Study of Denomintions 02/14/2010

A Study of Denominations
Holiness, we reserve the more important of it to the last. The reading of the Gospel must be permitted as little as possible. The very little that is read generally at the Mass should be enough and it should be prohibited for anyone to read more. Here is the book that more than any other provoked rebellions against us, storms that have been risky in bringing us loss. in fact, if anyone reads accurately the teaching of the Bible and compares what occurs on our churches, he will soon find out the contradictions and will see that our teaching is far removed from that of the Bible and more often yet is in opposition to it.

If the people realised this, they will provoke us without rest until all become unveiled and then we will become the object of ridicule and universal hate. It is necessary that the Bible be taken away and snatched from the hands of the people, however with much wisdom in order to not provoke trouble."

Part of the letter written to Pope Jules 111, of Rome, in 1550, by his Cardinals. It is found in the National Bibliotheque in Paris, France. http://www.traces-of-the-kingdom.org/

Introduction
By some counts, there are over 2,000 denominations in the United States alone. Modern "Christendom" is full of the names of different people and groups spanning two millennia. How did we get to this point? Where did all of these groups come from? We will strive to partially untangle the web of denominational history here.

We shall examine denominational history in four phases for easier understanding. We will also consider many modern movements. As the Preacher says,
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

This statement especially holds true for Christianity; we shall see that there are many doctrines and beliefs that continually return in different forms. Let us now examine the history of the denominations in "Christendom."


Sections
● Phase I to 1054
● Phase II: 1054-1500
● Phase III: 1500-1800
● Phase IV: 1800 to the Present
● Movements
● Conclusion

Phase I: to 1054
The first phase begins with the church as established in Christ by the Apostles to the end of the "catholic" church in the division of 1054. A large number of the denominations that began in this period are no more; nevertheless, many of their doctrines abound in denominations today.

The first such groups even existed during the time of the Apostles.

The "Judaizers" : We use the term "Judaizers" today to describe groups of Jewish Christians, especially Pharisaic Jewish Christians, in the first century who taught that Gentiles who converted to Christ should observe part or all of the Law of Moses and its attendant rituals. This belief system gained traction in Jerusalem in the years following the beginning of the conversion of the Gentiles (ca. 40-50), and the doctrine was the subject of an Apostolic council sometime between 48-50 (Acts 15). The determination was made by the Holy Spirit that the Gentile converts should not be bound by the Law of Moses (Acts 15:22-29). Nevertheless, many continued to teach these doctrines, and we see Paul confronting such teachings in Galatia, Corinth, and Colossae. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 and the attendant cessation of the covenant between God and Israel curtailed this movement; later movements of Jewish Christians, such as the Ebionites, were small and not long-lasting.

Gnosticism: A term from the Greek word gnosis, which means "knowledge." Gnosticism is a broad term used to describe the various groups of individuals in the latter first century through the sixth century who seem to have infused Christian belief with Hellenistic philosophy to create entirely new brands of religion. The Gnostics are known to believe in a strictly dualistic world and for rejecting the God of the Old Testament, believing Him to be an inferior god compared to the Son. Gnostics were notable docetists, believing that Jesus was never "in the flesh," but only the appearance thereof (hence, docetism, from the Greek dokeo, "to seem"). The beginnings of this group can be seen as early as the Colossian letter, where Paul warns against such philosophy in Colossians 2:8. Gnosticism proper seems to originate by the 90s, when John explicitly writes in his Gospel and his letters that Christ was in the flesh. These Gnostics were most prevalent in the middle of the second century, with one Gnostic in particular, Valentius, almost elected "bishop" of Rome. When so-called "orthodox" Christianity triumphed in the Roman Empire in the fourth century, Gnosticism per se declined sharply. Nevertheless, Gnostic influence can be seen in later groups such as the Manichaeans, Paulicians, Bogomils, and the Cathars.

All of the Apostles had died by 100; therefore, direct connections to Jesus the Christ had become few and far between. The main bulk of Christianity began to slowly but surely stray from the truth, accepting too many conventions from the world around them. A distinction was soon made between "elders" and "bishops," with a bishop presiding over a group of elders, and from there a bishop without necessarily having the elders present. "Bishops" of larger metropolitan areas began exercising more influence over the surrounding lands. Pagan festivals celebrating the spring equinox and the winter solstice were "Christianized" into Easter and Christmas, respectively. Many of these developments and changes had developed throughout the second and third centuries, yet they had certainly crystallized a new denomination by 312, when the "Catholic" church received official sanction from the Roman Empire. This entity would develop and last until 1054, when the western and eastern Mediterranean churches split, the former becoming the Roman Catholic Church, the latter, the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The period of 100-1054 saw many divisions and dissensions over multiple issues, mostly concerning the nature of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Marcionism. Marcionism owed its existence to Marcion, an individual who gained popularity in Rome in 140-144. His theology was influenced heavily by the Gnostics, and he denied the power of the God of the Old Testament. He promulgated the use of a limited form of the New Testament, including Luke's Gospel and Acts, and many of the Pauline epistles, the former since Luke was a Gentile and the latter since he was sent to preach to the Gentiles. He found the God of the Old Testament contradictory and inhumane. The "orthodox" Christianity of the time rejected his argumentation, upheld the value of the Old Testament, and dutifully began the work of canonization of the Old and New Testaments. The specter of Marcion loomed large enough so as to merit refutation by Tertullian at the end of the second century; nevertheless, Marcion's movement mostly died out or assimilated into other Gnostic groups.

