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It seems as if we might throw the term heresy around a lot more freely than we ought to. For example, however flawed one might think Dispensationalism is, when the Presbyterian church condemned it as heretical decades ago that seems to be going beyond what we should feel free to say in condemning positions we disagree with.
For studying the idea of heresy and orthodoxy I would highly recommend Alister McGrath’s “Studies in Doctrine” of which a third is devoted to this topic. I think the way he defines heresy and discusses the use of that term is very helpful.

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Although I haven't read them, the following books look like they would also be helpful resources. I think the first will give you more of a concise "what's what" treatment, while the second will present a somewhat broader overview that is historically contextualized.

Heresies and How to Avoid Them, edited by Ben Quash and Michael Ward, is a 148-page compendium of ten essays by different authors on various heresies historically encountered by the Church: Adoptionism, Docetism, Nestorianism, Arianism, Marcionism, Theopaschitism, Destroying the Trinity, Pelagianism, 'The Free Spirit', and Donatism.

Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Christian Church, by Harold O. J. Brown, is a 512-page overview of the numerous doctrinal disputes within Christendom from the early church to the present. The focus is on theology and the development of doctrines, with political and historical events as a backdrop. Brown is a conservative Lutheran and professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical International University.

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may i know what is Heresy?
is it a person? an event? a prophecy?

what does this heresy do?

I'm just confuse...

A heresy is a doctrinal view that deviates from the truth. It is a false teaching. In common usage among Christians the term is especially applied to teachings that are presented as being "Christian" but are actually at variance with orthodox (accepted) doctrines which are considered central or core doctrines of the Christian faith. Heresies include teachings that Jesus Christ is not divine, that the Holy Spirit is not a person, that men may become gods, that there is more than one God, and that salvation can be earned by doing good works, to name a few.

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Elaborating a little on Gideon's explanation, I would add that, although any deviation from the truth about God or the gospel is heresy, generally the word more often is used for a grievious error, such as would endanger one's salvation due to erring about a fundamental or essential element of the gospel. For example, there is a current thread discussing infant baptism. While many here takes sides either for or against infant baptism, there are (I am guessing) few among the discussion participants that would believe that the one holding an opposing view is in danger of eternal damnation for holding it. However, if you search the forum you may find other topics that are much more central to the gospel message. For example, the orthodox position of the church, believed by the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the majority of Protestant Churches is that God exists as one God, but at the same time, three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity. I think many here, (probably most) would view a deviation from that understanding of the nature of God to be fatal to one's salvation. That is, one believing in three gods does not believe in the same God that the Bible teaches us of. Or anyone believing that Jesus is not God and at the same time wholly man believes a fundamentally flawed view of the Second Person of the Trinity. Thus, the orthodox view is that such an error would be "heretical" and would endanger the salvation of the one who held that view.

Regards.

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I'm coming in late, so I don't know if it has been mentioned, but the Dictionary of Sects, Heresies, Ecclesiastical Parties, and Schools of Religious Thought by John Henry Blunt is what we are using as a basis for a project on heresies. It's old, but very, very thorough.

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Στηθι εδραιος, ως ακμων τυπτομενος. - Ignatius |II Timothy 4:2| All Scripture is NKJV, unless a translation from the Greek text or otherwise noted.
M.A. Theological Studies (New Testament), Faith Seminary, Tacoma WA
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hello interesting topic what is a heretic? are you all truly aware of the history of christanity? well some mar+yRs are and that is why they were murdered by the very church that christanity comes from. did you know that? riddle this who are the thieves in YHWH Holy Bible book of Matthew? what was YHWH son Jesus the Christ arrested and tried and murdered for do you know? for not only being a thief but the instigator of the thievery. YHWH who is Almighty God sent YHWH son Jesus the Christ to teach the people YHWH laws which do not include the use of money.yes. did you tell people not to pay taxes to this court? it is as you say.yes.

who was augustus? the pontif maxiums the very first pope he called himself a god and controlled the scrolls at that time an oral torah augustus had scribes and priests and senators and they dressed in robes much like the jews and the catholic priests do today.yes. it's all available on line for information runs to and fro and access to information has been increased via YHWH.yes. so the roman empire murdered YHWH son Jesus the Christ and many of the other thieves right infront of the masses of people for it was the holiday of sol invictus.yes. so the holy roman empire/the holy roman catholic church/ the roman catholic church all three times denying YHWH.yes. also take a look at a photo of the round court style construction in "ST" peter's "square" why does it sit a top a hill also how far of a walk is it from the roman forum.yes.

so why did the catholic church continue to give masses in latin up until at least the early 1970s? were humans speaking latin in the 1970s? what is the one use of the word lucifer in YHWH Holy Bible? hint book of Isaiah it is a latin word why is a latin word in the "old" testament? the word means light bearer like an invinsible sun.yes. what woman holds a lamp wears a crown just like augustus did wears a robe holds a book with roman numbers on it sits on a 6 pointed star and has a poem of blasphemy called the new collosus? well she has no husband and she used to sit on many waters but her greed and war waging for Oil has pissed off the rest of world.yes. she may have made all the kings of the earth drunk with her fornication and her greed to spread that greed like a pest but she has fallen big time.yes.

I'm sorry Isaiah11 I don't know how to reply to your post.

I saw someone mentioned Alister McGrath's book on Historical Theology which is a good read. He also has a book titled "Heresy - A History of Defending the Truth," a very good read only 234 pages.
He makes an interesting observation of the age we live in regarding the post-modern view of heresy:
"For many, heresy, is now seen as a theological victim, a set of noble ideas that have been brutally crushed and improperly suppressed by dominant orthodoxies and then presented as if they were devious, dishonest, or diabolical. In this romanticized account of things, heresy is portrayed as an island of freethinking in the midst of a torpid ocean of unthinking orthodoxy enforced more by naked ecclesiastical power than by robust intellectual foundations..." p. 6

Those who have studied apologetics or the current age will find the above observation on target.

Heresy - "Any teaching rejected by the Christian community as contrary to Scripture and hence to orthodox doctrine. Most of the teachings that have been declared heretical have to do with either the nature of God or the person of Jesus Christ...The term heresy is generally reserved for any belief that claims to be Christian and scriptural but has been rejected by the church as sub-Christian or antiscriptural." from the Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, p. 58

Isaiah11,

p-bob -- that sums up my thoughts beautifully -- now where's my light saber?!

perhaps Isaiah11 is a modern day Gnostic

P-Bob: Yes, beautiful response.

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