The Spiritual Seed: The Church of the Valentinians (Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies, 60)

This book is a comprehensive study of "Valentinianism," the most important Gnostic Christian movement in Antiquity. It is the first attempt to make full use of the Valentinian documents from Nag Hammadi as well as the reports of the Church Fathers. The book discusses the difference between the Eastern and the Western branches of Valentinianism, and argues that individual sources must always be understood in the context of the historical development of Valentinian doctrines. It also analyses the ideas about the incarnation, protological theories, and initiation practice, as well as the dynamic relationship between these building-blocks of Valentinian doctrine. A final chapter studies anew the doctrine of Valentinus himself and outlines the history of the movement. The book's usefulness lies in its attempt to bring together for the first time all the sources so as to construct a coherent picture of Valentinian Christianity. This volume is also available as paperback. The Spiritual Seed: The Church of the “Valentinians” CONTENTS Abbreviations Introduction PART I: VALENTINIANISM EAST AND WEST Chapter One: The Valentinians of Irenaeus The structure of Book I Inconsistencies in the presentation of “the Valentinians” The two meanings of “the Valentinians” Unity and diversity of “the Valentinians” The “Valentinians” and the “Ptolemaeans” The conflicting reports on the “Ptolemaeans” Conclusions Chapter Two: “Valentinus” in Iren. Haer. I 11:1 Chapter Three: The doctrine of Theodotus The spiritual body of the Saviour The Saviour himself needed redemption Christ as Sophia’s son The suffering of the deity (?) Conclusions Chapter Four: The two “schools” Tertullian’s testimony Hippolytus’ testimony Valentinus on the Saviour’s body What is the Saviour’s body? The inaccuracy of Hippolytus Chapter Five: The soteriology of The Tripartite Tractate The incarnation The heavenly and the earthly church The dialectics of mutual participation Conclusion Chapter Six: The soteriology of Irenaeus’ system Chapter Seven: The soteriology of Exc. 43:2–65 The advent of the Saviour and the composition of his body Inconsistencies in the soteriological status of the spirituals Explanation of these inconsistencies Chapter Eight: The soteriology of Iren. Haer. I 7:2 Chapter Nine: The soteriology of Hipp. Haer. VI 29 Chapter Ten: Provisional conclusions Chapter Eleven: Eastern soteriologies: The Treatise on Resurrection Chapter Twelve: Eastern soteriologies: The Interpretation of Knowledge Chapter Thirteen: Eastern soteriologies: The Gospel of Philip The conception and composition of the Saviour The ritual context of the generation of the Saviour’s body Conclusion Chapter Fourteen: The soteriology of Heracleon Heracleon’s commentary on John 2:12–22 The descent into matter The Saviour came to redeem the spirituals The absence of a pre-existent church as the body of the Saviour The position of Heracleon Chapter Fifteen: The position of Ptolemy The Letter to Flora The position of the Demiurge Ptolemy’s system The Saviour as demiurge A psychic Christ? A soteriology of mutual participation? Conclusion PART II: THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF VALENTINIANISM Chapter Sixteen: Salvation in history and ritual The soteriological contrast pattern The parallelism of salvation history and baptism The Saviour as agent and model of salvation Event and symbol Result 1: Ambiguity in the narrative Result 2: Ambiguity in the ritual Resolving the ambiguities: The power of the “Name” The saved Saviour Chapter Seventeen: Salvation in history and protological myth The Gospel of Truth History and protology The revelation of the book of names The function of the Saviour From history to protology The protological mediator The unity and difference of Father, Son, and aeons Concluding remarks Chapter Eighteen: Protology, salvation history, and ritual The Tripartite Tractate Protology and the fall The origins of matter and soul The origin of the spiritual church Cosmogony Anthropogony and human history The incarnation Eschatology History and ritual The Saviour as agent and model of salvation From the redeeming and redeemed Saviour, to there deeming and redeemed church A shifted focus Protology and ritual Protology, salvation history, ritual Protology as salvation history Protology and restoration: Conflicting soteriologies Protology and incarnation Chapter Nineteen: Conclusion to Part II PART III: VALENTINIAN PROTOLOGY Chapter Twenty: The pleromatology The two main types Iren. Haer. I 1–3 From Father and Son to Tetrad The deferral of duality The rupture Hipp. Haer. VI 29:2–30:5 Iren. Haer. I 11:1 Iren. Haer. I 11:2 Iren. Haer. I 11:3 Iren. Haer. I 11:5 Iren. Haer. I 12:1 Iren. Haer. I 12:3 Exc. 6–7:3 Iren. Haer. I 8:5 Epiph. Pan. XXXI 5–6 The epistolary introduction First principles: A redacted text The generation of the Ogdoad The Duodecad and the Decad A self-contained protology A Valentinian Exposition The structure of the Pleroma First principles The generation of the Son A second version of the protology Combination of the two versions The Limit A discrepancy in the protological account Iren. Haer. I 14 (The Sige of Marcus) Being as text The plurality in the Name Chapter Twenty-One: The myth of separation and restoration Systems with one Sophia The Tripartite Tractate Iren. Haer. I 11:1 Exc. 23:2, 32–33 (Theodotus) A Valentinian Exposition Systems with two Sophias The two Sophias Sophia and Christ The Sige of Marcus Chapter Twenty-Two: Chronology of the protologies The priority of type A over type B Type