaching rather than Church tradition 3) Speak against confession or reconciliation; lets not put so much emphasis on relics and veneration of saints; speaks against the process of indulgences 4) He is scene as attacking the subject of transubstantiation Transubstantiation - roman catholic bread and wine changed to body and blood and ply by accident still looks like bread and wine Wyclif- impanation -sacramentally christ is present in bread and wine -word : flesh - son offered: bread and wine -died in exile -DOMINION IS FOUNDED IN GRACE -al things belong to god and the only being capable of holding wealth without sind is god - condemned after death

Views on the nature of Jesus: separationism

-born all human -recieces divinity at his baptism -divinity leaves him before he dies -explains his super-human powers but does not put him at same status as God -comfortable view for some of Jewish background and for some Greeks (who are accustomed to idea of gods taking human form) -Basilides - told story about death of Jesus -Jesus arrested and on the cross, then there is a switch made , some someone else dies but it is not Jesus, Jesus is off in the corner laughing saying "Those foolish people thought that God could die"

Christological controversy

-deals with relationship of the devine and human in person of Christ - moves beyond question of who Jesus is and tries to answer how he functions as the saving Christ -largely a controversy of the eastern church -in west has accepted Tetullians formula - christ is one person -orthodox (Tertoliarn) 1 person 2 natures

Christological controversies: Appolinarius

-human body but a divine mind - about christ -makes no one happy : some see as too much emphasis on humanity

Christological controversies: Alexandrian and Antochene schools - emphasis of each

-in East -In ALexandria: strong history and background in Greek philosophy; stress significance of Jesus as a teacher of divine truth - emphasis of divinity -ANtiochene - strong semitic history and influence; stress Jesus's significance as savior of humans for which he had to be fully human - emphasize his humanity -Both - believe Jesus is both divine and human

Views of the nature of Jesus: Orthodox Position

-none of the above! Middle way -Jesus is simultaneously all human and all divine -he is eternal with God-really died and way really resurrected

(Trinitarian) Arian controversy: orthodox view - who were the major players?

-one god 3 persons -Father, Son, and holy spirit -equal but distinct in terms of function -can claim middle way Major players -Costantine: emperor; calls the council; wants peace in empire -Arius; priest at Alexandria; son is subordinate -Alexander; biship at Alexandria; accused by Arius of Sabellianism -Eusebius of Caesarea; moderate; seeks to reconcile groups; (later) known as first Church historian -Eusebius of Nicomedia; speaks for arian cause -Athanasius: priest under Alexanderia upholds anti-arian view - becomes known as "champion" of orthodoxy -

Views on the nature of Jesus: docetism

-opposite of adoptionism -ALL divine, spirit; not human -flesh of Jesus was an illusion; a phantom--since divine he was capable of looking like a real human

Peter Waldes and the Waldensians

-people growing discontent -wealthy merchant -sends family off and then gives everything else away -radical for interpreting scriptures for himself - trans substantiation -priesthood of all believers -church takes back approval from him

Views on the nature of Jesus: adoptionism

-righteous man -teacher -prophet -the adopted son of God (at the time of baptism) -ALL HUMAN NOT DIVINE -special role as adopted son - bring salvation to the world -most believed God adopted Jesus at his baptism -Good Example : Ebionites -Most comfortable for Jesus believers of Jewish background -Judaizers maybe Ebionites (out of Essenes) 1)God sent fourth 2 forces: good and evil - good force sent Jesus 2) rejected the idea of the virgin birth

John Huss

-strongly influenced by Wycliffe -priest ; dean of philosophy His beliefs 1)Authority of scripture - says the pope should be resisted if things being pushed by the papacy are at odds with scipture 2) pushing the idea of private reading of scripture and interpreataion 3) validity of the sacrament depends on the worthiness of the priest 4)in 1410 reieces an order papal bull - to burn the writings of Wycliffe - he refuses to do it so he is excommunicated 5) speaks openly against the indulgence sale in 1415 he is burned at the stake .Hussite movements: two major groups of Huss followers -Moderates (Utraquists) : want to reform the church - write 4 articles 1) want to hav preaching in the vernacular (read scripture and preach scripture in your own language) 2) Both bread and the wine at the euchrist 3) Suppression of ecclestical properties (Church should not hold land) 4) Public sins of the clergy is punishable by secular authorities Extrimists - ddid not want to reconcile with the church moderates brought back into church

Early threats to developing orthodoxy: Gnosticism

-they are docetistis (Jesus is a spirit) -umbrella term -gnosis-knowledge -sometimes seperationists; usually docetists -they were dualist /multi in terms of god -they were dualist in terms of cosmos spirit realm - god physical material worlds - negative

Christological controversies: Eutyches (Monophysitism)

1 person 1 nature

Augustine and Pelagius: What is the important issue raised in the controversy between them?

