Detailed Essays on Valentinianism

Introduction

Valentinians taught a type of esoteric or "Gnostic" Christian theology. It stood in much the same relationship to Catholic Christianity as the Kabala does to mainstream Judaism. Valentinians made use of a series of elaborate metaphors to describe how human beings have become alienated from God and how they can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

In these articles, many of the major themes are explored in detail, drawing on all surviving sources. No attempt has been made to distinguish the teaching of Valentinus from that of his school since only a few of his own writings survive.

Important variations between different strands of the Valentinian tradition are noted, but we will not dwell on them excessively. Many of these differences such as those in the naming and ordering of Aeons and details of the myth are largely cosmetic. The ideas underlying these texts can be seen as a coherent body of thought.

These articles have been written over a fifteen year period. Many of them have their origins as far back as the mid-1980's. These articles are not meant to be a substitute for reading the original texts.

Valentinian Archive: Detailed Articles & Essays

Category	Article Title	Focus / Key Themes
Cosmology & Origins	Sophia and Eve	The fall of Wisdom, the creation of the lower world, and the parallel to the Eve narrative.
Cosmology & Origins	The Demiurge	The role of the "Craftsman" (Creator God) as an ignorant but not necessarily evil figure.
Cosmology & Origins	The Valentinian View of Creation	A systemic draft of how the material world emerged from the divine "Fullness."
Cosmology & Origins	Error in the Gospel of Truth	A study of "Error" as a personified force and its role in the origin of the universe.
Theology & Christology	The Role of Christ	Jesus as the divine messenger who brings the "Limit" and restoration to the Pleroma.
Theology & Christology	The Doctrine of the Name	Esoteric significance of "The Name" and the naming of the Father/Son.
Theology & Christology	The Pair (Syzygy) in Thought	The concept of male-female duality and the necessity of reunification.
Theology & Christology	Valentinian Monism	Philosophical argument that all things exist within the Father and are ultimately one.
Soteriology (Salvation)	Psychology and Salvation	The tripartite nature of man (material, psychic, spiritual) and how each is saved.
Soteriology (Salvation)	Faith and Knowledge	The relationship between Pistis (Faith) and Gnosis (Knowledge) in the path of the hero.
Soteriology (Salvation)	Realized Eschatology	The belief that the "end times" and resurrection occur within the believer during life.
Soteriology (Salvation)	Joined to an Angel	The mystical practice of being united with one's heavenly counterpart/angel.
Ethics & Practice	Teaching on Sin	Reframing sin not as moral failure but as spiritual ignorance or "forgetfulness."
Ethics & Practice	Valentinian Ethics	How Gnostics lived in the world: the balance between freedom and spiritual responsibility.
Ethics & Practice	Sacramental Practices	Overview of rituals like Baptism, the Eucharist, and the "Bridal Chamber."
Scripture & History	Scriptural Interpretation	The unique allegorical methods used by Valentinians to read the Bible.
Scripture & History	Valentinians and the Temple	The symbolic and historical view of Jewish liturgy and the Temple in Gnostic thought.
Scripture & History	Fragments of Valentinus	Analysis of the surviving snippets from Valentinus' own sermons and letters.

Read some actual writings of the Valentinian School

The material in the "Valentinus and the Valentinian Tradition" section originally appeared on an internet site created by David Brons, who authored all content found in this section. It is archived in the Esoteric Gnosis Library by permission of the author. All rights including right of electronic reproduction are reserved by David Brons © 2003.