Important names and terms
Irenaeus (know who he is, where he is from on a map)
Heresy
Orthodoxy
Proto-orthodoxy
Heresiology
Doctrine of recapitulation
Apostolic succession
Background
NOTE: Valentinus is a Gnostic teacher; Ptolemy is in the Valentinian group of Gnostics.
As you’re reading, pay attention to:
Questions:
Does Ireneaus’ description of Gnostics (including Valentinus and his group) sound at all like actual Gnostics?
Find some examples of heretics in Ireneaus’s texts. What makes them “heretics”?
What does Irenaeus think makes himself “orthodox”? How does he define TRUE Christianity?