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Irenaeus on the Christian Faith: A Condensation of Against Heresies
Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130-202) was the greatest theologian of the early post-apostolic church. In his writings we have access to the Christian teaching of a spiritual grandson of the apostle John, for Irenaeus' instructor in the faith was himself taught by the apostle. Irenaeus stresses the importance of apostolic teaching and faithfully handing on the apostolic tradition. His presentation of the Christian faith deserves careful attention, since he knew exactly what he was talking about. There is no better avenue to the apostolic tradition in the early church than his writings. Irenaeus' massive Against Heresies offers a winsome and compelling presentation of the Christian faith, but few have read this magnum opus since the first two of its five books focus on exposing and answering Gnostic heresies, and the only complete English version is difficult to read. This volume eliminates both these obstacles. James Payton has condensed Against Heresies by cutting out most of the interaction with the Gnostics, allowing Irenaeus' rich presentation on the Christian faith to shine through. Furthermore, the author has refurbished the English prose to make it accessible to contemporary readers. With this distillation readers now have access to Irenaeus' rich presentation of the Christian faith, saturated in a thorough knowledge of Scripture and steadfastly rooted in the apostolic tradition of the early church. Anyone who wants to know what the early Christian church had received and passed on from the apostles can do no better than to begin with this book.
234 pages, Paperback
First published January 17, 2011
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54 people want to read
About the author
James R. Payton Jr.
8 books10 followersJames R. Payton Jr. (PhD, University of Waterloo, Canada) is emeritus professor of history at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. He is the author of Light from the Christian East: An Introduction to the Orthodox Tradition and Getting the Reformation Wrong: Correcting Some Misunderstandings, as well as the editor of A Patristic Treasury: Early Church Wisdom for Today.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 31, 2024
A very important read of an early defense against Christian heretics that seem far too relevant to the Church today.
April 29, 2025
Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202) wrote his A Refutation and Subversion of What is Falsely Called Knowledge (more commonly known as his Against Heresies) around 180 and has been received as his magnum opus against the threats of Gnosticism plaguing the church in his day. The work represents a crucial step in the development of Christian theology on a more systematic level, especially as it concerns the particular loci that gnostic teachings influenced, such as creation, anthropology, and the history of redemption. Against Heresies thus demonstrates the providential import of doctrinal deviations and heretical teachings that threaten the church: when new, unbiblical teachings arise in the life of God’s people, the teachers and pastors of the church must work to faithfully articulate the correct teaching that not only refutes error but also replaces the incorrect position with the correct position. Its structure is uniquely complex and cyclical; Irenaeus does not follow a linear argument, but rather introduces one subject only to return to it later after addressing other related or semi-related issues. Regardless, Against Heresies presents a wealth of doctrinal developments in the early church.
Against Heresies is divided up into five books, the first two being more focused on articulating and critiquing the teachings of various gnostic sects and teachers, and the final three books emphasizing positive articulations of Christian teachings. Book one outlines the definitional characteristics of Gnosticism, such as a metaphysical dualism between the spiritual and the material, the former being intrinsically good and the latter being intrinsically evil, the priority of secret knowledge as the key to salvation for the elect, the libertine ethic that allows for little to no genuine piety, and a complex cosmology of emanations from the purest Being to the created, material being. In the midst of Irenaeus’s descriptions, he levels critiques at them, ranging from the indictment of evil practices as a result of their antinomian ethics to the reinterpretation or even repudiation of crucial passages of Scripture.
Book two presents a more in-depth critique of the gnostic view of creation. In doing so, Irenaeus draws upon the philosophical backgrounds that influence Gnosticism to such an extent that their positions depart from the teachings of Scripture and the tradition of the church. The latter two aspects of Christian teaching are vital to Irenaeus and ought not to be overly separated; the teachings of Scripture and the tradition of the church are like two sides of the same coin, and together they constitute the rule of faith, the central hermeneutical principle for interpreting Scripture as one body of teaching for the one body of the church of Christ. Another important critique leveled at Gnosticism is that their emphasis on knowledge and its salvific role is antithetical to the nature of faith and its function in the Christian life; while gnosticism seeks out exhaustive understanding of the divine and its relation to the world, true Christian faith rests upon what God has revealed and does not pry into the things left secret.
