Hippolytus

Life

Hippolytus was a presbyter (a church leader who cared for a congregation) and writer active in the church at Rome in the early third century. His birthplace and family background are uncertain. He wrote in Greek, and tradition holds that he was a disciple of Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon.

He came into sharp conflict with Zephyrinus, bishop of Rome, and with his successor, Callistus. Hippolytus accused Callistus of leaning toward modalism (the view that the one God appears in different modes), which does not distinguish the Father from the Son, and of weakening church discipline by too readily readmitting members who had sinned. The conflict eventually led his supporters to meet separately, and for this reason he is often called "the first antipope." Scholars differ, however, on whether he actually claimed to be bishop of Rome.

Around 235, during the persecution under Emperor Maximinus, he was exiled to the mines of Sardinia together with Pontianus, bishop of Rome, and he is believed to have died there. The two men are said to have been reconciled in exile, and their remains were later transferred to Rome. The Catholic Church commemorates him as a martyr.

Ministry and Achievements

• Refutation of All Heresies: This work presents and refutes the teachings of Gnostic teachers such as Basilides and Valentinus, as well as those of various sects. A manuscript was discovered on Mount Athos in the nineteenth century; the work was first published under the name of Origen and was later recognized as the work of Hippolytus. It is a highly valuable source because it preserves the content of heretical writings that have otherwise been lost.
• Commentary on Daniel: This is regarded as one of the earliest extant biblical commentaries. Together with On Christ and the Antichrist, it illustrates early understandings of eschatology.
• Apostolic Tradition: This liturgical document, which describes the preparation for baptism, the Eucharistic prayer, and the procedures for the ordination of bishops, presbyters, and deacons, has traditionally been attributed to Hippolytus. Today, however, scholars disagree considerably about its authorship, date, and place of origin.
• Building on the Logos theology of earlier Church Fathers, he contributed to the development of the doctrine of the Trinity.

Influence on the Korean Church

In the twentieth century, the Apostolic Tradition served as a major source for reconstructing early church worship in the liturgical renewal movement of Western churches. In Korea as well, it is used in seminary courses on worship and church history to explain early church rites of baptism, the Eucharist, and ordination. The Refutation of All Heresies is cited as a representative early church text in church history courses and research dealing with heresy and Gnosticism.

Assessment

Hippolytus is regarded as a rigorous theologian who sought to defend the orthodox faith, yet he is also remembered as a figure who caused division in the church. His Logos theology has been criticized for tending toward subordinationism, which regards the Son as lower than the Father. Some also point out that, because the Refutation of All Heresies was written in the midst of controversy, its portrayal of opponents may not be fair. Some scholars also hold that the list of works attributed to him combines writings by several different people, so his life and writings remain subjects of ongoing research.