A famous phrase is representative of the thinking which embodies Christianity defeated —made by the own Antonio Piñero in interviews and conferences where he explains his work:

“Christianity was not born one, but multiple; it was a struggle of interpretations in which triumphed with a single voice, not necessarily the most faithful to the original message.”
— Antonio Piñero, philologist, and university professor specializing in early christianity

This phrase sums up the spirit of the book: the idea that the history of christianity is not linear or pure, but the result of a selection of historical where many movements were marginalized or destroyed for reasons theological, political and power.

Complete study of Christianity defeated (Antonio Piñero)

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• Title: Christianity defeated: What was the thinking of the early christians, heretical and heterodox?
• Author: Antonio Piñero Sáenz.
• Editorial and collection: FASD, collection “Jerusalem”.
• First edition: October 22, 2007.
• Approximate area: 320-330 pp.; ISBN 844142005X.
  These data are included in the tab of Amazon/Google Books and in commercial catalogues.

Purpose and central thesis of the book

Piñero proposes to reconstruct the mosaic of currents of primitive christianity that were not converted to “orthodoxy”, and to show how the orthodoxy itself is a construction later historical which he described retrospectively with other currents such as “heresies”. The focus is not apologetic but historical-critical: examines sources of the century I to V (and beyond) to understand what they believed these groups and why were marginalized. This intention is made explicit by the author on your site and synopsis publishers.

Structure and content

the precise ratio varies according to edition; from previews and excerpts identifies a thematic sequence that runs through the judeo-christianism to the great controversies christological and trinitarian (arianism, nestorianismo, monophysitism), and includes gnosticismos, marcionismo and montanism, among others.

1. Birth of the christian movement and the plurality initial
   – Historical jesus, reinterpretation pospascual, need “to drive” (Luke/Acts), and the story eusebian that legitimate a dominant line.
2. Judeocristianismos (50-120 d.C.)
   – Currents linked to the Torah (ebionites, nazarenes), tensions with the universalism pauline.
3. Gnosticismos
   – Current setianas and valentinianas; worldview dualistic myths of emanations, soteriology by “gnosis”. It is also supported by discoveries of Nag Hammadi, contextualized critically.
4. Marcion and the “strange God”
   – Rejection of the OT, canon's own, ethical, ascetic; impact on the formation of the canon of the catholic.
5. Montanism
   – Prophecy, rigorism, role of the prophetess, shock structures episcopal emerging.
6. Disputes trinitarian and christological heresies (s. IV–V)
   – Arianism: subordinationism of the Son; reaction nicene.
   – Nestorius: distinction of natures being/people and schism eastern; survival “nestorian”.
   – Monophysitism: opposite reaction; complaints calcedonenses.
   – Pelagianism and donatismo: freedom, grace and discipline of the church.
   These sections are documented with extensive apparatus patristic and overviews historical (including dissemination “nestorian” to the East).

Methodology

• Historical criticism of canonical texts and extracanonicos, read comparative Fathers of the Church (Eusebius, Irenaeus, etc), analysis of socio-political contexts of the Empire, late roman and of the institutionalization of the church.
• Criterion philological (Piñero is professor of Greek Philology) and the use of secondary literature international.

Most relevant contributions of the book

1. Increases the visibility of the plurality: shows that to speak of “christianity” in the singular before the fourth and fifth centuries it is anachronistic.
2. Desideologiza the category of “heresy”: explains that “heresy”/“heterodoxy” are tags late applied by the current winner to set limits doctrinal and disciplinary.
3. Connects theology and power: articulates how theological factors, organizational and political (councils, patronage, imperial, networks episcopal) determined which doctrines have survived.
4. Synthesis accessible with bibliography: presents a useful compendium for non-specialists, with references to key works (e.g., discussions about Marcion, Nag Hammadi).

Limitations and discussion

• Uneven coverage due to the availability of sources: some groups (e.g., ebionites) is known above all for sources enemy, which determines the reconstruction; the book warns, but the asymmetry is inherent to the field.
• Approach markedly historical-critical: for readers of faith can be desmitificador; it is not a work of systematic theology or spirituality. The reviews and the author's presentation stress.
• Overlap with works in “parallel”the theme was popularized also by Bart D. Ehrman (Lost Christianities/Christianities lost), with whom Piñero dialogues indirectly in your bibliography, and you should read them in parallel to contrast methodological.

Key concepts that the book works

• Judeo-christianism: continuity with the Torah, christology low/adoptionist in certain sectors; conflict with the universalism pauline.
• Gnosis/gnosticismos: salvation by knowledge revealed; cosmogony complex; valuation ambivalent of the material world.
• Canon and authority: the need for a canon and rules of faith born as a response to the diversity (cases Marcion/Nag Hammadi), not as a point of departure.
• Christology and Trinity (s. IV–V): the “who is Christ” and his relationship with the Father/Spirit as the axis of sentences and schisms (Nicaea, Ephesus, Chalcedon).

Conclusion of the book

Piñero concludes that the orthodoxy won historically not only “the best theology”, but by organizational capacity, political support and institutional effectiveness to define border doctrinal. The currents “defeated” were not necessarily less “christian”, but were left out of the story canon for how to resolved disputes of the church and of the council.