Early Christianity

Also, "Early Christian Church"

• this article will review the development of the Christian Church and Christian doctrine (orthodoxy)
  • orthodoxy = "ortho" (true, straight, right ) + doxa (opinion, praise) = "right opinion
  • heterodoxy = "hetero" (another, of the other) + dox = other opion
    • note: the suffix -doxy comes from PIE root *dek- "to take, accept"
  • heterodoxy is called here "heresy", which means "against accepted or established standards"
    • heresy is from Greek hairesis for "taking for oneself"

Heresies

• Heresies came in general categories

Movement	Christ as God alone	Christ as Man alone	Christ as other	Notes
Adoptionism	Y			believed the Jesus the man was not God but God adopted him at his birth; his spirit was returned to God at the Resurrection and Ascension
Doscetics	Y	N	Christ existed in spirit only	His physical presence was illusionary
Gnostics	Y			Gnostics had "secret knowledge" from an unknown God
Marcions			Christ was different from the Old Testament God
Montanism				"New Prophesy" movement adhered to Christian orthodoxy but focused on prophesy and revelations from the Holy Spirit