The death of Simon Magus.

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 study of the Fathers is known as Patristics. There is no evidence of ancient Gnostic Christians using this term for their leaders, and indeed the Gnostics thought of females as well as males as being among their important founders. 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 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. Image File history File links Summary The death of Simon Magus, from the Nuremberg Chronicle or Liber Chronicarum, 1493 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Summary The death of Simon Magus, from the Nuremberg Chronicle or Liber Chronicarum, 1493 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Simon Magus, also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by the ancient Christian Orthodoxy to refer to someone they identified as a Samaritan (Proto-)Gnostic, and, also according to ancient Christian Orthodoxy, founder of his own religious sect. ... The (Early) Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. ... Orthodox Christianity is a generalized reference to the Eastern traditions of Christianity, as opposed to the Western traditions (which descend through, or alongside of, the Roman Catholic Church) or the Eastern Rite Catholic churches. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth and his life, death, resurrection, and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογια, logia, words, sayings, or discourse) is reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and gods. ... The term Christian Church, or Catholic Church, as it was known by Christians beginning in the second century, expresses the idea that organised Christianity (the Christian religion) is seen as an institution. ... Patristics is the study of early Christian writers, known as the Church Fathers. ... Gnosticism is a blanket term for various religions and sects most prominent in the first few centuries A.D. General characteristics The word gnosticism comes from the Greek word for knowledge, gnosis (γνῶσις), referring to the idea that there is special, hidden mysticism (esoteric knowledge... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... Alternate meaning: See Apostle (Mormonism) The Christian Apostles were Jewish men chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth (as indicated by the Greek word απόστολος apostolos= messenger), by Jesus to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, across the... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek απόστολος apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles... The Apostolic Fathers were a small collection of Christian authors who lived and wrote in the late 1st century and early 2nd century who are acknowledged as leaders in the early church, but whose writings were not included in the collection of Christian scripture, the New Testament Biblical canon, at... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ...

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. Sometimes it is used more broadly to include Valentinians, followers of Basilides, and others. Likewise, one scholar may consider Simon Magus an gnostic, where another considers him a proto-gnostic. Early Church fathers like Irenaeus, seemed to think that all heresies were Gnosticism at root, and thus that any heretic was in a sense a Gnostic. Modern scholar Micheal Williams has argued that the whole category of "Gnosticism" is more trouble than it is worth. Here we will try to list any fathers that might plausibly be considered Gnostic. Sethian is also a Finnish progressive metal band. ... Valentinius more usually called Valentinus (c. ... Basilides redirects here. ... Simon Magus, also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by the ancient Christian Orthodoxy to refer to someone they identified as a Samaritan (Proto-)Gnostic, and, also according to ancient Christian Orthodoxy, founder of his own religious sect. ... An engraving of Irenaeus ( 130–202), bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul (now Lyon, France). ...

Important early Gnostics include Simon Magus, Cerinthus, Carpocrates, and Basilides. Early figures such as Marcion, Theudas, and Nicolas of Antioch are more debatable. 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. By the 3rd century Bardaisan and then Mani is forging Manicheanism a kind of Gnosticism that is debatably Christian. Simon Magus, also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by the ancient Christian Orthodoxy to refer to someone they identified as a Samaritan (Proto-)Gnostic, and, also according to ancient Christian Orthodoxy, founder of his own religious sect. ... Cerinthus was the leader of a late first-century or early 2nd century sect, an offshoot of the Ebionites yet similar to Gnosticism in some respects, interesting in that it demonstrates the wide range of conclusions that could be drawn from the life and teachings of Jesus. ... Carpocrates was an early Gnostic from sometime in the second century A.D. who was mentioned by Clement of Alexandria in the Mar Saba letter discovered in 1958 by ancient historian Morton Smith. ... Basilides redirects here. ... Marcion of Sinope (ca. ... Theudas is also the name of a follower of Paul of Tarsus, who taught Valentinius, for more information, see Theudas (teacher of Valentinius) Theudas (Thoo duhs) Personal name meaning, gift of God. ... Valentinius more usually called Valentinus (c. ... This article is about the Gnostic Valentinus. ... Bar Daisan (154-222), also latinized as Bardesanes, was a Syrian gnostic and an outstanding scientist, scholar, and poet. ... Mani (in Persian & Arabic مانی) was born in Babylon, Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) which was a part of Persian Empire about 210-276 CE. He was a religious preacher and the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient Persian gnostic religion that was once prolific but is now extinct. ... Manichaeism was one of the major ancient religions. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ...

