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Gnosticism and Later Platonism. Themes, Figures, and Texts

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GNOSTICISM AND LATER PLATONISM SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE SYMPOSIUM SERIES Christopher R. Matthews, Editor Number 12 GNOSTICISM AND LATER PLATONISM edited by John D. Turner and Ruth Majercik John D. Turner and Ruth Majercik, editors GNOSTICISM AND LATER PLATONISM Themes, Figures, and Texts Society of Biblical Literature Atlanta GNOSTICISM AND LATER PLATONISM edited by John D. Turner and Ruth Majercik Copyright © 2000 by the Society of Biblical Literature All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by means of any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the pub- lisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to the Rights and Permissions Office, Society of Biblical Literature, 825 Houston Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gnosticism and later platonism : themes, figures, and texts / John D. Turner and Ruth Majercik, editors. p. cm. — (SBL symposium series ; no. 12) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-88414-035-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Gnosticism—Congresses. 2. Platonists—Congresses. 3. Neo- platonism—Congresses. I. Turner, John D., 1938– II. Majercik, Ruth Dorothy. III. Symposium series (Society of Biblical Litera- ture) ; no. 12. B638.G587 2000 186’.4—dc21 00-049244 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper CONTENTS Preface ..........................................................................................................vii Abbreviations..................................................................................................ix The Derivation of Matter in Monistic Gnosticism Einar Thomassen......................................................................................1 Positive and Negative Matter in Later Platonism: The Uncovering of Plotinus’s Dialogue with the Gnostics Kevin Corrigan ......................................................................................19 After Aporia: Theurgy in Later Platonism Gregory Shaw ........................................................................................57 Ritual in Gnosticism John D. Turner ......................................................................................83 Platonism and Gnosticism. The Anonymous Commentary on the Parmenides: Middle or Neoplatonic? Kevin Corrigan ....................................................................................141 The Setting of the Platonizing Sethian Treatises in Middle Platonism John D. Turner ....................................................................................179 Iamblichus, the Sethians, and Marsanes John F. Finamore..................................................................................225 Ancient Apophatic Theology John Peter Kenney ................................................................................259 Negative Theologies and Demiurgical Myths in Late Antiquity Michael A. Williams ............................................................................277 Aseity and Connectedness in the Plotinian Philosophy of Providence Frederick M. Schroeder ........................................................................303 Bibliography ................................................................................................319 PREFACE This volume is a collection of ten papers originally presented at ses- sions of the Gnosticism and Later Platonism Seminar held from 1993–1998 in connection with Annual Meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature. The idea of a Seminar devoted exclusively to the relation between Gnos- ticism and later Platonism grew out of earlier discussions, panels, and presentations on this theme in the context of other groups and sections within the Society of Biblical Literature and the American Academy of Reli- gion, notably the SBL Nag Hammadi and Gnosticism Section and the AAR Platonism and Neoplatonism Group. John D. Turner was responsible for organizing the Seminar and bringing together a steering committee that included himself, Robert M. Berchman, Jay Bregman, John P. Kenney, Michael A. Williams, and Ruth Majercik. Ruth Majercik served as Chair of the Seminar during its six-year term. In organizing the Seminar, a main objective was to bring together a group of well-known scholars with expertise in the areas of Gnosticism and/or later Platonism (i.e., Middle Platonism and Neoplatonism) from a variety of disciplines and methodologies who could bring a diversity of views and approaches to the general problematic of the Seminar. This was accomplished by attracting scholars from within the AAR and SBL