The notion of heresy in Greek literature in the second and third centuries
This book was born of an interest in debates about 'gnosis'. The subject was inspired by certain analogies between the construction of heresy and the representation of madness described by Michel Foucault in Histoire de la folie à l'âge classique (Madness and Civilization). In differe...
| Summary: | This book was born of an interest in debates about 'gnosis'. The subject was inspired by certain analogies between the construction of heresy and the representation of madness described by Michel Foucault in Histoire de la folie à l'âge classique (Madness and Civilization). In different periods one can discern the decision to separate normal from abnormal, the suppression of the voice of the other, the constitution of rationality by means of exclusion. An examination of the ancient sources, on the other hand, confirmed the reversal in the pioneering work of Walter Bauer (1934). Contrary to the thesis canonized by Eusebius of Caesarea, at the beginning there was no doctrinal unanimity in a simple and pure church, but rather a manifest pluralism. Yet Bauer's book ironically perpetuated the 'orthodox' essentialist view that the categories 'heresy' and 'orthodoxy' represent fixed entities. This investigation aims to demonstrate how the concept of heresy emerges in Justin Martyr, at a time when the very means to diminish conflicts were themselves diverse. This invention creates a concept capable of dominating every current suspected of endangering ecclesial harmony. This polemical tool transforms the tradition of Greek historiography of philosophical schools, by combining it with the apocalyptic theme of diabolical conspiracy. This model is refined by Irenaeus, then modified by Clement of Alexandria and Origen, who are closer to the philosophers. They do not reject everything that comes from 'heretics', even as they give pride of place to Greek philosophy. The analysis of the rhetorical processes of refutation also bears on the rules of biblical interpretation put in place to govern exegesis. |
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| Item Description: | Translated from the "French La notion d'hérésie dans la littérature grecque, IIe-IIIe siècles. - Includes bibliographical references and index. - Description based on Publisher website; title from home page (viewed on June 16, 2022) |
| ISBN: | 0191851779 |
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198814092.001.0001 |