Revealing women : feminine imagery in Gnostic Christian texts / Lavinia Cerioni.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cerioni, Lavinia, author.

Series:

Studia traditionis theologiae ; 2294-3617 35.

Studia traditionis theologiae, 2294-3617 ; 35.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gnosticism.

Gnostic literature.

Feminist theology.

Church history--Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600.

Church history.

Church history--Primitive and early church.

Physical Description:

231 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Turnhout : Brepols, [2021].

Summary:

"Revealing Women offers a detailed and textually oriented investigation of the roles and functions of female characters in Gnostic Christian mythologies. It answers questions such as: to what end did Gnostic Christian theologians employ feminine imagery in their theology? What did they want to convey through it? This book shows that feminine imagery was a genuine concern for Gnostic theologians, and it enquires about how it was employed to describe the divine through a contextual reading of Gnostic Christian texts presenting Ophite, Sethian, Barbeloite and Valentinian mythologoumena and theologoumena. Overall, it argues that feminine imagery ought to be acknowledged as an important theological framework to investigate and contextualize Gnostic works by showing that these theologians used feminine imagery to exemplify those aspects of the Godhead which they considered paradoxical and, yet, essential. The claims made in the first chapters are later substantiated by an in-depth investigation of understudied Gnostic texts, such as the so-called Simonian Gnostic works, the Book of Baruch of the Gnostic teacher Justin and the Nag Hammadi treatise known as Exegesis of the Soul." --Provided by publisher

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: I. Methodological Problems in the Study of Gnosticism

I.1. Reaching an Agreement: the Rugged Way Towards a Definition of Gnosticism

I.2. The Heterogeneous Nature of Gnostic Texts

I.3. Denominations of Individual Gnostic Movements

I.4. Concluding Remarks on Methodology

II. The Soteriological Feminine in Ophite, Sethian and Barbeloite Texts

II.1. Ophite, Sethian and Barbeloite Sources and Selection Criteria

II.2. Intra-Pleromatic Representations of the Feminine: Trinitarian Feminine Imagery

II.2.a. Barbelo in The Apocryphon of John (NHC II, 1)

II.2.b. Barbelo according to Irenaeus, Adversus haereses I, 29

II.2.c. Incorruptibility in The Hypostasis of Archons (NHC II, 4)

II.2.d. Pleromatic Feminine? Textual Evidence in On the Origin of the World (NHC II, 5)

II.2.e. Ophite Pleromatic Feminine according to Irenaeus, Adversus haereses I, 30

II.2.f. Concluding Remarks on the Intra-Pleromatic Feminine

II.3. Divine Duplicity: Paradoxical Female Characters

II.3.a. The Fallen Sophia: The Apocryphon of John (NHC II, 1)

II.3.b. Sophia Ttpotrveiicoc, in Irenaeus, Adversus haereses I, 29

II.3.c. Sophia and Zoe in The Hypostasis of Archons (NHC II, 4)

II.3.d. A Soteriological Sophia: On the Origin of the World (NHC II, 5)

II.3.e. The Defective Sophia according to Irenaeus, Adversus haereses I, 30

II.3.f. Concluding Remarks on the Divine Duplicity

II.4. Spiritual and Carnal Eve: the Incarnated Feminine

II.4.a. Spiritual and Carnal Eve in The Apocryphon of John (NHC II, 1)

II.4.b. Eve and Norea in The Hypostasis of Archons (NHC II, 4)

II.4.c. The Luminous Woman in On the Origin of the World (NHC II, 5)

II.4.d. The Psychic Eve according to Irenaeus, Adversus haereses I, 30

II.4.e. Concluding Remarks on the Spiritual and Carnal Eve

II.5. Conclusion

III. The Valentinian Feminine Imagery

III.1. Valentinian Primary Sources and Selection Criteria

III.2. The Feminine in the Godhead: the Original Syzygy

III.2.a. Monadic Father? The Syzygy in the Valentinian Exposition (NHC XI, 2)

III.2.b. Silence in the Grand Notice of Irenaeus

III.3. The Fallen Feminine: Sophia in the "Myth of Separation"

III.3.a. Sophia and Christ

III.3.a.1. Sophia in the Valentinian Exposition (NHC XI, 2)

III.3.a.2. The Fallen Feminine in Eastern Valentinianism (Excerpta ex Theodoto, frag. 1

42)

III.3.a.3. The Controversial Account of Irenaeus, Adversus haereses I, 11, 1

III.3.b. Two Sophia System

III.3.b.1. Sophia Echmot and Sophia Echamot in the Gospel of Philip (NHC II, 3)

III.3.b.2. The Grande Notice and Excerpta ex Theodoto 43-65: Pleromatic Sophia and Sophia Achamot

III.3.c. Concluding Remarks on the Fallen Feminine and the Two "Myths of Separation"

III.4. The Incarnated Valentinian Feminine

III.4.a. The Creation of Eve in the Excerpta ex Theodoto

III.4.b. Eve in the Bridal Chamber in the Gospel of Philip (NHC II, 3)

III.4.c. Concluding Remarks on the Incarnated Valentinian Feminine

III.5. Conclusion

IV. Gnostic Case-Studies: The Feminine in Other Gnostic Traditions

IV.1. Helena of Tyre in the so-called Simonian Gnosis

IV.1.a. The Character of Helena in Ancient Accounts of Simonian Gnosis

IV.1.b. Was Helena mentioned in Acts?

IV.1.c. The Acts of Peter and Pseudo-Clementine Literature

IV.1.d. Concluding Remarks on Helena

IV.2. The Book of Baruch of the Gnostic Teacher Justin

IV.2.a. The Identities of Hippolytus and Justin

IV.2.b. Edem: the Double-Minded μoπαρθενoσ

IV.2.c. Breaking the Syzygy: Celestial Disruption and Origin of Chaos

IV.2.d. Conclusion

IV.3. A Feminine Tale in The Exegesis on the Soul (NHC II, 6)

IV3.a. The Nature of the Soul

IV.3.b. The Repentance of a Prostitute Soul

IV.3.c. The Redemption of the Soul

IV.3.d. Conclusion.

Notes:

Thesis (PhD)--University of Nottingham, 2018.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-221) and indexes.

Other Format:

e-book version

ISBN:

9782503586687

2503586686

OCLC:

1138605961

Publisher Number:

99988714640

9782503586687