Not exhaustive…
- Modalism (Sabellianism/Patripassianism): Teaches that God is one person who appears in three different modes or roles (Father, Son, Spirit) at different times, rather than three distinct persons.
- Arianism: Claims that Jesus Christ was created by God and is not co-eternal or equal with the Father, denying his full divinity.
- Tritheism: Misunderstands “three persons” to mean three separate, independent divine beings or gods.
- Partialism: Suggests that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each only a part of God, and together make up the full Godhead.
- Adoptionism (Psilanthropism): Believes Jesus was born a mere human and was “adopted” as the Son of God at his baptism or resurrection.
- Subordinationism: Asserts that the Son and Holy Spirit are subordinate (inferior) to the Father in nature or essence, not co-equal.
- Macedonianism (Pneumatomachi): Specifically denies the divinity of the Holy Spirit, viewing it as a created being.
- Docetism: Teaches that Jesus was fully divine but only appeared to be human, denying his humanity.
- Binitarianism: Holds that God is two persons (Father and Son), with the Holy Spirit considered an aspect or power rather than a distinct person.
- Nestorianism: Divides the person of Christ into two separate, loosely united natures (divine and human) rather than one person.
Here is a list of major heretical views on soteriology:
- Pelagianism (5th Century): Teaches that humans possess the ability to fulfill God’s commands and achieve salvation through their own free will, denying the absolute necessity of divine grace.
- Antinomianism: Claims that once a person is saved, they are free from all moral obligations and laws, often leading to licentious living.
- Legalism: Trusting in one’s own good works, rituals, or keeping the law to win acceptance with God, rather than relying on grace through Jesus’ work.
- Gnosticism: Teaches that the material world is evil and salvation is achieved through special, secret knowledge (gnosis) of the divine.
- Universalism/Apocatastasis: The belief that all human beings, regardless of their faith in Christ, will eventually be saved, denying the reality of eternal hell.
- Adoptionism (or Psilanthropism): Holds that Jesus was a mere human who was “adopted” or empowered by God, denying His divinity and thus the saving power of a divine savior.
- Docetism: Proposes that Jesus only appeared to have a body, meaning He did not truly die or resurrect, erasing the physical atonement.
- Prosperity Gospel/Word of Faith: Often focuses salvation on material wealth and physical health in this life, rather than spiritual redemption from sin.
- Semi-Pelagianism: A moderated view that suggests humans can take the initial step toward salvation (faith), and then God provides grace, denying that salvation is entirely a work of God.
- Donatism: Taught that the validity of sacraments and salvation depended on the moral purity of the priest, placing salvation in human hands.
- Catharism/Albigensianism: Believed the soul was trapped in a wicked material world created by an evil deity; salvation was escaping material life via strict asceticism.
Heretical Views on Eschatology
- Universalism (Apokatastasis): The belief that all people, and sometimes demons, will ultimately be saved and go to Heaven, regardless of faith.
- Full/Strict Preterism (Hyper-Preterism): The view that all end-time prophecies, including the second coming of Christ and the resurrection, were fulfilled in 70 AD with the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, leaving no future physical return.
- Annihilationism: The belief that the wicked are not punished eternally, but are instead destroyed and cease to exist after judgment.
- Spiritualist/Idealist Only: Denying a literal, physical return of Christ or a literal final judgment, interpreting all prophetic events as merely symbolic or ongoing spiritual occurrences.
- Denial of Bodily Resurrection: Teaching that resurrection is only spiritual or has already occurred, often associated with Gnostic influences.
- Date Setting: Claiming special knowledge to predict the exact date of Christ’s return, which is widely considered heretical by orthodox Christian groups.
- Eschatological Dualism: Rooted in Gnosticism or Manichaeism, viewing the end times as a complete destruction of the physical world rather than a renewal or resurrection of the body.
- Radical Dispensationalism: Some interpretations that focus heavily on modern political events as immediate, direct fulfillment of prophecy, ignoring historical context.
Commonly Cited Heresies Affecting Eschatology
- Gnosticism: Often denies the goodness of material creation and therefore rejects the resurrection of the physical body.
- Montanism: Early church heresy that claimed new, superior prophecy that altered apostolic teaching about the end times.
- Social Gospel (Rauschenbuschism): An over-emphasis on building the kingdom of God solely through social progress, reducing the eschatological hope of Christ’s return to political change.
Here is a list of heretical or erroneous views on hamartiology based on historical Christian theological standards:
- Pelagianism: The foundational heresy regarding sin, which denies the doctrine of original sin. Pelagius taught that Adam’s sin affected only himself, not the rest of humanity, and that human nature is born neutral (untainted).
- Semi-Pelagianism: A modified version of Pelagianism that asserts that while human nature is tainted, humans can take the initial step toward salvation by their own free will without needing to be enabled by prevenient grace.
- Antinomianism: The belief that Christians are not bound by God’s law, often arguing that because of grace, lawlessness is permitted or that moral laws do not apply to believers.
- Perfectionism: The view that Christians can achieve total sinless perfection in this life, thereby nullifying the need for ongoing repentance and the imputation of righteousness.
- Hyper-Grace: A perspective that emphasizes God’s grace to the extent that it downplays or dismisses the need for repentance, confession, and sanctification.
- Gnosticism (Dualism): Proposes that matter is inherently evil and spirit is good. This makes sin a matter of being trapped in physical bodies rather than a matter of the heart/will, suggesting salvation comes through special knowledge rather than repentance.
- Manichaeism: A form of dualism that views good and evil as two equally powerful, opposing forces, suggesting that sin is a substance rather than a result of willful disobedience.
- Adamites: The belief that people can return to a state of sinless innocence (like Adam and Eve before the Fall) through certain practices.
- Modern Moral Laxity/Relativism: Often viewed as modern Pelagianism, this includes the denial that certain actions (such as contraception, homosexuality, or cohabitation) are sins, treating them as normal conditions.
- Redefining Sin as Social Ills: The “Social Gospel” (or Rauschenbuschism) heresy, which prioritizes curing social injustices over the fundamental need for personal salvation and forgiveness of sins.
- Universalism: While often focused on salvation, this is often connected to a heresy that treats sin as not truly deserving of eternal punishment, or that God’s justice is limited, leading to the belief that everyone will be saved regardless of sin.
Note on Origin: These views were mostly condemned by early church councils (such as the Council of Carthage and the Council of Ephesus) and during the Reformation.