Theodotus of Byzantium

Theodotus of Byzantium (also Theodotus the Tanner ) (around 160 AD ) was a Christian author of the late 2nd century. He was a contemporary of Clement of Alexandria , who also handed down fragments from his work. When looking at the extracts (Epitomai = abbreviated arrangements) from Theodotus teachings in the Clementine work, it is difficult to determine which sections can be ascribed to Theodotus himself.

Live and act

The doctrine advocated by Theodotus says that Christ was a special man born under supernatural circumstances, but only man. Christ was not adopted by God until he was baptized in the Jordan. For Theodot it was not the resurrection of Jesus Christ that was important, but the kenotic incarnation and the symbol of the cross . Theodotus commented on some of Paul's letters . He is considered a Valentian , but he was probably not a direct student of Valentinus.

All Valentians have in common that they describe a 'heavenly world', the pleroma , which would consist of thirty aeons , worlds. These eons are arranged in pairs and are not used as abstractions, but represent hypostases or personifications of individual properties of the divinity on which they are based. The creation of the world would proceed from the last of these eons, Sophia . The origin of matter and the world is judged to be the result of error, not of evil and sin .

This doctrine, known as dynamic monarchianism , has been condemned as heretical by Orthodoxy . Theodotus was therefore excommunicated by Pope Viktor I , who was Bishop of Rome from 189 to 199 .

He is considered a student of the gnostic Valentinus . The Valentinianism was next to the Marcionism , one of the most common (Gnostic) -christlichen movements. It developed in an Italian and an Eastern ("Anatolian") form. The Western school traditionally includes the Valentine teachers Alexander, Florinus, Herakleon , Ptolemy , Secundus and Theotimus, the Eastern Axionicus (Axionikos), Markos the magician and Theodotus of Byzantium. It is possible that Bardesanes also belonged to the eastern currents of Valentinianism.

literature

Peter Lampe : From Paul to Valentinus: Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries. Fortress Press, 2003, ISBN 978-0-8006-2702-7
András Handl: Viktor I (189? -199?) Of Rome and the establishment of the “monarchical” episcopate in Rome. In: Sacris Erudiri: a Journal on the Inheritance of Early and Medieval Christianity, Volume 55, (2016), pp. 7-56.

Web links

EarlyChristianWritings.com ( Memento of February 7, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) - Excerpts from Theodotus des Clement of Alexandria (Eng.)

References and comments

↑ Markus Vinzent : The resurrection of Christ in early Christianity. Herder Verlag, Freiburg 2014, ISBN 978-3-451-31212-0 , p. 159.
↑ The basic question of the 'Kenotics' is how the eternal pre-existing Logos can be an identical subject with the earthly, finite man Jesus of Nazareth .
^ Christoph Markschies : Valentin / Valentinianer. In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie , Volume 34, Berlin / New York 2002, pp. 495–500, here: 498.

personal data
SURNAME	Theodotus of Byzantium
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Theodotus the tanner
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Christian author
DATE OF BIRTH	2nd century
DATE OF DEATH	2nd century or 3rd century

[1] Markus Vinzent : The resurrection of Christ in early Christianity. Herder Verlag, Freiburg 2014, ISBN 978-3-451-31212-0 , p. 159.

[2] The basic question of the 'Kenotics' is how the eternal pre-existing Logos can be an identical subject with the earthly, finite man Jesus of Nazareth .

[3] Christoph Markschies : Valentin / Valentinianer. In: Theologische Realenzyklopädie , Volume 34, Berlin / New York 2002, pp. 495–500, here: 498.