Heresy

Chapter four of our Sacraments

Course
What does the bible say?
From Christianitys beginnings, the Church has
been attacked by those introducing false
teachings, or heresies.
The Bible warned us this would happen. Paul told
his young protg, Timothy, "For the time is
coming when people will not endure sound
teaching, but having itching ears they will
accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their
own likings, and will turn away from listening to
the truth and wander into myths" (2 Tim. 4:34).
 What is heresy?
Heresy is an emotionally loaded term that is often
misused. It is not the same thing as incredulity,
schism, apostasy, or other sins against faith.
TheCatechism of the Catholic Churchstates,
"Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the
willful refusal to assent to it. Heresy is the obstinate
post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be
believed with divine and Catholic faith, or it is likewise
an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is
the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is
the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of
communion with the members of the Church subject
to him" (CCC 2089).
 How to commit heresy
To commit heresy, one must refuse to be corrected. A person who
is ready to be corrected or who is unaware that what he has been
saying is against Church teaching is not a heretic.
A person must be baptized to commit heresy. This means that
movements that have split off from or been influenced by
Christianity, but that do not practice baptism (or do not practice
valid baptism), are not heresies, but separate religions. Examples
include Muslims, who do not practice baptism, and Jehovahs
Witnesses, who do not practice valid baptism.
Finally, the doubt or denial involved in heresy must concern a
matter that has been revealed by God and solemnly defined by
the Church (for example, the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Real
Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the Mass, the
popes infallibility, or the Immaculate Conception and Assumption
of Mary).
Continuation of last slide
It is important to distinguish heresy from schism
and apostasy. In schism, one separates from the
Catholic Church without repudiating a defined
doctrine. An example of a contemporary schism is
the Society of St. Pius Xthe "Lefebvrists" or
followers of the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
who separated from the Church in the late 1980s,
but who have not denied Catholic doctrines. In
apostasy, one totally repudiates the Christian faith
and no longer even claims to be a Christian.
With this in mind, lets look at some of the major
heresies of Church history and when they began.
 The Circumcisers (1st
Century)
The Circumcision heresy may be summed up in the words of Acts 15:1:
"But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren,
Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot
be saved."
Many of the early Christians were Jews, who brought to the Christian faith
many of their former practices. They recognized in Jesus the Messiah
predicted by the prophets and the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
Because circumcision had been required in the Old Testament for
membership in Gods covenant, many thought it would also be required
for membership in the New Covenant that Christ had come to inaugurate.
They believed one must be circumcised and keep the Mosaic law to come
to Christ. In other words, one had to become a Jew to become a Christian.
But God made it clear to Peter in Acts 10 that Gentiles are acceptable to
God and may be baptized and become Christianswithoutcircumcision.
The same teaching was vigorously defended by Paul in his epistles to the
Romans and the Galatiansto areas where the Circumcision heresy had
spread.
 Gnosticism (1st and 2nd
Centuries)
"Matter is evil!" was the cry of the Gnostics. This idea was borrowed
from certain Greek philosophers. It stood against Catholic teaching,
not only because it contradicts Genesis 1:31 ("And God saw
everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good") and
other scriptures, but because it denies the Incarnation. If matter is
evil, then Jesus Christ could not be true God and true man, for
Christ is in no way evil. Thus many Gnostics denied the Incarnation,
claiming that Christ onlyappearedto be a man, but that his
humanity was an illusion. Some Gnostics, recognizing that the Old
Testament taught that God created matter, claimed that the God of
the Jews was an evil deity who was distinct from the New Testament
God of Jesus Christ. They also proposed belief in many divine
beings, known as "aeons," who mediated between man and the
ultimate, unreachable God. The lowest of these aeons, the one who
had contact with men, was supposed to be Jesus Christ.
 Montanism (Late 2nd
Century)
Montanus began his career innocently enough
through preaching a return to penance and fervor.
His movement also emphasized the continuance
of miraculous gifts, such as speaking in tongues
and prophecy. However, he also claimed that his
teachings were above those of the Church, and
soon he began to teach Christs imminent return
in his home town in Phrygia. There were also
statements that Montanus himself either was, or
at least specially spoke for, the Paraclete that
Jesus had promised would come (in reality, the
Holy Spirit).
