Priscillianism facts for kids

Priscillianism was a special group of Christians that started in the Roman area of Hispania (which is now Spain and Portugal) in the 300s. It was founded by a man named Priscillian. This group's ideas came from older beliefs called Gnosticism, which were taught by Marcus from Egypt. Later, both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church decided that Priscillianism was a heresy, meaning its teachings were against the main Christian beliefs.

The Story of Priscillianism

How the Group Started

A man named Marcus from Egypt came to Spain and shared his Gnostic ideas. Two of his followers, a woman named Agape and a speaker named Helpidius, convinced Priscillian to join them. Priscillian was a rich and smart man who was good at speaking and debating. He was also known for living a very simple and strict life.

Because he was such a good speaker and lived simply, Priscillian attracted many followers. This included Helpidius and two bishops (church leaders), Instantius and Salvianus. They formed a new group that was like a secret society.

Early Problems and Excommunication

The bishop of Cordoba, Hyginus, became worried about Priscillian's group. He shared his concerns with other bishops, Hydatius and Ithacius. In 380, bishops from Spain and France held a meeting, called a synod, in Zaragoza. The Priscillianists were asked to come, but they refused. The synod then decided to excommunicate the four leaders: Instantius, Salvianus, Helpidius, and Priscillian. This meant they were no longer allowed to be part of the church.

Ithacius was chosen to make sure the synod's decisions were followed. But the Priscillianists did not give up. Priscillian was even made a bishop in the city of Avila. Ithacius then asked the Roman emperor, Gratian, for help. Emperor Gratian issued a rule that took away the Priscillianists' churches and sent them away from their homes.

Seeking Help and Facing More Trouble

Instantius, Salvianus, and Priscillian traveled to Rome to ask Pope Damasus I to cancel their punishment. Many supporters from Gaul (modern-day France) joined them on their journey, including many women. There were rumors, possibly untrue, that their followers were behaving improperly.

Pope Damasus did not meet with them. So, they went to Milan to ask St. Ambrose, another important church leader, but he also refused. They then used clever tricks and bribes at the emperor's court. This worked so well that they were not only allowed to return from exile but also got their churches back in Spain. They became so powerful that they forced Ithacius to leave the country. Ithacius then appealed to Emperor Gratian again. However, before anything could happen, Gratian was killed, and Magnus Maximus became the new emperor.

Trials and Executions

Emperor Maximus saw the situation not just as a church problem but as a moral and social issue. He wanted to gain favor with the main church leaders and also wanted to take the Priscillianists' money. So, he ordered another synod in Bordeaux in 384. Instantius was tried first and removed from his position. Priscillian then appealed directly to the emperor in Trier.

Ithacius was the accuser and spoke very strongly against Priscillian. St. Martin of Tours, who was in Trier at the time, stepped in. He did not approve of church matters being decided by a government court. He got a promise from the emperor that no one would be killed.

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

Many people criticized Ithacius for his actions. St. Martin, hearing what happened, returned to Trier and made the emperor cancel an order to send soldiers to Spain to stop the heresy. The church usually did not use government power to punish people for their beliefs. The Pope and St. Ambrose strongly criticized both Ithacius and the emperor. Some bishops even stopped communicating with Ithacius. He was later removed from his position by a meeting of Spanish bishops, and his friend Hydatius had to resign.

The Decline of Priscillianism

Even after Priscillian and his followers were executed, the number of Priscillianists actually grew. In 400, another synod 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 called Libra (Scales) about Priscillianist ideas.

The spread of Priscillianism was also helped by the invasion of Spain by groups like the Vandals, Alans, and Suevi. A priest named Paulus Orosius wrote to St. Augustine in 415 CE, asking for help to fight the heresy. Later, Pope Leo I also worked hard to stop it. Because of his efforts, councils were held in 446 and 447 in Astorga, Toledo, and Braga.

Despite these efforts, the group continued to spread during the 400s. In the 500s, it began to fade away. After the First Council of Braga in 561, which specifically addressed its teachings, Priscillianism soon disappeared.

