Christian Heresies

Title: Sabellianism

Originator: Sabellius

Sabellianism is named for its founder Sabellius. It is sometimes referred to as modalistic monarchianism. The father, son, and holy ghost are three modes, roles, or faces of a single person, God. This, of course, implies that Jesus Christ was purely divine, without humanness, and therefore could not truly have suffered or died.

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Title: Docetism

Originator: Unknown

The name comes from the Greek word dokesis, meaning "to seem." Along the same lines as Sabellianism, Docetism says that Christ was not a real human being and did not have a real human body. He only seemed to be human to us.

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Title: Manicheanism

Originator: Mani

Manicheanism is actually a separate religion that blends Christianity with Gnosticism, Mithraism, neo-Platonism, and even Buddhism. It was considered a very serious heresy. It survived well into the Middle Ages, where it strongly influenced the Bogomils in the Balkans and the Cathars in southern France.

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Opinions

A variety of theological viewpoints were in existence within the very early Christian Church. As the community bishops came together in councils, and particularly after the Roman government embraced Christianity and involved itself in religious disputes, orthodoxy was established for the church. This allowed for the winnowing out of a number of heresies that had become established in late antiquity.

Here is presented a list of heresies with which the early church had to deal.