Book three begins the Irenaesus’s more explicitly positive articulation of the Christian faith, although still in light of the problems posed by Gnosticism. This point is important to remember because it helps the contemporary reader to understand why Irenaeus emphasizes some aspects of Christian doctrine and why he does not bring up others. In this book, Irenaeus exposits the organic unity of the Scripture and church tradition, contending that the latter can be literally traced back from the current presbyters and bishops back to the apostles and authors of Scripture themselves. This is a crucial aspect of Ireneaus’s argument since he appeals to the testimony of the universal church against the gnostics. Additionally, Irenaeus introduces his concept of recapitulation in this book, a major theological theme that he will return to in book five. The recapitulation of the purposes of God for humanity from Adam to Christ is central to Irenaeus’s argument for the incarnation of the Son of God into genuine human nature.
Book four focuses on the unity of the Old and New Testaments and the one God that has revealed himself in both. The redemptive-historical character of Irenaeus’s thought is striking; he presents a robust understanding of prophecy and typology, even articulating a maximalist principle at one point: “we should search for types in [actions in Scripture], for nothing which was recorded in Scripture without being condemned is without deeper significance” (4:31,1). The unity of Scripture is such a strong emphasis here because of the common gnostic teaching that posited that there was an “Old Testament god” and a “New Testament god”, one popular representative of this view being Marcion, a figure mentioned by name. Additionally, Irenaeus touches on anthropological points towards the end of this book, really emphasizing the free will of humanity as opposed to any kind of determinism. Contemporary readers, especially those of a Reformed persuasion, may find this discouraging, but it is significant to remember that gnosticism taught a true determinism of the elect and reprobate that Irenaeus was fighting against. It would be improper, therefore, to apply his arguments straightforwardly into the Reformation era and contemporary era debates concerning Calvinism and Arminianism, for example.
Book five has perhaps some of Irenaeus’s most robust and complex theological ideas and statements, especially as they concern recapitulation and anthropology. For example, Irenaeus’s anthropology is directly informed by his recapitulatory view of the incarnation, for he contends that the image of God must encompass the whole human person, body and soul, because Christ, the image of God, became incarnate as a human body and human soul. From the all-significant point of the incarnation, we find a vindication of the material creation that is seen in the salvation of humanity, the resurrection of Christ, the bread and wine of the Eucharist, and the final resurrection of the righteous unto a earthly and paradisal Kingdom of God.
Plenty of other significant theological points can be enumerated from Against Heresies, such as the nature of faith in relation to sacrifice, the Christus Victor understanding of the atonement of Christ, the role of Scripture and the nature of Scriptural citations throughout the work, the underdeveloped, but still very lively and biblical doctrine of the Trinity, and the high standards of ethics and piety within the life of the church. Perhaps one of the most striking observations for the contemporary Reformed reader is to recognize that perhaps it is the case that Geerhardus Vos and his Biblical Theology may be a recapitulation of Irenaeus’s own method and understanding of the flow of redemptive history structured between the first and last Adams.
This work does a phenomenal job of condensing a larger work, but nonetheless retaining its unique contribution to the history of theology.
Against Heresies is divided up into five books, the first two being more focused on articulating and critiquing the teachings of various gnostic sects and teachers, and the final three books emphasizing positive articulations of Christian teachings. Book one outlines the definitional characteristics of Gnosticism, such as a metaphysical dualism between the spiritual and the material, the former being intrinsically good and the latter being intrinsically evil, the priority of secret knowledge as the key to salvation for the elect, the libertine ethic that allows for little to no genuine piety, and a complex cosmology of emanations from the purest Being to the created, material being. In the midst of Irenaeus’s descriptions, he levels critiques at them, ranging from the indictment of evil practices as a result of their antinomian ethics to the reinterpretation or even repudiation of crucial passages of Scripture.
