Heresy - 9780061998997

Our ongoing fascination with alternative pictures of Christianity is on public display every time a never-before seen gospel text is revealed, archaeological discoveries about Jesus make front page news, and a new work of fiction challenges the very foundations of the church. In recent years the distinction between heresy and orthodoxy has come under fire by those eager to reject the formal boundaries of sanctioned beliefs about Jesus.McGrath's provocative thesis is that the categories of heresy and orthodoxy must be preserved by the church today. Tracing back to Jesus the testimony that remain faithful to Jesus's mission and message is still the mandate of the church despite increasingly popular cries that traditional dogma is outdated and restricts individual freedom. Overturning misconceptions throughout the book, McGrath exposes:* How many of the heretical beliefs and practices rejected by the church were actually more stringent and oppressive than rival orthodox claims* That many theological alternatives were rejected when the church had no power to enforce one view over another, long before Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire No heresy has ever been eradicated completely; they go underground and resurface in different forms preserved by subversive movements both inside and outside established church structures. In Heresy McGrath presents the fascinating story of heresy throughout Christian history and sheds light on these shunned beliefs and their consistent appeal today.