Montanism . Montanism receives its name from its founder, Montanus, a Phrygian and a former priest of Cybele. Around 172, he believed that he along with the prophetesses Prisca and Maximilla were given a dispensation of the Spirit, and uttered prophecies without control over their faculties. They believed that they were the last manifestation of the Paraclete (the Comforter), and that the battle of Armageddon would be fought soon and the "new Jerusalem" would come to earth in the small village of Pepuza in Phrygia. This movement was highly charismatic; one of the "church fathers," Tertullian, eventually joined the North African branch of this movement. Even though apocalyptic hopes of the Montanists were left unfulfilled, this movement endured in some places for three hundred years.

Monarchianism. A term meaning "rule of one," this doctrine permeated Christianity in the second and third centuries. The idea of this doctrine is that there is one authority involved with God. One form was dynamistic Monarchianism, espoused first by the Theodotians (beginning around 190, and lasting until the fourth century), believing that Jesus was born a man and became God at His baptism. This dynamistic monarchianism was also present in the beliefs of Paul of Samosata around 260, and in the Adoptionism movement in Spain around 782. The other form, modalistic monarchianism, was presented by Sabellius (around 215), posited that God is inherently unknowable, and that only though manifestations can He be seen-- the implication of this idea that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the same thing in different manifestations, thus, the Father and the Spirit suffered on the cross since the form of God known as Christ was on the cross. Modalistic monarchianism is also known as modalism or patripassianism. Monarchian concepts would later be found in Nestorianism and possibly in the Paulicians. Overall, however, the movements failed to gain ground in "orthodox" Christianity.

Manichaeism. The name comes from Mani, an eastern mystic, who believed that he was the manifestation of the Christ, God on Earth. Around 250, he developed his theology, which included tenets of Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Gnosticism, and is a blatant attempt to combine Western and Eastern religions. They believed in reincarnation with an eventual deliverance from life, and that good and evil came from a primeval war between light and darkness. This doctrine persevered for awhile; Augustine's first contact with religion was Manichaeism in north Africa in the fourth century. The infiltration of Islam overall tempered the growth of Manichaeism; nevertheless, a small group of Mani's followers in Iran, calling themselves Mandeans, have persevered to the modern day. Manichaeism does have direct influence on the later Paulician movement, and by extension the Bogomils and the Cathars.

Donatism. The term comes from one Donatus, a "bishop" who was one of the founders of the movement. They stood for holiness and purity in the church. They refused to recognize "bishops" or any religious authorities who handed over (Latin traditio) Scriptures during the persecution. Donatists are known primarily for their positions on the Lord's Supper, that the one giving it to the people must be free from sin or the blessings are not provided. They are also known for their position on the church, believing that the individual was the focus, not the organization: the church should be simply the collective of individual Christians, not a hierarchical organization. The group suffered constant oppression and persecution from religious and secular authorities, but only died out along with the Catholic church in northern Africa with the Islamic invasions of the seventh century.

Arianism. Named from Arius, a bishop who disagreed with the theology of the Catholic church and believed that regardless of His glory, the Son is a created being and therefore cannot be considered part of the eternal Godhead. This belief began in the early fourth century, and was condemned as heretical at the Council of Nicaea in 325. Nevertheless, Arianism remained prevalent, with many leading bishops holding to the belief in the fourth century; in the fifth century, Arians converted many of the German tribes that overran the Roman empire. Arianism began to falter, however, when Justinian re-conquered the Italian peninsula for the Eastern Roman Empire in the sixth century, and was all but extinguished when Charlemagne gained control over most of central Europe in the eighth century.

Nestorianism. The name derives from Nestorius, a bishop of Constantinople. In 428, he condemned the popular use of the title "Mother of God" (Theotoktos) for Mary, since the title seemed to give credence to the idea that the divine could be born of a human, or that God could be a baby. To him, Jesus as man and God was not an "essential union" but a merging of wills. His belief was declared heretical at the Council of Chalcedon; however, his doctrines persevered. To this day, there are Nestorian churches (known as the Church of the East) in central Asia. There is also some Nestorian influence upon the Paulicians of the sixth century.

Monophysitism. This term derives from Greek words meaning "one nature." Monophysitism is generally considered to be a reaction to the Nestorian movement, initiated by another bishop named Cyril of Alexandria, who posited that Christ had one nature, which was manifested as flesh and as God. This was codified in the council in Ephesus in 449. Further clarification regarding this position was necessary, since the language was being used to support two sides of an argument: the council of Chalcedon interpreted the council of Ephesus in such a way as to preserve the two natures of Christ in 451, and schism was inevitable. Reconciliation was attempted, especially by the eastern emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora, with the philosophy of Monothelitism, the idea that while Christ had two natures He had only one will. This combination of Chalcedon and Ephesus was unsuccessful; Monothelitism was soundly denounced, and the eastern church had split into Catholic and Monophysite factions. Monophysitism remained prevalent in many places until around the eighth century; today, the only Monophysite groups left are the Syrian Jacobites and the Coptic church of Egypt.