Novatianism or Novationism was an
early Christian sect devoted to the theologian
Novatian
Novatian (c. 200–258) was a scholar, priest, and theologian. He is considered by the Catholic Church to have been an antipope between 251 and 258. Some Greek authors give his name as Novatus, who was an African presbyter.
He was a noted th ...
( 200–258) that held a strict view that refused readmission to
communion of ''
lapsi'' (those baptized Christians who had denied their faith or performed the formalities of a ritual sacrifice to the pagan gods under the pressures of the persecution sanctioned by Emperor
Decius
Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius ( 201 ADJune 251 AD), sometimes translated as Trajan Decius or Decius, was the emperor of the Roman Empire from 249 to 251.
A distinguished politician during the reign of Philip the Arab, Decius was pro ...
in AD 250). The
Church of Rome declared the Novatianists
heretical following the letters of
Saint Cyprian of Carthage and
Ambrose
Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...
wrote against them. Novatianism survived until the 8th century.
Novatian theology was heavily influenced by
Tertullian, and made heavy use of his writings.
Novatian
After the
martyrdom of
Pope Fabian during the
Decian persecution
The Decian persecution of Christians occurred in 250 AD under the Roman Emperor Decius. He had issued an edict ordering everyone in the Empire to perform a sacrifice to the Roman gods and the well-being of the emperor. The sacrifices had ...
, a Roman priest,
Novatian
Novatian (c. 200–258) was a scholar, priest, and theologian. He is considered by the Catholic Church to have been an antipope between 251 and 258. Some Greek authors give his name as Novatus, who was an African presbyter.
He was a noted th ...
, opposed the election of
Pope Cornelius in 251, on the grounds that Cornelius was too liberal in accepting lapsed Christians. Novatian held that lapsed Christians, who had not maintained their confession of faith under persecution, may not be received again into
communion with the church. He was consecrated bishop by three bishops of Italy and declared himself to be the true
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
. He and his followers were
excommunicated
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
by a synod held at Rome in October of the same year.
[Chapman, John. "Novatian and Novatianism." The Catholic Encyclopedia]
Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 24 February 2016 Novatian is said to have suffered martyrdom under
Emperor Valerian I (253–60).
Novatian should not be confused with one Novatus, a priest of
Carthage
Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the clas ...
, who advocated re-admitting the ''lapsi'' without an enforced
penance.
Cyprian of Carthage came to a position opposed to both and advocated a council be held to establish a policy under which former idolaters could be once again admitted to communion with the church.
Lardner argues that
Eusebius
Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christ ...
and the Greeks in general were correct in calling the Roman presbyter Novatus, not Novatianus. He attributes the origin of the latter name to Cyprian, who called the Roman presbyter Novatianus, as being a follower of his own rebellious priest, Novatus of Carthage.
[Stokes, G. T., "Novatianus and Novatianism", ''A Dictionary of Early Christian Biography'', (Henry Wace, ed.), John Murray, London, 1911](_blank)
/ref> Novatian in his writings defended the doctrine of the Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the ...
, argued that the Old Testament prohibitions on meats must be understood spiritually, condemned Christians who attend public games and praised chastity. Novatian was heavily influenced by the works of Tertullian.
Beliefs
''Lapsi''
Novatian believed that the ''lapsi'' should not be let back into the church. He believed that the ''lapsi'' might repent and be put to lifelong penance, but the forgiveness must be left to God, and that the ''lapsi'' could not be forgiven on this earth.
Novatians cited the Book of Hebrews to support this idea.
God
Novatian was a trinitarian. Novatian's writings defended the Father as the creator of the world to combat the teachings of the Gnostics
Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Judaism, Jewish and Early Christianity, early Christian sects. These ...
. Novatian also defended the unity of the godhead
Godhead (from Middle English ''godhede'', "godhood", and unrelated to the modern word "head"), may refer to:
* Deity
* Divinity
* Conceptions of God
* In Abrahamic religions
** Godhead in Judaism, the unknowable aspect of God, which lies beyo ...
and humanity in Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
, and wrote about a distinction between the Son and the Father, to combat Marcionites, Modalists and Adoptionists. Novatian believed that the role of the Holy Spirit
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts ...
was solely to be the source of blessings given during Baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
.
