Whaddaya Mean -- I'm *Not* a Heretic??!!

[qos]

You scored as Chalcedon compliant. You are Chalcedon compliant. Congratulations, you're not a heretic. You believe that Jesus is truly God and truly man and like us in every respect, apart from sin. Officially approved in 451. </td> Pelagianism 92% Chalcedon compliant 92% Monophysitism 67% Monarchianism 67% Nestorianism 50% Apollanarian 42% Socinianism 42% Adoptionist 25% Modalism 25% Arianism 17% Gnosticism 17% Albigensianism 0% Donatism 0% Docetism 0% Are you a heretic? created with QuizFarm.com

This test gave me flashbacks to my first seminary course, Christian Anthropology, the first third of which was devoted to the question "What does it mean to be 'human'?" The theory being that it's impossible to meaningfully discuss the degree to which Christ /was/is or is not human unless we first understand what we mean when we say "human."

Taking the test, I realized again that -- despite my love of studying theology -- I found most of these questions to be utterly beside the point where my personal faith and relationship with God is concerned.

I typed another sentence after that, but then deleted it, because 9:30pm is not the time for me to get started on a theological reflection. . . it would be an hour or more before I got to bed.

Maybe tomorrow.

Comments

[blessed-harlot.livejournal.com]

NOT A HERETIC! *points and laughs*

Actually, I found the test to represent some of the worst qualities of theology. Nothing resembling real life anywhere in there. *Sigh*... and I had such high hopes when I first saw the long list of results.

[qos.livejournal.com]

The prof of the aforementioned Christian Anthropology class was a Catholic priest. One of the best things about his pedagogy was that after discussing some high-falutin' theological concept he would say, "Okay -- so what does this mean to us as pastors? How do we use this in the real life world of an ordinary person's life?" And then he would point out the nitty-gritty, down-to-earth implications, and it was wonderful.

Unfortunately, it's now been more than three years since I took the class (and it's 5:45am), so I can't remember any actual examples to share.

Last night it occurred to me that it may well have been his theology classes that resulted in my scoring as I did. My personal spiritual life is heterodox, but I can recognize and appreciate 'sound' theology when I see it. (LOL!)

[femalegamer.livejournal.com]

I was tied with the same two, but picked the statement that made me end up with Pelagianism. Isn't it interesting that one statement is apparently the difference between being okay and a heretic. I, of course, as a Baptist couldn't care less about the qualifications of the Catholic church, but I agree - a lot of questions I was wishy washy on because, really, does it matter much?

[qos.livejournal.com]

one statement the difference. . .
There's a popular seminary joke in which two people meet on a bridge and find out they are both of the same denomination. They then go through a series of four or five further distinctions involving synod or conference, and etc., narrowing their denomination into finer and finer divisions, both with the same answers, until they reach the last characteristic, where one is one thing and the other something different. One immediately yells "heretic!" and pushes the other off the bridge.

Whether or not being a heretic "matters" would depend entirely on a person's relationship to a particular faith community. I suspect that there are any number of Baptist (or other Protestant) groups which would be deeply disturbed if one or more of their members began espousing some of the beliefs represented in the quiz. The words "heresy" might or might not be used, but "bad doctrine" or "not our belief" might.

Personally, my seminary classes on Christology really helped me clarify what I believe on a personal level, and look closely at the implications of the many ways Christians over time have answered the question, "Who do you say that I am?"

So, while on one level I can empathize with your question, "Does it matter much?" and understand why many people would answer "no" -- my personal experience is that the process of finding meaningful answers to the theological questions in the quiz does have the potential to be quite valuable.

[femalegamer.livejournal.com]

Oh it's entirely possible that there are people who are of the same denomination (I almost reversed two letters, and demonination is a very different thing) that would be distubed by things I believe, like thinking it's up to a particular woman to decide on abortion (even though it would take a very bad circumstance for me to ever decide to do that).

I suppose to me it just seems like there are many more important questions to fine tune one's beliefs before this kind of philosophical ones, questions that also have a practical purpose.

[princesca.livejournal.com]

I tried, but I can't even take that quiz. Too much of it is based on a belief in god/heaven/hell, and I don't even have that.

[qos.livejournal.com]

The first time I took it, I didn't get past the first three questions, because my personal, day-to-day faith is not organized that way. However, when I came back to it (since it's on so many LJ's this week), I did get through it, because I do come from that background, and when I deliberately shift gears I can get into the seminary/theology mindset.

Badly done test.

[vsmallgoddess.livejournal.com]

I got almost the exact same results. I doubt that there were any answeres possible that would actually result in a "Heratic" verdict. As a born again Pagan, I'm vaugely offended by this Jesus freak test. Bla.

Re: Badly done test.

[qos.livejournal.com]

Actually, most of my friends have scored as heretics of one kind or another.

As for it being a "Jesus freak test" -- heresy only has meaning from within a particular community. It's meaningless unless one accepts the authority of that community in the first place.