 Sabellianism (Early 3rd
Century)
The Sabellianists taught that Jesus
Christ and God the Father were not
distinct persons, but two.aspects or
offices of one person. According to
them, the three persons of the Trinity
exist only in Gods relation to man,
not in objective reality.
 Arianism (4th Century)
Arius taught that Christ was a creature made by
God. By disguising his heresy using orthodox or
near-orthodox terminology, he was able to sow
great confusion in the Church. He was able to
muster the support of many bishops, while others
excommunicated him.
Arianism was solemnly condemned in 325 at the
First Council of Nicaea, which defined the divinity of
Christ, and in 381 at the First Council of
Constantinople, which defined the divinity of the
Holy Spirit. These two councils gave us the Nicene
creed, which Catholics recite at Mass every Sunday.
 Pelagianism (5th
Century)
Pelagius denied that we inherit original sin from
Adams sin in the Garden and claimed that we become
sinful only through the bad example of the sinful
community into which we are born. Conversely, he
denied that we inherit righteousness as a result of
Christs death on the cross and said that we become
personally righteous by instruction and imitation in the
Christian community, following the example of Christ.
Pelagius stated that man is born morally neutral and
can achieve heaven under his own powers. According
to him, Gods grace is not truly necessary, but merely
makes easier an otherwise difficult task.
 Semi-Pelagianism (5th
Century)
After Augustine refuted the teachings of
Pelagius, some tried a modified version of his
system. This, too, ended in heresy by
claiming that humans can reach out to God
under their own power, without Gods grace;
that once a person has entered a state of
grace, one can retain it through ones efforts,
without further grace from God; and that
natural human effort alone can give one
some claim to receiving grace, though not
strictly merit it.
 Nestorianism (5th
Century)
This heresy about the person of Christ was initiated by Nestorius, bishop of
Constantinople, who denied Mary the title ofTheotokos(Greek: "God-bearer"
or, less literally, "Mother of God"). Nestorius claimed that she only bore
Christs human nature in her womb, and proposed the alternative
titleChristotokos("Christ-bearer" or "Mother of Christ").
Orthodox Catholic theologians recognized that Nestoriuss theory would
fracture Christ into two separate persons (one human and one divine, joined
in a sort of loose unity), only one of whom was in her womb. The Church
reacted in 431 with the Council of Ephesus, defining that Mary can be properly
referred to as the Mother of God, not in the sense that she is older than God
or the source of God, but in the sense that the person she carried in her
womb was, in fact, God incarnate ("in the flesh").
There is some doubt whether Nestorius himself held the heresy his
statements imply, and in this century, the Assyrian Church of the East,
historically regarded as a Nestorian church, has signed a fully orthodox joint
declaration on Christology with the Catholic Church and rejects Nestorianism.
It is now in the process of coming into full ecclesial communion with the
Catholic Church.
 Monophysitism (5th
Century)
Monophysitism originated as a reaction to Nestorianism. The
Monophysites (led by a man named Eutyches) were horrified
by Nestoriuss implication that Christ was two people with two
different natures (human and divine). They went to the other
extreme, claiming that Christ was one person with only one
nature (a fusion of human and divine elements). They are thus
known as Monophysites because of their claim that Christ had
only one nature (Greek:mono= one;physis= nature).
Orthodox Catholic theologians recognized that Monophysitism
was as bad as Nestorianism because it denied Christs full
humanity and full divinity. If Christ did not have a fully human
nature, then he would not be fully human, and if he did not
have a fully divine nature then he was not fully divine.
 Iconoclasm (7th and 8th
Centuries)
This heresy arose when a group of people
known as iconoclasts (literally, "icon
smashers") appeared, who claimed that it
was sinful to make pictures and statues
of Christ and the saints, despite the fact
that in the Bible, God had commanded
the making of religious statues (Ex.
25:1820; 1 Chr. 28:1819), including
symbolic representations of Christ (cf.
Num. 21:89 with John 3:14).
