Heresy: A History of Defending the Truth

by McGrath, Alister

• ISBN13: 9780061998997
• ISBN10: 0061998990
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-11-02
• Publisher: Harperone

Summary

Why the Church must defend the truth.Our ongoing fascination with alternative Christianities is on display every time a never-before-seen gospel text is revealed, an archaeological discovery about Jesus makes front-page news, or a new work of fiction challenges the very foundations of the church. Now, in a timely corrective to this trend, renowned church historian Alister McGrath examines the history of subversive ideas, overturning common misconceptions that heresy is somehow more spiritual or liberating than traditional dogma. In so doing, he presents a powerful, compassionate orthodoxy that will equip the church to meet the challenge from renewed forms of heresy today.

Author Biography

Alister E. McGrath is a historian, biochemist, and Christian theologian. A longtime professor at Oxford University, he now holds the chair in theology, ministry, and education at the University of London. He is the author of several books on theology and history, including Christianity's Dangerous Idea, In the Beginning, and The Twilight of Atheism.

Table of Contents

foreword	p. v
introduction Our Love Affair with Heresy	p. 1
What Is Heresy?
Faith, Creeds, and the Christian Gospel	p. 17
The Origins of the Idea of Heresy	p. 33
The Roots of Heresy
Diversity: The Background of Early Heresy	p. 43
The Early Development of Heresy	p. 61
Is There an ôEssenceö of Heresy?	p. 81
The Classic Heresies of Christianity
Early Classic Heresies: Ebionitism, Docetism, Valentinism	p. 101
Later Classic Heresies: Arianism, Donatism, Pelagianism	p. 135
The Enduring Impact of Heresy
Cultural and Intellectual Motivations for Heresy	p. 175
Orthodoxy, Heresy, and Power	p. 197
Heresy and the Islamic View of Christianity	p. 223
Conclusion: The Future of Heresy	p. 231
Notes	p. 235
Index	p. 271
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.