Lecture 6: Irenaeus

1. Lecture 6: Irenaeus 19 September 2019 Irenaeus

2. Outline • Controversies over canon • Issues with OT • Issues with NT • Gnosticism • Irenaeus Irenaeus

3. Issues with the Old Testament • First, which Old Testament are we talking about • Hebrew Scriptures • Aramaic Versions • Septuagint • Other Greek Versions • Portrayal of God in OT, when read only literally, • God seems anthropomorphic • God seems to be the author of evil • God seems to be capricious • Other issues • Contradictions among some of the OT Books • NB: These are all exactly the issues that will cause Augustine to abandon Catholicism as a young man Irenaeus

4. What is the Septuagint? • Septuagint means 70, sometimes referred to as LXX • Legend (1st C BC) • 72 Jewish Scholars invited to Alexandria in c 200 BC to translate Scriptures into Greek • Legend says that 72 scholars translated exactly the same way independently of each other • Septuagint became canonical for Greek speaking Jews • Includes works of special importance to Jewish community in Alexandria: 1, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach • Used by Paul and the Evangelists when quoting Scripture Irenaeus

5. Formation of Jewish Hebrew Canon of Scripture • Early Rabbinic Judaism; only form of Judaism to survive Jewish-Roman Wars of 65-73 and 133-135. • Compilation of TANAKH • Pentateuch (Torah) • Prophets (Nevtim) • Writings (Kethuvim) • Some Books not included in Hebrew Canon • Not written in Hebrew: Sirach, Wisdom of Solomon • Not recognized by Babylonian Jews: I Maccabees • But many of these books are honored in Judaism as important (I Maccabees) but not Scriptural Irenaeus

6. Early Ways to Refer to ‘New Testament’ • ‘Scripture’ in New Testament = Old Testament • The Way = Jesus, following Jesus • Rule of Faith: canon • From Greek meaning ruler or standard; measurer • See 1 Clement 7:2 • ‘New Testament’ used in late 2nd C (Tertullian) Irenaeus

7. Issues with the New Testament • By the Second Century there was a significant number of Christian and pseudo-Christian works in circulation • Some books in the canon were contested • Some groups wanted John’s Gospel as most important, some only wanted Luke’s Gospel • Primacy of Paul or Gospels • Uncertain about Book of Revelation • Other literature which we recognize as having great value, but not canonical may have been canonical for some groups • Shepherd of Hermas • Clement’s Letters to Corinthians • Some books that had a Christian flavor to them; these groups had much in common with mystery religions: gnosticism • Gospel of Truth • Apocryphon of John Irenaeus

8. Marcion • Wealthy sea captain from Asia Minor • Contemporary of Justin Martyr • Settled in Rome, originally part of Catholic community; generous donor • Falling out over Scripture; • Rejected the Old Testament; creator God is evil • Rejected All of New Testament except Paul’s Letters and parts of Luke’s Gospel • Took a very literal approach to reading Scripture • He sponsored his own version of Christianity • Had the resources to spread his version of Christianity around Empire Irenaeus

9. Gnostics • Unlike Marcion, many different contributors to gnosticism (knowledge); what follows is a composite • For Irenaeus, primary gnostic was Valentinus; • Valentinus had a competing Christian school in Rome • Large following in Rome and Asia Minor; • Other prominent gnostics are associated with Alexandria • Rejected the OT, because of philosophical (Platonic) considerations • OT gives a false picture of God; • Material world is inferior, or even evil • Two gods, one good, one evil creator • Accept fanciful ‘gospels’ that contain secret truths available only to the initiates (common with mystery religions); • Knowledge comes from divine illumination of the gnostic believer into special, hidden mysteries • Much recent knowledge of gnosticism comes from discoveries at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945 Irenaeus

10. Gnostic Cosmology (composite) • Because they rejected OT, needed a different cosmology • Alternate explanation to creation • Relied on “Platonism” • World eternal • But goes through cycles of material destruction and renewal • Reincarnation Irenaeus

11. Gnostic Theology (composite) • Two gods • Good spiritual god • Evil creator material god • Good god as a trinity with spirit and Sophia • Jesus as a demi-god born of Sophia • Jesus only appears to be human (docetic) • Gnostics pray to God and Sophia, Jesus their son • Stories of heavenly relationships become quite fantastic Irenaeus

12. Gnostic Anthropology (composite) • Heavenly realm filled with souls looking at God • When souls look away (or cool) fall to earth and take on human bodily form • Body belongs to evil god • Some few humans have divine insight into heavenly realm • Gnostics – true believers • Psyches – learners • Somatist – majority trapped in their bodies • Because body belongs to evil god, gnostics either think body and its functions unimportant (licentious) or body to be severely disciplined (encratite) • In either case, martyrdom is of no value Irenaeus