What Priscillianists Believed

Two Kingdoms: Light and Darkness

The Priscillianists believed in a dualism, which means they thought there were two main kingdoms in the universe: one of Light and one of Darkness. They believed that angels and human souls were originally part of the "Deity" (God). Human souls were meant to defeat the Kingdom of Darkness, but they fell and became trapped in physical bodies. So, they believed that both the good (Light) and the bad (Darkness) were present in humans.

They thought this conflict was shown by the Twelve Patriarchs, who were heavenly spirits representing good powers in humans. On the other side were the Signs of the Zodiac, which they saw as symbols of matter and the lower, darker kingdom. For them, salvation meant being freed from the control of matter.

The Saviour and Secret Teachings

They believed that the twelve heavenly spirits failed to free human souls. So, the Saviour (Jesus) came in a heavenly body that only seemed like a normal human body. Through his teachings and his apparent death, he freed human souls from the influence of earthly matter.

To make these ideas fit with the Bible, they had a special way of interpreting scriptures. They rejected common interpretations and relied on their own personal inspiration. They respected most of the Old Testament but did not believe the Creation story. They also thought some other old writings, called apocryphal Scriptures, were real and inspired.

Living a Strict Life

Because Priscillianists believed that matter and nature were evil, they lived very strict lives. They were ascetics, meaning they avoided many pleasures. For example, they fasted (did not eat) on Sundays and Christmas Day.

They also believed that their deeper teachings were secret and that most people could not understand them. Because of this, some Priscillianists, especially those who felt "enlightened," were allowed to keep some truths hidden or to say things that were not entirely true for a good purpose. Augustine wrote a famous book called Contra Mendacium ("Against Lying") because he disagreed with this idea.

Writings and Their Discovery

Some of Priscillian's writings were considered acceptable by the main church and were not burned. For example, he organized the letters of Paul (including the Letter to the Hebrews) into sections based on their ideas and wrote an introduction for each part. These "canons" survived in a version edited by Peregrinus. They strongly encouraged a life of personal devotion and strictness, including celibacy (not marrying) and avoiding meat and wine. They also said that all believers had spiritual gifts. Priscillian urged people to study the Bible. He also valued some books not in the main Bible, called deuterocanonical books, not as inspired but as helpful for finding truth.

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 as Priscilliani quae supersunt. Even though they have Priscillian's name, four of them, which describe his trial, seem to have been written by a close follower.

According to Raymond Brown's book Epistle of John, a famous phrase in the Bible, the Comma Johanneum, seems to come from Priscillian's Latin book Liber Apologeticus.

Possible Zoroastrian Influence

Ancient Connections

Some scholars wonder if the ideas of Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion, influenced Priscillianism. While there isn't much direct proof of Persian religious ideas in Spain in the 300s, some experts have found similar beliefs between Priscillianism and Zoroastrianism.

Accusations from the Past

Jerome, an important writer from that time, directly linked Priscillianism to Zoroastrian practices. He wrote that Priscillian was "a very devoted student of the magus Zoroaster" and that he "from a magus became bishop." This connection might have been influenced by an earlier report that Priscillian was interested in astrology.

Similar Ideas

When scholars study Priscillian's writings, they find ideas about astrology that are similar to Zoroastrian priestly traditions, especially how they understood the spiritual meaning of stars and planets. These ideas show complex ways of thinking about the universe that are like Persian models.

The Priscillianists' belief in two opposing forces (dualism), which was often criticized as being like Manichaeism (another dualistic religion), might also show earlier Zoroastrian influences. Some argue that while Priscillianism's dualism was not as extreme as Manichaeism's, it had patterns that could suggest indirect Zoroastrian sources. The focus on the fight between light and darkness in Priscillian's beliefs is very similar to Zoroastrian ideas of a cosmic battle.

Historical Background

Archaeological findings show that late Roman Spain had trade connections with the East, which could have allowed Persian religious ideas to travel. However, some historians suggest that many of Priscillianism's "eastern" elements could simply be explained by common strict religious practices in early Christianity.

Jerome's linking of Priscillian to Zoroastrian practices was a common way for critics at the time to connect different Christian groups to "eastern" or "Persian" influences. While this doesn't prove direct Zoroastrian influence on Priscillianism, it shows that people at the time either saw or created such connections.

See also

In Spanish: Priscilianismo para niños

• Christian vegetarianism