Fun: Name That Heresy!

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Okay, folks....time for some fun! Let's play NAME THAT HERESY!:D I will give a brief example of a person's belief on something, and the first one to correctly identify the heresy from which the belief derived wins the round. I haven't figured out what sort of prize there should be. I'm open to ideas.

Also, I will get the ball rolling with a few examples, but someone else is welcome to jump in with other examples/scenarios.

ROUND #1:

Aunt Mildred has decided she wants to be cremated when she dies. Her reason is that there is really no value to the human body, it's nothing more than a shell for our spirit to live in. Because of this, it may as well be destroyed once she's dead.

Okay....NAME THIS HERESY!:D

PS: If you want to brush up on the options for heresies, check the link in my other "Info. on heresies?" thread.;)

Enjoy.

[EmperorConstantine]

ROUND #1:

Aunt Mildred has decided she wants to be cremated when she dies. Her reason is that there is really no value to the human body, it's nothing more than a shell for our spirit to live in. Because of this, it may as well be destroyed once she's dead.
What is Arianism?

[eoe]

ROUND #1:

Aunt Mildred has decided she wants to be cremated when she dies. Her reason is that there is really no value to the human body, it's nothing more than a shell for our spirit to live in. Because of this, it may as well be destroyed once she's dead.
Gnostic - specifically docetism. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docetism)

My turn...


Bill beleives that Jesus was just a man and through his own efforts overcame sin. Because of this - we too can overcome sin without external help.

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Gnostic - specifically docetism. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docetism)

My turn...


Bill beleives that Jesus was just a man and through his own efforts overcame sin. Because of this - we too can overcome sin without external help.
DING DING DING! This is correct! Actually, I'm thinking it could be either dualism or docetism, but the main thing I was looking for was Gnosticism. It's interesting how prevalent Gnosticism still is.

[Emmanuel-A]

Gnostic - specifically docetism. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docetism)

My turn...


Bill beleives that Jesus was just a man and through his own efforts overcame sin. Because of this - we too can overcome sin without external help.


Hmm :scratch:

Pelagianism ?

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Round #2:

Aunt Sally goes to a "Spirit filled" charismatic church. Her particular church teaches that the Holy Spirit is regularly giving people new revelations, and also teaches that "traditional" churches are dead and cold.

Name this heresy!:)

[eoe]

Hmm :scratch:

Pelagianism ?Whoop! Got it.

[eoe]

Round #2:

Aunt Sally goes to a "Spirit filled" charismatic church. Her particular church teaches that the Holy Spirit is regularly giving people new revelations, and also teaches that "traditional" churches are dead and cold.

Name this heresy!:)


montanism

Differences between Montanism and orthodox Christianity

The beliefs of Montanism contrasted with orthodox Christianity in the following ways:
The belief that the prophecies of the Montanists superseded and fulfilled the doctrines proclaimed by the Apostles.
The encouragement of ecstatic prophesying, contrasting with the more sober and disciplined approach to theology dominant in orthodox Christianity at the time and since.
The view that Christians who fell from grace could not be redeemed, also in contrast to the orthodox Christian view that contrition could lead to a sinner's restoration to the church.
The prophets of Montanism did not speak as messengers of God: "Thus saith the Lord," but rather described themselves as possessed by God, and spoke in his person. "I am the Father, the Word, and the Paraclete," said Montanus (Didymus, De Trinitate, III, xli); This possession by a spirit, which spoke while the prophet was incapable of resisting, is described by the spirit of Montanus: "Behold the man is like a lyre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyre), and I dart like the plectrum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plectrum). The man sleeps, and I am awake" (Epiphanius, "Panarion", xlviii, 4).
A stronger emphasis on the avoidance of sin and church discipline than in orthodox Christianity. They emphasized chastity, including forbidding remarriage.
Some of the Montanists were also "Quartodeciman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartodecimanism)" ("fourteeners"), preferring to celebrate Easter on the Hebrew calendar date of 14 Nisan, regardless of what day of the week it landed on. The orthodoxy held that Easter should be commemorated on the Sunday following 14 Nisan. (Trevett 1996:202)Jerome and other church leaders claimed that the Montanists of their own day held the belief that the Trinity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity) consisted of only a single person, similar to Sabellianism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabellianism), as opposed to the orthodox view that the Trinity is one God of three persons which Tertullian also had held. There were some that were indeed modalistic monarchians (Sabellians) and some that were closer to the Trinitarian doctrine. It is reported that these modalists baptized mentioning the name of Jesus Christ as opposed to mentioning the Trinity. Most of the later Montanists were of the modalistic camp.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources)]


(insteresting to note the oneness movment in the pentecostals)

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

LOL......all of us are posting at the same time.....^_^

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

:)


montanism
Got it again! :) Nice work.

