“It is this work, commonly called Adversus haereses, or, Against the Heresies, which established Irenaeus as the most important of the theologians of the second century and merits for him the title of founder of Christian theology. The Adversus haereses is a detailed and effective refutation of Gnosticism, and it is a major source of information on the various Gnostic sects and doctrines.” —“Introduction”
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION Title and Authenticity Time of Composition Irenaeus’s Readers Purpose and Plan of Adversus Haereses Style Scripture and Tradition Manuscript History Printed Editions TEXT Preface Chapter 1: The Valentinians’ Absurd Explanation of the Origin of the Aeons Chapter 2: The Defection of Wisdom outside the Fullness and Her Restoration by Limit. The Emission of Christ and the Formation of Jesus Chapter 3: The Valentinians Misuse the Scriptures in Support of Their Errors Chapter 4: The Formation of Achamoth and of the Material World from Her Passion Chapter 5: The Formation of Demiurge and of Man Chapter 6: The Threefold Element in Persons. The Formation of the Savior. Salvation is through Knowledge, Hence Good Works are Useless Chapter 7: The Three Classes of Persons and Their Eternal Lot Chapter 8: The Valentinians Pervert the Scriptures in Order to Prove Their Fabrications outside the Fullness Chapter 9: Refutation of the Gnostic Use of the Scriptures Chapter 10: The Rule of the Truth Is One in the Church Throughout the World Chapter 11: The System of Valentinus and His Followers Chapter 12: Tenets of the Followers of Ptolemaeus and Colorbasus Chapter 13: The Deceitful Arts and Wicked Practices of Marcus Chapter 14: The Marcosian System in Numbers and Letters Chapter 15: The Account of Silence to Marcus about the Generation of the Twenty-Four Characters of Jesus Chapter 16: The Absurd Interpretations of the Marcosians Chapter 17: The Marcosian Theory That Created Things Were Made after the Pattern of the Invisible Beings Chapter 18: The Marcosians Distort Passages of the Pentateuch to Support Their Fabrications about Creation Chapter 19: The Marcosians Allege the Scriptures Prove That First-Father Was Unknown before Christ’s Coming Chapter 20: The Marcosians Use Apocryphal and Spurious Writings, and They Pervert the Gospels Chapter 21: The Heretical Notions about Redemption Chapter 22: Deviations of the Heretics from the Ancient Faith Chapter 23: The Tenets and Practices of Simon Magus and Menander Chapter 24: The Errors of Saturninus and Basilides Chapter 25: The Tenets of Carpocrates Chapter 26: Tenets of Cerinthus, of the Ebionites, and of the Nicolaitans Chapter 27: Tenets of Cerdo and Marcion Chapter 28: Tenets pf the Encratites, Tatian, and Others Chapter 29: The Barbeliotes Chapter 30: Tenets of the Ophites Chapter 31: Tenets of the Cainites Conclusion NOTES List of Abbreviations Notes to Introduction Notes to Text INDEXES Old and New Testaments Authors General Index
Item Number: BKPP294C Publication data: New York, NY/Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1992 Format: hardcover Number of pages: x + 300 Dimensions (l × w × h): 22.2 cm × 14.6 cm × 2.8 cm ISBN-10: 0‒8091‒0454-7