13. Tatian: Mentioned by Irenaeus • From Syria • A student of Justin Martyr in Rome • Compiled (as did Justin) a Gospel synopsis, or harmony • Diatesseron • Very influential in Syriac Christianity; used liturgically into the 5th C • Apostasized, joining an encratite sect Irenaeus

14. Comparison of Early Heresies • Docetics • Reject OT • Accept a few ‘pseudo-Christian’ works (Gospel of Peter) • Very high Christology: Jesus God, not man • Key philosophical issue: impassibility of God • Marcion • Rejects OT • Rejects most NT; only allows Paul, some of Luke • Literal interpretation of canon • Gnostics • Reject OT • Accept many ‘pseudo-Christian’ works • Jesus son of God and Sophia • Allegorical interpretation of New Testament • Key philosophical issues: theodicy • Two gods: evil creator god, good spiritual god Irenaeus

15. Irenaeus (d. c 180) • Knew Justin Martyr’s works, may have know Justin Martyr; also knew St. Polycarp • Born in Asia Minor; sent to Lyons in Gaul to be bishop after a brutal persecution • Like Justin Martyr, wrote in Greek • Some key issues for Irenaeus: • What constitutes Canon • Apostles as guarantors of Truth • How to think about Jesus Christ and Mary Irenaeus

16. Map of Roman Empire and Spread of Christianity, Second Century Irenaeus

17. The Genius of Irenaeus • God as Creator and Ruler implies the unity of Scripture (OT and NT) • Mary and Jesus as the restoration of humanity; ‘undoing’ the sin of Eve and Adam • Key theological concept of recapitulation • ‘Proper’ Scripture is determined by the Truth of its teaching • ‘Proper’ interpretation of Scripture is determined by wisdom of Apostles • But this is not a hidden wisdom available only to a few Irenaeus

18. Works by Irenaeus • On the Detection and Refutation of the Knowledge, Falsely so Called (Against the Heresies) • Only portions of original Greek are extant • Complete Third Century Latin is extant • Complete Books IV and V available extant in Armenian • Version you will read is based primarily on Greek portions • Proof of the Apostolic Teaching • Discovered in 1907, Armenian version • Other works treatises, letters, sermons are now lost • Works by Irenaeus were well known in Christian community of his time: Tertullian refers to them Irenaeus

19. Structure of Against Heresies • Arranged in 5 books; books written as installments and sent individually • Book I • An analysis of the false teachings • Describes how the false teachers use Scripture • Gives a ‘genealogy’ of heresies (relies on Justin Martyr for this) • Book II • Attack on specific points of gnosticism • Based as much on philosophy as Scripture Irenaeus

20. Structure (cont.) • Book III • Proofs of true teaching drawn from New Testament • Genealogy of true Scripture: Evangelists, Paul, Apostles • Apostolic Succession; Roman bishops • Importance of teaching publicly • Book IV • Proofs from Jesus that God of OT is his Father • Jesus reveals the Father • Importance of preaching of presbyters and bishops who are in line of apostolic succession • Interpret the OT in the light of the NT • Book V • Eucharist • Importance of body and resurrection of the dead Irenaeus

21. The Importance of the Imago Dei • Human dignity, man’s special place in creation; a creation that is good • Dignity of all persons who live and strive for the truth • Importance of the resurrection of the body and, therefore the importance of what you do with your body • Jesus restores man’s place in the goodness of creation • Optional: Weinandy “St. Irenaeus and the Imago Dei” • How Irenaeus supports the goodness of God’s creation, and of human beings in particular • The importance of Jesus; humans created in likeness to Son; our bodies manifest Son’s image • How to grow as imago Dei Irenaeus

22. How Irenaeus Will Be Used (Misused?) by Some Modern Philosophers • Irenaeus describes Adam and Eve as children; need for humanity to grow in God’s grace • Used by modern process theologians as an alternative to original sin • Also used as an alternative to neoPlatonic definition of evil as an absence of good • John Hick, Evil and the God of Love • But then why is recapitulation so important to Irenaeus? Irenaeus

23. Assignment • Read Carefully Against Heresies • Especially Books III, IV, V • Prepare for class discussion • Read CCC 51-53, 279-324, 516-518 to see how some of Irenaeus teaching about the Truth have been handed down • Write a 1-2 page paper on Against Heresies • Don’t forget clearly marked thesis sentence Irenaeus