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The Overturning of Resurrection

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The Overturning of Resurrection The overturn of the resurrection – a new reading of The treatise on the resurrection. The Valentinian rejection of realised eschatology in Nag Hammadi codex 1,4 Master´s Thesis (one year) Author: Carina Perstadius Supervisor: Jörgen Magnusson Examinator: Pierre Wiktorin 26-08-2019 1 Abstract “The Treatise on the resurrection” is a Coptic translation of a Greek source text that not is preserved. The text belongs to the Nag Hammadi codices. The text is probably produced during the second century. In this thesis, the text will be placed in the Valentinian context, and then as the Valentinianism is presented in codices 1 and XI.1. The research object for the thesis is an examination of the concept “resurrection”, ἀνάστασις. The method is the author-intentional theory of meaning; the thesis focuses on the intents of the author and not the reader´s perspective. The analysis is based on the Coptic source text. A new translation with comments will also be presented. Scholars have unanimity presumed that the text proclaims a realised eschatology. However, from a Valentinian point of view, there is no sustainable evidence for this postulation. The text can also refer to a future “resurrection” with an intermediate state in the spiritual body of the Saviour. The author redefines the sense and meaning of “resurrection”. 2 CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................... 1 CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................................ 2 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1. The scope of the thesis ................................................................................................................................. 4 1.2 Delimitations ................................................................................................................................................. 5 1.3 Method .......................................................................................................................................................... 6 13.1. The translation ........................................................................................................................ 6 1.3.2 Text-critical method ............................................................................................................... 9 1.4 Earlier research............................................................................................................................................ 13 1.5 The codex .................................................................................................................................................... 15 1.6 Language ..................................................................................................................................................... 16 1.7 The date ....................................................................................................................................................... 17 1.8 Realised eschatology ................................................................................................................................... 17 2 Gnosticism and Valentinianism ......................................................................................................................... 20 3 Re-examination of the function as a diatribe ...................................................................................................... 22 3.1 Re-examination ........................................................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 27 4 Who are the author and the recipient? ................................................................................................................ 27 4.1. the author .................................................................................................................................................... 27 4.2 The recipient ............................................................................................................................................... 29 4.3 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 30 5 Formulae of faith ................................................................................................................................................ 30 5.1. Formula ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 5.2 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 33 6 The function of the formula of faith ................................................................................................................... 33 6.1 Function ...................................................................................................................................................... 33 6.2 The aeon of the Saviour .............................................................................................................................. 36 6.3 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 39 7 The process from faith to persuasion ................................................................................................................. 40 7.1. Faith and persuasion ................................................................................................................................... 40 7.2 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 43 8 homoiôsis theôi – to be alike God ...................................................................................................................... 43 8.1 The deviation language ............................................................................................................................... 44 8.2 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 46 9 A chiasm: On the Nature of the Saviour. ........................................................................................................... 46 3 9.1 the detection of a chiasm ............................................................................................................................. 46 9.2 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 51 10 The trinary nature of the Saviour ..................................................................................................................... 52 10.1 The nature of the Lord ............................................................................................................................... 52 10.2 The nature of the Son of Man .................................................................................................................... 55 10.3 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................... 58 11 A short resumé ................................................................................................................................................. 58 12 Phantasia ......................................................................................................................................................... 59 12.1 Phantasia ................................................................................................................................................... 59 12.2 Phantasia in Stoic context. ........................................................................................................................ 61 12.3 Phantasia in Platonic context ..................................................................................................................... 62 12.4 Phantasia in Gnostic context. .................................................................................................................... 64 12.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 66 13 The extermination of the fleshly and the soulish.............................................................................................. 67 13.1 Extermination or transition ........................................................................................................................ 67 13.2 Swallow-up in The treatise on resurrection ............................................................................................... 71 13.3 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................................................
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