heresiography

1 9.9

A written study of religious ideas and groups others call wrong

noun
/ˌhɛrəˈsiˌɑɡrəfi/

Specialized

: hereografía

The study of heresiography reveals how different sects have historically interpreted sacred texts.

Examples

In addition to these, experts in such specialized areas as heresiography and the sociology of religious sects, early Gnosis, the Apocrypha and Pseudoepigrapha, Jewish liturgy, and others also contribute.

Academic text (1998)
This dovetailed nicely with Epiphanius's own position on the healing power of books, which is evident from the title of his heresiography.

Academic text (2018)
In her heresiography, the author analyzed the beliefs of groups that broke away from mainstream Christianity.
Scholars regard heresiography as vital for comprehending the development of religious doctrines over time.

How Detailed

treatise

Formal

20 8.4

heresiography

Specialized

1 9.9

study

Specialized

∞ 2.1

article

Literature

∞ 1.0

note

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

heresiography singular

heresiographies plural

Morphology

heresiography = heresy (semi-transparent) = heresy + graphy

This is a learned formation built from 'heresy' and '-graphy' ('writing or account of'), so the meaning is mostly recoverable but specialized.

Etymology

Heresiography comes from the Greek root hairesis meaning 'a group with a different belief' and the ending -graphy meaning 'writing', the same -graphy you see in biography ('writing about a life'). So heresiography is 'writing about' or the study of heresies — accounts of groups with beliefs against the established church.