Heresy of the Week: Restorationism

This week's heresy, while perhaps noble in intent, is terrible in execution.

Restorationism (also known as Christian Primitivism or the Primitive Christian Movement) is a protestant (predominantly Hussite and Anabaptism) heretical belief that the woes of the church can be fixed by returning to the “primitive” or apostolic early church. In their attempt to “purify” the church, Restorationists are willing to throw out many orthodox beliefs to achieve a more  “ancient” form of religion. It is also connected with the Dispensationalism Christian Zionism movement, and Restorationism is often the name used for the Christian Zionism movement during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Heresy of the Week: Novatianism

This week's heresy reveals an interesting piece of early church history, with the first big "split".

Novatianism (also known as Sabbatianism) was a 3rd century heretical sect that is connected with Albigensism and Donatism. They wanted to reject giving communion to baptized Christians who denied their faith or performed the formalities of pagan sacrifice under Roman pressure of persecution, calling them “Lapsi” or “lapsed Christians”. They also held that second marriages were unlawful. The leader, Novatian, was the first antipope after he challenged the election of Pope Cornelius in 251. They called themselves the “katharoi” or “Puritans”. They went so far as to rebaptize (like Anabaptism) their converts to separate themselves from the “corrupt Catholic Church”. They were condemned as heretical by a synod in the 4th century.

Heresy of the Week: Anabaptism

This week's heresy is one of the three main categories of protestantism.

Anabaptism is a 16th-21st century protestant heresy which teaches that Jesus did not derive his humanity from his human mother, Mary. This is known as the “doctrine of heavenly flesh” and “Incarnational Christology”. They believed that if Jesus was human like us, because of the fall of Adam, that redemption was impossible through the “seed of the Devil”. Some sects of Anabaptism also deny the trinity in the vein of Socinianism. Additionally, many of the other teachings of the “Radical Reformed” church are suspect. They believe in “believer baptism” only, meaning a public confession of faith must occur first, and if that didn’t happen (as in the case of an infant or Roman Catholic baptism), one must be re-baptized. Anabaptists adamantly deny being “rebaptizers”, since they consider the initial baptism to be invalid. Holy Communion was viewed as merely symbolic or memorial (see Symbolism). They taught that Christians should be separated from the world, should not make oaths or hold political office of any kind and should not exercise self-defense or ever go to war (pacifism). These teachings are still prevalent in churches who trace their roots back to the Radical Reformed churches, such as the Amish.