Provocări eshatologice la începutul secolului al III-lea și răspunsul lui Hipolit

Eschatological Challenges at the Beginning of the Third Century and the Response of Hippolytus

Abstract

At the beginning of the third century the theological atmosphere was very agitated. During the reign of Septimius Severus, Christians faced a severe persecution, and many renounced their faith. Others have sought hope in the eschatological promises of deliverance and in the hope of Christ's imminent return. At the same time, two opposing religious movements attracted disoriented Christians, namely, Montanism and Gnosticism. While Montanism had a more aggressive eschatological discourse than the Church, Gnosticism was more attractive to the intellectual class because it offered spiritualized eschatological expectations. In this historical context, Hippolytus of Rome (AD 170 - 235) sought to prevent the abandonment of Christianity, offering both biblical and historical arguments for combating the two aforementioned heresies, as well as urges Christians to accept persecution and martyrdom.