Valentinianism: New Studies

Christoph Markschies, Dr. theol. habil. (Tübingen 1991, 1994), Dr. theol. h.c. mult. (Sibiu/Hermannstadt, Oslo, Lateran University Rome) is Professor for Ancient Christianity in Berlin, vice-president of the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften and member of numerous scholarly academies in Germany and abroad. His latest publications include Christian Theology and Its Institutions in the Early Roman Empire (Waco, Tex., 2015) und Gottes Körper: Jüdische, christliche und pagane Gottesvorstellungen in der Antike (Munich, 2016).Einar Thomassen, PhD (1982), University of St Andrews, is Professor of Religion at the University of Bergen. He has published monographs, editions, translations and many articles on Valentinianism and the history of religions generally, including The Spiritual Seed (Brill, 2006).

• List of Figures and TablesXIntroductionChristoph Markschies and Einar ThomassenPart 1: Historical Issues1 The Relative Chronology of the Valentinian SystemsEinar Thomassen2 „Grande Notice“: Einige einleitende Bemerkungen zur Überlieferung des sogenannten Systems der Schüler des Ptolemaeus GnosticusChristoph Markschies3 Valentinianer und „Gnostiker“: Zu einer Bemerkung des Irenaeus von Lyon in Adversus haereses 1.11.1Herbert Schmid4 The Relationship between the Valentinian and Sethian Sophia Myth RevisitedAntti Marjanen5 Fragments of an Early “Lost” Valentinianism: Irenaeus and the Gnostic Doctrinal Letter of Epiphanius, Panarion 31.5–6Giuliano Chiapparini6 Flavia’s Neighborhood: Further Evidence for a Second-Century Christian Group on the Via LatinaH. Gregory Snyder7 Florinus – ein valentinianischer Gnostiker in Rom?Niclas FörsterPart 2: Valentinian Doctrine8 Once Again, the Valentinian Expression “Saved by Nature”Jean-Daniel Dubois9 The Ethics of Higher and Lower Levels of Salvation in the Excerpts from Theodotus and the Tripartite TractateAlexander Kocar10 «Tu as vu le Père, tu deviendras père» (EvPhil NHC II 61,31–32). Comment devient-on père dans l’Évangile selon Philippe?Louis Painchaud11 1 Apocalypse of James and Valentinians on MartyrdomKaren L. King12 Der Demiurg und sein Wirken: Die Deutung des Valentinianismus im Vergleich zu der des PlatonismusBarbara Aland13 Plotinus and the Gnostics: the Tripartite Tractate?John D. Turner14 Überlegungen zum Mythos im Johannesevangelium und bei den Valentinianern des IrenaeusAnsgar WucherpfennigPart 3: Valentinian Exegesis15 Valentinians and the Christian CanonPheme Perkins16 Valentinian Influence on Irenaeus: Early Allegorization of the New TestamentDavid W. Jorgensen17 Valentinians Reading JohnHarold W. Attridge18 Paul and Valentinian MoralityIsmo Dunderberg19 Participation in the Cross of Christ: Pauline Motifs in the Excerpts from TheodotusJudith L. Kovacs

"Mature reflections of the current state of research into Valentinianism [...] by the leading scholars in the field [...] constitute a reliable and contemporary understanding of the movement [...] A rich and stimulating volume. Each essay contains a wealth of important insights that create a deeper understanding of Valentinianism in its totality. These is no doubt that the essays here will act as a trigger for further research." – Paul Foster, University of Edinburgh, in: The Expository Times 131(9) June 2020"Wer sich mit Valentinianismus beschäftigt, wird an diesem Buch nicht vorbeikommen." – Clemens Scholten, Universität zu Köln, in: Vigiliae Christianae 76(3) June 2022