Quick Answer
The label "heresy" applied to Gnosticism was not a neutral theological verdict — it was a political act. When Irenaeus of Lyon wrote Against Heresies around 180 AD, he was not merely refuting bad theology; he was asserting the authority of the Roman episcopal hierarchy over competing Christian communities across the empire.
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Quick Facts
- The Greek word hairesis originally meant "school of thought" or "choice" — not necessarily negative
- Irenaeus redefined heresy as deliberate departure from apostolic tradition — placing himself as the standard
- Elaine Pagels argues in The Gnostic Gospels that the heresy label was primarily a political tool
- Michael Williams (1996) questions whether "Gnosticism" is coherent enough to be a heresy at all