The literal humanity of God in the early Church (Audianism)

[Hatikvah]

Disclaimer: I do not intend any mockery or satire of Mormons or any other groups that accept anthropomorphism, nor am I promoting the doctrine myself. I’m simply commenting on it in writing this.

Among many Mormons and Latter-day Saint groups in particular, there is a belief that God has a “body of flesh and bones just as tangible as man’s” (D&C 130:22). There is also the belief in exaltation or eternal progression, “becoming like God”. (The hyperlinks are for reliable Mormon sources.) Now, while that belief has not been paralleled in the past by groups identifying with Christianity, the belief that God has a human body has been.

Along with the Arians, Adoptionists, Docetists and countless other Gnostic groups, Modalists, and yet even others, there was bound to be the one group interpreting things far too literally: the Audians. Just like Arianism or Sabellianism or Luciferianism or (on and on), Audianism was named after its theological father, Audius.

There were two distinct beliefs that the Audians held: anthropomorphism of God and quartodecimanism (the celebration of Easter during the Jewish Passover).

Just like how Arius used Scripture (e.g., 1 Corinthians 8:5-6) to support his position, Audius used this one verse to say that God has His own form just like ours:

God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27, NAB)

In the end, just like Arianism, it was defeated:

The First Council of Nicaea condemned quartodecimanism in 325. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444) condemned anthropomorphism at his Adversus Anthropomorphites.

So this goes to show that the belief in anthropomorphism, although forreign and even heterodox, is not an invention of Joseph Smith’s King Follet Discourse; rather, it is something that has been encountered before.

This is a short summary of Audianism’s theology from a Catholic website (the last quote’s source): catholicdoors.com/faq/qu958.htm

 

[RebeccaJ]

John Cassian wrote c. 495 of this heresy, of the decree against it arriving via letter in Egypt from Alexandria, where the heresy of the Anthropomorphites was so entrenched that abbots and clergy in the desert of Scete refused to read or repeat it at their meetings. He names one exception, Abbot Phaphnutius, who took it on himself to reeducate the monks at his monastery.

There was an aged Abbot named Sarapion, who had held to Anthropomorphisim his entire life, and could not be persuaded from it. Short story is, a deacon named Photinus arrived, who was revered as a learned man, and he taught the old Abbot from Tradition and Scripture and convinced him of his error. All celebrated, that an old man, set in his ways, could be turned to the true faith.

But sadly, during prayers that celebrated Sarapion turning to the true faith, Sarapion burst out in sobs and cried out, “Alas! wretched man that I am! they have taken away my God from me, and I have now none to lay hold of; and whom to worship and address I know not.” ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf211.iv.iv.xi.iii.html

This story was taken by a leader of the LDS Church, Elder Jeffrey Holland, and used to teach against the Holy Trinity. He, teaching at an LDS General Conference, that the response of poor Abbot Sarapion is the correct response to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

One of our LDS posters here, quotes Abbot Sarapion in his signature, which is taken from Elder Holland’s teaching.

 

[Hatikvah]

This story was taken by a leader of the LDS Church, Elder Jeffrey Holland, and used to teach against the Holy Trinity. He, teaching at an LDS General Conference, that the response of poor Abbot Sarapion is the correct response to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

One of our LDS posters here, quotes Abbot Sarapion in his signature, which is taken from Elder Holland’s teaching.

Wow, I had not known of that story. It’s interesting, and I never would’ve thought that anybody LDS would take that for themselves.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Wow, I had not known of that story. It’s interesting, and I never would’ve thought that anybody LDS would take that for themselves.

Cherry picking, is the usual thing for LDS “scholars”. By that I mean, the writings of the Early Church and ante-Nicene Fathers are gleaned for anything that matches to LDS teaching, but the entire context of the Catholic faith from which they harvest, and which they hold as apostate and corrupt, is ignored.

It is sad, really. This one is a real gem for them, as they view it as evidence of a corruption in progress, documented, and everything.

 

[gazelam]

One of our LDS posters here, quotes Abbot Sarapion in his signature, which is taken from Elder Holland’s teaching.

moi?