Dissent from the Creed: Heresies Past and Present

A very thorough book on the many heresies that have been produced in the last 2000 years of Christianity. Detailed and informative enough to give you a good perspective on what was happening but not so "heady" that normal people can't understand it. The end of each chapter has a brief summary of the heresy and what it consisted of which is a really nice way to wrap it up.

Father Hogan has given us a brief synopsis of the major heresies that have arisen throughout the history of the Church. I found his approach to be quite objective.In fact, I was expecting a bit more of a Catholic apologetic particularly in response to the Reformers. There was no treatment of the counter-reformation. And yet, my expectations as to content are not the proper criteria to judge this work.It would appear that Father Hogan simply wanted to provide the facts and theology relating to each heresy and point out where these ideas differ from the norm of the faith, the Nicene Creed.In that task, his is an excellent work. I've hoped for a long time that someone would gather this information in one place, and Father Hogan has done just that. This book is meant to be a jumping off point for further study, and it achieves that goal marvelously.Take this book as an introduction, an overview if you will, and then delve deeper into historic christianity. Enjoy!

Fr. Hogan uses the Nicene Creed in order to show that the heresies within Catholicism all have dealt with some distortion of just who God is. This book is very readable and incredibly informative. When applicaple Fr. Hogan ties the past into the present. There is also a great presentation of the thought of Pope John Paul II toward the end of the book.

This is one of the most useful books to have crossed my desk in months. Rev. Richard Hogan examines the heresies which have beset the Church from the Ascension to the present.This book is a historical goldmine, shedding light on such heresies as Gnosticism, Arianism, Nestorianism, Luther and the Reformers, and even modern crisis in the Church.A thorough reading of this book will show the reader that there really is no such thing as a new heresy. There isn't a heresy that hasn't already been dealt with in the Church's 2,000-year history.One comes away from this book with a deep appreciation for a Church that has withstood the tests of time.I highly recommend this book for all students of the Church. It pulls together all of the false religious teachings that the Church has survived into one place.