Valentinus (Gnostic)
Valentinus, also: Valentino, Valentin, Valentinian or Valentius ( † after 160) was a Christian- Gnostic teachers.
Life
Little is known about the life of Valentinus. The Biographical - Bibliographical Lexicon Church estimates that he was born about 100. According to Epiphanius, he was born in Phrenobis (Egypt) and educated in Alexandria, probably by Basilides. He did his apprenticeship in Egypt spread, before he went to Rome. According to Irenaeus of Lyon, he came under Bishop Hyginus († 142 ) to Rome, where he worked as a freelance teacher of theology unchallenged until the time of Bishop Anicetus (about 154-166 ). A similar position as a freelance teacher of theology in Rome had his contemporary Justin Martyr. According to Epiphanius, he was also in Cyprus, due to the source material but it is not clear whether this was before or after his stay in Rome.
After two-thirds of the resulting texts by Valentinus in Clement of Alexandria stand provides Markschies on the thesis that Valentinus had already formulated his teaching in Alexandria.
Works
Valentinus wrote teaching letters, sermons and hymns, which were collected by his students. Get nine small fragments. Clement of Alexandria mentions a dogmatic treatise "On the three natures " ( περ τρὶν φυσὲων ), which has been lost, however. Following creators possibly a fragment thereof, in Photius ( Biblioteca CCxxx ) is obtained. Various other writings such as the Gospel of Truth, the Diognetbrief, the Rheginosbrief, and the Pistis Sophia Naassenerpsalm and Valentinus were attributed by various authors, mostly his authorship is denied.
After the Biographic- bibliographic church encyclopedia testify the poetic works of creative ability. After Schaff represents Tertullian the hymns of Valentinus regarding poetry on the same level as the Psalms of David.
From Valentinus represented teachings
Little can be said about the teachings of Valentinus, since most sources do not distinguish between his teaching and the subsequent Valentianer.
- The man was indeed created by imperfect angel, but perfected by the supreme God by a heavenly role model in the act of creation.
- The world is a well-ordered and had the Spirit of God 's creation.
- The revelation of the supreme God, which is done through His Son Jesus Christ, cleanses the corrupt heart of man.
- The earthly Jesus of Nazareth is understood as a divine being: he eats and drinks, but has no digestion.
Valentinianism
The Valentinianism was one of the most widespread Gnostic- Christian movements. Irenaeus mentions Ptolemy, Theodotus Herakleon and as a student of Valentinus. The more advanced of them Valentinianism existed in the form of a Western ( Ptolemy, Herakleon ) and eastern ( Theodotus ). Hippolytus mentions a Axionicos and a Ardesianes ( probably identical with Bardesanes by professionals ) for the eastern form.
Reception
In the reception of Valentinian there are big differences. The church history until the 19th century sees him in an uncritical repetition of ancient sources as arch-heretic and makes no or little difference between Valentinus and Valentinians .. The Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911 assumes that Valentinian not like Marcion, from the outset with the Church broke, but long retained its status within the church.
For Daniel Dawson Valentinus is very free and creative to biblical texts and sees the actual origin of truth in visionary experiences that interpret Scripture. According to him, Valentinus transforms the drama of Scripture in a " psychodrama ". John Behr sees Valentinus as the leader of a group of Christians who are prone to speculation. For him blurred in Valentinus, the difference between writing and commentary, writing and interpretation. Markschies, which is limited to the direct fragments of Valentinus in its assessment of teaching, describes him as a " thinker who at best the way to the great systems of ' Gnosis ' prepares, but it still does not go yourself."
The Biographical - Bibliographical Lexicon Church sees the question of whether Valentinus had expected to Gnosticism than to open .. After the Biographic- bibliographic church encyclopedia can be found in Origen similar elements as in the theology of Valentinus.