Marcion’s teaching, ecclesial crisis and the church’s resolution: Lessons on the broken relationship between Scripture and theology for theology teaching
This chapter examines the theological and ecclesial crisis precipitated by the second-century figure Marcion of Pontus, whose radical severance of the Old and New Testaments, repudiation of the Jewish Scriptures, and docetic interpretation of Christ compelled a decisive and formative response from the early church. Marcion’s teachings posed a profound challenge to foundational Christian doctrines – particularly those concerning creation, incarnation and prophetic fulfilment – culminating in a schism that compelled the church to reaffirm its core convictions through the Rule of Faith and the consolidation of a unified scriptural canon. Framed within an educational concern for the benefits of interdisciplinary dialogue, this chapter employs Marcion’s case and the church’s response as a historical paradigm for addressing contemporary challenges in theology education, especially the persistent fragmentation between biblical studies and systematic theology, and between Old and New Testament scholarship.
Published in 2025
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