[Emmanuel-A]

What about if Aunt Sally believes that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are only aspects of a single entity ?

[eoe]

whoop!

Here is one...

Joey believes that Christ is the true perfect God and came to save us from the punishment of the wrathful deity who originally introduced us into this imperfect world. Salvation consists of being delivered from punishment of the "father" and is gained by accepting special knowledge of Jesus.


And here is a hum dinger.....

Bobby believes in a pre-milenial rapture and a literal 1000 year reign of Christ on earth before the final judgement. (ouch) - Bonus points of you can identify the line in the Nicene creed that directly counters this belief. (double ouch)



ok... that was two..

[eoe]

What about if Aunt Sally believes that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are only aspects of a single entity ?
modalism

[Emmanuel-A]

whoop!

Here is one...

Joey believes that Christ is the true perfect God and came to save us from the punishment of the wrathful deity who originally introduced us into this imperfect world. Salvation consists of being delivered from punishment of the "father" and is gained by accepting special knowledge of Jesus.
..

I would call it the theology of satisfaction, but I don't know the "ism" word.



And here is a hum dinger.....

Bobby believes in a pre-milenial rapture and a literal 1000 year reign of Christ on earth before the final judgement. (ouch) - Bonus points of you can identify the line in the Nicene creed that directly counters this belief. (double ouch)



ok... that was two..

Hmm, Chilliasm ?

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

What about if Aunt Sally believes that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are only aspects of a single entity ?
This seems like either Unitarianism or the Sabellian heresy. I'll go with the first one.

[Emmanuel-A]

This seems like either Unitarianism or the Sabellian heresy. I'll go with the first one.

Sabellianism. But eoe makes me doubt myself with modalism

[eoe]

Hmm, Chilliasm ?got it.

Sabellianism. But eoe makes me doubt myself with modalismperhaps it is the way it is worded...
I would call it the theology of satisfaction, but I don't know the "ism" word.That is pure hardcore ultra gnosticism my friend.

A typological model: the main features of gnosticism

Though difficulties have arisen in offering a definitive, categorical definition of Gnosticism (see below (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism#_.27Gnosticism.27_as_a_potentially_flawed_category)), various strategies have been employed in overcoming the problem, with varying degrees of success. It is therefore appropriate to offer a typological model of those ancient philosophical movements typically called Gnostic; the model offered is adapted from Christoph Markschies (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christoph_Markschies&action=edit)' version, as described in 'Gnosis: An Introduction'.
Gnostic systems are typically marked by:

