Heretical Teachings in the 1st Century Church

Homework giving you a headache? Math gives you a migraine? Can't quite figure out how to do something in photoshop? Never fear, the other members of CAA share their expertise in this forum.

Heretical Teachings in the 1st Century Church

Postby Zarn Ishtare » Fri Nov 26, 2004 7:18 am

Ok, doing a Pastoral Epistle paper...I need information on heretical Teachings in the 1st century church, pertaining to the ministry of Paul...ASAP!


*waits for Technomancer to rescue him*
With your doubt, all is comfort
We are all as we appear
No more questions left unanswered
No more wonder, no more fear
Nothing is beauty, nothing's feeling
Blood where there once was a soul
So I ask you, prove yourself
Make me believe that you are whole
Zarn Ishtare
 
Posts: 1295
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2004 4:23 am
Location: HELL HATH NO FURY, AT ALL.

Postby termyt » Fri Nov 26, 2004 7:33 am

I would think Gnosticism would be on that list. Are you looking for ideas on directing your research or are you looking for hard facts?

Paul mentions/warns against heretical teachings in several of his letters to churches, but I don't think the scripture goes into detail about the who's and what's of the heresy.

Perhaps it is better to await the help of one of seminarians.
User avatar
termyt
 
Posts: 4289
Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: oHIo

Postby Zarn Ishtare » Fri Nov 26, 2004 7:49 am

perhaps...I thought Gnosticism was second century...Well Good, now I have more to say on that dumb report! I do need specific...people, though. Like those who posed some of these heresies?
With your doubt, all is comfort
We are all as we appear
No more questions left unanswered
No more wonder, no more fear
Nothing is beauty, nothing's feeling
Blood where there once was a soul
So I ask you, prove yourself
Make me believe that you are whole
Zarn Ishtare
 
Posts: 1295
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2004 4:23 am
Location: HELL HATH NO FURY, AT ALL.

Postby Technomancer » Fri Nov 26, 2004 9:41 am

I'm not really sure why I should need to rescue you, CDL might know the subject better than I. In any case, the material that I am most familiar with is later than 1st century (we have a paucity of information from this period in any case). However, gnosticism was definately around, and in some of its variants predates Christianity. "Christian" gnosticism simply subsumed many of these ideas along with those of other faiths. Paul does seem to make reference to it (I forget the epistle) in the form of an all to brief statement of "gnosis falsely so-called". The term 'gnosis' may be rendered as 'knowledge' or even 'science' in some translations.

The material that I can give (and which you are likely to have access to) are best encapsulated by the following articles:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06592a.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09591a.htm

These sources are likely to be a bit dated, although they should serve as a decent starting point. Jaroslav Pelikan's book on the early church may also have some useful material (although it has been some time since I have read it).
The scientific method," Thomas Henry Huxley once wrote, "is nothing but the normal working of the human mind." That is to say, when the mind is working; that is to say further, when it is engaged in corrrecting its mistakes. Taking this point of view, we may conclude that science is not physics, biology, or chemistry—is not even a "subject"—but a moral imperative drawn from a larger narrative whose purpose is to give perspective, balance, and humility to learning.

Neil Postman
(The End of Education)

Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge

Isaac Aasimov
User avatar
Technomancer
 
Posts: 2379
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 11:47 am
Location: Tralfamadore

Postby CDLviking » Mon Nov 29, 2004 2:53 pm

Sadly, I could not do much more than point you in the same direction that others have. I know of several heresies and there teachings, but not about their history and timeframe.
User avatar
CDLviking
 
Posts: 1794
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2004 10:28 pm
Location: Phoenix

Postby Mr. SmartyPants » Mon Nov 29, 2004 4:30 pm

Um, The Gospel of Thomas is a gnostic gospel... thats all i know!
User avatar
Mr. SmartyPants
 
Posts: 12541
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:00 am


Return to Tutorials

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 139 guests