Refutation of all Heresies
Encyclopedia
The Refutation of All Heresies or Philosophumena is a compendious Christian polemical work of the early third century, now generally attributed to Hippolytus of Rome. Most of it was recovered in 1842 in a manuscript at Mount Athos
, but the complete text is not known. It catalogues both pagan beliefs and 33 gnostic Christian systems deemed heretical
, making it a major source of information on contemporary opponents of Catholic orthodoxy.
It is known also as the Philosophoumena ( "philosophical teachings"). The traditional attribution was to Origen
.
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
, but the complete text is not known. It catalogues both pagan beliefs and 33 gnostic Christian systems deemed heretical
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
, making it a major source of information on contemporary opponents of Catholic orthodoxy.
It is known also as the Philosophoumena ( "philosophical teachings"). The traditional attribution was to Origen
Origen
Origen , or Origen Adamantius, 184/5–253/4, was an early Christian Alexandrian scholar and theologian, and one of the most distinguished writers of the early Church. As early as the fourth century, his orthodoxy was suspect, in part because he believed in the pre-existence of souls...
.