Dual criteria for inclusion on this site

Index to theory pages

<previous: defining heresy

My test for inclusion in this list of alleged heretics has two parts:

(a) that heresy has formally been alleged, and  

(b) that formal action has followed

This formulation is designed to exclude allegations which were not taken seriously at the time, those which arose in the heat of a disagreement and quickly evaporated, and those that were simply ignored by the church concerned. Even so, these criteria do show the triviality and ephemeral character of many cases. 

The test does encompass a number of people who were found not guilty of heresy, or whose cases remained unresolved. I include these people to give a richer picture of the phenomenon of heresy in practice than would be presented by focusing solely on those who were convicted. Similarly trivial and peripheral cases are included as part of the picture, not merely those which had historical significance.

For the most part this dual test has been sufficient and straightforward to implement. Occasionally there have been ambiguities. I have not, for example, included the three Black Monks on Orkney who were recently expelled from the Roman Catholic Church after publicly accusing Pope Francis of heresy, although the dispute between the monks and the Vatican is evidently one of diverging theologies (BBC news report, January 2020).

Heresy isn't what it used to be - Next>