John of Damascus and heresiology: a basis for understanding modern heresy
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Authors
Mushagalusa, Timothee Baciyunjuze
Issue Date
2009-08-25T11:01:22Z
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
John of Damascus , Orthodoxy , Heresy , Heretic , Church history , Patristic era , Church Father , Biographical method , Interdisciplinary method , Diachronical method , Kimbanguism , Apartheid
Alternative Title
Abstract
This study investigates the understanding of heresy and the heretic according to John of
Damascus. For him, a heretic was any Christian who, by wilful choice, departs from the
one orthodox tradition by adopting a personal opinion on the common faith which he
intends to institute as sole truth. Our research is divided into two parts and aims to apply
John of Damascus' understanding of the recurring identity of the Christian heretic and his
behaviour.
By using historical-theological, interdisciplinary and diachronical approaches, our
research demonstrates that this Church Father, who is the `seal of the patristic era,'
remains a relevant authority for our comprehension of heresy and the heretic. Through
two case studies, namely, the Dutch Reformed Churches and Apartheid, and
Kimbanguism, our study specifies, on the one hand how a distorted Christian confession
contributed to the rise of Apartheid, with its attendant sense of a theocracy,
predestination, election, supremacy, divine love and justice. Kimbanguism, on the other
hand, represents a heresy against its will. It is an example of Christian leaders who
abused their power to apply cultural elements that resulted in a dramatic misinterpretation
of the Christian dogma of the Trinity. Finally, our study intends to apply the notions of
wilful choice, obstinacy and fanaticism, libertine exegesis, personal opinion and orthodox
tradition or common faith, to portray a heretic by using an interdisciplinary approach:
theologically as a libertine-exegete, psychologically as a dogmatic and fanatic person,
and sociologically as a negative cultural reformer. Thus, our analysis is both historical
and theological, and clearly and substantially elucidates the heretical mind in modern
times.
Consequently, our inquiry may be summed up as follows. Firstly, heresy habitually
comes from an existing text, doctrine or discipline; secondly, it concerns people who are
originally Christians; thirdly, it demonstrates that a heretic may be a fervent and an educated Christian, a layman or a church leader, who, on the basis of wilful choice,
interprets Biblical texts freely, with his personal exegesis and hermeneutics, and
ultimately incorrectly. From this exegesis and hermeneutics he deduces and sustains a
new doctrine that he defends with obstinacy and fanaticism.
Description
Citation
Mushagalusa, Timothee Baciyunjuze (2009) John of Damascus and heresiology: a basis for understanding modern heresy, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/2200>