A Brief History of Heresy

List of Illustrations viii Preface x 1 The Importance of Being United 1 Forming Consensus 5 The Papacy 10 The Bible in the Hands of Heretics 13 Areas Where Disagreement May be Allowed 20 2 The Boundaries of Orthodoxy: Faith 23 The Apostles’ Creed 24 The Nicene Creed 29 Catechesis 34 Misdirected Worship and Taking the Name of God in Vain 38 Does the Faith ‘Develop’ Through History? 41 The Content of the Creeds and the Question of Orthodoxy 45 3 The Boundaries of Orthodoxy: Order 47 ‘Disorder’ at the Wild Fringes 47 Orderliness 53 Ministry and Order 55 The Rigorist Dispute 57 Schismatics 59 Diaspora 61 Orthopraxis 62 4 Classifying Heresies 65 What Could be Imported from Ancient Philosophy? 66 Incarnation and Christology 67 The Augustinian Trio 70 The Easter Controversy 71 The Doctrine of Transubstantiation 72 1054 and the Schism of East and West 73 From Sect to ‘Confessional Identity’ 76 The Power of a Name 80 Categories of Unbelief 83 Pinning Accusations to Suspected Heretics 86 The Creation of a Critical Literature 88 5 Heresy and Social Challenge 90 Popular Heresy: The Anti-establishment Dissidents Speak up for Themselves 93 The Road to Dissent 98 The Waldensians 99 John Wyclif and the Lollard Movement 106 Jan Hus 110 The Hussite ‘Movement’ 117 Social Consequences After the Middle Ages 119 6 Good and Evil 123 The Mediaeval Dualists 126 7 Dealing with Heresy 134 University Sermons 136 The Preaching of the Heretics Themselves 138 Crusade 141 Inquisition 142 The Change in the Balance of Power 149 Living with Difference 151 Conclusion 157 Notes 166 Further reading 180 Index 186