Historian of Revival, William De Arteaga, makes it clear that heresy is an ancient and persistent threat to genuine revival. However, the heresies he examines might surprise you.

This essay asserts that there have been three unrecognized discernment heresies in operation throughout Church history that have retarded revival and hindered the Church from coming into its Spirit-filled destiny. This insight came to me 30 years ago when I was a student at a mainline seminary.

Heresy is an unpleasant topic to write about, but necessary. St. Irenaeus and many other leaders of the Early Church consistently struggled against one heretical group after another. Indeed, the 2^nd letter of Peter warned:

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute (2 Peter 2:1-2).

Jude also encouraged fellow Christian to battle heresy and proclaim true Apostolic teaching: “I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 1:3). The anti-heretical effort was necessary to establish fundamental biblical truths against distortions from Gnostics (see below) and other groups.

Biblical understanding of Heresy

In the New Testament, the Greek word that is translated as heresy is hairesis, and it simply means groups or “sects.” At times in the New Testament it is used in a neutral sense, as we might mention a certain political party (see Acts 28:22). Josephus, the First Century Jewish historian, uses the word in this sense to identify three major Jewish “sects:” the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. The Pharisees and Sadducees were often mentioned in the Gospels; not so the Essenes. The Essenes lived in ascetic monastic communities awaiting a political-military Messiah. They were not cited in the New Testament and disappeared after the Jewish-Roman war that destroyed the Temple in 70 AD.

Ben Quash and Michael Ward, eds., Heresies and How to Avoid Them: Why it matters what Christians believe (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 2007), 148 pages, ISBN 9781598560138.

Heresy and heresy hunting are the two issues addressed in Heresies and How to Avoid Them by Ben Quash and Michael Ward. With the contributions of several authors, they show the church how to handle truth, and how not to throw the baby out with the bath water.

Quash and Ward provide an examination of false teachings throughout the history of the church. They focus on such important issues as the person of Christ and Christian living. Although clear in pointing out the dangers of unorthodox teachings, Quash and Ward urge caution in defending the truth. They warn that orthodoxy can suffer corruption, and even be used as a weapon and become “an excuse for any and every kind of outrage” (P. 136).

Michael Ward

Both men have extensive backgrounds in ministry and theology. Quash is an Anglican priest who serves as Dean and Fellow of Peterhouse in the University of Cambridge. He holds a doctorate in Theology from the University of Cambridge. His co-editor, Ward, is also an Anglican priest. He is Chaplain of Peterhouse in the University of Cambridge. He holds a doctorate in theology from the University of St. Andrews.

Heresies and How to Avoid Them is a collection of writings that were first delivered as sermons. Like Quash and Ward, most of the contributors are Anglican. However, some of the chapters are written by Roman Catholics, a Quaker, and a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The book is divided into two parts. Part One deals with the person of Christ and covers the heretical doctrines of Arianism, Docetism, Nestorianism, Eutychianism, Adoptionism, and Theopaschitism. Part Two focuses on Christian living and covers Marcionism, Donatism, Pelagianism, Gnosticism, Free Spirit, and Biblical Trinitarianism.

In producing this book, Quash writes that his aim is not only to help people avoid heresy and appreciate orthodoxy, but to also take a closer look at heresy and the “what-ifs” of orthodoxy, “so that the pitfalls and limitations of heresies can be better appreciated, and orthodoxy more wholeheartedly celebrated” (p. 9).

The tone of the book can be seen in the foreword that is written by Stanley Hauerwas, a professor. He writes that orthodoxy must not be “used as a hammer to beat into submission those we think heterodox” (not conforming to orthodox belief) (p. x). He argues that it is important that the book does “not demonize the heretics of the past and present” (p. x).