Defense
Against the Dark Theologies Class
Heresies of
the Ancient, Medieval and Modern Worlds, for Beginners
Syllabus
Prerequisites:
Students, before taking my class, will...
1. Have attained the age of Sixteen.
2. Have Received the Sacrament and the Supernatural Graces of Confirmation.
3. Have Read the Baltimore Catechism, and
4. Have a Deep Love for the Catholic Church and Her Lord.
What is covered:
A general outline of some of the major heresies that have afflicted the Catholic Church since its foundation by Jesus Christ, as well as Scriptural, Empirical and Rational Defenses against these Errors. The Ancient Errors will appear in roughly chronological order, but popular sects of the present day that ape the ancient errors will be mentioned alongside them.
This is not an Apologetics Course. The object of the course is not to be able to persuade others towards Catholic unity, although the knowledge should aid one who desires to persuade through knowledge. Rather the object is to teach the student the errors of the past, why they are errors, how the Church refuted the errors. The student will also be made aware that "There is nothing new under the sun". The old heresies do not die; they just come back in another form. Each age must defend the citadel of Orthodoxy for themselves.
Judgment:
Students will receive a Quiz of ten questions at the End of each weekly class that potentially covers material up to and including that day's material and the Baltimore Catechism. Correct answers will be awarded points. A prize (aside from the valuable knowledge acquired by the successful student) will be awarded to whichever student has the most points.
In the event of a tie, a rapid elimination contest will be held in front of the class between the winners in a "sudden-death" fashion to determine who will take the prize. Any material covered in class or from the suggested reading below is fair game and may be asked to determine the winner of this contest.
Chronology:
Week One:
-Syllabus
-What is Heresy?
Week Two: The Ancient Heresies Part One
-Gnosticism (and the Cathars)
-Donatism
-Arianism (and the Jehovah's Witnesses' Christological Theology)
Week Three: The Ancient Heresies Part Two
-Ebionism (and Seventh Day Adventism, and Modern Messianic Judaism)
-Montanism
-Pelagianism
Week Four: The Ancient Heresies Part Three
-Nestorianism
-Enthusiasm (And the Charismatic Movement)
Week Five: The Medieval Heresies Part One
-Mohammedanism a.ka. Islam (and Mormonism)
-The Conciliar Theology of the Eastern Orthodox
-Iconoclasm
Week Six: The Medieval Heresies Part Two
-Lollards?
-Albigensianism
-The Cathars
Week Seven: The Medieval Heresies Part Three
Week Eight: The Modern Heresies Part One
-Protestantism: the fundamental idea
-Lutheranism
-The Anglican Communion's Theology
-Calvinism (Huguenots, Puritans and Presbyterian Theology)
-The theology of Armenius
-Anabaptism (Southern Baptist Theology)
Week Nine: The Modern Heresies Part Two
-Jansenism
-Dispensationalism
-Non-amillennial Views of the Eschaton
Week Ten: The Modern Heresies Part Three
-Modernism
Sources and Suggested Reading:
Allison, C. FitzSimons. The Cruelty of Heresy: An Affirmation of Christian Orthodoxy. Harrisburg, PA: Moorehouse Pub., 1994. Print.
Belloc, H. (n.d.: The Eternal Word Television Network). The Great Heresies. Retrieved October 30, 2016, from http://www.ewtn.com/library/doctrine/heresy.htm
Benedictus XVI, Pope (2009). Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus. Retrieved October 31, 2016, from http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_ben-xvi_apc_20091104_anglicanorum-coetibus.html
Chesterton, G. K., & Chesterton, G. K. (2000). Heretics/Orthodoxy. Nashville: T. Nelson.
Solovyov, V. S., Ryland, R., & Rees, H. (2001). The Russian church and the papacy: An abridgment of Russia and the universal church. San Diego: Catholic Answers.
"The Great Heresies" (pamphlet: Catholic Answers). (2004, August 10). Retrieved October 30, 2016, from http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-great-heresies
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lollards
Catechism:
"Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same." -CCC 2089
Bible:
"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ." Gal 1:6-7
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." 2 Tim 4:3-4
Lesson Three: Ebionism, Montanism, Pelagianism
Ebionism:
Bible: "But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses." -Acts 15:5