The notion of a remote, supreme and incomprehensible monadic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monad_%28Gnosticism%29) divinity - this figure is known under a variety of names, including 'Pleroma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleroma)' and 'Bythos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bythos)' (Greek 'deep');
The introduction by emanation of further divine beings, which are nevertheless identifiable as aspects of the God from which they proceeded; the progressive emanations are often conceived metaphorically as a gradual and progressive distancing from the ultimate source, which brings about an instability in the fabric of the divine nature;
The subsequent identification of the Fall of Man (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_of_Man) as an occurrence with its ultimate foundations within divinity itself, rather than as occurring either entirely or indeed partially through human agency; this stage in the divine emanation is usually enacted through the recurrent Gnostic figure of Sophia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_%28gnosticism%29) (Greek 'Wisdom'), whose presence in a wide variety of Gnostic texts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnostic_texts) is indicative of her central importance;
The introduction of a distinct creator god, who is named as in the Platonist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonist) tradition demiurgos.
Evidence exists that the conception of the demiurge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demiurge) has derivation from figures in Plato's Timaeus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timaeus) and Republic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic). In the former, the demiurge is the benevolent creator of the universe from pre-existent matter, to whose limitations he is enthralled in creating the cosmos; in the latter, the description of the leontomorphic 'desire' in Socrates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates)' model of the psyche (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyche) bears a strong resemblance to descriptions of the demiurge as being in the shape of the lion.
Elsewhere this figure is called 'Ialdabaoth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demiurge)', 'Samael' (Aramaic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramaic) sæmʕa-ʔel, 'blind god') or 'Saklas' (Syriac (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syriac) sækla, 'the foolish one'), who is sometimes ignorant of the superior God, and sometimes opposed to it; thus in the latter case he is correspondingly malevolent.
The demiurge typically creates a group of coactors named 'Archons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archons)', who preside over the material realm and, in some cases, present obstacles to the soul seeking ascent from it;
The estimation of the world, owing to the above, as flawed or a production of 'error' but nevertheless as good as its constituent material might allow. This world is typically an inferior simulacrum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacrum) of a higher-level reality or consciousness. The inferiority may be compared to the technical inferiority of a painting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painting), sculpture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculpture), or other handicraft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handicraft) to the thing(s) those crafts are supposed to be a representation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimesis) of. In certain other cases it is also perceived as evil and constrictive, a deliberate prison for its inhabitants;
The explanation of this state through the use of a complex mythological-cosmological drama in which a divine element 'falls' into the material realm and lodges itself within certain human beings; from here, it may be returned to the divine realm through a process of awakening. It may be noted that the salvation of the individual thus mirrors a concurrent restoration of the divine nature; a central Gnostic innovation was to elevate individual redemption to the level of a cosmically significant event;
Knowledge of a specific kind as a central factor in this process of restoration, achieved through the mediation of a redeemer figure (Christ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ), or, in other cases, Seth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth) or Sophia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_%28gnosticism%29)).

[eoe]

Given the other was Sabellianism - here is an easy lob...

Jenny says that God is a trinity - just like water, ice and steam. She then smacks her gum and looks vacuously into the distance, twirling her hair....

[eoe]

remember the bonus - what line in the creed is it that is in direct opposition to chiliasm?

[The Prokeimenon!]

remember the bonus - what line in the creed is it that is in direct opposition to chiliasm?
Whose Kingdom shall have no end

[Knowledge3]

What is Latin averroism and traducianism?

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Given the other was Sabellianism - here is an easy lob...

Jenny says that God is a trinity - just like water, ice and steam. She then smacks her gum and looks vacuously into the distance, twirling her hair....
Modalism?

[Philothei]

What religion does she practice?

Aunt Millie goes to Catholic church, practises Yoga and Buddism uses Tarro cards and white magic, and also prays the rosary.

hmmmm....

P.

[NyssaTheHobbit]

Whose Kingdom shall have no end

Wow, I never caught that before. It seems like I learn something new every day these days. :)

[eoe]

Whose Kingdom shall have no end
Exactly - well done MTB. If there was a literal 1000 years then at the end of the 1000 years it would end as would any finite number of years. Christ's kingdom shall have no end.

Glory to Jesus Christ forever.

[jckstraw72]

What religion does she practice?

Aunt Millie goes to Catholic church, practises Yoga and Buddism uses Tarro cards and white magic, and also prays the rosary.

hmmmm....

sounds like New Age baloney to me. or extreme ecumenism.

[Akathist]

What religion does she practice?

Aunt Millie goes to Catholic church, practises Yoga and Buddism uses Tarro cards and white magic, and also prays the rosary.

hmmmm....

P.

Pantheism?

[Vasya Davidovich]

What religion does she practice?

Aunt Millie goes to Catholic church, practises Yoga and Buddism uses Tarro cards and white magic, and also prays the rosary.

hmmmm....

P.
Syncretism!!

[Vasya Davidovich]

My turn...

Round 7.2:

Timmy believes that Christ's teachings applied to the Jews (of His day) only, and that it is St. Paul's teachings that apply to us.

He promotes evangelism in Israel, because he is looking forward to a time after the Rapture when the Jews will repent and the temple sacrifice will be reinstituted in Jerusalem.

Name that heresy!!

[Knowledge3]

What is Eutychianism?

What is Nestorianism?

What is Monophysitism?

[Knowledge3]

My turn...

Round 7.2:

Timmy believes that Christ's teachings applied to the Jews (of His day) only, and that it is St. Paul's teachings that apply to us.

He promotes evangelism in Israel, because he is looking forward to a time after the Rapture when the Jews will repent and the temple sacrifice will be reinstituted in Jerusalem.

Name that heresy!!

Who is Marcion, whom St. Polycarp denounced to his face and called him the first-born of Satan?