Adoptionism of Elipandus and Felix in the eighth
century

This, the original form ofAdoptionism, asserts a double sonship

inChrist: one by generation andnature, and the other
byadoptionandgrace.ChristasGodis indeed theSon of Godby
generation andnature, butChristasmanisSon of Godonly
byadoptionandgrace. Hence "The Man Christ" is
theadoptiveand not thenaturalSon of God. Such is the theory
held towards the end of the eighth century by Elipandus,
ArchbishopofToledo, then under the Mohammedanrule, and
byFelix,BishopofUrgel, then under theFrankishdominion. The
origin of thisHispanicuserror, as it was called, is obscure.
Nestorianismhad been a decidedlyEasternheresyand we are
surprised to find an offshoot of it in the most western part of the
Western Church, and this so long after theparentheresyhad
found a grave in its native land. It is, however, noteworthy
thatAdoptionism began in that part ofSpainwhere Islamism
dominated, and where aNestoriancolony had for years found
refuge. The combined influence ofIslamismandNestorianismhad,
no doubt, blunted the agedElipandus'sCatholicsense. Then came
a certainMigetius, preaching a loosedoctrine, and holding, among
othererrors, that the SecondPersonof theBlessed Trinitydid
notexistbefore theIncarnation. The better to confute thiserror,
 Continuation
The reassertion ofNestorianismraised a storm of protest fromCatholics,
headed by Beatus,Abbotof Libana, andEtherius,BishopofOsma. It was to
maintain his position that Elipandusdeftlyenlisted the co-operation
ofFelixofUrgel, known for his learning and versatilemind.Felixentered the
contestthoughtlessly. Once in the heat of it, heproveda strong ally for
Elipandus, and even became the leader of the new movement called by
contemporaries theHaeresis Feliciana. While Elipandus put an
indomitablewillat the service of Adoptionism,Felixgave it the support of
hisscienceand also Punicfaith. FromScripturehe quoted innumerable
texts. In thepatristicliteratureandMozarabicLiturgyhe found such
expressions asadoptio, homo adoptivus, ouiosthetos, supposedly applied
to theIncarnationandJesus Christ. Nor did he neglect the aid of dialectics,
remarking with subtlety that the epithet "NaturalSon of God" could not be
predicated of "The Man Jesus", who was begotten by temporal generation;
who was inferior to the Father; who was related not to the Father especially,
but to the wholeTrinity, the relation in questions remaining unaltered if the
Father or theHoly Ghosthad beenincarnateinstead of theSon..
 Continuation
Elipandus'sobstinacy andFelix'sversatility were but the partialcauseof the
temporary success ofAdoptionism. If that offspring ofNestorianismheld sway in
Spainfor wellnigh two decades and even made an inroad into southernFrance,
thetruecauseis to be found inIslamiticrule, which practically brought to naught
the control ofRomeover the greater part ofSpain; and in the over-conciliatory
attitude ofCharlemagne, who, in spite of his whole-souled loyalty to
theRomanFaith, could ill afford to alienate politically provinces so dearly bought.
Of the two heresiarchs, Elipandus died in hiserror.Felix, after many insincere
recantations, was placed under the surveillance ofLeidradofLyonsand gave all
thesignsof a genuine conversion. His death would even have passed for a
repentant's death if Agobar, Leidrad'ssuccessor, had not found among his
papers a definite retraction of all formerretractions.Adoptionism did not long
outlive its authors. WhatCharlemagnecould not do by diplomacy andsynods
(Narbonne, 788;Ratisbon, 792;Frankfort, 794;Aix-la-Chapelle, 799) he
accomplished by enlisting the services ofmissionarieslikeSt. Benedict of Aniane
, who reported as early as 800 theconversionof 20,000clericsandlaymen; and
savants likeAlcuin, whose treatises "Adv. Elipandum Toletanum" and "Contra
Felicem Urgellensem"willever be a credit toChristian learning
 Continuation
The official condemnation ofAdoptionism is to be found inPope
Hadrian'stwo letters, one to thebishopsof Spain, 785, and the
other toCharlemagne, 794; in thedecreesof the
Council of Frankfort(794), summoned byCharlemagne, it istrue,
but "in fullapostolicpower" and presided over by thelegateof
Rome, therefore asynodus universalis, according to an expression
of contemporary chroniclers. In these documents
thenaturaldivine filiation ofJesuseven asmanis strongly
asserted, and Hisadoptivefiliation, at least in so far as it
excludes thenatural, is rejected asheretical. Some writers,
mainlyProtestant, have tried to erase fromAdoptionism all stain
of theNestorianheresy. These writers do not seem to have
caught the meaning of theChurch'sdefinition. Since sonship is an
attribute of thepersonand not of thenature, to posit two sons is
to posit twopersonsinChrist, the veryerrorofNestorianism.
