The Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church is a term used in Catholic and Orthodox forms of Christianity to refer to the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church. The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Church (disambiguation Christian Church and the word church are used to denote both a Christian association of people and a Place of worship The study of the Fathers is known as Patristics. Patristics or Patrology is the study of early Christian writers known as the Church Fathers. There is no evidence that ancient Gnostic Christians used this term for their leaders. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems Nonetheless modern people sometimes refer to the early teachers of Gnosticism as Fathers of Gnosticism, by analogy to the orthodox use. The term is generally not meant to include the apostles or New Testament authors. The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e The very earliest Church Fathers, of the first two generations after the apostles of Christ, are usually called the Apostolic Fathers. Since the Gnostics are considered heretics by the orthodox churches, Gnostics are not considered fathers of the church by the orthodox churches. Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief
Several figures are mentioned as founding figures of ancient Christian Gnosticism. The term Gnosticism is used by scholars with a wide variety of meanings and levels of specificity. Sometimes the term refers only to those Sethians who used the term "gnostikoi" to describe themselves. The Sethians were a group of ancient Gnostics who date their existence to before Christianity Sometimes it is used more broadly to include Valentinians, followers of Basilides, and others. Valentinianism is a Gnostic movement that was founded by Valentinus in the second century CE. "Basilides" redirects here For the 17th century Ethiopian Emperor see Fasilides of Ethiopia. Likewise, one scholar may consider Simon Magus a gnostic, where another considers him a proto-gnostic. Simon Magus ( Greek Σίμων ό μάγος also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by early Christian writers Some early Church fathers, such as Irenaeus, seemed to think that all heresies were Gnosticism at root, and thus that any heretic was in a sense a Gnostic. Saint Irenaeus (Greek Ειρηναίος (2nd century AD - c 202 was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, Roman Empire (now Lyons France Modern scholar Michael Williams has argued that the whole category of "Gnosticism" is more trouble than it is worth. Here we will try to list any fathers who might plausibly be considered Gnostic.
Important early Gnostics include Simon Magus, Cerinthus, Carpocrates, and Basilides. Simon Magus ( Greek Σίμων ό μάγος also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by early Christian writers Cerinthus ( c 100 was an Early Christian originator of a heretical sect a " Heresiarch " in the view of the Church Fathers Carpocrates of Alexandria was the founder of an early Gnostic sect from the first half of the second century "Basilides" redirects here For the 17th century Ethiopian Emperor see Fasilides of Ethiopia. Early figures such as Marcion, Theudas, and Nicolas of Antioch are more debatable. Marcion (Μαρκίων (ca 110 - 160) was a Christian Theologian who was excommunicated by the Early Christian church Theudas is also the name of a follower of Paul of Tarsus, who taught Valentinius, for more information see Theudas (teacher of Valentinius By the second century several major schools are separating out, such as the Sethians (with no clear leaders), and the Valentinians following the teachings of Valentinus. Valentinianism is a Gnostic movement that was founded by Valentinus in the second century CE. Valentinus (also spelled Valentius) ( c 100 - c160 CE) was the best known and for a time most successful Early Christian gnostic By the 3rd century, Bardaisan and then Mani forge Manicheanism, a kind of Gnosticism which is debatably Christian. Bardaisan (ܒܪܕܝܨܢ Bardaiṣān; 154–222 also Latinized as Bardesanes) was a Syriac Gnostic, founder of the Bardaisanites Mani (in Persian: مانی Syriac: syr-Syrc ܡܐܢܝ (c 210–276 AD was the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient Gnostic Religion Manichaeism (in Modern Persian fa-Arab آیین مانی Āyin e Māni; Chinese zh 摩尼教 was one of the major Gnostic Religions originating A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
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Early leaders of Gnosticism
Gnostics often considered pre-Christian figures to be among their important early teachers and leaders. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems The history of Gnosticism is subject to a great deal of debate and interpretation Early Gnosticism refers to a point in Gnosticism that occurred following the Fathers of Christian Gnosticism and related groups but prior to the shift to Syrian-Egyptian Gnostic Schools were ancient Gnostic sects from around the Middle East. Gnosticism includes a variety of ancient religions prevalent in the Mediterranean in the third century AD. Philo (20 BC - 50 AD) known also as Philo of Alexandria (gr Φίλων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria Valentinus (also spelled Valentius) ( c 100 - c160 CE) was the best known and for a time most successful Early Christian gnostic Cerinthus ( c 100 was an Early Christian originator of a heretical sect a " Heresiarch " in the view of the Church Fathers "Basilides" redirects here For the 17th century Ethiopian Emperor see Fasilides of Ethiopia. Gnosticism used a number of Religious texts that are preserved in part or whole in ancient Manuscripts or are lost but mentioned critically in Patristic The term gnostic gospels refers to Gnostic collections of writings about the teachings of Jesus, written around the 2nd century AD. Nag Hammadi library (popularly known as The Gnostic Gospels) is a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts discovered near the The Codex Tchacos is an ancient Egyptian Coptic Papyrus containing early Christian Gnostic texts from approximately 