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Valentinian Ethics and Paraenetic Discourse: Determining the Social Function of

Valentinian Ethics and Paraenetic Discourse: Determining the Social Function of Moral Exhortation in Valentinian Christianity By Philip Laurence Tite Faculty of Religious Studies, McGiII University, Montreal Ph.D. Dissertation A Thesis Submitted to McGill University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Religious Studies, McGiIl University, Montreal April 2005 . © Philip Laurence Tite 2005 1+1 Library and Archives Canada Bibliothèque et Archives Canada Published Heritage Branch Direction du Patrimoine de l'édition 395 Wellington Street Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada NOTICE: The author has granted a non- exclusive license allowing Library and Archives Canada to reproduce, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, communicate to the public by telecommunication or on the Internet, loan, distribute and sell th es es worldwide, for commercial or non- commercial purposes, in microform, paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. ln compliance with the Canadian Privacy Act some supporting forms may have been removed from this thesis. While these forms may be included in the document page count, their removal does not represent any loss of content from the thesis. • •• Canada AVIS: Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-21703-0 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-21703-0 L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public par télécommunication ou par l'Internet, prêter, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans le monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, sur support microforme, papier, électronique et/ou autres formats. L'auteur conserve la propriété du droit d'auteur et des droits moraux qui protège cette thèse. Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement reproduits sans son autorisation. Conformément à la loi canadienne sur la protection de la vie privée, quelques formulaires secondaires ont été enlevés de cette thèse. Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. Table of Contents Abstract Résumé Acknowledgements Abbreviations Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Defining Paraenesis 2.l. 2.1.1. 2.1.2. 2.1.3. 2.1.4. 2.2. 2.2.1. 2.2.2. 2.3. Paraenesis From Dibelius to Oslo Phase One: Martin Dibelius Phase Two: Malherbe and the 1960s to 1980s Phase Three: Perdue, the Semeia Group, and Martin (1990s) Phase Four: The Lund-Oslo Group (2000-2004) Towards a Functiona1 Understanding ofParaenesis Second-Order Nature of Categories A Working Understanding ofParaenesis Summary Chapter Three: Literary Aspects of Paraenesis 3.1. Literary Aspects ofValentinian Paraenesis Hi iv v lx 21 22 23 28 32 56 76 77 84 97 100 101 3.1.1. Imperatives and Prescriptive Discourse 104 3.1.2. Moral Exempla 114 3.1.3. VirtueNice Lists 133 3.1.4. Two Way Schema 144 3.2. Examples ofValentinian Paraenesis 155 3.2.1. Literary Indications ofParaenesis in the Interpretation ofKnowledge 156 3.2.1.1. Introduction to the Interpretation of Knowledge 3.2.1.2. Literary Aspects in the Interpretation of Knowledge 3.2.2. Literary Indications ofParaenesis in the GospelofTruth 3.2.2.1. Introduction to the GospelofTruth 3.2.2.2. Literary Framework for the Paraenetic Subsection 3.2.2.2.1. The Bradley-Mullins-Brunt Debate 3.2.2.2.2. A Modest ProposaI: Topoi as Clustering 3.2.2.3. Literary Aspects of Gospel ofTruth 32,31-33,32 3.3. Summary Chapter Four: Social Aspects of Paraenesis 4.1. 4.2. 4.3. 4.4. 4.5. From Literary Level to Historical Reconstruction Social Discourse and Positioning Theory Positioning in the Interpretation of Knowledge Positioning in the GospelofTruth Summary Chapter Five: Conclusion Bibliography Primary Works and Resources Secondary Works ii 156 162 173 173 179 180 189 192 217 220 221 235 254 270 299 306 316 316 320 Abstract This dissertation sets out to determine the social function of paraenesis ("moral exhortation") within Valentinian Christianity. In order to explicate this social function, this study places the discussion within the context of ancient rhe- torical practices of ethical admonition; i.e., how did paraenetic discursive prac- tices act as rhetorical devices for afIecting social formation? In order to establish the function of paraenesis, it is necessary to engage both literary and social as- pects of the paraenetic genre. The latter is most challenging, given the methodo- logical difficulties inherent in moving from textual context to socio-historical re- construction of the situation behind a text. To address this problem, a method is adapted from sociology (interactionism) and social psychology (positioning the- ory) in order to critically gauge the social idealization of the sources. Special at- tention is given to the_par~enetic contours