heresy

her·e·sy

H0161800 (hĕr′ĭ-sē)n. pl. her·e·sies 1. a. An opinion or a doctrine at variance with established religious beliefs, especially dissension from or denial of Roman Catholic dogma by a professed believer or baptized church member.b. Adherence to such dissenting opinion or doctrine.2. a. A controversial or unorthodox opinion or doctrine, as in politics, philosophy, or science.b. Adherence to such controversial or unorthodox opinion.

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[Middle English heresie, from Old French, from Late Latin haeresis, from Late Greek hairesis, from Greek, a choosing, faction, from haireisthai, to choose, middle voice of hairein, to take.]

heresy

(ˈhɛrəsɪ) n, pl -sies1. (Theology) a. an opinion or doctrine contrary to the orthodox tenets of a religious body or churchb. the act of maintaining such an opinion or doctrine2. any opinion or belief that is or is thought to be contrary to official or established theory3. belief in or adherence to unorthodox opinion[C13: from Old French eresie, from Late Latin haeresis, from Latin: sect, from Greek hairesis a choosing, from hairein to choose]

her•e•sy

(ˈhɛr ə si)

n., pl. -sies. 1. a religious belief that is at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine of a church. 2. the maintaining of such a belief or doctrine. 3. the willful and persistent rejection of any belief that is part of church doctrine. 4. any belief or theory that is at variance with established beliefs, customs, etc. [1175–1225; < Old French eresie < Latin haeresis school of thought, sect < Greek haíresis literally, act of choosing, derivative of haireîn to choose]

