Orthodox Church dealing with herecy.

[RaylightI]

Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic Church in the past dealt very badly and contrary to Christ's teachings when it came to dealing with "heresy and heretics". I'm aware that not everything said in the media about the Inquisition and the like are 100 percent true, nevertheless, there is element of truth in the claims.

I have little knowledge about the life in the Byzantine empire and the rule of the Orthodox Church in the lives of the people. How the Orthodox Church dealt with "heresy and heretics" in the past ?

 

[ArmyMatt]

folks made mistakes when dealing with heretics, but generally the heretic is excommunicated until he renounces his heresy.

 

[RaylightI]

folks made mistakes when dealing with heretics, but generally the heretic is excommunicated until he renounces his heresy.

But would that lead to his/her death ?

 

[E.C.]

Exile maybe, but usually not death. Unless you're Arius and God decides that your internal organs are to be exploded.

 

[buzuxi02]

Yup, He went the way of Judas with his entrails gushing out.

It really doesnt matter as the secular temporal powers no longer enforce canon law. They haven't for centuries. You have the occasional eviction from a monastery and the temporal powers may not recognize your position or sect and restrict your travels and outreach but thats the extant of it.

 

[ArmyMatt]

But would that lead to his/her death ?

at times it did, but that is not usually how Orthodox roll. usually it was excommunication and exile for the real problem children. nowadays it would probably just be excommunication.

 

[Dewi Sant]

"just" be excommunication.


Having re-read the accounts of the Nestorian controversy it is worrying how Game of Thronesesque Roman society was back then regarding the pursuit or orthodoxy.
But it is that, Roman society. Just don't get on the wrong side of a Patriarch...though politics were hugely bound up with the religious office and cultural expectation too. Theology seems to have served the role football does today, casting people into tribes with the 'us v. them' mentality. But that was the crucible of the Patristic age.

 

[buzuxi02]

There were plenty of patriarchs that were persecuted or deposed. There was no them verse us, just the enforcement of canons that both sides of an issue sought the support of the temporal powers. If one side was being persecuted its because the temporal power was on the wrong side, not that they were wrong for doing so.

In my post above in speaking of contemporary situations, its the same thing. Greek temporal authorities sometimes have to evict monks when they defy their bishops. Sometimes the monks are in the right, sometimes they are not. Sometimes a synod has to depose a bishop, the procedure may be uncanonical or it may not. Many of the laity may disagree and still support that bishop. Sometimes a bishop may be on the wrong (or right) but the majority of the laity drive him from his See. Sometimes that bishop may find support from those in a different diocese.

Likewise there are countless contemporary examples of government meddling, it really depends on whether the government is on your side or not.