Marcionism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ehrman acknowledges many of Marcion's ideas are very close to what is
known today as "Gnosticism", especially its rejection of the Jewish God,
the Old Testament, and the material world, and his elevation of Paul as
the primary apostle. In the PBS documentary, From Jesus to Christ, narrated by Ehrman, Karen King, Elaine Pagels, L. Michael White, and other secular New Testament scholars, Marcion's role in the formation of the New Testament canon
is discussed as pivotal, and the first to explicitly state it. There
were early Christian groups, such as the Ebionites, that did not accept
Paul as part of their canon.
Robert M. Price, a New Testament scholar at Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary, considers the Pauline canon problem:[28]
how, when, and who collected Paul's epistles to the various churches as
a single collection of epistles. The evidence that the early church
fathers, such as Clement, knew of the Pauline epistles is unclear. Price
investigates several historical scenarios and comes to the conclusion
and identifies Marcion as the first person known in recorded history to
collect Paul's writings to various churches together as a canon, the
Pauline epistles. Robert Price summarizes,
If this is correct, then Marcion's role in the formation and development of Christianity is pivotal.
appeared to die out around the 5th century, although similarities
between Marcionism and Paulicianism,
a later heresy in the same geographical area, indicate that Marcionist
ideas may have survived and even contributed to heresies in Bulgaria and
France. Whether or not that is the case, Marcion's influence and
criticism of the Old Testament are discussed to this very day.
Marcionism is discussed in recent textbooks on early Christianity, such
as Lost Christianities by Bart Ehrman. Marcion claimed to find problems in the Old Testament; problems which many modern thinkers cite today (see Criticism of the Bible and Biblical law in Christianity), especially its alleged approval of atrocities and genocide.
Many atheists, agnostics, and secular humanists agree with Marcion's examples of Bible atrocities, and cite the same passages of the Old Testament to discredit Christianity and Judaism.[30]
Most Christians agree with Marcion that the Old Testament's alleged
approval of genocide and murder are inappropriate models to follow
today.[citation needed] Some Christian scholars, such as Gleason Archer and Norman Geisler, have dedicated much of their time to the attempt to resolve these perceived difficulties, while others have argued that just punishments (divine or human), even capital punishments, are not genocide or murder because murder and genocide are unjustified by definition (see Christian Reconstructionism).
On the other hand, because of the rejection of the Old Testament which originates in the Jewish Bible, the Marcionites have been believed by some Christians to be anti-Jewish. Indeed, the terms "Marcionism" and "neo-Marcionism" has sometimes been used in modern times to refer to anti-Jewish
tendencies in Christian churches, especially when such tendencies have
been thought to be surviving residues of ancient Marcionism.
During the Nazi period some aspects of Marcion's ideas were appropriated by the German Christians. They advocated a complete rejection of the Old Testament and everything Jewish in Christianity, which they termed "Positive Christianity". These ideas fell out of favor after Germany's defeat in World War II. (See also Nazism and Religion)
For some, the postulated problems of the Old Testament, and the
appeal of Jesus are such that they identify themselves as modern day
Marcionites, and follow his solution in keeping the New Testament as
sacred scripture, and rejecting the Old Testament canon and practices. A
term sometimes used for these groups is "New Testament Christians".
Carroll R. Bierbower is a pastor of a church he says is Marcionite in
theology and practice.[31] The Cathar
movement, historically and in modern times, reject the Old Testament
for the reasons Marcion enunciated. It remains unclear whether the 11th
century Cathar movement is in continuation of earlier Gnostic and
Marcion streams, or represents an independent re-invention. John
Lindell, a former Methodist and Unitarian Universalist pastor, advocates
Christian deism, which does not include the Old Testament as part of its theology.[32]
Recent scholarship
In Lost Christianities, Bart Ehrman contrasts the Marcionites with the Ebionites as polar ends of a spectrum with regard to the Old Testament.[27]Ehrman acknowledges many of Marcion's ideas are very close to what is
known today as "Gnosticism", especially its rejection of the Jewish God,
the Old Testament, and the material world, and his elevation of Paul as
the primary apostle. In the PBS documentary, From Jesus to Christ, narrated by Ehrman, Karen King, Elaine Pagels, L. Michael White, and other secular New Testament scholars, Marcion's role in the formation of the New Testament canon
is discussed as pivotal, and the first to explicitly state it. There
were early Christian groups, such as the Ebionites, that did not accept
Paul as part of their canon.