[Mary of Bethany]

My turn...

Round 7.2:

Timmy believes that Christ's teachings applied to the Jews (of His day) only, and that it is St. Paul's teachings that apply to us.

He promotes evangelism in Israel, because he is looking forward to a time after the Rapture when the Jews will repent and the temple sacrifice will be reinstituted in Jerusalem.

Name that heresy!!

Dispensationalism!

Mary

[Vasya Davidovich]

Yep!

I think it is particularly hideous, for two reasons.

One, it is very prevalent in many Protestant circles today (like the one in which I was raised).
Two, it affords a handy escape clause for all the hard teachings and the commandments of our Saviour, and gives a reason to avoid the life-giving Gospels.

-Vasya.

[Shubunkin]

Hey guys, this is great... educational in addition to being fun. ***just observing, since I'm just a Catechumen and not an expert on such heresies, yet*** This will maybe make me an expert if you keep going with this.

[Akathist]

Uncle George believes that there is life after death and yet is not sure there is a God. He talks about looking forward to visiting with loved ones who have died or famous people after he dies.

[Sojourner<><]

This seems like a great thread to post my question about this belief:

Larry thinks that the Logos described by pre-Socratic Greek philosophy is the same Logos referred to by the Book of John. He believes that the Greek view of the Logos being the 'underlying principle that governs all things' is reinforced when Jesus said: "I am... Truth" and that all things are described as being from Him. Because of this, Larry believes that the scriptures are a window to the Logos/Truth or divine wisdom but he still believes that salvation depends on the cross.

Is it heresy?

[MichaelArchangelos]

Uncle George believes that there is life after death and yet is not sure there is a God. He talks about looking forward to visiting with loved ones who have died or famous people after he dies.

Agnosticism?

[Vasya Davidovich]

Uncle George believes that there is life after death and yet is not sure there is a God. He talks about looking forward to visiting with loved ones who have died or famous people after he dies.

Agnosticism?I'm going to have to differ with you, Michael Archangelos.

Agnostics just don't know anything for sure. Uncle George evidently believes in (or "knows") something concrete, even if it is heretical.

You are going for "spiritism" or "spiritualism", aren't you, Akathist?

-Vasya.

[Vasya Davidovich]

This seems like a great thread to post my question about this belief:

Larry thinks that the Logos described by pre-Socratic Greek philosophy is the same Logos referred to by the Book of John. He believes that the Greek view of the Logos being the 'underlying principle that governs all things' is reinforced when Jesus said: "I am... Truth" and that all things are described as being from Him. Because of this, Larry believes that the scriptures are a window to the Logos/Truth or divine wisdom but he still believes that salvation depends on the cross.

Is it heresy?
I don't know how heretical this is, but it sounds weird, Sojourner.

Problems:

his starting point is philosophy, not Christ or the Cross;
Scriptures are a "window" to Truth (or Christ) - this could be very Orthodox or very unOrthodox depending on what he means by this;
"divine wisdom" sounds quite watered down and New Agey;
in everything he believes, Larry is focusing on an impersonal principle (like Logos, Truth, or divine wisdom), and not on our personal Saviour.Doubtless others could see other problems, more serious problems, but those jump out at me.

-Vasya.

[Knowledge3]

He has separated the two natures of Christ, in turn producing a heretical christology of two separate making Christ a separate human and god. Christ was divine but not really human, and Mary only gave birth to Jesus not God.

Who is this heretic?

[eoe]

Who is this heretic?
Nestorius

[Knowledge3]

Who was the heretic who taught that the Son of God was a created, and a spiritual creature among creatures but not God?

[Philothei]

Arius...
but then again there are so many similar ones. I am kind of rusty on this one. You guys read those stuff everyday for catechumen class not fair....lol....
God bless,
Philothei

[Knowledge3]

These are non-Orthodox evangelicals who teach prosperity doctrine not found in the Bible, twisting scripture and preaching the word of God from wild & crazy notions not really making any sense. Their preaching has turned into personal agendas,politics and motivational speaking.

These people are?

[Sojourner<><]

These are non-Orthodox evangelicals who teach prosperity doctrine not found in the Bible, twisting scripture and preaching the word of God from wild & crazy notions not really making any sense. Their preaching has turned into personal agendas,politics and motivational speaking.

These people are?

Fundies?