1) what is the nature of human beings? 2) How is it that human beings are reconciled to God? Pelagian controversy

Christological controversies: Nestorius

2 persons 2 natures

Early threats to developing orthodoxy: Marcionism

85 - 160 C.E. DUALIST -thodicy -marcion is seeking to create a church for anti - jewish ; church for only gentiles -good god sent jesus -he says jesus's purpose is to redeem/ redeemer for humanity -he says that Jesus was sent as "uncreative flesh" Marcion 1) Threat to monotheism 2) Threatens the idea of a good world 3) Not use Hebrew scriptures, says just throw them out he says use most of the gospel of luke -not gospel of Mathew, some of Paul

Luther - response

95 thesis

Augustine and Pelagius: Know ab be able to explain the mnemonic TULIP - which parts reflect Augustine's thought?

Agustine ideas T- total depravity -every about human life is disordered, not evil, humans need god to help strengthen it U - unconditional election - god chooses to give grace to whomever he chooses to give grace to L - Limited Atonement - ADDED LATER NOT ONE OF AUGUSTINES IDEAS - certain peole are amoung the elect and they have definite atonement (added in the 17th century) I - irresistible grace - if god give you grace you can't say no P - perseverance - you have to keep the grace god gave you Church chooses him as being right

Augustine and Pelagius: What does Augustine mean when he speaks of free will and grace?

Augustine - doctrine of "original sin" -manchee for 10 years then reformed -humans beings are called sinful "Original sin" -born with a flawed will, by nature human beings are good, but because of the fall of Adam and Eve, human beings are born with a flawed will - human beings need christ - he says grace is the face that God gave us christ and tis because of christ that human beings are able to do good -middle way - humans have a flawed will so they need christ to help choose them -manicheeism extreeme Augustine middle way Pelagius extreeme

Christological controversies: Which Councils are associated with this controversy?

Chalcedon Council at ___________ (451): affirms condemnation of Nestorianism and condemns Eutychianism -affirms formula already in use in the west which officially becomes the orthodox position: Christ is One person, Two natures (divine and human combined)

(Trinitarian) Arian controversy: Which councils are associated with this controversy?

Council at Constantinople Arian Controversy's decision was not ratified until 381 CE at which council? Cappadocian Fathers (Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus) articulate the language of which the council untimely agrees

The Nicene Creed

Creator In the Nicene Creed the Father is the ____________ Redeemer In the Nicene Creed the Son is the ____________ Sanctifier In the Nicene Creed the Holy Spirit is the ____________ Same, distinct In the Nicene Creed the 3 persons are the ________ but ____________

Strategies for claiming orthodoxy/ for labeling other as a heretic

Criteria of a heresy 1. A varient belief that usually leads to a variant (wrong) practice 2. A persistant "false" belief or practice 3. In Middle Ages it becomes more specific- civil as well as ecclesial (church ruling) 4. It is an insider term primacy, true transmission, unity, catholicity, and middle way

The Inquisition - differing methods

Dominicans inquisitors

Value of heresy/orthodoxy

Orthodoxy - the normative/ established belief within a group -Hersey and Orthodoxy go hand in hand, a heretic goes against something that is orthodox

Lollards

a lose group of lay people -dont form churches so not official religion but shared ideas with each other -"Lollards" means "a weed" - in 1395 - put together the Lollard Conclusions (nailed to church door in England) 1)The usual priesthood, or the true priesthood, is not the priesthood of the church 2) Celibacy among with priest is evil 3) talk about "the pretended Micace" of the sacrament - trans-substantiation they see it as sorcery 4) Prayers for the dead are false and they lead to people believing in the wrong thing (do not believe in purgatory 5) Anything that requires an object or a destination leads to idolatry 6) Confession to a priest is wrong as well because it leads the priest to arragonace 7) Say that confusing secular and Church officials does not lead to good rule 8)any killing of human beings is against scriptures, they are pessimists MILITARY IS BAD -they were turned into secular authorities and put to death

Mendicants: Francis

beings oder and gets papal approval -associated with creation and the animals; gods goodness -begging order - simple life without property -apostolic way

Luther - major grievance with the Church

indulgences

Mendicants: Dominic

got approval for going back to apostolic way -first intention noticed that cathars were living good and holy lives and believed that cathars could be reformed

Johannes Tetzel

indulgence preacher (1517)

Christianity as a Jewish "heresy" - what beliefs/experiences set Jesus believers apart form other Jews of the early period?

non-conformist jesus -Jesus is Mesiah -he was risen from the dead -Jesus beliving jews (Hellenists - Greek speaking Jews) (Hebrews/Aramaic speaking Jews) -synogyuge of Freedmen - Jews but not Jesus believing Jews -Tertullian - the blood of the martyrs become the seed of the church

Subjective relativism

right and wrong are completely relative to ones own subjective preferences -one can never be wrong - its just their opinion -an easy way out of having to discuss sensitive topics - just agree to disagree

Augustine and Pelagius: what is the practical problem?

role of christ

Augustine and Pelagius: For Augustine, what is the theological problem with Pelagius' position?

says with Pelagiuss view we don't need christ

The Inquisition - purpose and justification

trying to get people to repent, salvation

Cultural relativism

what is right is determined by ideas of the culture