Robert M. Price, a New Testament scholar at Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary, considers the Pauline canon problem:[28]
how, when, and who collected Paul's epistles to the various churches as
a single collection of epistles. The evidence that the early church
fathers, such as Clement, knew of the Pauline epistles is unclear. Price
investigates several historical scenarios and comes to the conclusion
and identifies Marcion as the first person known in recorded history to
collect Paul's writings to various churches together as a canon, the
Pauline epistles. Robert Price summarizes,
| “ | But the first collector of the Pauline Epistles had been Marcion. No one else we know of would be a good candidate, certainly not the essentially fictive Luke, Timothy, and Onesimus. And Marcion, as Burkitt and Bauer show, fills the bill perfectly.[29] |
” |
If this is correct, then Marcion's role in the formation and development of Christianity is pivotal.
Marcionism in Modern history
Historic Marcionism, and the church Marcion himself established,appeared to die out around the 5th century, although similarities
between Marcionism and Paulicianism,
a later heresy in the same geographical area, indicate that Marcionist
ideas may have survived and even contributed to heresies in Bulgaria and
France. Whether or not that is the case, Marcion's influence and
criticism of the Old Testament are discussed to this very day.
Marcionism is discussed in recent textbooks on early Christianity, such
as Lost Christianities by Bart Ehrman. Marcion claimed to find problems in the Old Testament; problems which many modern thinkers cite today (see Criticism of the Bible and Biblical law in Christianity), especially its alleged approval of atrocities and genocide.
Many atheists, agnostics, and secular humanists agree with Marcion's examples of Bible atrocities, and cite the same passages of the Old Testament to discredit Christianity and Judaism.[30]
Most Christians agree with Marcion that the Old Testament's alleged
approval of genocide and murder are inappropriate models to follow
today.[citation needed] Some Christian scholars, such as Gleason Archer and Norman Geisler, have dedicated much of their time to the attempt to resolve these perceived difficulties, while others have argued that just punishments (divine or human), even capital punishments, are not genocide or murder because murder and genocide are unjustified by definition (see Christian Reconstructionism).
On the other hand, because of the rejection of the Old Testament which originates in the Jewish Bible, the Marcionites have been believed by some Christians to be anti-Jewish. Indeed, the terms "Marcionism" and "neo-Marcionism" has sometimes been used in modern times to refer to anti-Jewish
tendencies in Christian churches, especially when such tendencies have
been thought to be surviving residues of ancient Marcionism.
During the Nazi period some aspects of Marcion's ideas were appropriated by the German Christians. They advocated a complete rejection of the Old Testament and everything Jewish in Christianity, which they termed "Positive Christianity". These ideas fell out of favor after Germany's defeat in World War II. (See also Nazism and Religion)
For some, the postulated problems of the Old Testament, and the
appeal of Jesus are such that they identify themselves as modern day
Marcionites, and follow his solution in keeping the New Testament as
sacred scripture, and rejecting the Old Testament canon and practices. A
term sometimes used for these groups is "New Testament Christians".
Carroll R. Bierbower is a pastor of a church he says is Marcionite in
theology and practice.[31] The Cathar
movement, historically and in modern times, reject the Old Testament
for the reasons Marcion enunciated. It remains unclear whether the 11th
century Cathar movement is in continuation of earlier Gnostic and
Marcion streams, or represents an independent re-invention. John
Lindell, a former Methodist and Unitarian Universalist pastor, advocates
Christian deism, which does not include the Old Testament as part of its theology.[32]