[ModernDaySpyridon]

Your cousin Bubbles believes that as long as she loves God, it doesn't really matter what sorts of life she lives, i.e. God forgives my sins, so what's the big deal if I live with my boyfriend?

Impress me...;)

[ModernDaySpyridon]

These are non-Orthodox evangelicals who teach prosperity doctrine not found in the Bible, twisting scripture and preaching the word of God from wild & crazy notions not really making any sense. Their preaching has turned into personal agendas,politics and motivational speaking.

These people are?

Well...the only really singular charactistic you described is the "prosperity doctrine," and that would actually discribe many Pentacostal or Assemblies of God movements.

I'm gonna go with Oneness Pentacostalism, for $500.

Although that whole denying the Trinity bit is a bit more problematic in my mind...;)

[NyssaTheHobbit]

These are non-Orthodox evangelicals who teach prosperity doctrine not found in the Bible, twisting scripture and preaching the word of God from wild & crazy notions not really making any sense. Their preaching has turned into personal agendas,politics and motivational speaking.

These people are?

They have many different names: Name it and Claim It Doctrine, Prosperity Doctrine, Faith-Formula Theology, Word-Faith Theology, Positive Confession Theology, Health and Wealth Gospel

[Akathist]

I'm going to have to differ with you, Michael Archangelos.

Agnostics just don't know anything for sure. Uncle George evidently believes in (or "knows") something concrete, even if it is heretical.

You are going for "spiritism" or "spiritualism", aren't you, Akathist?

-Vasya.

Yep but I honestly didn't know the right heretical word... I do know about spiritualism (did a research paper on it in my 20th Century American Religions class... but my Uncle really has these beliefs too.)

[Akathist]

Your cousin Bubbles believes that as long as she loves God, it doesn't really matter what sorts of life she lives, i.e. God forgives my sins, so what's the big deal if I live with my boyfriend?

Impress me...;)

Oh, Bubbles is a follower of that guy in Texas (opps, not Texas, edited to chage this to Florida) who says he is the returned Christ. (He saw a vision while in jail I think for heroine.)

Is the answer: Relativisim?

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

Your cousin Bubbles believes that as long as she loves God, it doesn't really matter what sorts of life she lives, i.e. God forgives my sins, so what's the big deal if I live with my boyfriend?

Impress me...;)
I don't know what the technical name is for this heretical belief, but I call it "greasy grace", which basically means, "since God's grace is greater than my sins, what's the big deal if I sin a lot?". God's grace = grease which prevents any badness from sticking to me.;)

[ModernDaySpyridon]

I don't know what the technical name is for this heretical belief, but I call it "greasy grace", which basically means, "since God's grace is greater than my sins, what's the big deal if I sin a lot?". God's grace = grease which prevents any badness from sticking to me.;)

Well...I love that you called it "greasy grace" ;)

But it is classically known as Antinomianism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinomianism).

I thought I would go for an obscure one. :sorry:

[Matrona]

This seems like a great thread to post my question about this belief:

Larry thinks that the Logos described by pre-Socratic Greek philosophy is the same Logos referred to by the Book of John. He believes that the Greek view of the Logos being the 'underlying principle that governs all things' is reinforced when Jesus said: "I am... Truth" and that all things are described as being from Him. Because of this, Larry believes that the scriptures are a window to the Logos/Truth or divine wisdom but he still believes that salvation depends on the cross.

Is it heresy?

Can you post where this came from? I've been doing a lot of reading and this sounds really familiar.

[Sojourner<><]

Can you post where this came from? I've been doing a lot of reading and this sounds really familiar.

It came up in my critical thinking class last semester
but there weren't any sources discussed.

[Philothei]

it sounds like a form of gnosticism.... I cannot pin point the exact heressy...
p.

[Akathist]

This seems like a great thread to post my question about this belief:

Larry thinks that the Logos described by pre-Socratic Greek philosophy is the same Logos referred to by the Book of John. He believes that the Greek view of the Logos being the 'underlying principle that governs all things' is reinforced when Jesus said: "I am... Truth" and that all things are described as being from Him. Because of this, Larry believes that the scriptures are a window to the Logos/Truth or divine wisdom but he still believes that salvation depends on the cross.

Is it heresy?

It sounds like a gnostic belief. However, I thought that gnostics believed that salvation came from understanding the wisdom or gaining wisdom. So could it be an Arian gnostic?