Monoimus
Amongst other books, I'm reading Robert M.Grant's Gnosticism amd Early Christianity, Revised Edition (Harper & Row, 1966.) Since it was written in 1959, it focuses on evidence other than the Nag Hammadi texts. In attempting to define the Gnostic viewpoint, he quotes the following passage from Hippolytus, attributed to Monoimus,
"Abandon the search for God and the creation and other matters of a similar sort. Look for him by taking yourself as the starting point. Learn who it is who within you makes verything his own and says, "My God, my mind, my thought, my soul, my body." Learn the sources of sorrow, joy, love, hate. Learn how it happens that one watches without willing, rests without willing, becomes angry without willing, loves without willing. If you carefully investigate these matters you will find him in yourself."
Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies VIII.15.1-2
This strikes me as a very profound passage. It reminds me how much Gnostic writing we have lost, and how important is is to study the heresiologists.
"Abandon the search for God and the creation and other matters of a similar sort. Look for him by taking yourself as the starting point. Learn who it is who within you makes verything his own and says, "My God, my mind, my thought, my soul, my body." Learn the sources of sorrow, joy, love, hate. Learn how it happens that one watches without willing, rests without willing, becomes angry without willing, loves without willing. If you carefully investigate these matters you will find him in yourself."
Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies VIII.15.1-2
This strikes me as a very profound passage. It reminds me how much Gnostic writing we have lost, and how important is is to study the heresiologists.
1 Comments:
Andrew
I agree we have lost so much. I am reading Bart Ehrman's facinating Lost Christianities that describes why these writings were lost-it was a deadly serious battle for the heart and future direction of the Jesus movement. Elaine Pagel has also made the point however that the Johnine and Pauline camps had one major competitive advantage-the faith on offer was catholic ie easily accessible. If we wish to rediscover and promote the "Lost Christianities" we need to bear this in mind and make the message simple and easy to understand.
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