of the Gospel of Truth (NHC 1,3) and the Interpretation of Knowledge (NHC XI, 1). This dissertation is structured into five chapters. The first chapter will frame the discussion within CUITent developments in the study of Gnosticism, where there has been a growing appreciation for social and ethical aspects of the Nag Hammadi tractates. A delimitation of the source base for this study will also be ofIered. Chapter 2 will ofIer a comprehensive overview of scholarly discussions of paraenesis over the past century. A functional definition, with an attendant ty- pology of paraenetic material will be ofIered in closing. Chapter 3 directly en- gages the literary aspects of paraenesis within Valentinianism, placing the discus- sion within the context of moral exhortation in the Greco-Roman world, and, more specifically, early Christianity. This chapter will establish the presence of paraenesis within the Valentinian sources. Chapter 4 will then address the social function ofparaenesis in two examples ofValentinian paraenesis, highlighting the rhetorical and discursive voice of each text. The final chapter will summarize the findings of the dissertation and raise implications of this study for the field of early Christian studies. iii Résumé Cette dissertation se propose de déterminer la fonction sociale du la parénèsis (exhdrtation morale) dans le christianisme valentinien. Afin d'expliquer cette fonction sociale, notre étude situe la discussion à l'intérieur des anciennes prati- ques de rhétorique concernant le conseil moral - c'est-à-dire comment l'exhortation morale a servi comme stratagème de rhétorique dans la formation sociale. Afin déterminer la fonction du parénèsis, il est nécessaire de considérer les aspects littéraires et social du genre parénétique. Ces derniers sont les plus dif- ficiles, étant donné les défis méthodologiques rencontrés en passant du texte à son contexte socio-historique. Pour ce faire, la méthode utilisée s'inspire de la socio- logie (l'interactionisme) et de la psychologie sociale (<< positioning theory ») et a pour but de mesurer de façon critique l'idéalisation sociale des sources. Une at- tention particulière est accordée aux contours parénétiques de l'Évangile de Vérité (NH 1,3) et l'Interprétation de la Gnose (NH XI,l). Cette dissertation comprend cinq chapitres. Le premier chapitre délimite les sources pour cette étude et place la discussion au sein des développements actuels dans le domaine du gnosticisme; l'appréciation des aspects sociaux et moraux des traités de Nag Hammadi y est de plus en plus grande. Le deuxième chapitre offre une vue d'ensemble sur la parénèsis au cours du dernier siècle ainsi qu'une défmition fonctionnelle et une typologie propre de matériel parénétique. Le troi- sième chapitre aborde directement les aspects littéraires de la parénèsis dans le valentinianisme et situe la discussion dans le contexte de l'exhortation morale dans le monde Greco-Romain, en particulier le christianisme. Ce chapitre établit la présence la parénèsis dans les sources valentiniennes. Le quatrième chapitre se concentre sur la fonction sociale de la parénèsis dans deux exemples valentiniens et fait ressortir la composante rhétorique et discursive de chaque texte. Le dernier chapitre résume les acquis de cette étude et souligne les implications pour l'étude du christianisme des deux premiers siècles. IV Acknowledgments Scholarship is never the product of one person. This is a truism that 1 discov- ered years ago while working on my Masters thesis on 1 Peter, and it is a truism that has continued to confirm itself relentlessly with every research project that 1 have been involved with. This dissertation further supports this truism. There are various individuals who deserve mention here, many of whom may inadvertently be omitted. The seed for this project began years ago while an undergraduate stu- dent. 1 was introduced to the study of Gnosticism by Michel Desjardins at the University of Toronto in 1988, and emerging from that initial spark of interest 1 have come to a deep and passionate relationship with these texts from Nag Ham- madi. 1 am deeply indebted to Prof essor Desjardins for his encouragement and advice throughout my academic career. Another major development in this dis- sertation topic arose while working on paraenetic material in 1 Peter while pursu- ing my first Masters degree. Troy Martin, now at St. Xavier University in Chi- cago, was both an inspiration and a helpful sounding board for my initial thoughts on the place and significance of paraenesis within early Christianity. The preci- sion that Prof essor Martin demanded from those who study the se ancient texts was both an inspiration and a challenge. I can only hope that the work I have produced cornes close to that level of scholarly precision that I have come to ad- mire so much in his uploads/Litterature/ tc-qmm-85959.pdf