Throughout Christian history, followers of Christ have sought to define his message and the correct faith in God and the Trinity. Yet the search for orthodoxy (“right belief”) has been inseparable from the condemnation of heresy (“wrong belief”), and this dynamic debate shaped early Christianity.

How did the term heresy evolve from the Greek word hairesis, which originally meant choice? What is the difference between heresy and schism? How did the debates strengthen the Christian Church, and what was the price paid for excluding those judged to be in error? David Gwynn, associate professor in ancient and late antique history at Royal Holloway, University of London, explores these questions and their importance for understanding the historical evolution of Christianity from the original disciples and the apostle Paul to the Christian Roman empire and beyond.

Theological controversies accelerated the development of Christian doctrine while also influencing the canon of scripture (through the second-century teacher Marcion) and the role of women and charismatic speakers (Montanism and the New Prophecy). The rise of Christian emperors from Constantine onward then dramatically increased the scale and impact of such debates, from the 4th-century Arian controversy (which continued in the Germanic kingdoms succeeding the western Roman empire) to the 5th-century debates over the human and divine natures of Christ (which still divide Christians today).

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