However for Novatian, there was subordination in the Trinity, and the Son originates from the Father.
The Church
Unlike Cyprian, Novatian believed that being inside the church is not a requirement for salvation
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
, but that the church is a congregation of saints, and if sinners would be let inside the church, it would endanger the church. Novatians always had a successor of Novatian in Rome (where Novatian was from) and they used the episcopal polity
An episcopal polity is a hierarchical form of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") in which the chief local authorities are called bishops. (The word "bishop" derives, via the British Latin and Vulgar Latin term ''*ebiscopus''/''*bisc ...
.
Other
According to Theodoret, the Novatians did not use confirmation
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant (religion), covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an wikt:affirmation, affirma ...
, and according to Eulugius, Novatians did not either venerate martyrs. Novatians forbade remarriage. Christologically Novatian was probably orthodox, however some suggest he had similarities to the later Nestorians, though this view has been criticized.
By the 4th century, Novatians had also adopted monasticism.
Some Novatians were Quartodecimans.
Baptism
Augustine writes that the Novatians would rebaptize people who came from the Catholic Church. Some have argued that the Novatians did not baptize infants, though the stance of the Novatians is disputed and the arguments that Novatians were credobaptist
Believer's baptism or adult baptism (occasionally called credobaptism, from the Latin word meaning "I believe") is the practice of baptizing those who are able to make a conscious profession of faith, as contrasted to the practice of baptizing ...
is founded on somewhat weak evidence, and by this point infant baptism had become common and clear among the orthodox writers.
After Novatian
Novatian's strict views existed before him and may be found in '' The Shepherd of Hermas''.[ After his death, the Novatianist sect spread rapidly and could be found in every province and were very numerous in some places.][ Those who allied themselves with his doctrines were called ''Novatianists'', but they called themselves ''καθαροι'' ("katharoi") or "Purists" (not to be confused with the later ]Cathars
Catharism (; from the grc, καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure ones") was a Christian Dualistic cosmology, dualist or Gnosticism, Gnostic movement between the 12th and 14th centuries which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern ...
) to reflect their desire not to be identified with what they considered the lax practices of a corrupted and what was hitherto a universal Church.
While Novatian had refused absolution to the ''lapsi'' (those who had renounced their Christianity under persecution but later wanted to return to the church), his followers extended the doctrine to include all "mortal sins" (idolatry, murder, and adultery, or fornication). Most of them forbade second marriage. They always had a successor of Novatian at Rome and were everywhere governed by bishops.
Because Novatianists (including Novatian) did not submit to the bishop of Rome, they were labeled by Rome as schismatics. Additionally, Rome also labeled Novatianists heretics for denying that the Church had the power to grant absolution in certain cases (such as to the ''lapsi'').
In the 4th and 5th centuries, the Donatist sect in Africa Proconsulare
Africa Proconsularis was a Roman province on the northern African coast that was established in 146 BC following the defeat of Carthage in the Third Punic War. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day Tunisia, the northeast of Alg ...
maintained a similar belief about Christians who had lapsed under the pressures of persecution; they too were declared heretics.
Some Novatians blended with the Montanists
Montanism (), known by its adherents as the New Prophecy, was an History of Christianity#Early Christianity (c. 31/33–324), early Christian movement of the Christianity in the 2nd century, late 2nd century, later referred to by the name of it ...
.
See also
* Antipope
* Donatist
* James L. Papandrea
References
Sources
* .
* .
Further reading
* Papandrea, James L., ''Rome: A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Eternal City'' (Cascade Books, 2012)
* Papandrea, James L., ''Novatian of Rome: On the Trinity, Letters to Cyprian of Carthage, Ethical Treatises'', (Translation with Introduction, Turnhout: Brepols, 2015)
External links
* Papandrea, James L.
"Novatian of Rome and the Culmination of Pre-Nicene Orthodoxy"
Pickwick Publications, 2011
{{Heresies condemned by the Catholic Church
Schisms in Christianity
Heresy in ancient Christianity
Christian denominations established in the 3rd century
Christian terminology
Donatism
Nature of Jesus Christ