A heresy is a belief or doctrine that is considered to be false or erroneous by the mainstream Christian church. Heresies have been a major source of division and conflict within the Christian church throughout its history. The church has responded to heresies in a variety of ways, including through theological debate, excommunication, and even violence.[1] The majority of these heresies centered around false ideas about Jesus Christ's nature. The early church councils were convened to address these heresies and to define the true nature of Jesus. The First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD condemned Arianism and affirmed that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. The Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD condemned Monophysitism and affirmed that Jesus Christ has two natures, one divine and one human.
A Gnostic heresy that taught that the world was created by a series of emanations from the supreme being. Valentinians believed that salvation came from knowledge of the true nature of the universe.
A heresy that arose in the 2nd century AD. Marcionists believed that the God of the Old Testament was a different god from the God of the New Testament.[8]
A movement that arose in response to the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire. Novatians believed that Christians who had lapsed during the persecution could not be forgiven.[12]
A movement that arose in North Africa in the 4th century AD. Donatists believed that the Catholic Church had become corrupt and that only the Donatists were the true Christians.[14]
The belief that Jesus Christ was two persons, the divine Son of God and the human Jesus of Nazareth. Nestorius also stated that the Virgin Mary is not the Mother of God because she gave birth to the human Jesus, not the divine God.[18]
Iconoclasm was a movement that arose in the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century. Iconoclasts believed that the veneration of icons was idolatry. The iconoclastic controversy lasted for centuries until the Council of Nicaea II in 787 when the veneration of icons was officially restored.[22]
Monothelitism was a heresy that arose in the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century. Monothelites believed that Christ had only one will, which was divine.[23]
Paulicianism was a heresy that arose in the 7th century. Paulicians believed that the material world is evil, and the only way to salvation is to reject it.[24]
A religious movement within the Catholic Church that arose in the 17th century. It was named after Cornelius Jansen, a Dutch theologian who wrote a book called "Augustinus" that argued that human beings are incapable of saving themselves by their own efforts and that salvation is entirely a matter of God's grace.[26]
