A lot of people have spent a lot of time trying to understand end explain God. Since He is by nature unknowable, many people made mistakes in what they said. The church tried to keep people from teaching things about God that were wrong. They labelled those ideas ‘heresies’ and stated that the people who believed them no longer believe in God as the church understood Him to be. They said that those people could no longer be part of the Body of Christ because they had crossed the line into sin. They were ‘excommunicated’ or shunned.
Many of these heresies continue today, so it is useful to be aware of them so we don’t fall into the same traps. Most of them imperil our salvation.
Adoptionism – 200s
The Adoptionists said that Jesus was not God. He was just a virtuous man adopted as the son of God. This was formally rejected by the Synod of Antioch in 268.
Albigensians – 1000s – 1200s
The Albigensians held that God and Satan are equal (or mostly equal) in power, fighting for mastery of both the earth and the heavenly realms. This is a form of Dualism. They taught that Satan is the author of the physical world, human souls and of sin. Removal of the soul from the captivity of the body is beneficial – therefore suicide is good. They also taught that Hell is not eternal.
Anthropomorphism (Audians) – 300s, then again in 900s
This means that God has human form and that the heavenly descriptions of Him are to be taken literally.
Antinomianism – From Paul to the present (Romans 6:1)
Jesus’ sacrifice removed the requirement to follow the moral law. Christians could live however they wanted. This typically led to either hedonism (living for pleasure) or asceticism (eliminating all strong desires from life, including pleasure, and also abusing the body as bad).
Apollinarism (student of Athanasius) 300s
Jesus was not fully human – He did not have a human mind. He was just a human body and soul inhabited by God. This was rejected by First Council of Constantinople in 381
Arians – 300s
God was not always a Father. There was a time before Jesus was begotten when God was not a Father. Jesus was begotten or created by God as an instrument of salvation. They taught that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are different in substance. Also, that Jesus was not God, but only a divinely inspired man. This was rejected by First Council of Constantinople in 381
Catharism – 100s-2000s
This is a name used by several sects throughout the ages. They held that God and Satan are equal (or mostly equal) in power, fighting for mastery (Dualism). They believed that the physical world is evil and should be rejected. They denied that Christ could become human and remain the Son of God.
Collyridianism – 300s
These people worshipped Mary as a goddess.
Deism 1600s-present
Deists reject authoritative religious teaching in favor of a free and purely rationalistic speculation. There is a lot of variation, but they generally state that God created everything, then left creation to run without His direct input. They reject miracles. A modern implementation of this is the intelligent design movement.
Docetism 100s-???
This movement originated outside the church. Docetists believed that Jesus was pure spirit; His physical body was an illusion. This was rejected by several ecumenical councils.
Donatism 300s-400s
This heresy flourished during the Roman persecution. Donatists insisted that the Church must be comprised of saints, not sinners. Anyone who once turned away from the faith must not serve as a church leader. They held this to be true even for instances involving significant physical torture. There could be no forgiveness or restoration. Sacraments administered by church leaders who had turned away and returned were not valid. They actively sought martyrdom.
Ebionites (early) 100s
This was a Jewish sect that insisted on the necessity of continuing to follow Jewish law and rites. They saw Jesus as Messiah, but not divine. They denied birth of Jesus to a virgin.
Ebionites (Later)
This was a gnostic heresy. It is a complicated system including elements of pantheism, Persian Dualism, Judaism, and Christianity. They taught that Jesus was only a man. They believed that matter was eternal and was God’s body. They rejected virgin birth and substitutionary atonement.
Euchites 300s
The Euchite position was that the essence of the Trinity cannot be perceived by the senses. The threefold God transformed Himself into a single hypostasis (a combined being where all of the parts are muddled up together) in order to unite with the souls of the perfect when they die. They believed that a single God took different forms to reveal Himself to the senses (modalism), and taught that only such sensible revelations to Christians can perfect them – Christians could not be sanctified without a personal appearance by God in some manifestation. Perfection following that sanctification could only be attained only by prayer, not through the church or the sacraments.