300 A The Bruce Codex (also called the Codex Brucianus) is a gnostic manuscript acquired by the British Museum. This article discusses the relationship between Gnosticism and the New Testament. Gnosis (from one of the Greek words for Knowledge, γνώσις is the spiritual knowledge of a Saint or mystically enlightened human being Pythagoreanism is a term used for the Esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers the Pythagoreans who were much influenced Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is the modern term for a school of Hellenistic philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD, based Manichaeism (in Modern Persian fa-Arab آیین مانی Āyin e Māni; Chinese zh 摩尼教 was one of the major Gnostic Religions originating The Bosnian Church ( crkva bosanska, ecclesia bosniensis) seems to have been a Catholic monastic order that separated itself from the wider Church possibly over the Esoteric Christianity is a term which refers to an ensemble of spiritual currents which regard Christianity as a Mystery religion, and profess the existence This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Adam and his son Seth were especially important. See also Adam and Eve Adam ( Hebrew: אָדָם was according to a literal interpretation of Genesis, the first man created by This article is about the Biblical Seth For the Egyptian god Seth see Set (mythology; for other meanings see Seth (disambiguation. Several figures appear in Gnostic versions of old testament stories who do not appear in canonical versions, such as Norea, who saves the Gnostics from the flood in the time of Noah. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. for the village in Cambodia see Norea Cambodia Norea is a figure in Gnostic cosmology Noah (or Noe, Noach;; Nūḥ; Arabic: نوح; "Rest") was according to the Bible, the tenth and last of The three companions of Daniel are called by many names in Gnostic texts, and often invoked. Daniel (; Persian: دانيال, Dâniyal or Danial, also Dani, داني; Arabic: دانيال Gnosticism used a number of Religious texts that are preserved in part or whole in ancient Manuscripts or are lost but mentioned critically in Patristic Eugnostos is a proto-Sethian writer of the Nag Hammadi text of the same name, and may have lived as early as the 1st Century BCE. The Epistle of Eugnostos is one of many Gnostic tractates from the Nag Hammadi library, discovered in Egypt in 1945 Nag Hammadi ( Arabic نجع حمادي is a city in Upper Egypt. John the Baptist is sometimes claimed as an early Gnostic leader — for example, by the Mandaeans. Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. Mandaeism or Mandaeanism ( Mandaic: Mandaiuta, مندائية Mandā'iyya) is a Monotheistic Religion with a strongly Other figures are more difficult to locate in time, such as the Prophets Barcoph and Barkabbas, mentioned by Basilides and Epiphanius. "Basilides" redirects here For the 17th century Ethiopian Emperor see Fasilides of Ethiopia.
Likewise, it may not have been unusual for even Christian Gnostics to consider a variety of important pre-Christian figures as among their early leaders. Irenaeus claims that followers of Carpocrates honored images of Pythagoras, Plato, and Aristotle along with images of Jesus Christ. "Pythagoras of Samos" redirects here For the Samian statuary of the same name see Pythagoras (sculptor. Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Philo of Alexandria, Zoroaster, and Hermes Trismegistus may have occupied similar roles among other early Christian gnostics. Philo (20 BC - 50 AD) known also as Philo of Alexandria (gr Φίλων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria Zoroaster ( Latinized from Greek variants) or Zarathushtra (from Avestan Zaraθuštra) also referred to as Zartosht (زرتشت Hermes Trismegistus ( Greek:, "thrice-great Hermes" Latin: Mercurius ter Maximus) is the Syncretism of the Greek god
Jesus Christ is usually claimed as a gnostic leader by gnostics, as are several of his apostles, such as Thomas the Apostle, often thought of as the founder of the Thomasine form of Gnosticism, and Judas Iscariot, claimed as the most enlightened apostle by the Gnostic Gospel of Judas. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Thomas the Apostle, also called Judas Thomas, Doubting Thomas, or Didymus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Judas Iscariot, יהודה איש־קריות Yəhûḏāh ʾΚ-qəriyyôṯ was according to the New Testament, one of the twelve original apostles The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel purported to document conversations between apostle Judas Iscariot and Jesus Christ. Indeed, Mary Magdelene is respected as a Gnostic leader, and is considered superior to the twelve apostles by some gnostic texts, such as the Gospel of Mary. Saint Mary Magdalen or Mary Magdalene is described both in the canonical New Testament and in the New Testament apocrypha, as a devoted The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e The Gospel of Mary is an apocryphal book discovered in 1896 in a fifth-century Papyrus Codex. John the Evangelist is claimed as a Gnostic by some Gnostic interpreters. Saint John the Evangelist (d ca 110 יוחנן " The LORD is merciful" Standard Hebrew Yoḥanan, Tiberian Hebrew [1] As is even St Paul. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and [2]
Simon Magus and his consort Helena of Tyre were leaders of the early Gnostics by all accounts. Simon Magus ( Greek Σίμων ό μάγος also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by early Christian writers In fact, in his second-century work "Against All Heresies" Irenaeus said that Simon Magus, who was mentioned in the canonical Acts of the Apostles, was the progenitor of all the later Gnostic sects. Saint Irenaeus (Greek Ειρηναίος (2nd century AD - c 202 was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, Roman Empire (now Lyons France Simon Magus ( Greek Σίμων ό μάγος also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by early Christian writers The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. Menander of Antioch was a disciple of Simon Magus, active in the late 1st century.
