Priscillianism facts for kids

Priscillianism was a special group of Christians that started in the 4th century. It began in a part of Europe called the Iberian Peninsula, which is now Spain and Portugal. A man named Priscillian led this group.

Their ideas came from older teachings called Gnostic doctrines. These were taught by a man named Marcus from Memphis in Egypt. Over time, both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church decided that Priscillianism was a heresy. This means they believed its teachings were wrong and went against the main Christian faith.

History of Priscillianism

A man named Marcus from Egypt came to Spain. He taught ideas that were part of Gnosticism. Two of his followers, a woman named Agape and a speaker named Helpidius, then taught these ideas to Priscillian. Priscillian was a rich and well-known man. He was also a great speaker and loved to read and discuss things.

Priscillian was very good at speaking. He also lived a very strict life, avoiding many comforts. Because of this, he gained many followers. These included Helpidius and two bishops, Instantius and Salvianus. They formed a new group that was like a secret society.

Early Conflicts and Excommunication

The local bishops started to notice Priscillian's group. Bishop Hyginus of Cordoba became worried. He told other bishops, Hydatius and Ithacius, about his fears.

In 380, bishops from Spain and France held a meeting in Zaragoza. They asked the Priscillianists to come, but they refused. So, the meeting decided to excommunicate the four leaders: Instantius, Salvianus, Helpidius, and Priscillian. Excommunication meant they were no longer allowed to be part of the Church.

Ithacius was chosen to make sure the group followed these rules. But he could not make them agree. Instead, Priscillian was made a priest and became the Bishop of Avila. This was a direct challenge to the Church.

Ithacius then asked the Roman Emperor for help. The emperor at the time, Gratian, made a rule. This rule took away the Priscillianists' churches and sent them away from their homes.

Appeals and Return to Power

Instantius, Salvianus, and Priscillian traveled to Rome. They wanted to ask Pope Damasus I to cancel their punishment. Many supporters from Gaul (modern-day France) joined them on their journey. Some people spread rumors that their followers were behaving badly.

Pope Damasus did not meet with them. So, they went to Milan to ask St. Ambrose, another important Church leader. He also refused to help them.

But the Priscillianists were clever. They used tricks and gave money to officials in the Emperor's court. This worked! They were not only allowed to return home but also got their churches back. They became so powerful that they forced Ithacius to leave Spain. Ithacius then asked Emperor Gratian for help again. But before anything could happen, Gratian was killed, and Magnus Maximus became the new emperor.

Trial and Executions

Emperor Maximus saw the problem differently. He wanted to gain favor with the main Church leaders. He also wanted to take the Priscillianists' money. So, he ordered another meeting of bishops in Bordeaux in 384.

Instantius was tried first and removed from his bishop position. Priscillian then asked the emperor for a trial in Trier. Ithacius was his accuser. He was very strong in his accusations. St. Martin of Tours, a respected holy man, was in Trier at the time. He did not agree with bringing Church matters to a government court. He asked the emperor not to kill anyone.

After St. Martin left, the emperor appointed a judge named Evodius. Evodius found Priscillian and some others guilty of using magic. The emperor then ordered Priscillian and several of his followers to be executed. The property of others was taken away, and they were sent into exile.

Many people criticized Ithacius for his actions. St. Martin was very upset when he heard about the executions. He returned to Trier and made the emperor cancel an order to send soldiers to Spain to stop the heresy. The Church usually did not want the government to punish people for religious beliefs. The Pope and St. Ambrose strongly spoke out against Ithacius and the emperor's actions. Some bishops even stopped communicating with Ithacius. He was later removed from his position, and his friend Hydatius also had to resign.

Decline of Priscillianism

Even after Priscillian and his followers were executed, the group grew stronger for a while. In 400, another meeting was held in Toledo to deal with the problem. Many Priscillianists, including bishops Symphonius and Dictinnius, rejoined the main Church. Dictinnius had even written a book from the Priscillianist point of view.

The invasion of Spain by groups like the Vandals and the Suevi helped Priscillianism spread more. Later, Pope Leo I worked hard to stop it. Meetings were held in 446 and 447 in places like Astorga and Braga. Despite these efforts, the group continued to spread in the 5th century.

However, in the 6th century, Priscillianism began to fade away. After the First Council of Braga in 561, which directly spoke against its teachings, the group soon disappeared.

What Priscillianists Believed

The Priscillianists had a special belief called dualism. This meant they thought there were two main kingdoms in the world: one of Light and one of Darkness.

They believed that angels and human souls came from the substance of God (the Light). But these souls were meant to fight the Kingdom of Darkness. Instead, they fell and became trapped inside human bodies. So, they thought both the Light and Darkness were present in people.

They believed that a person's salvation meant being freed from the control of matter and the earthly world. They thought that Jesus came in a heavenly body that only seemed like a normal human body. Through his teachings and his death, he helped free souls from the influence of earthly matter.

Scripture and Lifestyle

To make their beliefs fit with the Bible, they had a very complex way of understanding it. They did not follow the usual interpretations. Instead, they relied on their own personal inspiration. They respected most of the Old Testament but did not believe the story of Creation. They also thought some other old books, not usually in the Bible, were truly inspired.

Because they believed that matter and nature were evil, they lived very strict lives. They were ascetics, meaning they avoided many pleasures. For example, they fasted on Sundays and Christmas Day.

They also believed that ordinary people could not understand the deeper truths. So, they thought it was okay for enlightened Priscillianists to tell lies for a good or holy reason. Augustine, a famous Church leader, wrote a well-known book called "Against Lying" because he disagreed with this idea.

Writings and Rediscovery

Some of Priscillian's writings were considered acceptable by the main Church and were not destroyed. For example, he organized the letters of Paul (from the Bible) into sections based on their topics. He wrote an introduction for each section. These writings survived in a form edited by someone named Peregrinus.

These writings show a strong call for a very religious and strict life. This included celibacy (not marrying) and not eating meat or drinking wine. Priscillian also believed that all believers had special spiritual gifts. He encouraged everyone to study the Bible. He valued some books not usually in the main Bible, not as inspired, but as helpful for finding truth. However, he did believe some of these books were truly inspired.

For a long time, people thought all of Priscillian's own writings were lost. But in 1885, a scholar named Georg Schepss found eleven of his real writings at the University of Würzburg. These were published in 1889. While they have Priscillian's name, four of them, which describe his trial, seem to have been written by a close follower.

Some scholars believe that a Latin book called Liber Apologeticus by Priscillian is the source of a famous disputed Bible verse known as the Comma Johanneum.

See also

• Christian vegetarianism

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