It’s difficult to understand how the Luceriferan doctrine came into being, because it was such a bizarre twist on Christianity.
The Pantheism of the Luciferans
The Luciferans came about through an unusual set of beliefs, that were lined up along another unusual set of beliefs that resulted in the deification of what the Catholic Church would define as the face of evil, Lucifer himself.
In early pantheism, many people held that God was present in all of creation. Since God was present in all of creation and God created Lucifer, it was their view that he should be worshiped.
Catholics and Protestants both referred to Lucifer as "the ruler of this world." And it was a strange twist of that doctrine that led the Luciferans to believe that Lucifer would actually be restored to his rightful place in God’s kingdom and therefore God and Lucifer were one – equal in their Godhead.
Accused of making pacts with Satan, these medieval heretics were often hard to distinguish from other heresies who were accused of committing similar acts.
One group in particular whose views were considered quite similar to the Luciferans were the Antinomians who existed in the 13th century primarily in Germany.
In the 1960’s and 1970’s, a group called the ‘Process Church’ operated in North America and England whose views were very similar to the Luciferans, as well. They were also considered to be among the first vestiges of Satanism which began to appear shortly thereafter.
Heresy According to the Early Church Fathers
The Early Church Fathers would have been shocked that heresy could go so far as the Luciferans eventually did go. But despite the fact that they could never have anticipated such a strange doctrine, they summarized it well long before the Luciferans came into being. “Heresies derive what strength as they have from the infirmities of individuals. For heresies have no strength whenever they encounter a truly powerful faith,” according to (Tertullian) A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers.
Another unsuccessful heresy was the Lollards, but a heretical sect that became very popular and well-known and is still spoken of today is Manichaeism.
Sources:
- Encyclopedia of Heresies and Heretics, by Charles S. Clifton.
- A Catholic Dictionary, by William E. Addis and Thomas Arnold, M.A.
- Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, by Dr. Ludwig Ott.
- A Short History of Christian Doctrine: From the First Century to the Present, by Bernhard Lohse.
- The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325 - 1870, by Philip Hughes.
- A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers, Edited by David W. Bercot.
 |
