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Marcion and the First Christian Heresy

Marcion and the First Christian Heresy. Heresy. From Greek, “to choose” Originally, a more positive term Becomes a term describing rejection of important beliefs Extremely important function: define Christianity and its boundaries Emerges only gradually, in debate

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Marcion and the First Christian Heresy

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  1. Marcion and the First Christian Heresy

  2. Heresy • From Greek, “to choose” • Originally, a more positive term • Becomes a term describing rejection of important beliefs • Extremely important function: define Christianity and its boundaries • Emerges only gradually, in debate • Most heresies were persuasive, had plenty of followers. We need to ask why.

  3. Background • From Asia Minor (Turkey, born ca. 85) • A layperson, went to Rome in 130s or 140s • Wealthy, made large donation to church of Rome • Controversy erupted in 140s • Kicked out of church of Rome in 144 • Died ca. 160 • 1st big controversy: people continued to write against his idea for centuries

  4. Controversy • Is the God Jesus talks about really the same as the God depicted in the Jewish Scriptures? • What is Christianity’s relation to Judaism? Are they sister religions or different religions? • What should the Christian Bible contain? • Marcion: a few letters of Paul, about 10 chapters of Luke (out of 24) • “Orthodox” (winning) view: All of Jewish Scriptures (OT), all of Luke, other gospels and letters

  5. Marcion’s beliefs • Good vs. Creator = 2 gods • Goodness and mercy are opposed to justice; why? • World is flawed • Jesus founded a new religion (antithesis 1)

  6. Debate • Question: Is Marcion right? Does belief in Jesus require rejecting the Jewish Scriptures and its Creator God? • Embody arguments from the time period, as you can construct them from readings (Chidester, Gospels, Marcion) • Use/critique Marcion’s specific claims • Do not argue your personal opinion (yet)

  7. Does this controversy linger today? • Nazi Germany • Contemporary Christians in the U.S. • Example: Dead Man Walking • Violence vs. peace (antithesis 3) • Others?

  8. Biblical canon: OT • For 1st century Christians (and writers of the 27 books eventually included in the NT), “Scriptures” meant Jewish Scriptures; there was no NT yet • OT included some Greek Jewish books used in the 1st c. but not found in Jewish and Protestant canons today • Ca. 85CE: Jewish council rejects books not written in Hebrew • Reformers in 1500s decide to follow Jewish canon (also advocated by Jerome in 300s, but he does not win out)

  9. Biblical Canon: NT • Gospels: 4 • Acts of the Apostles (by author of Luke) • Story of the earliest church, after Jesus • Letters: 22 • Really are letters; written to local churches for specific reasons • Mostly written by Paul • Some attributed to Paul but probably written by his students • A few others: James, Peter, Hebrews, Revelation, etc.

  10. Canon and criteria • Most of NT in place by late 100s • Formed by consensus: what books did most local churches value and treat as God-inspired? • Should have apostolic authorship • Should conform to “rule of faith” (proto-creed: belief in God, Jesus, Holy Spirit) • Jesus must be really human and Lord • First official list that matches our NT: Athanasius’ Festal Letter of 367

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