as well as reaching out to newcomers who have now become members of these societies. The core group of active participants each year consisted of approximately sixteen members with an average of twenty auditors attend- ing each session. In structuring our sessions, we initially decided that we should have two papers presented each year on a single topic with two respondents. The purpose was to have each presenter analyze a given topic from the perspective of his or her expertise in Gnosticism or Platon- ism; the respondents would reply in a similar manner. In addition, each presenter was also asked to incorporate the other perspective to the degree that he or she could, with the understanding that we did not expect our participants to be equally knowledgeable in both areas. In some years this routine was varied by having a single presenter and two respondents so that certain issues could be explored in more detail. This method resulted in a great deal of creative thinking and discussion on the part of our par- ticipants. During the course of the Seminar, most of the presenters also had an opportunity to act as a respondent. Additional respondents were John viii Preface Sieber, Birger Pearson, and Ruth Majercik. Due to the length of the volume and other considerations, we were not able to include the remarks (some quite extensive) of the respondents; however, many of their critical com- ments have been addressed in the final versions of papers. The topic for each session was mutually decided upon during our annual business meetings, with the various topics generally reflecting the current research interests of our presenters. The topics include: Platonic and gnostic doctrines of matter (Einar Thomassen and Kevin Corrigan); gnostic ritual and Neoplatonic theurgy (John D. Turner and Gregory Shaw); the case for a pre-Plotinian Middle Platonic setting for the Anony- mous Commentary on the Parmenides and the Nag Hammadi Sethian trea- tises Zostrianos and Allogenes (Kevin Corrigan and John D. Turner); the relationship between the metaphysics of Iamblichus and the Platonizing Sethian treatises, especially Marsanes (John Finamore); Platonic and gnos- tic uses of negative theology (John P. Kenney and Michael A. Williams); and the nature of Providence in Plotinus and Sethian Gnosticism (Frederic M. Schroeder). In preparing the volume for publication, John D. Turner and Ruth Majercik were responsible for editing the papers in cooperation with the authors. They also compiled the bibliography. An earlier version of Gregory Shaw’s paper originally appeared in The Journal of Neoplatonic Studies, whose publisher has authorized its appearance here in revised form. The editors wish to thank the Society of Biblical Literature for spon- soring our Seminar and the SBL Symposium Series, initially under the direction of Gail O’Day and now Christopher R. Matthews, for accepting our collected papers for publication. R. M. and J. D. T ABBREVIATIONS Primary Sources 1 En. 1 Enoch 2 Clem. 2 Clement 2 En. 2 Enoch Acts Pet. Acts of Peter Acts Phil. Acts of Philip Acts Thom. Acts of Thomas Alcinous/Alkinoos/Alcinoos (= Albinus) Did. Didaskalikos Alexander of Aphrodisias De An. De anima In Metaph. In Metaphysica Ap. John Apocryphon of John Apoc. Adam Apocalypse of Adam Apoc. Mos. Apocalypse of Moses Apuleius Metam. Metamorphoses Aristotle An. post. Analytica posteriora De an. De anima Eth. nic. Ethica nicomachea Gen. an. De generatione animalium Gen. corr. De generatione et corruptione Metaph. Metaphysica Mot. an. De motu animalium Phys. Physica Athanasius Apol. sec. Apologia secunda (= Apologia contra Arianos) Calcidius In Tim. In Timaeum Chald. Or. Chaldean Oracles Clement of Alexandria Exc. Excerpta ex Theodoto Strom. Stromateis Corp. herm. Corpus hermeticum Damascius Dub. et Sol. Dubitationes et Solutiones Princ. De Principiis x Abbreviations Did. Didache Epiphanius Pan. Panarion (Adverses haereses) Eugnostos Eugnostos the Blessed Exeg. Soul Exegesis on the Soul Gos. Eg. Gospel of the Egyptians Gos. Phil. Gospel of Philip Gos. Thom. Gospel of Thomas Gos. Truth Gospel of Truth Hippolytus El. Elenchos Ref. Refutatio Homer Il. Iliad Hyp. Arch. Hypostasis of the Archons Iamblichus DA De anima In Nicom. Ar. In Nicomachi Arithmeticam In Phaedr. In Phaedrum In Phil. In Philebum Myst. De mysteriis Theol. Arith. Theologumena Arithmeticae John Lydus Mens. De mensibus Justin Martyr 1 Apol. Apologia Dial. Dialogue with Trypho Macrobius In Somn. Scip. In Somnium Scipionis Marius Victorinus Ar. Adversus Arium Nicomachus of Gerasa Arith. Intro. Arithmetica Introductio Odes Sol. Odes of Solomon Orig. World On the Origin of the World Origen Cant. In Canticum canticorum Cels. Contra Celsum Comm. Jo. Commentarii in evangelium
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