Valentinian Ethics and Paraenetic Discourse Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies Editors Johannes van Oort & Einar Th omassen Editorial Board H. W. Attridge – R. Cameron – A. D. DeConick W.-P. Funk – I. Gardner – C. W. Hedrick S. N. C. Lieu – P. Nagel – B. A. Pearson S. G. Richter – J. M. Robinson – K. Rudolph M. Scopello – W. Sundermann – G. Wurst VOLUME 67 Valentinian Ethics and Paraenetic Discourse Determining the Social Function of Moral Exhortation in Valentinian Christianity by Philip L. Tite LEIDEN • BOSTON 2009 Th is book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Tite, Philip L., 1969– Valentinian ethics and paraenetic discourse : determining the social function of moral exhortation in Valentinian Christianity / by Philip L. Tite. p. cm. — (Nag Hammadi and Manichaean studies ; v. 67) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 978-90-04-17507-5 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Valentinians. 2. Christian moral exhortation. 3. Christian ethics. 4. Moral exhortation. I. Title. II. Series. BT1475.T58 2009 273’.1—dc22 2009011582 ISSN 0929-2470 ISBN 978 90 04 17507 5 Copyright 2009 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, Th e Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to Th e Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands Dedicated with love to Colleen CONTENTS Abbreviations ..................................................................................... ix Acknowledgments .............................................................................. xi I. Introduction ............................................................................... 1 II. Constructing Social Identity Th rough Discourse: A Socio-Rhetorical Approach for the Study of Valentinian Paraenesis ............................................................. 21 From Literary Level to Historical Reconstruction .......... 22 Social Discourse and Positioning Th eory ......................... 35 Social Rhetoric and Narrativity .......................................... 52 III. Defi ning Paraenesis I: Historical Phases within the Academic Study of Paraenesis ................................................ 57 Paraenesis from Dibelius to Oslo ....................................... 58 Phase One: Martin Dibelius ................................................ 59 Phase Two: Malherbe and the 1960s to 1980s ................. 64 Phase Th ree: Perdue, the Semeia Group, and Martin (1990s) .................................................................. 67 Phase Four: Th e Lund-Oslo Group (2000–2004) ............ 88 IV. Defi ning Paraenesis II: Towards a Functional Understanding of Paraenesis ................................................... 109 Second-Order Nature of Categories .................................. 109 A Working Understanding of Paraenesis ......................... 116 Basic Defninitional Contours ......................................... 120 Social Aspects .................................................................... 122 Types of Paraenesis .......................................................... 124 Type 1: Paraenetic Genre ............................................ 125 Type 2: Paraenetic Subsection ................................... 127 Type 3: Paraenetic Aside ............................................. 128 Value of Genre Analysis ...................................................... 129 Defi nitional and Analytical Aspects of Paraenesis .......... 132 viii contents V. Literary Aspects of Paraenesis: Indicators of Moral Exhortation from the Greco-Roman World within Valentinianism ........................................................... 135 Imperatives and Prescriptive Discourse ......................... 138 Moral Exempla ................................................................... 147 Virtue/Vice Lists ................................................................ 164 Two Way Schema .............................................................. 175 VI. Two Schools and the Call to Reconciliation: Literary and Social Aspects of Moral Exhortation in the Interpretation of Knowledge ...................................... 185 Literary Aspects in the Interpretation of Knowledge .... 190 Social Positioning in the Interpretation of Knowledge 201 VII. Existing in Error: Literary and Social Aspects of Moral Exhortation in the Gospel of Truth ......................... 217 Literary Framework for the Paraenetic Subsection ...... 221 Th e Bradley-Mullins-Brunt Debate ............................ 223 A Proposal: Topoi as Clustering ................................. 230 Literary Aspects of Gospel of Truth 32,31–33,32 .......... 233 Social Positioning in the Gospel of Truth ...................... 257 VIII. Conclusion ............................................................................... 285 Valentinian Paraenesis and Early Christian Paraenesis .... 286 Social Function as Rhetorical Acts ...................................... 301 Valentinianism as a Set of Social Movements? ................. 309 Implications of this Study for Future Studies ................... 314 Bibliography ........................................................................................ 317 Primary Works and Resources ................................................... 317 Secondary Works .......................................................................... 320 Index of Modern Names .................................................................. 343 Index of Ancient Sources ................................................................. 348 Subject Index ...................................................................................... 361 ABBREVIATIONS AB Anchor Bible AnBib Analecta Biblica ANET J. B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts, 3rd edition. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969 ANF The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1867–97 (American edition, 1885–1906). Reprint: Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956–68 ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt ARC ARC: The Journal of the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University AJP American Journal of Philology BCNH Bibliothèque Copte de Nag Hammadi Bib Biblica Brit Britannia BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin BZNW Beiheft zur ZNW CBR Currents in Biblical Research CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly ConB Coniectanea Biblica New Testament Series CSBS Bulletin Bulletin of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies EBib Études bibliques ESCJ Studies in Christianity and Judaism/Études sur le christianisme et le judaïsme ETL Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses ExpTim Expository Times FRLANT Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testament GCS Die Griechischen Christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten Jahrhunderte GRBS Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies GTJ Grace Theological Journal HDR Harvard Dissertations in Religion HTR Harvard Theological Review HTS Harvard Theological Studies JAAR Journal of the American Academy of Religion JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies JHC Journal of Higher Criticism JHS Journal of Hellenic Studies JR Journal of Religion JRH Journal of Religious History JSJ Journal for the Study of Judaism JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament JSNTS Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series JTS Journal of Theological Studies LCL Loeb Classical Library MTSR Method & Theory in the Study of Religion Mus. Le Muséon NedTTs Nederlands theologisch tijdschrift x abbreviations NHS Nag Hammadi Studies NHMS Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies Neot. Neotestamentica NT Novum Testamentum NTAbh Neutestamentliche Abhandlungen NTS Novum Testamentum Supplement Series NTS New Testament Studies NTSSup New Testament Studies Supplement Series NTTS New Testament Tools and Studies Numen Numen: International Review for the History of Religions RBL Review of Biblical Literature RelSRev Religious Studies Review ResQ Restoration Quarterly Rhet Rhetorica SBLDS Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series SBLSBS Society of Biblical Literature Sources for Biblical Study SBLSP Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers SBM Stuttgarter Bibelstudien Monographien SC Sources chrétiennes SecC Second Century SHR Studies in the History of Religion SR Studies in Religion/Sciences religieuses ST Studia Theologica TynB Tyndale Bulletin TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, edited by Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, 10 Volumes. Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromily. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964–76 Theol.Bl. Theologische Blätter TQ Theologische Quartalschrift TRAC Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference TU Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der alterchristlichen Literature VC Vigilae Christianae WMANT Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament ZAW Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft ZNW Zeitschrift für die