Heresy

See also christianity; religion; theology.
Agnoetism1. the tenet of a 4th-century Arian sect that God’s omniscience was restricted to contemporary time.
2. the tenet of a 6th-century Monophysite sect that Christ possessed no omniscience. — Agnoete, Agnoite, n.Albigensianismthe beliefs and principles of an 11th-century Catharist sect of southern France, exterminated in the 13th century by order of Pope Innocent III. See Catharism. — Albigenses, n. pl. — Albigensian, n., adj.Apollinarianisma late 4th-century heretical doctrine asserting that Christ had a perfect divine nature, an imperfect human nature, and a mind replaced by the Logos. — Apollinarian, n., adj.Arianismthe heretical doctrine of Arius (d. 336) that Christ the Son was not the substance or nature as God the Father. — Arian, n.Berengarianismthe beliefs of Berengar de Tours, 11th-century French churchman, especially his denial of transubstantiation. — Berengarian, n., adj.Cainism, Cainitismthe beliefs of a 4th-century Gnostic sect, especially that the Old Testament concerns a demiurge and not God and that Cain, whom they revered, had been maligned. Cf. Gnosticism. — Cainite, n.Catharismthe beliefs of several sects in medieval Europe, especially the denial of infant baptism, purgatory, the communion of saints, images, and the doctrine of the Trinity; the abrogation of the institution of marriage; and the practice of rigorous asceticism. — Cathar, Cathari, Catharist, n. — Catharistic, adj.Cyrillianismthe Monophysitic tenet of Cyril, 5th-century archbishop of Alex-andria, that Christ had only one nature, a composite of the human and the divine. — Cyrillian, n., adj.Docetisma very early heretical belief that held that Christ’s body was not material or real, but only the appearance of a body. — Docetae, n. pl.Donatisma heretical cult in N. Africa during the 4th through 7th centuries that emphasized high morality and rebaptism as necessary for church mem-bership and considered invalid a sacrament celebrated by an immoral priest. — Donatist, n. — Donatistic, adj.Ebionism, Ebionitismthe beliefs of a Judaistic Christian Gnostic sect of the 2nd century, especially partial observation of Jewish law, rejection of St. Paul and gentile Christianity, acceptance of only one gospel (Matthew), and an early adoptionist Christology. — Ebionite, n. — Ebionitic, adj.Encratismbeliefs and practices of the Encratites, a 2nd-century Gnostic sect that renounced marriage and abstained from flesh and wine. — Encratist, n.Eudoxiana member of a heretical sect, followers of Bishop Eudoxius, of Constantinople, who held extreme Arian views.Gnosticismthe beliefs and practices of pre-Christian and early Christian sects, condemned by the church, especially the conviction that matter is evil and that knowledge is more important than faith, and the practice of esoteric mysticism. Cf. Cainism, Manichaeism, Valentinianism. — Gnostic, n., adj.heresiarch1. the originator of a heresy.
2. the leader of a group of heretics.heresimacha fighter of heresy and heretics.heresiographya systematic exposition on heresy.heresiology1. Theology. the study of heresies.
2. a reference work on heresies. — heresiologist, n.heresy1. a religious opinion or doctrine at variance with accepted doctrine.
2. a willful and persistent rejection of any article of the faith by a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church.
3. any belief or theory strongly at variance with established opinion. — heretic, n. — heretical, adj.heretocideRare. 1. the killing of a heretic.
2. the killer of a heretic. — heretocidal, adj.idolomaniaa mania for idols.Jansenisma heretical doctrine of the 17th and 18th centuries denying free-dom of the will, accepting absolute predestination for part of mankind and condemnation to hell for the others, and emphasizing puritanical moral attitudes. — Jansenist, n., adj.Jovinianistan adherent of Jovinian, a 4th-century monk who opposed asceti-cism and denied the virginity of Mary.Macedonianismthe doctrines of Macedonius, 4th-century bishop of Constan-tinople, who denied the divinity of the Holy Ghost. — Macedonian, n.Manichaeism, Manicheism, Manicheanism1. the doctrines and practices of the dualistic religious system of Manes, a blending of Gnostic Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and other elements, especially doctrines of a cosmic conflict between forces of light and darkness, the darkness and evilness of matter, and the necessity for a sexual, vegetarian asceticism.
2. any similar dualistic system, considered heretical by orthodox Christian standards. Cf. Gnosticism. — Manichean, n., adj. — Manicheistic, adj.modalismthe theological doctrine that the members of the Trinity are not three separate persons but modes or forms of God’s self-expression. — modalist, n. — modalistic, adj.Modalistic MonarchianismSabellianism.monergismthe doctrine advanced by some Lutheran theologians that spiritual renewal is exclusively the activity of the Holy Spirit. Cf. synergism. — monergist, n. — monergistic, adj.Montanismthe 2nd-century doctrines of Montanus of Phrygia, who believed that the Holy Spirit, or Paraclete, dwelt within him and made him its instrument for guiding men in the Christian way. Cf. Tertullianism. — Montanist, n.Patarinism1. the beliefs and practices of llth-century Bulgarian Manicheans who migrated to the Pataria section of Milan. Also called Pataria.