Early leaders of Gnosticism

Gnostics often considered pre-Christian figures to be among their important early teachers and leaders. Adam and his son Seth were especially important. Several figures, appear in Gnostic versions of old testament stories, that do not appear in canonical versions, such as Norea who saves the Gnostics from the flood in the time of Noah. The three companions of Daniel are called by many names in Gnostic texts, and often invoked. Eugnostus AKA Eugnostos the Blessed is a proto-Sethian writer of the Nag Hammadi text by the same name, and may have lived as early as the 1st Century BCE. John the Baptist is sometimes claimed as an early Gnostic leader (for example, by the Mandaeans. Other figures are harder to place the time of, such as the Prophets Barcoph and Barkabbas, mentioned by Basilides (Epiphanius discusses Barkabbas too) Michelangelos The Creation of Adam, a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, shows God creating Adam, with Eve in His arm. ... Seth or Shet (Hebrew: שֵׁת, Standard Å et, Tiberian ; Arabic: شيث Shith or Shiyth; Placed; appointed), in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, is the third listed son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel and is the only other son mentioned by name. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh. ... Norea is a figure in gnostic cosmology. ... Noahs Ark, Französischer Meister (The French Master), Magyar Szépművészeti Múzeum, Budapest. ... Daniel (Hebrew: דָּנִיֵּאל; transliterated as Daniyyel in Standard Hebrew and Dāniyyêl in Tiberian Hebrew, Arabic: Danyel, دانيال) is the name of at least three people from the Hebrew Bible: A Jewish exile in Babylon, the subject of the Book of Daniel and the most well-known of the three Daniels. ... 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 writings. ... Very little is known about Eugnostus (or Eugnostos); all we know about him is from the work Eugnostus the Blessed (aka Epistle of Eugnostos; which can be found in the Nag Hammadi library. ... The town of Nag Hammadi in Egypt Nag Hammâdi (Arabic نجع حمادي; transliterated: Naj Hammādi) (26°03′N 32°15′E), is a town in the middle of Egypt, called Chenoboskion in classical antiquity, about 80 kilometres north-west of Luxor with some 30,000 citizens. ... Mural depiction of Jesus baptism by the hand of John, Jordan River, Jordan The excavated remains of the baptism site in Bethany beyond the Jordan John the Baptist (also called John the Baptizer, or Yahya the Baptizer) is regarded as a prophet by four religions: Christianity, Islam, Mandaeanism, and the... Mandaeanism is a pre-Christian religion which has been classified by scholars as Gnostic. ... Basilides redirects here. ... Epiphanius (clearly manifested) was the name of several early Christian scholars and ecclesiastics: Epiphanius of Salamis, bishop of Salamis in Cyprus, died 410, author of Panarion Epiphanius of Constantinople, died 535, Patriarch of Constantinople 520—535 Epiphanius Scholasticus, known only as the assistant of Cassiodorus who compiled the Historiae...

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. Philo of Alexandria, Zoroaster, and Hermes Trismegistus may have occupied similar roles among other early Christian gnostics. Pythagoras Pythagoras of Samos (Greek: Πυθαγόρας; circa 582 BC – circa 507 BC) was an Ionian (Greek) mathematician and philosopher, founder of the mathematical, mystic, religious, and scientific society called Pythagoreans. ... For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... Aristotle (Greek: Aristotélēs) (384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Philo (20 BCE - 40 CE) was an Alexandrian Jewish philosopher born in Alexandria, Egypt. ... Zoroaster; portrayed here in a popular Parsi Zoroastrian depiction. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

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. 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. John the Evangelist is claimed as a Gnostic by some Gnostic interpreters. ^[1] As is even St Paul.^[2] Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Thomas, also called Judas Thomas Didymus or Jude Thomas Didymus, was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. ... ... For the American black metal band, see Judas Iscariot (band). ... For other uses, see Gospel of Judas (disambiguation). ... Mary Magdalene is described, both in the canonical New Testament and in the New Testament apocrypha, as a devoted disciple of Jesus. ... The Twelve Apostles (, apostolos, Liddell & Scott, Strongs G652, someone sent forth/sent out) were men that according to the Synoptic Gospels and Christian tradition, were chosen from among the disciples (students) of Jesus for a mission. ... The Gospel of Mary was found in the Akhmim Codex, a text acquired by Dr.Rheinhardt in Cairo in 1896. ... St John the Evangelist, imagined by Jacopo Pontormo, ca 1525 (Santa Felicità, Florence) John the Evangelist (? - c. ... The name Saint Paul may refer to one of several possible meanings or references, though it is most commonly used to refer to the Biblical Paul of Tarsus. ...

Simon Magus and his consort Helena of Tyre were leaders of the early Gnostics by all accounts. 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. Menander of Antioch was a disciple of Simon Magus, active in the late 1st century. Simon Magus, also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by the ancient Christian Orthodoxy to refer to someone they identified as a Samaritan (Proto-)Gnostic, and, also according to ancient Christian Orthodoxy, founder of his own religious sect. ... An engraving of Irenaeus ( 130–202), bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul (now Lyon, France). ... Simon Magus, also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by the ancient Christian Orthodoxy to refer to someone they identified as a Samaritan (Proto-)Gnostic, and, also according to ancient Christian Orthodoxy, founder of his own religious sect. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ...

