author
Antipope Hippolytus
d. 235
A fierce early Christian thinker, he is remembered both for his sharp arguments and for the unusual path that made him the first antipope later honored as a saint. His story brings together theology, conflict, exile, and reconciliation in the Roman church of the 3rd century.
3 Audiobooks
Philosophumena; or, The refutation of all heresies, Volume II
by Antipope Hippolytus
The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus Translated into English with Introduction and Notes
by Antipope Hippolytus
Philosophumena; or, The refutation of all heresies, Volume I
by Antipope Hippolytus
About the author
Probably born in the late 2nd century, Hippolytus of Rome became one of the most important Christian writers of his time. He wrote in Greek on scripture, doctrine, and church life, and later tradition credits him with works such as On Christ and the Antichrist and the Apostolic Tradition, though scholars debate the authorship of some texts associated with him.
He is often described as the first antipope. During disputes over teaching and church discipline in Rome, he set himself in opposition to the bishops of Rome and led a rival community for a time. That conflict is a major reason he stands out in church history.
Around 235, during the persecution under Emperor Maximinus Thrax, Hippolytus and Pope Pontian were exiled to Sardinia. Tradition holds that the two were reconciled before Hippolytus died there, and both later came to be honored as martyrs. His legacy is unusual and memorable: a gifted theologian, a church rival, and finally a saint.