Was the Church Right to Condemn Montanism?
This article by Angus Stewart examines the early Christian heresy of Montanism, which claimed the Holy Spirit was giving new revelations to the church, and evaluates whether the early church was justified in condemning this movement. Through historical analysis of Montanus and his prophetesses, Stewart investigates fundamental questions about the nature of the Holy Spirit's ongoing work and the criteria for authentic Christianity, relevant to understanding the boundaries of Reformed pneumatology and biblical interpretation.
Angus Stewart (I) A Brief History of Montanism Montanism was one of the earliest heresies and splits in the Christian Church. The Montanists believed that the Holy Spirit or Paraclete was giving them new revelation, especially regarding Christian morality. They adopted the name “New Prophecy” for their movement. This expressed their deepest principle: the Paraclete is still uttering direct revelation to His people, or, to put it differently, prophecy is a criterion of authentic Christianity....