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. -Quevedo Valentinius, also called Valentinus (c. ... Theudas was the name of a Christian Gnostic thinker, who was a follower of Paul of Tarsus. ... The name Saint Paul may refer to one of several possible meanings or references, though it is most commonly used to refer to the Biblical Paul of Tarsus. ... -Quevedo Valentinius, also called Valentinus (c. ...

Nicolas of Antioch and Jezebel of Thyatira are sometimes claimed as leaders of the "Nicolatians" described in the Book of Revelation. 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. Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ... Epiphanius (clearly manifested) was the name of several early Christian scholars and ecclesiastics: Epiphanius of Salamis, bishop of Salamis in Cyprus, died 410, author of Panarion Epiphanius of Constantinople, died 535, Patriarch of Constantinople 520—535 Epiphanius Scholasticus, known only as the assistant of Cassiodorus who compiled the Historiae... 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. By the early 2nd century Carpocrates has founded the Carpocratians. His students include Marcellina the Carpocratian and his son Epiphanes (not Epiphanes of Salamis). Another early 2nd century theologian was Basilides. 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. Apelles was also friends with Philumene an Alexandrian prophetess. Cerinthus was the leader of a late first-century or early 2nd century sect, an offshoot of the Ebionites yet similar to Gnosticism in some respects, interesting in that it demonstrates the wide range of conclusions that could be drawn from the life and teachings of Jesus. ... The Ebionites (from Hebrew; אביונים, Ebyonim, the poor ones) were an early sect of mostly Jewish followers of Jesus, which flourished in the early centuries of the Common Era, one of several ancient Jewish Christian groups that co-existed from the 1st to the 5th century CE in and around the... Carpocrates was an early Gnostic from sometime in the second century A.D. who was mentioned by Clement of Alexandria in the Mar Saba letter discovered in 1958 by ancient historian Morton Smith. ... Carpocrates was an early Gnostic from sometime in the second century A.D. who was mentioned by Clement of Alexandria in the Mar Saba letter discovered in 1958 by ancient historian Morton Smith. ... Basilides redirects here. ... Cerdo was a Gnostic heretic to the Catholic Church in the early times of the Catholic Church who taught that there were two equal gods, one good and one evil. ... Marcion of Sinope (ca. ...

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. 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, AKA Satornilos, Satorninos who may have been an early 2nd century Sethian teacher and Marsanes, AKA 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. 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. 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. Sethian is also a Finnish progressive metal band. ... Zostrianos is a sethian gnostic text from the New Testament apocrypha. ... Zoroaster; portrayed here in a popular Parsi Zoroastrian depiction. ... Marsanes is a sethian gnostic text from the New Testament apocrypha. ... The Bruce Codex (also called the Codex Brucianus) is a gnostic manuscript acquired by the British Museum. ...

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. He taught many other Gnostic fathers whose names we know, and his school survived for centuries. This article is about the Gnostic Valentinus. ... Basilides redirects here. ... Theudas is also the name of a follower of Paul of Tarsus, who taught Valentinius, for more information, see Theudas (teacher of Valentinius) Theudas (Thoo duhs) Personal name meaning, gift of God. ...

His school was later divided into Eastern and Western branches based on a Christological dispute. 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. 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). Christology is that part of Christian theology that studies and defines who Jesus Christ is. ... Heracleon, a Gnostic who flourished about AD 125, probably in the south of Italy or in Sicily, and is generally classed by the early heresiologists with the Valentinian school of heresy. ... Monoimus (lived somewhere between 150 - 210) was an arabic gnostic (arabic name: Munim), who was known to us only from one account in Theodoret (Haereticarum Fabularum Compendium i. ... Gematria (Heb. ... Clement of Alexandria (Titus Flavius Clemens), was the first member of the Church of Alexandria to be more than a name, and one of its most distinguished teachers. ...

Later Gnostic fathers

The 3rd century also sees Bardaisan or Bardansanes, an immediate forerunner of Mani. 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." 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. Bar Daisan (154-222), also latinized as Bardesanes, was a Syrian gnostic and an outstanding scientist, scholar, and poet. ... Mani (in Persian & Arabic مانی) was born in Babylon, Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) which was a part of Persian Empire about 210-276 CE. He was a religious preacher and the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient Persian gnostic religion that was once prolific but is now extinct. ... Manichaeism was one of the major ancient religions. ...

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. For the first Archbishop of Canterbury, see Saint Augustine of Canterbury. ... Lucius Caelius (or Caecilius?) Firmianus Lactantius was an early Christian author who wrote in Latin (c. ...

Notes

1. ^ Pagels, Elaine. The Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis. Heracleon's Commentary on John. Nashville: SBL Monograph Series 17, 1973
2. ^ Pagels, Elaine. The Gnostic Paul. Philedelphia 1975.