From the Archives
Articles
Deep dives into Christian heresies, church councils, and the messy history of orthodoxy.
The 20 Years When Orthodox Christianity Was Heretical
The belief most Christians consider fundamental — the Trinity — was officially heretical across the Roman Empire for two decades. Here's how it happened.
The Council of Rimini: When 400 Bishops Were Bullied Into Heresy
In 359 AD, over 400 bishops arrived at Rimini ready to affirm the Nicene Creed. They left having signed its condemnation. Here's how imperial coercion overrode theological conviction.
What Is Arianism? A Simple Explanation
Arianism is the most famous heresy in Christian history — but what did Arius actually believe, and why did it matter so much? A plain-English guide to the controversy that defined Christianity.
Every Way to Be Wrong About the Trinity (And Why You Probably Are)
Modalism, tritheism, subordinationism, Arianism — there are at least six ways to get the Trinity wrong according to church councils. Here's your complete guide to Trinitarian heresy.
Is Universalism a Heresy?
Will everyone eventually be saved? The church's answer is more complicated than you think. From Origen to Rob Bell, the long and contested history of Christian universalism.
The Nicene Creed: What It Actually Says and Why It Matters
Every line of the Nicene Creed was designed to exclude a specific heresy. Here's what each phrase actually means — and the centuries of controversy behind the words Christians recite every Sunday.
Why Are There So Many Christian Denominations?
There are over 40,000 Christian denominations worldwide. Every split happened because one group considered another's beliefs unacceptable. Here's how heresy made the church what it is.
What Did Early Christians Actually Believe?
Before the creeds, before the councils, before 'orthodoxy' existed — what did the earliest Christians actually believe about Jesus, God, and salvation? The answer is more diverse than you've been told.