Valentinianism

E98432

Valentinianism was a prominent 2nd-century Christian Gnostic movement, founded by Valentinus, that taught a complex cosmology of emanations and salvation through esoteric knowledge.

All labels observed (6)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Christian theological school
Gnostic movement
religious doctrine
consideredHeresyBy proto-orthodox Christianity
coreConcept Demiurge as ignorant creator of the material world
Pleroma as fullness of divine aeons
Sophia as a key aeon in the myth
aeons as emanations from the ultimate God
three types of humans: pneumatic, psychic, hylic
countryOfOrigin Roman Empire
follows teachings of Valentinus
foundedBy Valentinianism self-linksurface differs
surface form: Valentinus
hasMainTenet Christ as revealer of hidden knowledge
allegorical interpretation of Christian scriptures
complex cosmology of emanations
distinction between the spiritual and material worlds
doctrine of the Demiurge
doctrine of the Pleroma
emphasis on inner spiritual knowledge (gnosis)
myth of a fallen aeon
redemption of the spiritual seed within humans
salvation through esoteric knowledge
secret or esoteric teaching for the spiritually mature
tripartite anthropology (spiritual, psychic, material)
hasVariant Valentinianism self-linksurface differs
surface form: Eastern Valentinian school

Valentinianism self-linksurface differs
surface form: Western Valentinian school
historicalStatus no longer an active organized movement
influenced later Christian mysticism
modern scholarship on Gnosticism
influencedBy Hellenistic philosophy
Middle Platonism
earlier Christian Gnosticism
notableFigure Heracleon
Ptolemy the Valentinian
Theodotus the Valentinian
opposedBy Saint Hippolytus
surface form: Hippolytus of Rome

Irenaeus of Lyons
surface form: Irenaeus of Lyon

Tertullian
religiousBranch Gnosticism
religiousTradition Christianity
startTime 2nd century
textualSources Excerpts of Theodotus
Nag Hammadi writings related to Valentinian circles
reports in Irenaeus’s Adversus Haereses
reports in Tertullian’s Adversus Valentinianos
viewOnScripture reinterprets New Testament texts esoterically
uses Pauline epistles extensively

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (12)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Irenaeus of Lyons opposed Valentinianism
Against Heresies opposes Valentinianism
this entity surface form: Valentinian Gnosticism
Gnosticism includesMovement Valentinianism
Gnosticism hasKeyFigure Valentinianism
this entity surface form: Valentinus
Valentinianism foundedBy Valentinianism self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Valentinus
Valentinianism hasVariant Valentinianism self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Eastern Valentinian school
Valentinianism hasVariant Valentinianism self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Western Valentinian school
De Carne Christi opposes Valentinianism
this entity surface form: Valentinian Gnosticism
De Praescriptione Haereticorum targets Valentinianism
this entity surface form: Valentinians
Valentine derivedFrom Valentinianism
this entity surface form: Valentinus
Valentin derivedFrom Valentinianism
this entity surface form: Valentinus
Valentina linguisticFormOf Valentinianism
this entity surface form: Valentinus