Book two presents a more in-depth critique of the gnostic view of creation. In doing so, Irenaeus draws upon the philosophical backgrounds that influence Gnosticism to such an extent that their positions depart from the teachings of Scripture and the tradition of the church. The latter two aspects of Christian teaching are vital to Irenaeus and ought not to be overly separated; the teachings of Scripture and the tradition of the church are like two sides of the same coin, and together they constitute the rule of faith, the central hermeneutical principle for interpreting Scripture as one body of teaching for the one body of the church of Christ. Another important critique leveled at Gnosticism is that their emphasis on knowledge and its salvific role is antithetical to the nature of faith and its function in the Christian life; while gnosticism seeks out exhaustive understanding of the divine and its relation to the world, true Christian faith rests upon what God has revealed and does not pry into the things left secret.
Book three begins the Irenaesus’s more explicitly positive articulation of the Christian faith, although still in light of the problems posed by Gnosticism. This point is important to remember because it helps the contemporary reader to understand why Irenaeus emphasizes some aspects of Christian doctrine and why he does not bring up others. In this book, Irenaeus exposits the organic unity of the Scripture and church tradition, contending that the latter can be literally traced back from the current presbyters and bishops back to the apostles and authors of Scripture themselves. This is a crucial aspect of Ireneaus’s argument since he appeals to the testimony of the universal church against the gnostics. Additionally, Irenaeus introduces his concept of recapitulation in this book, a major theological theme that he will return to in book five. The recapitulation of the purposes of God for humanity from Adam to Christ is central to Irenaeus’s argument for the incarnation of the Son of God into genuine human nature.
Book four focuses on the unity of the Old and New Testaments and the one God that has revealed himself in both. The redemptive-historical character of Irenaeus’s thought is striking; he presents a robust understanding of prophecy and typology, even articulating a maximalist principle at one point: “we should search for types in [actions in Scripture], for nothing which was recorded in Scripture without being condemned is without deeper significance” (4:31,1). The unity of Scripture is such a strong emphasis here because of the common gnostic teaching that posited that there was an “Old Testament god” and a “New Testament god”, one popular representative of this view being Marcion, a figure mentioned by name. Additionally, Irenaeus touches on anthropological points towards the end of this book, really emphasizing the free will of humanity as opposed to any kind of determinism. Contemporary readers, especially those of a Reformed persuasion, may find this discouraging, but it is significant to remember that gnosticism taught a true determinism of the elect and reprobate that Irenaeus was fighting against. It would be improper, therefore, to apply his arguments straightforwardly into the Reformation era and contemporary era debates concerning Calvinism and Arminianism, for example.
Book five has perhaps some of Irenaeus’s most robust and complex theological ideas and statements, especially as they concern recapitulation and anthropology. For example, Irenaeus’s anthropology is directly informed by his recapitulatory view of the incarnation, for he contends that the image of God must encompass the whole human person, body and soul, because Christ, the image of God, became incarnate as a human body and human soul. From the all-significant point of the incarnation, we find a vindication of the material creation that is seen in the salvation of humanity, the resurrection of Christ, the bread and wine of the Eucharist, and the final resurrection of the righteous unto a earthly and paradisal Kingdom of God.
Plenty of other significant theological points can be enumerated from Against Heresies, such as the nature of faith in relation to sacrifice, the Christus Victor understanding of the atonement of Christ, the role of Scripture and the nature of Scriptural citations throughout the work, the underdeveloped, but still very lively and biblical doctrine of the Trinity, and the high standards of ethics and piety within the life of the church. Perhaps one of the most striking observations for the contemporary Reformed reader is to recognize that perhaps it is the case that Geerhardus Vos and his Biblical Theology may be a recapitulation of Irenaeus’s own method and understanding of the flow of redemptive history structured between the first and last Adams.
This work does a phenomenal job of condensing a larger work, but nonetheless retaining its unique contribution to the history of theology.
