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Gnosticism

Gnosticism. Discovery in Nag Hammadi Gnosticism: main features Valentinus & his system. Discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library. Discovered in 1945 in a jar in Egypt 12 codices containing 52 writings Major source of Gnostic texts. Coptic Museum in Cairo. Main Features of Gnosticism.

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Gnosticism

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  1. Gnosticism Discovery in Nag Hammadi Gnosticism: main features Valentinus & his system

  2. Discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library • Discovered in 1945 in a jar in Egypt • 12 codices containing 52 writings • Major source of Gnostic texts Coptic Museum in Cairo

  3. Main Features of Gnosticism • Intricate and obscure cosmology. • Syncretism: blending various religious world-views. • Fundamental questions of human existence. • Gnosis: secret knowledge as means of attaining salvation. • Dualism: spiritual/ material; soul/ body. • Docetic christology (some Gnostics). • Sense of non-belonging to the world. • Ethics: world-denying asceticism or extreme libertinism. • Three groups: spiritual (initiated Gnostics); psychic (ordinary believers); fleshy (unbelievers, those who will perish).

  4. Valentinian ‘Pleroma’ = Fullness (see ANF 31, pp. 198-201) • Ungenerated Father (= Abyss= first aeon) • Sophia (= Wisdom = Mother) gave birth outside of the Pleroma to the imperfect creator (= Demiurge = Craftsman = Yaldabaoth) 30 divine beings called aeons

  5. St. Irenaeus of Lyons • Approx. 130-200 AD • Knew Stt. Polycarp & Justin • Bishop of Lyons • Wrote Against Haeresies ca. 180.

  6. NT canon: stages of development • Witnessing Jesus’ ministry • Preaching, teaching, and worshipping Jesus • Composition of the written materials • Proliferation of writings • Informal selection of writings

  7. Proliferation of Apocrypha • Gospels attributed to individual apostles or groups: • Peter, James, Philip, Thomas,Judas, Mary, pseudo-Matthew, Matthias, Bartholomew, the Twelve Apostles, Ebionites, Hebrews, Nazaraeans, Egyptians, • Gospels under general titles: • Perfection, Truth, the Four Heavenly Regions • Gospels attributed to heretics: • Cerinthus, Basilides, Marcion, Apelles, Bardesanes, Mani • Other apocryphal literature: • Apocryphon of: John, James; Apocalypse of John, Peter; Correspondence between Paul and Seneca; Shepherd of Hermas Non-canonical gospel fragment

  8. Irenaeus' contribution • Four gospels, no less and no more • Four beasts of Ezekiel symbolizing the four evangelists

  9. NT canon: informal selection criteria • Use in public worship & teaching. • Orthodoxy = agreement with the apostolic tradition and rule of faith). • Apostolicity = attributed to apostles or ‘apostolic men’. • Antiquity =belong to the ‘apostolic age’.

  10. Timeline • 3rd c. B.C.E. Septuagint. Started under Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 BCE) in Alexandria. • end of 1st c. C.E. Council of Javneh: Jewish canon closed with 39 books. • NT canon: • 50ies: Pauline Epistles. Paul died ca. 60. • 60ies-early 70ies: Gospel of Mark. • 80ies: Gospels of Matthew and Luke. • 90ies: Gospel of John and the rest of the canon. • 140ies Marcion produced his own canon.   • 170ies Tatian published his Diatessaron. • 180ies Irenaeus endorsed the four gospels. • 200 ( or 4th c?): Muratorian canon. Some Gnostic Gospels and apocrypha rejected. • 367: The first full list of the 27 NT writings mentioned in letter of Athanasius of Alexandria

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