A student of Valentinius claims that Theudas was a student of St. Paul, and in turn taught Valentinius, which would put Theudas in the late 1st century if true. Valentinus (also spelled Valentius) ( c 100 - c160 CE) was the best known and for a time most successful Early Christian gnostic Theudas was allegedly the name of a Christian Gnostic thinker who was a follower of Paul of Tarsus. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and Valentinus (also spelled Valentius) ( c 100 - c160 CE) was the best known and for a time most successful Early Christian gnostic
Nicolas of Antioch and Jezebel of Thyatira are sometimes claimed as leaders of the "Nicolatians" described in the Book of Revelation. The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John ( pronounced, from the Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου They were late 1st century figures. It's unclear just how Gnostic these figures were, but Epiphanius believes that the Archontic Gnostics are descendents of the Nicolatians. The Archontics, or Archontici, were a Sect of heretics who arose towards the close of the 2nd century.
Gnostic Schools of thought
In the late first century or early second century Cerinthus founds a Gnostic offshoot of the Ebionites, teaching a Supreme God distinct from the creator of this world. Cerinthus ( c 100 was an Early Christian originator of a heretical sect a " Heresiarch " in the view of the Church Fathers The Ebionites ( Greek: grc Ἐβιωναῖοι Ebionaioi from Hebrew; he '''אביונים''' he-Latn ''Ebyonim'' "the Poor Ones" were an God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. By the early 2nd century Carpocrates has founded the Carpocratians. Carpocrates of Alexandria was the founder of an early Gnostic sect from the first half of the second century Carpocrates of Alexandria was the founder of an early Gnostic sect from the first half of the second century His students include Marcellina the Carpocratian and his son Epiphanes (not Epiphanes of Salamis). Another early 2nd century theologian was Basilides. "Basilides" redirects here For the 17th century Ethiopian Emperor see Fasilides of Ethiopia. His son Isidore succeeds him around 150. A Gnostic teacher named Cerdo AKA Kerdon is teaching in Rome sometime in 136-142. Marcion is a 2nd century theologian whose links to Gnosticism have been hotly disputed, although his disciple Apelles the Marcionite seems to have interacted with the Alexandrian Gnostics later on. Marcion (Μαρκίων (ca 110 - 160) was a Christian Theologian who was excommunicated by the Early Christian church Apelles was also friends with Philumene, an Alexandrian prophetess.
Little is known of founders of Sethian Gnosticism, which may have existed in a pre-Christian form, and which also flourished in the second century AD. The Sethians were a group of ancient Gnostics who date their existence to before Christianity Early Sethian leaders might include:
- Barkabbas - a prophet mentioned by Basilides and linked to the Gnostics by Epiphanius;
- Zostrianos, the supposed writer of a Nag Hammadi text, believed in antiquity to be a follower of Zoroaster;
- Satornius (Satornilos, Satorninos) who may have been an early 2nd century Sethian teacher
- Marsanes (Marsianos), the supposed author of a Nag Hammadi text, who is also mentioned by Epiphanius of Salamis as a prophet revered by the Archontic Gnostics. Zostrianos is a Sethian Gnostic text from the New Testament apocrypha. Zoroaster ( Latinized from Greek variants) or Zarathushtra (from Avestan Zaraθuštra) also referred to as Zartosht (زرتشت Marsanes is a Sethian Gnostic text from the New Testament apocrypha.
