Heretics for Armchair Theologians - Softcover

González, Justo L.; González, Catherine Gunsalus

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0664232051 ISBN 13: 9780664232054

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008

Synopsis

In this unique Armchair volume, noted church historians Justo and Catherine Gonzalez introduce readers to important early church figures whose teachings were denounced by the church as heresies. Instructional for what they taught and for revealing what the church wished to safeguard and uphold, these "heretics," including Marcion, Arius, Nestorius, and Pelagius, are engagingly presented in their contexts through a clear and accessible text that is highlighted by the humorous illustrations of Ron Hill. Heretics for Armchair Theologians is an enjoyable way to learn about the church's early life and beliefs.

Written by experts but designed for the novice, the Armchair series provides accurate, concise, and witty overviews of some of the most profound moments and theologians in Christian history. These books are essential supplements for first-time encounters with primary texts, lucid refreshers for scholars and clergy, and enjoyable reads for the theologically curious.

About this title

About the Author

Justo L. González is a noted and prolific historian of Christian thought and the author of many books, including Essential Theological Terms, and The Apostles' Creed for Today. He is also editor of The Westminster Dictionary of Theologians, published by WJK.

Catherine Gunsalus González is Professor Emerita of Church History at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia.

From Booklist

The Gonzálezes point out that heretics aren’t necessarily bad. Those they discuss in six chapters on persons and two on conceptual magnets for heresy, the Trinity and Christology, were earnest believers, and the church profited from arguing with them, even when it decided at last to excommunicate or, rarely, kill them. The topics they contested included whether or to what extent Jesus was divine (by the Ebionites and many later groups), the nature of creation (by gnosticism), whether Judaic law and scriptures should be observed and revered by Christians (by Marcion), what standards of behavior were appropriate to members of the church (by the Montanists), relations of church and state (by the Donatists), sin and free will (by Pelagius), the constituency of the Trinity, and the kind of divinity manifested by Jesus. Most of these matters are now primarily of historical interest (not gnosticism, however, as the popularity of Elaine Pagels and many New Age enthusiasms attest), but the Gonzálezes, aided by Ron Hill’s humanizing cartoons, make them lively again. --Ray Olson

About this edition

• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0664232051
• ISBN 13: 9780664232054
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176