Any religious doctrine inconsistent with, or inimical to, the orthodox beliefs of the church. (MEDIEV-L. Medieval Terms) Related terms: Heretic

A teaching which denies a doctrine essential to the existence of the Gospel.

The act or belief by which a heretic obstinately believes or propagates doctrines as opposed to the True Catholic Church. eg Nestorian heresy, Aryanisms, Protestantism, Modernism etc.

Heresy is from the Greek [hairesis] meaning, choose, and by extension in Theological terms, "doctrines of men who have chosen to follow their own views." In general, heresy is a self-chosen doctrine not emanating from God's word. Any doctrine or teaching which is contradictory to established Church doctrine based on the Holy Bible is called a heresy. For example, Jesus being the Son of God is established Church doctrine based on the Bible. To forsake the word and choose to believe he is not, would be heresy! [ back

(HER·e·sy). Beliefs, ideas, and teaching, at variance with the apostles' doctrines as preserved in the New Testament. From haíresos meaning "sect" or "religious party" or "school of thought" and haíresís meaning "opinions". See William Arndt and Felix Gingrich, 1979:23-24. In contemporary usage heresy refers to adherence to religious opinion that is contrary to the established doctrine of a church or religious group. Often people see heresy simply as what other people believe.

An opinion held in opposition to the orthodox doctrine in the Christian church, a crime by medieval law punishable by death. Heretical opinions were examined by church courts, which could pass sentence and carry out the resulting justice. Notable examples of medieval heresies were the teachings of John Wycliffe, the teachings of the Lollards. The Inquisition was instituted in 13th century France, a tool used during the 14th century to purge the Templars from their extensive holdings in France and in most of Europe, most of their members being burned.

aberration from the norm; the term denotes to variations in creed which did not adhere to the dominant dogma - in this course, the dogma of the Church in the first centuries of the Christian faith. The identification and condemnation of heresies was of fundamental importance for developments in the early Church.

any opinions or doctrines at variance with the official or orthodox position

a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets of a religion

a belief that deviates from some standard, official belief

a belief that has been rejected by the church, and is considered a wrong ideology of anything relating to spiritual events

a denial of orthodox doctrine, a defined truth of the faith

a departure from truth, a false doctrine propagated by false prophets and teachers (also known as "heretics")

a doctrine inconsistent with Catholic truth

a doctrine that contradicts or goes against a point of orthodoxy

a doctrine which is directly opposed to a dogma

a false teaching, something that deviates from orthodoxy

an unorthodox teaching tending to promote division and strife

a systematic teaching that has been declared by the historic Church to be foreign to Christian teaching

a theological position which is opposed to classical Christian orthodoxy, denying one or more essentials of Church doctrine, such as the Holy Trinity or the divinity or humanity of Jesus Christ

the formal denial or doubt of any defined doctrine of the church

A doctrinal view of belief at variance with the recognized tenets of a system, church, school, or party

a religious idea that has been socially defined by an official reli-gious group as seriously deviant and proscribed

denial of the truths found in the Catholic Church.

The term is derived from the Greek hairesis, which means "choice" or "thing chosen." Traditionally, heresy was the sin of a baptized and professing Christian who denied a defined doctrine of the faith. Heresy is distinguished from apostasy, the abandonment of the church by one who denies the church's teaching; and from schism, the fracturing of the church's unity for reasons other than disagreement in basic doctrine.

Following one's own choice or opinion instead of divine truth preserved by the Church, so as to cause division among Christians. Heresy is a system of thought which contradicts true doctrine. It is false teaching, which all true Christians must reject (Matt. 7:15; 2 Pet. 2:1).

An opinion or belief that is against orthodox church teachings. Heretics are members of the church or faith with which they disagree and thus distinct from non-believers.

An opinion, view, or teaching that differs from the revealed truth of God. Especially a teaching that leads people away from unity and close fellowship with other Christians. (DTC)

Denial or rejection of a revealed truth by one who has professed Chris­tianity.

(heh· reh· see) is a religious opinion that differs greatly from the commonly accepted one.

From the Greek "choice," in religious vocabulary a choice for a teaching about the faith which the dominant or orthodox church holds to be contrary to that faith.

(original definition): A Greek word signifying A choice. The opinion chosen. The sect holding the opinion.

Doctrine which is erroneous in such a way that Christians must divide themselves as a church from all who teach or accept it; those adhering to heresy are assumed to be lost, although Christians are unable to make definitive judgments on this matter. The opposite of orthodoxy. Adj.: heretical.

the explicit, willful denial of at least one truth of faith (17)

A belief or teaching that seriously departs from (or contradicts) the central teaching of the Bible. An outright denial of essential Christian doctrine.

The denial or obstinate doubt of any one or more dogmas of the Catholic Faith.

any practice or teaching that is formally condemned for falling outside the established framework of the conventions, beliefs and doctrines of a given religious tradition. See also Orthodoxy.

Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a "theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Roman Catholic or Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. By extension, heresy is an opinion or doctrine in philosophy, politics, science, art, etc., at variance with those generally accepted as authoritative." The study of heresy is heresiology.