Basilides (Gnostic)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Basilides ( Greek Bασιλίδης Basilídēs , actually Basileides ; * approx. 85 ; † approx. 145 ) was a Gnostic in Alexandria .

Live and act

Basilides was probably a student of Menander , the main exponent of the Egyptian (Alexandrian) Gnosis and was called the heresiarch (ruler of false teachers) by Christians . He taught in Alexandria around 130–140 AD. According to the acta archelei , he had worked in Persia before his arrival in Alexandria . He was a prolific writer; His works include a book of psalms , several odes, a Bible commentary in 24 volumes - called Exegetica - and a textbook that was (probably incorrectly) called "Gospel". Almost none of it has survived.

In the time of his ministry was Hellenistic embossed Roman province Aegyptus of four emperors of the succession empire Roman ruled Domitian , Nerva , Trajan and Hadrian (see list of prefects , Praefecti Aegypti ).

We only know fragments of his teaching in the “Stromateis” of Clemens of Alexandria as well as two representations, by Irenaeus of Lyons and by Hippolytus - that is only from distorting counter-writings (Irenaeus, for example, formulated: “Basileides extends his teaching into infinity to include appearance to awaken greater depth and credibility. "). He processed various Christian - Jewish , Persian and Platonic traditions into a world view of moral seriousness and impressive unity.

Basilides' conception of the world is emanatistic with a clear dualistic basis: Basilides assumed the existence of the two old principles of light and darkness. When these became aware of one another, the light turned away, but the dark gained control over the reflections of light, colors and shadows; so this our imperfect world could arise. This creation myth is a further development of the Persian Ahura Mazda - Ahriman - cosmology . Basilides, however, worked in Middle Platonic elements, in particular the dualism between spirit and matter, soul and body.

According to Irenaeus 'report on Basilides' view of the world, first seven divine forces emanated from the supreme deity, the "unconscious father" (according to the number of planets), four of them intellectual: the spirit ( Nous ), the Logos revealing him , the Thinking power ( phronesis ) and wisdom ( Sophia ), then power, moral perfection and inner peace. They make up the first spirit realm. From this, with gradually decreasing clarity, 364 further spiritual realms, each with seven “ eons ”, emerged. The entire spirit realms are summarized in the secret word Abraxas or Abrasax, which has the numerical value 365. The seven aeons of the lowest celestial circle are the creators of the world. The original mixture of the divine with material elements and thus also evil was a consequence of this creation, the separation of these elements the task of redemption.

That is why the "unborn father" sent his firstborn, the Nous, who united himself with Jesus , the most perfect human being, but did not allow himself to be crucified, but substituted Simon of Cyrene and returned to the Pleroma . Therefore one does not have to believe in the crucified one, but rather in Nous, the eternal spirit, who only apparently died on the cross ( docetism ).

In this world created by darkness there is no completely sin-free being; even Jesus is not free from sin and had to be baptized. For this reason, for his followers, the Basilidians, the feast of the baptism of the Savior was the most important festival of the year (around January 6th).

successor

His successor was his son Isidorus. The numerous followers of Basilides formed a kind of secret order in Lower Egypt well into the 4th century, in which magical rites and the knowledge of secret words played a major role. Under the influence of Stoic philosophy, they substantially modified his religious system and caused much offense among their Christian contemporaries with their doctrine (distorted by their opponents?) That the story of Jesus was only an appearance and the worship of the heathen gods indifferent.

Connection to Buddhism

Some scholars see Basilides being influenced by Buddhist ideas (see Buddhism in Mediterranean antiquity )

To what extent the Buddhist schools or orders that probably existed in Alexandria, Egypt , were as important as the assumption that they might have influenced Greek philosophy.

literature

Overview representations in manuals

Investigations

  • Frank Bahr: “But when the commandment came” (Rom 7: 9b). Function and effect of the law in the Romans 7 interpretation before Origen's commentary on the Romans. 2001, ISBN 3-89825-302-3 , pp. 119-177 ( paid online resource )
  • Winrich Alfried Löhr : Basilides and his school. A study of the theology and church history of the second century. Mohr, Tübingen 1996, ISBN 3-16-146300-5
  • Adolf von Harnack : History of the early Christian literature to Eusebius. First part: Tradition and existence. JC Hinrichs`sche Buchhandlung, Leipzig 1893, p. 157ff.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hermann Detering : Traces of Indian Philosophy in Basilides. Part 1: Basilides References to Sāṃkhya ( [1] on radikalkritik.de); Part2: [2]
  2. ↑ Christoph Elsas : Tradition and Translation: On the problem of the intercultural translatability of religious phenomena. Festschrift for Carsten Colpe on his 65th birthday. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-1108-6469-4 , p. 505
  3. ↑ Georg Feuerstein : The Yoga Tradition. History, literature, philosophy & practice. Yoga Verlag, Wiggensbach 2009, ISBN 978-3-935001-06-9 , p. 275
  4. ↑ Manfred Clauss : Alexandria - fates of an ancient cosmopolitan city. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 978-3-608-94329-0 , pp. 97 f.
  5. ↑ Ernst Benz : Indian influences on early Christian theology. Wiesbaden 1951, pp. 197-202.
personal data
SURNAME Basilides
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bασιλίδης (Greek)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Gnostic in Alexandria
DATE OF BIRTH at 85
DATE OF DEATH at 145