June 29, 2022
Though abridged, it's really nice to have this in accessible form and translation. Most of the best bits have already been made familiar, but it's great to get caught up in the sweep of Irenaeus's biblical quotations and to feel his focus on our recapitulation through Christ's obedience for us. It's also illuminating to encounter his recurrent assumption of the good of needing to "grow accustomed" to God's glory, even in glory. This is not a creaturely imperfection, it's the maturing and creaturely harmonizing that God's work of perfection entails. (That last bit is more implicit, but it's there). I'm excited to assign this to seminary students and see how many of our modern theological "developments" they see anticipated here.
August 20, 2023
Loved this version so much. In a current culture that has its own version of Heresies, this reminded me the power of God’s word and just speaking/teaching it’s consistent truth which has not changed 1900+ years since Iraneus lived. This encouraged me so much that scholars of this time before the Bible had even been fully put together had connected the thread of the Gospel throughout the Old Testament and the writings that would become the New Testament. This is a book I will reference in the future.
August 22, 2024
A classic, though I wouldn’t say every Christian needs to read it.
September 19, 2023
If you've ever dug into Irenaeus through the ANF volume, you'll really appreciate this newer translation of Against Heresies.
Reading an abridged copy of AH helps you to get a feel for the whole work without having to wade through Irenaeus' description of various Gnositc systems.
The citation markers to the original work throughout are very helpful.
Reading an abridged copy of AH helps you to get a feel for the whole work without having to wade through Irenaeus' description of various Gnositc systems.
The citation markers to the original work throughout are very helpful.
January 13, 2020
This book is a welcome and needed tool for those interested in the theology of ancient Christianity. It is a condensation of a much longer work, the Adversus Haereses of Irenaeus of. That work, though incredibly interesting and relevant to modern theological discourse, is in many ways inaccessible due to two factors: the increasing datedness of English translations and the content of the work itself.
On this first point, Payton has done a wonderful job of editing the work of existing English translations for greater readability. Despite the complexity of the work, I never felt confused by the wording.
Payton’s work on this second point is far more interesting. Irenaeus’ original work contains a massive amount of information about historical groups of heretical Christians and their thought. This material is meticulous and charitable, to Irenaeus’ credit. But to the modern Christian or Christian theologian, this material, so dense and complicated, is basically useless except as a record of historical context. In some places, this crowds out Irenaeus’ more relevant insights into the Christian faith. Payton has excised much of this and presents only those insights, using footnotes to contextualize them. This makes it much easier to understand and interpret this great theologian.
Likewise, the short introduction is superb and proves the significance of this work to anyone interested in the ancient Church and its history.
The only aspect of this book that makes me give it four stars instead of five is that I would strongly prefer headings that give a sense of what Irenaeus is talking about, because sometimes his writing, especially when condensed as Payton condensed, leaves one confused as to the topic at hand.
All in all, I recommend this work without hesitation.
On this first point, Payton has done a wonderful job of editing the work of existing English translations for greater readability. Despite the complexity of the work, I never felt confused by the wording.
Payton’s work on this second point is far more interesting. Irenaeus’ original work contains a massive amount of information about historical groups of heretical Christians and their thought. This material is meticulous and charitable, to Irenaeus’ credit. But to the modern Christian or Christian theologian, this material, so dense and complicated, is basically useless except as a record of historical context. In some places, this crowds out Irenaeus’ more relevant insights into the Christian faith. Payton has excised much of this and presents only those insights, using footnotes to contextualize them. This makes it much easier to understand and interpret this great theologian.
Likewise, the short introduction is superb and proves the significance of this work to anyone interested in the ancient Church and its history.
The only aspect of this book that makes me give it four stars instead of five is that I would strongly prefer headings that give a sense of what Irenaeus is talking about, because sometimes his writing, especially when condensed as Payton condensed, leaves one confused as to the topic at hand.
All in all, I recommend this work without hesitation.
November 23, 2020
This is a condensed version of Irenaeus's "Against Heresies". I am glad that I read it, but I am very glad that it was condensed version. Irenaeus is VERY repetitive. He is not presenting a systematic theology. Instead he has very particular points to make. His main target is Gnostic Christianity, which claimed various things that diminished the value of this physical world. Claiming things like (1) God did not make this world, rather an evil lesser god (angel) created this evil world of matter, (2) Jesus was God, but not in the flesh since a material body is evil, (3) most everyone was doomed to eternal punishment, some understood that they had to be good to earn a degree of good live after death, a few were given secrets knowledge (gnosis) to be transported directly to God for heavenly bliss.