2. the beliefs and practices of various Cathari sects in France and Bulgaria. — Patarine, Patarene, n.Patripassianisma heretical doctrine denying the distinct personhood of the Trinity and asserting that God the Father became incarnate and suffered for mans redemption. — Patripassian, n.Pelagianismthe heretical doctrines of Pelagius, 4th-century British monk, especially a denial of original sin and man’s fallen spiritual nature, and an assertion that man’s goodness was sufficiënt for him to work out his salva-tion without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Cf. Semi-Pelagianism. — Pelagian, n., adj.Phantasiasta member of an early Christian sect that denied the reality of Christ’s body.Photinianismthe heresy of Photinus, 4th-century bishop of Sirmium, deposed because he denied the divinity of Christ.Priscillianismthe concepts of Priscillian, 4th-century bishop of Avila, exe-cuted for heresies influenced by Manichaeism, Docetism, and modalism. — Priscillianist, n., adj.quietisma 17th-century Christian mystical theory, originated in Spain by Molinos and promulgated in France by Fénelon, involving passive contem-plation and surrender of the will to God and indifference to the demands of the self or the outside world, declared heretical through efforts of the Inquisition. — quietist, n., adj.RacovianismSocinianism, so called because the sect was headquartered in Racow, Poland. Cf. Socinianism.Sabellianismthe modalistic doctrines of Sabellius, 3rd-century prelate, espe-cially that the Trinity has but one divine essence and that the persons are only varying manifestations of God. Also called Modalistic Monarchianism. — Sabellian, n., adj.Semi-Pelagianisma heretical doctrine, of the 5th century that accepted the doctrine of original sin but asserted that man’s turning to God of his own free will, not after the provocation of the Holy Ghost, begins the process of spiritual rebirth. Cf. Pelagianism.Socinianismthe heretical tenets of Faustus Socinius, a 16th-century Italian theologian, denying the divinity of Christ, the existence of Satan, original sin, the atonement, and eternal punishment, and explaining sin and salva-tion in rationalistic terms. Cf. Racovianism. — Socinian, n., adj.synergisman ancient heretical doctrine, extant since the 3rd century, which holds that spiritual renewal is a cooperative endeavor between a person and the Holy Ghost. Cf. Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism. — synergist, n. — synergistic, adj.tergiversation1. the act or process of subterfuge or evasion.
2. the abandoning of a cause or belief; apostasy. — tergiversator, n.Tertullianisma form of Montanism, as modified by Tertullian in about 203, which opposed second marriages and absolution for penitents. Cf. Montanism. — Tertullianist, n.Theopaschitisma 6th-century heretical doctrine maintaining that Christ had only one nature, the divine, and that this nature suffered at the Crucifixion. — Theopaschite, n.Valentinianisma 2nd-century blending of Egyptian Gnosticism and Christi-anity into a system of heretical doctrines, especially the denial that Christ took his human nature from the Virgin Mary. Cf. Gnosticism. — Valentinian, n., adj.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	heresy - any opinions or doctrines at variance with the official or orthodox positionheterodoxy, unorthodoxyiconoclasm - the orientation of an iconoclastorientation - an integrated set of attitudes and beliefsnonconformance, nonconformism, nonconformity - a lack of orthodoxy in thoughts or beliefs
	2.	heresy - a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets of a religionunorthodoxycognitive content, mental object, content - the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learnedArianism - heretical doctrine taught by Arius that asserted the radical primacy of the Father over the SonMarcionism - the Christian heresy of the 2nd and 3rd centuries that rejected the Old Testament and denied the incarnation of God in Jesus as a humanMonophysitism - a Christian heresy of the 5th and 6th centuries that challenged the orthodox definition of the two natures (human and divine) in Jesus and instead believed there was a single divine natureMonothelitism - the theological doctrine that Christ had only one will even though he had two natures (human and divine); condemned as heretical in the Third Council of ConstantinopleNestorianism - the theological doctrine (named after Nestorius) that Christ is both the son of God and the man Jesus (which is opposed to Roman Catholic doctrine that Christ is fully God)Pelagianism - the theological doctrine put forward by Pelagius which denied original sin and affirmed the ability of humans to be righteous; condemned as heresy by the Council of Ephesus in 431Docetism - the heretical doctrine (associated with the Gnostics) that Jesus had no human body and his sufferings and death on the cross were apparent rather than realGnosticism - a religious orientation advocating gnosis as the way to release a person's spiritual element; considered heresy by Christian churchestritheism - (Christianity) the heretical belief that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are three separate godsAlbigensianism, Catharism - a Christian movement considered to be a medieval descendant of Manichaeism in southern France in the 12th and 13th centuries; characterized by dualism (asserted the coexistence of two mutually opposed principles, one good and one evil); was exterminated for heresy during the InquisitionZurvanism - a heretical Zoroastrian doctrine holding that Zurvan was the ultimate source of the universe and that both Ahura Mazda and Ahriman were Zurvan's offspring

heresy

noun unorthodoxy, apostasy, dissidence, impiety, revisionism, iconoclasm, heterodoxy It might be considered heresy to suggest such a notion.Quotations
"The heresy of one age becomes the orthodoxy of the next" [Helen Keller Optimism]
"They that approve a private opinion, call it opinion; but they that mislike it, heresy; and yet heresy signifies no more than private opinion" [Thomas Hobbes Leviathan]

Translations

异端

heresy

(ˈherəsi) noun (the holding or teaching of) an (especially religious) opinion which differs from the official opinion. 異端 异端ˈheretic (-tik) noun a person who holds or teaches such an opinion. 異教徒 异教徒heretical (həˈretikl) adjective 異端邪說的 异端邪说的