伊里奈烏對諾斯替派的辯駁－兼論異端學對諾斯替主義研究的意義

On the Refutation Against Gnostics by St. Irenaeus: And the Relevance of Heresiology to the Study of Gnostic Religion

張新樟(ZHANG Xinzhang)

《道風：基督教文化評論》 28期 (2008/01) Pp. 83-106

並列摘要

St. Irenaeus, the first great Catholic theologian, was the most important heresiologist in early church. His chief work, Adversus haereses, is a detailed attack upon. Gnosticism, especially the system of Valentinus. Irenaeus have personal contact with the Gnostics. His work saved the resources of his predecessor Justin and Theophilus of Antioch. And he was himself drawn upon regularly by subsequent heresiologists. His work is one of the most important resources about early Gnostics besides the direct resources founded in Nag Hammadi Library. And it represented a crucial period in the tradition of heresiology, which decisively and deeply influence the style of Christian Polemic. This article summarizes the recent studies about the refutation against Gnostics by Irenaeus. We try to find out what is the most offensive in the thought of Gnostics for him. We also aim at discovering the core refutation and the nature of his refutation. By doing so, we can have a better understanding of the process of the formation of Orthodox, and grasp the core spirit of orthodox Christianity. At the same time, we find that although Irenaeus' resource about Gnostics are somehow one-sided, the y are indispensable for the explanations of the newly discovered Nag Hammadi texts. Although we cannot hope to find the exact truth about Gnostic as they were, we can still hope to see how the most important theologians in early church defined and defended the keypoints of Christianity. It is by Church Fathers like Irenaeus that we find everything which has continued to be foundational for Christian theological reflection ever since that time.