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Heretics for Armchair Theologians

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"Heretics for Armchair Theologians" is a great addition to a great series. It is easy to understand and has a light tone, even though it explores some very technical ideas that stump many people.

Perfect for church groups, seminarians, and true "armchair theologians" looking to learn about the great figures in the history of the faith, this particular volume focuses on some of the great debates among the early Christians about what was faithful...and what wasn't.

Strange as it may seem to some, it took centuries to work out the core beliefs of Christian faith, particularly surrounding the "personhood"/divinity of Jesus, and the doctrine of the Trinity. Many different perspectives competed with one another, and all had thoughtful, devout adherents with sincere and well-intentioned motives.

This book gives a window into some of the "alternative" perspectives that, in time, or through intense church politics came to be seen as wrong.

Some readers will see that some of these alternatives are still very much around. Others will gain a historical perspective on how basic Christian doctrine came to be.

If you're someone who wonders WHY Christians believe some of the thing we believe, this book will give some answers without preaching or guilt-tactics.

A great resource for thinking Christians and just generally curious people.

What really amazed me about Heretics for Armchair Theologians was how much material the authors covered in such a small book. The body of the book is only 160 pages, but in it Justo and Catherine Gonzalez find space for all of the major heresies of Christianity's first four and a half centuries.

Briefly, the authors deal with the Ebionites, Gnostics, Marcionists, Montanists, Donatists, Pelagians, Arians, Manicheans, and a number of other smaller groups. The Gonzalezes deal with their topic both chronologically and topically, which is possible since most of the heresies they discuss arose as particular tenets of Christianity--the deity of Christ, the Incarnation, the Trinity--came into question. What is more remarkable, they do justice to those movements--their origins, beliefs, goals, problems--and the response from orthodox Christianity.

One thing that sets this book apart from others--or at least from the way most people think of heresy--is that the Gonzalezes point out that nearly all heresies began as movements within Christianity, rather than as attacks from without. This fact is important for understanding Christian history since, as the Church spread and grew in numbers, it required greater structure and more and more exhaustive definitions of its beliefs. Heresies began as otherwise good Christians sought unsuccessfully to make sense of some Christian idea. The corollary fact is that Christianity defined itself against these errors, gradually correcting its course. When the Ebionites asserted that Jesus was a specially favored man--but only a man--the Church clarified the correct position. When Marcion insisted that the Hebrew Scriptures had been nullified by Christ and drew up a list of books agreeing with his stance, the Church finally codified the Canon. When groups like the Montanists and Donatists insisted on even stricter standards of holiness than those laid down by Christ and the Apostles, the Church corrected them. A central idea of the book is that heresies were inevitable and, in a way, necessary and good for the Church.

The Gonzalezes do a great job of setting the Early Church and its attendant heresies in historical context. Many of these heresies arose as Christians attempted to force their beliefs into agreement with non-Christian ideas like Neoplatonism or Gnosticism. And each response to heresy had historical effects down to the present, the most important and detailed example being the response of St. Augustine to Pelagius. Augustine responded to Pelagius, who argued for the role of humans in making their own salvation, by emphasizing--perhaps overemphasizing--the roles of original sin and divine grace. This reaction was eventually seized upon by the Reformers, especially Calvin, who emphasized it even further against the Catholic Church of his time.

All this, and in a book I read in about two days. Heretics for Armchair Theologians is an excellent introduction and guide to the first four centuries of Christianity's struggle with heresy.

Highly recommended.

The book does a good job of discussing how different doctrines developed especially in the first five centuries of the Christian Church. The explanations were almost too sparse at times. For example, in talking the Pelagian heresy, they referred to Thomas Aquinas as supporting the Synod of Orange positions. The problem is that the authors were very sparse on the Synod of Orange.

The other problem is probably inherent with a book like this is that they simplified the arguments too much. However, for the most part this a good introduction to the history of doctrines, especially Christology. They made the point several times that heretics were not evil, but sincere Christians who just emphasized one truth too much at the expense of the others. The authors also emphasized that these heresies do inform our biblical theology and how we think about Christ. These truths are just not esoteric trivia, but they have impact on our beliefs.

I get no pleasure from the cartoons. I usually just ignore them. The recommended reading section did not look that interesting. They recommended their own books several times.

The book covers a lot of territory in a very entertaining way. They point out that this issues are complicated and need to be studied. On the whole, they did a good job. I like the Armchair Theologians series. This book is a very good representative of the series.

I just finished reading Heretics for Armchair Theologians. I like to joke that only hyper-judgmental people would read a book about heretics. Yet it is important to learn about and understand why certain teachings were considered at best deficient and at worst soul-condemning.

The authors, Justo L. Gonzalez and Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez, do a pretty good job of explaining the various views and historical development in a way that is educational, entertaining, and funny. Justo Gonzalez is a well-known historian, so he can write rather informally because he knows his material.

