Carpocrates, Marcellina, and Epiphanes: Three Early Christian Teachers of Alexandria and Rome

Description

This volume is the definitive study of three early Carpocratian leaders, including the first full-length study and commentary on Epiphanes' fragments. With full profiles of these figures and updated research on the Carpocratian movement, this accessible book is suitable for students and scholars of early Christian theology. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Preface Sigla and abbreviations Introduction History of research Methodology and roadmap Notes References Chapter 1 Text, translation, and commentary on Epiphanes, On Justice The manuscript tradition Critical text and translation of Epiphanes, On Justice Clement’s introduction to Epiphanes Epiphanes excerpt 1: justice as equal sharing, a law both cosmic and divine Excerpt 2: human laws introduce corruption Text and translation Excerpt 3: equality in sexual relationships Excerpt 4: a criticism of the Mosaic law Notes References Chapter 2 Commentary on the earliest Carpocrates reports Introduction Carpocratian theology The Carpocratian understanding of Jesus The imitation of Jesus Accusations of “magic Carpocratians as scapegoats The Carpocratian theory of transmigration A recapitulation of Carpocratian ethics Carpocratian ritual Carpocratian soteriology Notes References Chapter 3 Carpocratianism in the Epistle to Theodore Introduction The Epistle’s introduction Attack on the Carpocratians The question of truth An account of the composition of Mark The claimed corruption of Mystic Mark Once again, the question of truth Excerpts from Mystic Mark The authenticity of the Epistle to Theodore and its use as a source for Carpocratianism Notes References Conclusion: Contextualizing Carpocrates, Epiphanes, and Marcellina: An Attempt at a Profile The Alexandrian context Carpocrates’s theological contemporaries Carpocrates Epiphanes Marcellina Notes References Index