Fraticelli 1200s-1500s
The Fraticelli believed the church should lead the world back to Christ by evangelical poverty, complete self-denial, and humility. They believed the Roman Church to be carnal and corrupt, and themselves as spiritual. They denied to the Roman priesthood all power and jurisdiction. They forbade taking oaths. They taught that priests in the state of sin could not confer the sacraments. They asserted that they alone were the true observers of the Gospel.
Free Spirit 1200s-1300s
Those of the Free Spirit believed that nothing is sin except what is thought to be sin, mixing mysticism with Christianity. They believed it was possible to reach perfection through a life of austerity and spiritualism. They denied the necessity of Christ, the church and its sacraments for salvation and believed they could communicate directly with God without the need of the Church for intercession.
Free Thinkers 1600s-present
Very similar to the Deists. They reject the possibility of miracles and only believe what they can prove by reason. They reject any form of doctrine and the authority of the church.
Gnosticism ?? BC- to today
Gnosticism pre-dates Christianity. It is so common and so pervasive in religions across the world that it could almost be considered the default state of human religion. There are a huge number of variations, but generally, gnostics are pantheistic (believe that God is in everything and everything is part of God). Oddly, they also tend to believe that matter is corrupted and bad. The ultimate goal of most Gnostic sects is to overcome the grossness of matter and return to the Parent-Spirit. This return will be inaugurated and facilitated by the appearance of some God-sent Savior (but not Jesus). They believe that salvation of the soul requires only the possession of a quasi-intuitive knowledge of the mysteries of the universe and magic or mystic formulae based on that knowledge.
Henricians 1100s
Rejected the doctrinal and disciplinary authority of the church. They believed that the Gospel as freely interpreted by the individual is the sole rule of faith. They refused to recognize any form or worship or liturgy. They condemned many church practices, including: infant baptism, communion, sacrifice of the Mass, the communion of saints, prayers for the dead.
Iconoclasm 300s-900s
Icons and images used in worship should be destroyed to prevent idolatry. The church responded with a distinction between worship, adoration and veneration. It’s a very thin line, and somewhat fuzzy.
Jehovah’s Witnesses Late 1800s-Present
Among other things, they believe that Jesus is not God. They deny the Trinity and Hell.
Macedonians or pneumatomachians 300s
Denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. They were rejected by the First Council of Constantinople in 381.
Manichaeism (followers of Manichaeus) 200s
This was a Gnostic sect. They claimed to be the true synthesis of all the religious systems then known, and actually consisted of Zoroastrian Dualism, Babylonian folklore, Buddhist ethics, and some small and superficial, additions of Christian elements. Among other things, they held that God and Satan are equal in power, fighting for mastery (Dualism) and believed that material things are evil. They were rejected by Emperor Theodosius in 381.
Marcionism 100s-200s
Marcionism is similar to Gnosticism. They believed that YHWH was not the creator, but is subordinate to the true god. They also make a distinction between YHWH in the Old Testament as a cruel god, not a loving god and Jesus in the New Testament. They believed that Jesus was the son of the true god (not YHWH) and Paul was his apostle. They rejected the Hebrew God and Hebrew Bible. They rewrote the Bible to remove any Hebrew or Old Testament references (they ended up with a modified Gospel of Luke and 10 of Paul’s letters). This was rejected by a lot of people including Tertullian in 207.
Modalism or Sabellianism 200s
This is the belief that the persons of the trinity are three aspects of one God rather than distinct persons (masks that God puts on in order to deal with us). Rejected by the presbyters of Smyrna and Pope Callistus.
Monarchianism 200s-300s
These people put an overemphasis on the indivisibility of God. They denied the Trinity and believed that God died on the cross with/as Jesus. People who started with Monarchianism usually ended up as Modalists or Adoptionists.
Monophysitism or Eutychianism 400s-500s
This is the belief that Christ’s divinity overwhelmed and swallowed His humanity. This was rejected by Council of Chalcedon in 451.
