Heretics The Other Side of Early Christianity

Summary: In Heretics, Gerd Ludemann argues that the time from the first Christian communities to the end of the second century was not a period of great harmony, but was defined by the struggles of various Christian groups for doctrinal authority. Drawing on a wealth of data, Ludemann asserts that the losers in the struggle actually represented Christianity in its more authentic, original form. Since Orthodoxy has been define...d by the victors in this struggle, it is the silenced alternative views that have been labeled "heretical". Ludemanns findings are important as well as liberating for understanding both Christianity and the Bible. Readers will gain a new understanding of Jesus and the early church from this compelling and controversial book. Heretics is a model of historical scholarship and theological investigation. Indeed, the first recorded clash and conflict over doctrinal propriety took place in the Jerusalem Christian community when Paul sought a cessation of the practice of circumcision and the abolition of certain dietary prohibitions. The subsequent debates regarding the nature of God, the definition of what would be come reliable scripture, the theology and doctrines of Christianity would rage around the rim of the Mediterranean and result in schism, conflict, commissions, and conferences. Heretics is the informative history of those fascinating times. [read more]