Porphyry also mentions several of these, as well as Nikotheos and Messos, Gnostic revelation writers whose works don't survive (Nikotheos is mentioned in the Bruce Codex too, as a "perfect man" who had seen visions of the "triple powered one"), and Adelphios and Aquilinus (mentioned as leaders of the Gnostice by Porphyry. The Bruce Codex (also called the Codex Brucianus) is a gnostic manuscript acquired by the British Museum. Eutaktos of Armenia is founder of the Archontic Gnostics, according to Epiphanius. Peter the Gnostic or Peter of Kapharbarikha is a Palestian Archontic described by Epiphanius. Martiades is a prophet of Archontics mentioned by Epiphanius, along with Marsanes.
Valentinus, who may have been a student of Basilides, and Theudas was a prominent Gnostic teacher of another major form of Gnosticism in the second century AD. Valentinus (also spelled Valentius) ( c 100 - c160 CE) was the best known and for a time most successful Early Christian gnostic "Basilides" redirects here For the 17th century Ethiopian Emperor see Fasilides of Ethiopia. Theudas is also the name of a follower of Paul of Tarsus, who taught Valentinius, for more information see Theudas (teacher of Valentinius He taught many other Gnostic fathers whose names we know, and his school survived for centuries.
His school was later divided into Eastern and Western branches based on a Christological dispute. Christology (from Christ and Greek grc -λογία -logia) is a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with Western Valentinians include: Ptolemy the Valentinian, whose letter to Flora survives, and who seems to have been martryed in 152; Flora a female Valentinian who corresponded with Ptolemy; Heracleon who has several surviving excerpts; Hermogenes (the painter) a late 2nd century painter, Monoimus the Arab, and Prodicus the Gnostic, Secundus, Florinus (a presbyter), Alexander, and Theotimus. Heracleon was a Gnostic who flourished about AD 175, probably in the south of Italy. Monoimus (lived somewhere between 150 - 210 was an Arab gnostic (Arabic name probably Mun'im منعم who was known only from one account in Theodoret Eastern Valentinians include: Marcus the Valentinian, a magician interested in using Gematria with Valentinianism; Axionicus of Antioch, who was alive in time of Tertullian; and Theodotus who also has several surviving excerpts in Clement of Alexandria's Excerpta; Ambrose and Candidus (in the 3rd century). Gematria or gimatria ( Rabbinic Hebrew he גימטריה) is a system of assigning numerical value to an Alphabet. Saint Clement of Alexandria (born Titus Flavius Clemens) (c150 - 211/216 was the first notable member of the Church of Alexandria, and one of its most
Later Gnostic fathers
The 3rd century also sees Bardaisan or Bardansanes, an immediate forerunner of Mani. Bardaisan (ܒܪܕܝܨܢ Bardaiṣān; 154–222 also Latinized as Bardesanes) was a Syriac Gnostic, founder of the Bardaisanites He was a Valentianian at one point but later rejected them. The prophet Mani founded a religion called Manicheanism but also described himself as "the apostle of Jesus Christ". Mani (in Persian: مانی Syriac: syr-Syrc ܡܐܢܝ (c 210–276 AD was the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient Gnostic Religion Manichaeism (in Modern Persian fa-Arab آیین مانی Āyin e Māni; Chinese zh 摩尼教 was one of the major Gnostic Religions originating His religion borrowed heavily from Gnosticism and may well be thought of a form of gnosticism, so it might be fair to think of Mani as a father of Christian Gnosticism, although clearly many would dispute this.
By the early 4th century, gnostics are kicked out the church and officially forbidden to meet, by the mid 4th century their books are widely banned and by the late 4th century Gnosticism carries a death penalty in the Roman empire. The Sethian Gnostics, Archontic Gnostics, Basilidean Gnostics, Valentinian Gnostics, and Manicheans seem to be the only schools of Christian Gnostics to survive into the 4th century. St. Augustine of Hippo claimed to be a Manichean early in life, but later to have rejected it, and thus was a Church Father who was at one point a gnostic. Likewise, the late 3rd-early 4th century theologian Lactantius has sometimes been thought of as being influenced enough by Gnosticism to be a Gnostic father, but this is by no means clear. Lucius Caelius (or Caecilius? Firmianus Lactantius was an Early Christian author (ca
Notes
- ^ Elaine Pagels, The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis. Elaine Pagels, née Hiesey (born February 13, 1943) is the Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University Heracleon's Commentary on John. Nashville: SBL Monograph Series 17, 1973
- ^ Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Paul. Philadelphia 1975.
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