Marcionism

E99648

Christian heresy Christian theological movement religious movement

Marcionism is a 2nd-century Christian theological movement that rejected the Hebrew Bible and taught a radical distinction between the God of the Old Testament and the God revealed by Jesus.

Aliases (1)

Marcionite canon ×1

Statements (49)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	Christian heresy → Christian theological movement → religious movement →
condemnedBy	Epiphanius of Salamis NERFINISHED → Irenaeus of Lyons → Tertullian → proto-orthodox Christian leaders →
considered	major heresy in early Christianity →
coreBelief	dualism between a just creator god and a higher good god → radical distinction between the God of the Old Testament and the God revealed by Jesus → rejection of the Hebrew Bible as Christian scripture → the Father of Jesus is a previously unknown supreme God of love → the God of the Old Testament is a lower, inferior deity →
declineTime	by the 5th century →
foundedBy	Marcion of Sinope →
hadOrganization	distinct clergy and hierarchy → separate Marcionite churches →
historicalContext	arose during debates over the Christian biblical canon → developed in the Roman Empire →
influenced	Manichaeism (indirectly and controversially) → later dualist movements →
legacy	influenced later Christian discussions of the Old Testament’s status → prompted the Great Church to clarify the Christian biblical canon →
opposedByDoctrine	doctrine of continuity between Old and New Testaments → emerging catholic orthodoxy →
religion	Christianity →
scriptureExcluded	Hebrew Bible → Old Testament → other New Testament writings later accepted by the Great Church →
scriptureUsed	Marcionite canon → edited Gospel of Luke → ten Pauline epistles →
spreadTo	Asia Minor → North Africa → Rome → Syria →
startTime	2nd century →
viewedScripture	New Testament god as merciful and loving → Old Testament god as legalistic and harsh →
viewOnCanon	held that most Christian writings were corrupted by Judaizing influences →
viewOnChristology	tended toward docetic views of Christ →
viewOnCreation	taught that the material world was created by the inferior Old Testament god →
viewOnEthics	advocated strict asceticism → discouraged or forbade marriage → encouraged rigorous moral discipline → often promoted celibacy →
viewOnJesus	taught that Jesus was sent by the good God, not by the creator god →
viewOnLaw	rejected the Mosaic Law for Christians →
viewOnPaul	regarded Paul as the only true apostle →

Referenced by (2)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Irenaeus of Lyons →	opposed
Marcionism ("Marcionite canon") →	scriptureUsed