Saint Irenaeus of Lyons: Against Heresies

by Irenaeus of Lyons

Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons wrote around 180 to uphold against Gnosticism the Christian rule of faith that he had received. To vindicate the Incarnation of God in human flesh, Irenaeus described and attacked their principal doctrine, the evil origin of the natural world. Affirming the unity of Old and New Testaments, the goodness of the Creator and the created world, and finally the mystery by which human beings are perfected through participation in the divine life, the saint produced an outstanding example of early Christian biblical theology. Irenaeus stands among the best examples of the early Church fathers, for whom the doctrines of Christianity safeguard the confession of God’s saving love revealed through His Incarnation as Jesus Christ.