B systems with one Sophia Chapter Twenty-Three: The meaning and origins of Valentinian protology Valentinian protology as Neopythagorean physics Moderatus and Irenaeus’ system on the origin of matter “Extension,” “spreading out,” “withdrawal,” and “division” The Limit “Audacity,” “otherness,” “movement,” “independence” “Passion” The origins of the type A protology Attestations of the model A Neopythagorean source? Affinities with The Chaldean Oracles and later Neoplatonism Relation to the Neoplatonic system of triads The embryological model The formation of the Entirety in the Father’s womb The background in ancient embryology The theory of embryonic formation in other Valentinian documents Protology and Soteriology Chapter Twenty-Four: The transformation of eschatology to protology The manifestation of the saints The disclosure of the spirituals in the world The manifestation “from above” The manifestation of the Valentinian έκκησία The union with the angels From eschatological to protological manifestation, and their ritual actualisation PART IV: VALENTINIAN INITIATION Chapter Twenty-Five: The evidence for Valentinian initiation Exc. 66–86 Immersion in water “Sealing” Anointing Sacred meal Consecration of water, bread and oil Renunciation Catechesis Preparatory discipline The limitations of the evidence Conclusions The Gospel of Philip Two patterns Anointing is superior to water baptism Status of the eucharist Acts of preparation Baptism Anointing Garment metaphor Carrying lamps Ritual kiss Form of the eucharist Conclusions Inscriptions “The Bridal chamber inscription” The inscription of Flavia Sophe The Tripartite Tractate Liturgical fragments (NHC XI, 2a–e) Anointing Baptism Eucharist The testimony of Iren. Haer. I 21 General remarks No. 1 No. 2 Nos. 3 and 4: Irenaeus’ presentation The invocations No. 5 No. 6 Concluding remarks Exc. 21–22 and 35–36: The union with angels The Gospel of Truth Chapter Twenty-Six: Initiation: Synopsis of the acts Catechesis Preparatory discipline Pre-immersion acts Consecration of the water and the oil Immersion Post-immersion acts Baptismal eucharist Chapter Twenty-Seven: The ideology of the initiation ritual Chapter Twenty-Eight: The historical position of Valentinian initiation Elements and sequence Apolytrosis The Name The “bridal chamber” Chapter Twenty-Nine: A ritual for the dying Iren. Haer. I 21:5 and 1Apoc. Jas. The underlying doctrine The ritual Sophia as paraclete and psychopomp Conclusion PART V: VALENTINUS AND THE “VALENTINIANS” Chapter Thirty: Valentinus: biography and sources Life The Sources for the Doctrine of Valentinus Fragments Doxographic reports The common denominator Chapter Thirty-One: Valentinus: a study of the fragments Fragment 1 The creation of Adam by angels The seed from above The pre-existent Man The Name The “open speech” The angel’s fear The angels’ “doing away” with Adam Conclusions Fragment 2 The manifestation of the one good Father The heart as an inn Fragment 3 The symbolism of the fragment “Effecting divinity” Fragment 4 The theme of division Fragment 5 The cosmos and the aeon The adorning name Fragment 6 Fragment 8 Form and function The “cosmic chain”: Monism or dualism? “Depths,” “fruits,” “womb,” and “child” Θέρος Conclusions Chapter Thirty-Two: Valentinians: fragments of the history of Valentinianism The history of Valentinianism Valentinus Valentinianism in the second century Western Valentinians Ptolemy Heracleon Alexander Secundus Marcus Florinus Cossianus/Julius Cassianus Tatian Theotimus Eastern Valentinians Axionicus Ardesianes (?) Theodotus Concluding remarks about Valentinianism in the second century Valentinianism in the third century Valentinianism in the fourth century Bibliography Index NAG HAMMADI AND MANICHAEAN STUDIES "... A comprehensive study of 'Valentinianism,' the most important Gnostic Christian movement in Antiquity. It is the first attempt to make full use of the Valentinian documents from Nag Hammadi as well as the reports of the Church Fathers. The book discusses the difference between the Eastern and the Western branches of Valentinianism, and argues that individual sources must always be understood in the context of the historical development of Valentinian doctrines. It also analyses the ideas about the incarnation, protological theories, and initiation practice, as well as the dynamic relationship between these building-blocks of Valentinian doctrine. A final chapter studies anew the doctrine of Valentinus himself and outlines the history of the movement.The bookþs usefulness lies in its attempt to bring together for the first time all the sources so as to construct a coherent picture of Valentinian Christianity" -- Publisher description. " ... A comprehensive study of 'Valentinianism, ' the most important Gnostic Christian movement in Antiquity. It is the first attempt to make full use of the Valentinian documents from Nag Hammadi as well as the reports of the Church Fathers. The book discusses the difference between the Eastern and the Western branches of Valentinianism, and argues that individual sources must always be understood in the context of the historical development of Valentinian doctrines. It also analyses the ideas about the incarnation, protological theories, and initiation practice, as well as the dynamic relationship between these building-blocks of Valentinian doctrine. A final chapter studies anew the doctrine of Valentinus himself and outlines the history of the movement. The bookþs usefulness lies in its attempt to bring together for the first time all the sources so as to construct a coherent picture of Valentinian Christianity"--Publisher description