Heresiological Catalogues

doi:10.1017/9781108556620.005

3 - Heresiological Catalogues

from Part I - Approaches and Evidence

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 July 2025

Richard Flower

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Richard Flower

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Richard Flower: Affiliation:
University of Exeter

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Summary

Heresiological catalogues are one of the most distinctive forms of literature concerning heresy and have also traditionally been one of the most difficult to interpret. This chapter traces the development of this form of writing, focusing on the most productive period in late antiquity, and explores how much such works were intended to be employed in active ‘heresy-hunting’ and what other purposes they might have had, including increasing the authority and status of their authors.

Keywords

heresiology heresiography heretical genealogies handbooks authority

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Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge Companion to Christian Heresy , pp. 54 - 73

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108556620.005 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2025

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References

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