by G.R. Evans (Blackwell Publishing, 2003)
Review by C. Pak
"The unity brought into question by the challenge of heresy has not only been of 'faith in one Christ', involving a particular set of 'beliefs about him'. It has also involved questions of 'order'. When the Church is visibly divided, with one worshiping community set against another, it is suffering a breakdown of unity in its 'order' just as much as when there is an invisible loss of the sense of community and common purpose."
~ Preface, A Brief History of Heresy
This little book outlines briefly the different heretical movements that the Church encountered since her beginnings. It's quite helpful from a historical perspective to see an outline like this.
However, there are some things for the Catholic reader to keep in mind. First - the book was written by a historian with the Church of England, not a Catholic theologian. Second - it's not written to provide detailed descriptions of heresy; it offers very broad strokes. For a more detailed study of Church history (including a discussion of heresy) written by a Catholic theologian, there's The Catholic Church Through the Ages: A History, by John Vidmar, OP. Read with detachment and a critical mind. Peace.
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