Though the book was enjoyable, I was quite alarmed by the authors' worldview. They view Christian belief (doctrine) as somewhat dynamic, frequently stating that what we believe today is not what the early Christians believed. This is very misleading. While Paul may not have explained the Trinity in his writings, the concept was definitely there. There's a difference between organizing/categorizing our beliefs and developing brand-new beliefs foreign to the Bible. The authors' seem to be intending to justify the latter.

Likewise, they are quick to argue that the heretics themselves were basically "good" people and devout Christians. Yet denying the divinity of Jesus (Ebionism) or denying His humanity (Docetism) is not merely an off-kilter belief but a denial of the true gospel.

For those well-grounded in their faith and the reliability of it, this book would serve as a humorous brush-up on early Christian history and the challenges the early church faced. As a historian, Justo Gonzalez is great at presenting the facts and accurately describing the various views. It's when the authors' add their own opinions on the validity of those views that things stray from orthodoxy and into the very territory this book is about--heresy.

Recommended books:
Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine by Gregg Allison

Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church by Michael Haykin

Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction by Brian Litfin

I thought of myself as an armchair theologian before the Armchair Theologians series appeared, and so I was thrilled when I learned of its existence. I've been working my way through all of the entries over the years, and over and over, I've found them to offer lucid, accurate, and enjoyable treatments of their chosen figures. Heretics for Armchair Theologians by Justo L. Gonzalez and Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez is one of the more recent volumes in the series, but it does an especially admirable job of living up to the series' goals.

The volume is focused on the major heresies that appeared in the first four centuries of the church. The church back then was, of course, not centralized in any way, and the doctrines held by churches varied in important ways. Doctrinal beliefs often, also, developed in directions very quickly and were prone to influence by alternate systems of belief. The authors cover the Ebionites, the Gnostics, the Marcionites, the Montanists, the Donatists, the Pelagians, and others--all groups which grew up within Christianity and who raised theological questions which, when answered, largely determined the shape of orthodox Christianity. Before coming to this book, I'd actually read quite a bit on these different movements, and I found the Gonzalezes' overviews, while brief, to be quite fair and accurate.

In addition to their cogent overview of those heresies, the authors' work is also quite admirable for the tremendous respect shown for those movements. They stress the sincerity of the members of the heretical movements and point out, rightly, the great contributions that they ultimately made to the faith. The authors' final reflection on the lessons of the heretics--determining that most heretics are so more for being "too right" than "too wrong"--I found to be both insightful and moving. Heretics for Armchair Theologians is one of the best volumes in a very enjoyable series.

I wasn't sure this was a 4 or 5. It does accomplish it's purpose very well. Justo Gonzalez is a noted historian who is easy to read as well.

However, this isn't exciting stuff. I mean, he does a good job keeping it interesting, but you won't do back flips over it. Come on, this is ancient heretics we're talking about! However,if you want the information like I do, you won't get any better or more pleasant to read, *quick* yet comprehensive guide to the heretics covered.

I'm not a professional historian, but I've been reading the 2nd and early 3rd century writings of the church for 20 years. I've got a web site on Christian history. Some historians drive me crazy with their bizarre and ignorant versions of history that even I can refute. Justo Gonzalez never irritates me. Even when I disagree with him, I walk away knowing why and believing that he was honest and CAREFUL to be accurate (and is likely correct because he knows more than me).

Heretics For Armchair Theologians is a delightful little book. The authors seem to treat their material fairly. They do it in a serious manner, but inject humor into the matter, too. They write in such a manner as to gain, and keep , one's attention.

"Heretics" is indeed written for the armchair theologian and not the ivory tower academician. That is a good thing. People need to know the history of their faith. Whether is is Arius, Athanasius, Augustine, Pelagius, or someother controversies, this book covers the early years of controversy in the Christian church. These issues are explained in plain language without theological jargon.

Scattered throughout the text are relevant cartoons that inject a little humor into the subject matter.

One thing that is admirable about the way the Gonzalez treated this subject is that they often remind the reader that the heretic was not always someone who was hell-bent on tearing up the church. They were often people who were sincere, had good points, but over-emphasized their good points to the exclusion and denial of other equally good points. That is what made them divisive. That is what made them heretics.

This is definitely a recommended read.

As with most of what I've read by Justo L. González, I enjoyed this book a lot. It is an excellent, though simplified, introduction to Christian heresies from first century Ebionism and Docetism to the Monophysite heresy and the Council of Chalcedon in 451. As always, González offers a thoroughly readable and engaging discussion of the topics at hand. His comparisons of the ancient heresies with some modern-day sects is not only rather brave on his part but also very informative. And, for the kid in you, there's cartoons too! (Though I have to admit that I didn't find the humor of most of them...) I recommend this book for someone who doesn't know much about the ancient heresies and wants a basic, simple introduction to begin to broaden their knowledge.

This is a great cursory introduction to "heretics" in church history. Gonzalez' writing style and humor make the book a light enjoyable read. I rarely give five stars but this book gets them.

I am presently taking a course in Church History and this book helped to put many of our early Church Fathers into context. So many were considered heretics in their day and not in ours, while others continue to be. I recommend this book to those who want to bone up on Church history without reading heavy theological tomes. Dr. and Mrs Gonzalez have done a service to all of us.
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