 Continuation
Alcuinexactly renders themindof theChurchwhen he says, "As the Nestorianimpiety
dividedChristinto twopersonsbecause of the twonatures, so your unlearned
temerity divided Him into two sons, onenaturaland oneadoptive" (ContraFelicem, I,
P.L. CI, Col. 136). With regard to the arguments adduced byFelixin support of his
theory, it may be briefly remarked that (suchscripturaltexts as John 14:28, had
already been explained at the time of theAriancontroversy, and such others as
Romans 8:29, refer to ouradoption, not to that ofJesus,Christis nowhere in theBible
called theadoptedSon of God; anymore,Holy Scriptureattributesto "The Man Christ"
all the predicates which belong to theEternal Son(cf.John 1:18;3:16;Romans 8:32).
The expressionadoptare, adoptio, used by someFathers, has for its object the
sacredHumanity, not thepersonofChrist; thehumannature, notChrist, is said to
beadoptedorassumedby the Word. The concrete expression of theMozarabicMissal
,Homo adoptatus, or of someGreekFathers,ouios thetos, either does not apply to
Christor is an instance of the not infrequent use in early days of the concrete for the
abstract. Thedialecticalarguments ofFelixcease to have a meaning the moment it is
clearly understood that, asSt. Thomassays, "Filiation properly belongs to theperson
".Christ,Son of God, by Hiseternalgeneration, remainsSon of God, even after
theWordhasassumedandsubstantiallyunited to Himself thesacredHumanity;
Incarnationdetracts no more from theeternalsonship than it does from theeternal
personalityof theWord.
 Catharism (11th
Century)
Catharism was a complicated mix of non-Christian religions
reworked with Christian terminology. The Cathars had many
different sects; they had in common a teaching that the
world was created by an evil deity (so matter was evil) and
we must worship the good deity instead.
The Albigensians formed one of the largest Cathar sects.
They taught that the spirit was created by God, and was
good, while the body was created by an evil god, and the
spirit must be freed from the body. Having children was one
of the greatest evils, since it entailed imprisoning another
"spirit" in flesh. Logically, marriage was forbidden, though
fornication was permitted. Tremendous fasts and severe
mortifications of all kinds were practiced, and their leaders
went about in voluntary poverty.
 Protestantism (16th
Century)
Protestant groups display a wide variety of different doctrines. However,
virtually all claim to believe in the teachings ofsola scriptura("by Scripture
alone"the idea that we must use only the Bible when forming our theology)
andsola fide("by faith alone" the idea that we are justified by faith only).
The great diversity of Protestant doctrines stems from the doctrine of private
judgment, which denies the infallible authority of the Church and claims that
each individual is to interpret Scripture for himself. This idea is rejected in 2
Peter 1:20, where we are told the first rule of Bible interpretation: "First of all
you must understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of ones
own interpretation." A significant feature of this heresy is the attempt to pit
the Church "against" the Bible, denying that the magisterium has any
infallible authority to teach and interpret Scripture.
The doctrine of private judgment has resulted in an enormous number of
different denominations. According toThe Christian Sourcebook, there are
approximately 20-30,000 denominations, with 270 new ones being formed
each year. Virtually all of these are Protestant.
Jansenism (17th Century)
Jansenius, bishop of Ypres, France, initiated this heresy with a
paper he wrote on Augustine, which redefined the doctrine of
grace. Among other doctrines, his followers denied that Christ
died for all men, but claimed that he died only for those who
will be finally saved (the elect). This and other Jansenist errors
were officially condemned by Pope Innocent X in 1653.
Heresies have been with us from the Churchs beginning. They
even have been started by Church leaders, who were then
corrected by councils and popes. Fortunately, we have Christs
promise that heresies will never prevail against the Church, for
he told Peter, "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my
Church, andthe gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matt.
16:18). The Church is truly, in Pauls words, "the pillar and
foundation of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15).