Theology as a Christian Gnosis in the First Three Centuries

Wrocławski Przegląd Teologiczny 28 (2020) 1, 75–83 Wrocław Theological Review René Roux Faculty of Theology of Lugano, Switzerland Theology as a Christian Gnosis in the First Three Centuries* Pojęcie teologii jako gnozy chrześcijańskiej w pierwszych trzech wiekach naszej ery Abstr act: During the second and third centuries A.D., challenges from various gnostic groups forced mainstream Christianity to deepen its understanding of its core message. Partially reacting to gnostic teachings, Irenaeus of Lyon, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen all contributed to establishing the methods and contents of the authentic “gnosis,” i.e., the orthodox doctrine of faith, in its relationship to historical knowledge and its moral and spiritual endeavor. The importance given to the regula fidei as criterium veritatis manifests the fundamental desire to be faithful to the original experience of Jesus Christ. Keywords: Gnosis, Gnosticism, Theology, regula fidei, Irenaeus of Lyon, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, authentic “gnosis,” orthodox doctrine of faith, criterium veritatis Abstr akt: W II i III wieku n.e. wyzwanie, jakim była działalność różnych grup gnostyckich, skłoniło przedstawicieli głównego nurtu chrześcijaństwa do pogłębienia rozumienia swojego najważniejszego przesłania. Po części w reakcji na nauczanie gnostyków Ireneusz z Lyonu, Klemens Aleksandryjski oraz Orygenes przyczynili się do opracowania metod i treści prawdziwej „gnozy”, czyli ortodoksyjnej doktryny wiary, w jej relacji do wiedzy historycznej, a także wysiłków moralnych i duchowych. Znaczenie nadawane regula fidei jako criterium veritatis świadczy o fundamentalnym pragnieniu pozostania wiernym pierwotnemu doświadczeniu obecności Jezusa Chrystusa. Słowa kluczowe: gnoza, gnostycyzm, teologia, regula fidei, Ireneusz z Lyonu, Klemens Aleksandryjski, Orygenes, prawdziwa „gnoza”, ortodoksyjna doktryna wiary, criterium veritatis * The article is based on the text of the speech delivered during the International Scientific Conference on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in post-war Poland “Theology in the world of science,” which was held at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Wroclaw on 22–23 June, 2018. DOI: 10.34839/wpt.2020.28.1.75-83 © Papieski Wydział Teologiczny we Wrocławiu 76 René Roux T he theology of the second and beginning of the third centuries was most deeply shaped by its encounter with the gnosis.”1 With these words, Cardinal Grillmeier characterized the connection between Gnosticism, understood as a heretical movement, and the theology of the Great Church in his monumental history of Christology. However, recent scholarship, for example, that of N. Brox, which approaches the phenomenon of heretical groups from a sociological point of view, understands its variety as the original phenomenon upon which doctrinal orthodoxy would later impose itself.2 Yet his interpretive hypothesis does not do justice to those sources that bear witness to the desire to know and adhere to Christ’s authentic message as an element that qualified Christian experience from its beginning. Orthodox thinkers sometimes used the terms gnosis and gnostic to define the authentic knowledge arising from the Revelation and the Christian who lived in full accordance with its principles, even if they preferred other terms to indicate Christian perfection from the third century on. In this paper, we will highlight some of the stages in which the heterodox gnosis, while provoking adverse reactions from Catholics, contributed to the birth and development of Christian theology which could be considered as the true gnosis. Given the complexity of this theme, we will first focus on some terminological and methodological issues to avoid ambiguity. Then, we will analyze some fundamental aspects of Catholic theology in response to the gnosis through the examples of Irenaeus of Lyon, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen. In conclusion, a critical position will be taken on some outcomes emerging from recent scholarship focusing on Ante-Nicene theology and an attempt will be made at assessing the actual relevance of these ancient models. Preliminary Observations When questioning the relationship between gnosis and theology in the first centuries of Christianity, it is first necessary to clearly define the relevant acceptation of these two terms from among their multiple meanings. The noun “gnosis,” that is, “knowledge,” is frequently used in the Pauline letters, while the verb “to know” is employed very often in the Gospel of 1 2 Cf. A. Grillmeier, Jesus der Christus im Glauben der Kirche, Bd. 1: Von der apostolischen Zeit bis zum Konzil von Chalcedon (451), Freiburg 1990/2004, p. 189. Cf. N. Brox, term: “Häresie,” [in:] Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum, XIII, Lieferung 98, F.J. Dölger (bearb.), T. Klauser, E. Dassmann (hrsg.), Stuttgart 1984, coll. 248–297. Theology as a Christian Gnosis in the First Three Centuries 77 John.3 A specific reference to knowledge of the divine emerges alongside the common use of these terms, referring in Christian circles to the knowledge arising from the Revelation. It is, therefore, the result of a gift from God, an object of learning, and, at the same time, a human desire. The main content of such knowledge was made explicit through human words in the kerygma and soon after in the regula fidei, which became the criterium veritatis. Man accesses this consciousness as his own through faith. In this sense, one can say that a form of “gnosis” is contemporary to the Christian faith, because even the most immediate and straightforward forms of the kerygma require some form of conceptual processing. Gnosis is thus knowledge of divine mysteries. Alongside this theological usage of the term gnosis, we also observe its emergence in sociological terms. In this context, it denotes a form of knowledge that distinguishes specific groups, which, by referencing elevated doctrines unknown to the masses while also borrowing elements of the Christian tradition, are characterized by a desire to differentiate and distance themselves from the Great Church.4 This refers to the phenomenon of Gnosticism that, in its various permutations, presented the greatest intellectual challenge to the Church of the first centuries. If the Christian aspires to “know” the Revelation of God ever more deeply, claims regarding the knowledge of divine things cannot always be considered as authentic per se. Therefore, rationally-founded judgment found its place at the origin of Christian theology as a science. As for the concept of “theology,” leaving aside its ancient usage, which is not relevant here,5 we note how some contemporary scholars tend to associate theology as the science of faith with systematic theology, disregarding historical and biblical theology as though they were not truly theology. From our point of view, this approach, which emerges from an overestimation of the systematic appr (...truncated)