Against Heresies (Adversus Haereses, Complete)
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text
- Extent:
- ~290,000 words · 1,373 passages
Cite this work
- APAIrenaeus. (n.d.). Against Heresies (Adversus Haereses, Complete). SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/irenaeus/against-heresies-adversus-haereses-complete
- MLAIrenaeus. "Against Heresies (Adversus Haereses, Complete)." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/irenaeus/against-heresies-adversus-haereses-complete.
- ChicagoIrenaeus. Against Heresies (Adversus Haereses, Complete). SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/irenaeus/against-heresies-adversus-haereses-complete.
What it is about
Irenaeus's five books against the Gnostics: first a detailed exposition of their doctrines, then a refutation of them one by one.
Context and history
Written around 180. Nearly all the Greek original is lost and the work survives chiefly in an early Latin translation. And here is what makes it irreplaceable: until 1945 this was the main source for what was known of Gnosticism, because the Gnostic texts themselves had not survived. In that year the Nag Hammadi codices came to light and comparison became possible: Irenaeus summarises fairly faithfully, but it is still an opponent speaking, and that is worth recalling on every page.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
Chapter 1 Absurd ideas of the disciples of Valentinus as to the origin, name, order, and conjugal productions of their fancied aeons, with the passages of Scripture which they adapt to their opinions. Chapter 2 The Propator was known to Monogenes alone. Ambition, disturbance, and danger into which Sophia fell; her shapeless offspring: she is restored by Horos. The production of Christ and of the Holy Spirit, in order to the completion of the aeons. Manner of the production of Jesus. Chapter 3 Texts of Holy Scripture used by these heretics to support their opinions Chapter 4 Account given by the heretics of the formation of Achamoth; origin of the visible world from her disturbances Chapter 5 Formation of the Demiurge; description of him. He is the creator of everything outside of the Pleroma Chapter 6 The threefold kind of man feigned by these heretics: good works needless for them, though necessary to others: their abandoned morals Chapter 7 The mother Achamoth, when all her seed are perfected, shall pass into the Pleroma, accompanied by those men who are spiritual; the Demiurge, with animal men, shall pass into the intermediate habitation; but all material men shall go into corruption, their blasphemous opinions against the true Incarnation of Christ by the Virgin Mary. Their views as to the prophecies. Stupid ignorance of the Demiurge Chapter 8 How the Valentinians pervert the Scriptures to support their own pious opinions Chapter 9 Refutation of the impious interpretations of these heretics Chapter 10 Unity of the faith of the Church throughout the whole world Chapter 11 The opinions of Valentinus, with those of his disciples and others Chapter 12 The doctrines of the followers of Ptolemy and Colorbasus Chapter 13 The deceitful arts and nefarious practices of Marcus Chapter 14 The various hypotheses of Marcus and others. Theories respecting letters and sy