Irenaeus destroys the Gnostic Heresies, which never gain a foot hold again after 200CE. He makes the points that (1) God created this material world and it is good, (2) Jesus is 'the Word' become flesh, (3) The Word recapitulates humanity and creation so as to save them, etc. These were Christian-Jewish teachings of the Apostles. Most Christians would see the basic teachings of traditional Christianity and be very comfortable with Irenaeus's book.
However, he drags on and on. Also, apparently, the only version of "Against Heresies' is a Latin version translated from the original Greek. And this translation was clumsy. As an early church father document, it remains important in its influence to overcome the many Gnostic teachings of the second century, but the nuances of Irenaeus's writings are probably Latin-ized into a Western vision of Christianity.
Irenaeus destroys the Gnostic Heresies, which never gain a foot hold again after 200CE. He makes the points that (1) God created this material world and it is good, (2) Jesus is 'the Word' become flesh, (3) The Word recapitulates humanity and creation so as to save them, etc. These were Christian-Jewish teachings of the Apostles. Most Christians would see the basic teachings of traditional Christianity and be very comfortable with Irenaeus's book.
However, he drags on and on. Also, apparently, the only version of "Against Heresies' is a Latin version translated from the original Greek. And this translation was clumsy. As an early church father document, it remains important in its influence to overcome the many Gnostic teachings of the second century, but the nuances of Irenaeus's writings are probably Latin-ized into a Western vision of Christianity.
April 1, 2022
What is shocking about Irenaeus, is just how normative his expression of the Christian faith has actually been throughout time. Not only is a common faith an apologetic for the Christian message across space, but also time, it seems.
Also, Payton's translation is incredibly easy to read and made this dive into the past a pleasure.
Also, Payton's translation is incredibly easy to read and made this dive into the past a pleasure.
November 26, 2022
Very Knowledgeable
This book exposes a lot of problems with faith and culture today and helps set us on a more correct course with God. I believe every Christian should read this book, and even those who are not Christians and are curious about faith and God. Those who are stuck in their beliefs (no matter the belief) need to read with an accepting mind. God’s Blessings.
This book exposes a lot of problems with faith and culture today and helps set us on a more correct course with God. I believe every Christian should read this book, and even those who are not Christians and are curious about faith and God. Those who are stuck in their beliefs (no matter the belief) need to read with an accepting mind. God’s Blessings.
April 12, 2023
Irenaeus' writings are pregnant with scripture. Tedious at times but some really edifying material. Some of the historical notes were also very interesting. He really lived close to the generation that was with Jesus. He has some really interesting and thoughtful interpretations of redemptive history. I don't think the abridged version was necessary.
May 23, 2025
Justifies Apostolic Faith
This was a great book that helps Christians today to have a stronger logical proof that the faith we belive today is the same as in the time of Jesus and his Apostles
This was a great book that helps Christians today to have a stronger logical proof that the faith we belive today is the same as in the time of Jesus and his Apostles
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September 15, 2024Read for PhD seminar
December 26, 2023
Payton's abridged edition makes this much more readable, but I just couldn't get into it. There are certainly some gripping quotes and paragraphs.
April 3, 2013
Payton realized that much of the helpful theological material in Against Heresies remains inaccessibly buried to most Christians. The recitation of Gnostic beliefs in the first several books of Against Heresies discourage readers from pushing forward to theologically rich passages. Furthermore, until recently Against Heresies was only available in an older 19th century translation (the more recent translation in the ACW series remains incomplete).
Payton seeks to remedy these defects by updating the language and style of the older translation and by excising Irenaeus’s detailed discussions of Gnosticism and leaving behind his theologically rich teaching.
Payton seeks to remedy these defects by updating the language and style of the older translation and by excising Irenaeus’s detailed discussions of Gnosticism and leaving behind his theologically rich teaching.
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