Monothelitism 600s
Taught that Jesus had two natures (human and divine) but had no human free will. Rejected by the Third Council of Constantinople in 680 BC
Montanism 100s-300s
A group of ‘prophets’ who held that their prophecies superseded doctrines proclaimed by the apostles. They encouraged and accepted ecstatic prophesying, regardless of whether it agreed with scripture. They also taught that Christians who fall from grace cannot be redeemed. They required chastity and forbade remarriage. They placed a strong emphasis on martyrdom.
Mormonism 1823-present
Mormonism was founded by Joseph Smith in 1823 following a direct revelation from an angel.
They deny original sin, believing instead that people can attain godhood by righteous living. They hold that this is how God became God – He was not always the Supreme Being, but got there by righteous living. They believe that the Bible is the word of God (but only the correct translation), as is the Book of Mormon. Polygamy is a central creed of their belief, as is the idea that any human can become a god. They believe that the Trinity are three separate beings that are ‘one in purpose.’ They prohibit prayer to Jesus to avoid polytheism. They believe Jesus’ birth was the result of a physical relationship between God and Mary.
Nestorianism 400s-Present
The Nestorians taught that Jesus was a natural union between the flesh and the Word, thus not seen to be of one substance with the Father. This made Him less than the Son of God. Rejected by the First Council of Ephesus in 431 the Council of Chalcedon in 451, leading to the Nestorian Schism, in which a portion of the church broke away to follow Nestor.
Open Theism 1600s -Present
Believe that the future is not fixed – that God is writing it as He goes along. It rejects modern Christianity as hopelessly tainted with Greek thought. It denies the omniscience of God and that he has a plan for His creation.
Ophites 100s-200s
This was a Gnostic sect.
They completely rewrote Creation, replacing Jehovah with a group of divine beings, of whom He was only a minor being. They taught that the snake in the Garden of Eden was the hero and the God who forbade Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of knowledge is the enemy. This was rejected by Hippolytus of Rome.
Paulicianism 600s-1800s
This was a Dualist Gnostic sect.
They taught that all matter is bad and that the God of heaven is not the same as the God of the earth. They rejected the Old Testament and the incarnation (Jesus becoming true man and true God). They were repressed by order of Empress Theodora II in 843.
Pelagianism 400s
Taught that original sin did not taint human nature. They believed that Man does not need divine aid to choose good or evil. Rejected by Council of Carthage in 418.
Priscillianism 300s-500s
This was a Dualist Gnostic and Manichaean sect.
They held that God and Satan are equal (or mostly equal) in power, fighting for mastery. They believed that humans were supposed to be the ones to conquer the Evil One in the end.
They rejected the material world. They believed they were allowed to lie for the sake of a holy goal.
Quartodecimanism (Fourteeners) 100s
Celebrated Jesus’ death during Jewish Passover, on the fourteenth day of Nisan (Jewish month), no matter what day of the week it occurred on. The church celebrated His death on the nearest Friday, so that the resurrection was always celebrated on a Sunday. This was rejected by numerous councils, apparently out of a desire to reject Judaism and all things Jewish.
Sabellianism or Modalism 200s
This is the belief that the persons of the trinity are three aspects of one God rather than distinct persons (masks that God puts on in order to deal with us). Rejected by the presbyters of Smyrna and Pope Callistus.
Semipelagianism 400s-500s
Taught that free will is sufficient, placing the emphasis on human ability. They believed that Grace aids free will rather than replacing it.
Sethianism 100s-200s
This was a Gnostic sect. They also rewrote creation to involve a very complicated pantheon, one of whom created the world, with a lot of weirdness. They believed that the snake in the garden of Eden was an agent of the true God and brought knowledge of good and evil to man via the ‘fall.’ This was rejected by Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Philaster and probably anyone else that actually read it.
Seventh Day Adventists (No longer a heresy)
Seventh Day Adventists started with a lot of bad theology. Over time, they have drifted back to weird orthodoxy with theology that is only dubious rather than completely bad.
Tritheism 100s-present
Believed that God is three gods not one.
Valentianism 200s-300s
This was a really complicated Gnostic polytheism. It was rejected by Irenaeus and Epiphanius of Salamis.