Thesis ID: CBB001561701

Formation of the Early Christian Theology of Arithmetic Number Symbolism in the Late Second and Early Third Century (2006)

unapi

Kalvesmaki, Joel (Author)


Catholic University of America
McCarthy, William


Publication Date: 2006
Edition Details: Advisor: McCarthy, William
Physical Details: 472 pp.
Language: English

Numbers were widely used in antiquity to symbolize reality and to structure theological and philosophical systems. Early Christian authors embraced this practice, but not without controversy. In the late second century there emerged distinct Christian movements that used Pythagorean number symbolism to structure their ideas about the godhead. Notable were the various Valentinian schools (including Marcus 'Magus' and Colarbasus), Monomus, and later followers of Simon 'Magus.' Contemporary orthodox authors, such as Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria, opposed them, particularly for undermining the Trinitarian doctrine received in the churches. But Irenaeus and Clement do not approach the matter identically. Irenaeus criticizes the Valentinians directly, and without squaring everything in his critique with his own number symbolism. Clement criticizes such groups indirectly, and uses his own well-developed number symbolism to illustrate the proper way to approach the subject. The Christian debates have striking parallels in roughly contemporary non-Christian texts. _Marsanes_, Plutarch, and Theodore of Asine show that non-Christians too debated these matters. All of these figures---Christian and non-Christian--- illustrate the tensions that existed between those who used number symbolism to shape theological and philosophical traditions and those who used their traditions to shape their number symbolism. The orthodox theology of arithmetic formed not a single position but rather a defense against arbitrary number symbolism that justified departures from the received tradition. I argue for several important ancillary points. Pythagoreanism was reinvented during the late Roman Republic, and the number symbolism that emerged in the following centuries had a traceable history. The distinction between _ hen_ and _monad_, the popular formulation of the quadrivium, and numerology and the use of psephy (gematria) all have their genesis in this period. Older traditions of number symbolism, such as the distinction between male and female numbers and the importance of the _tetraktys _, all received new life. I outline the historical development of each of these trends and classify and describe the major types of Greek numerological prognostication. Furthermore, I argue for a new sequence to Irenaeus's _ Against Heresies_, and I challenge scholars' dependence upon the dichotomies eastern versus western, and monadic versus dyadic Valentinianism.

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Description Cited in Diss. Abstr. Int. A 67/04 (2006): 1386. UMI pub. no. 3214679.


Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB001561701/

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Authors & Contributors
Boucard, Jenny
Citrini, Claudio
Mariangela Monaca
Bertolini, Manuel
Clelia Vittoria Crialesi
van Kooten, George H.
Concepts
Science and religion
Mathematics
Christianity
Number theory; number concept
Arithmetic
Theology
Time Periods
Ancient
Medieval
19th century
17th century
16th century
9th century
Places
Rome (Italy)
Greece
Byzantium
Italy
France
Egypt
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