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Ordinary Time

Orthodoxy & Error

Heterodoxy

HET-er-oh-dox-eenoun

“Other belief” — teaching that departs from orthodoxy but stops short of outright heresy; off-center rather than over the line.

Not To Be Confused With

Heterodoxy is milder than heresy. Heresy denies a core defined doctrine; heterodoxy leans away from the consensus on a serious matter without necessarily crossing into a denial of the essentials.

From heteros (“other”) + doxa. Heterodoxy marks views that are out of step with the historic mainstream but not clearly heretical — a useful middle category for teachings that are dubious or imbalanced rather than damnably false.

Theologos applies it carefully: for example, groups that deny the Trinity (which is heresy by the historic definition) are classified as heterodox-to-heretical, not as denominations within orthodoxy.

Related Terms

Related Word Studies

Heterodoxy — Definition | Theologos Media