I finished a book several months ago, titled, "Heretics: The Creation of Christianity" by Jonathan Wright. It is/was very interesting read. His main premise is that Orthodox Christianity likes to suggest that it has always believed the basic things since the church's inception--but in fact,this has not been the case. The Church has worked out what it defines as "Orthodoxy" over the centuries. What has been labeled as heresy is often what has been needed to help spur the church on to clarify its stance on various doctrines. The truth is, there has been great variation within the Church on what is believed to be orthodox teaching.
In fact, as I read the book, I became a bit concerned. Why? Because as an adult, right this very minute, I hold at least 5 beliefs that people at one time in church history were chased out of town, punished or even martyred for:
1. Believer's (adult) Baptism (vs. infant baptism).
2. Having the Bible in your own language (vs. Latin).
3. Ordination of Women to the Priesthood (vs. soley men)
4. Importance of Icons.
5. Active gifts of the Spirit.
Yes-people--fellow Christians were once punished, excommunicated--and even murdered over these beliefs by other Christians. This is appalling to me! What really sobers me is this: that right now, we may hold "orthodox" beliefs now that we might determine are wrong in the future! Yikes!!! And this is no small question. Just as in the past, people's well-being, and even their lives are at stake.
So, my next thought is, what does it look like to humbly say: "We don't know?" Many times we act as if every belief we hold is required for eternal salvation. I once heard a very well-respected Christian theologian say in a chapel service, "The older I get, the fewer things I am willing to die for." I think I am coming to the same conclusion. St. Augustine of Hippo wrote:
"In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
So, given that Augustine said, "in all things charity," we may do well to start from there while we try to determine the" essential" from the "non-essentials." It is my guess that the "essentials" are a lot fewer in number than we might like to admit. And we as the Church may find many more people coming into our doors vs. being told they can't come in unless they believe as we do. God help us.
