Marcion the gospel of the alien god pdf

The god of civic religion is a god who is as marcion described him. Marcion must already have proposed his two gods doctrine and the rejection of the old testament and tried to. It was divided into two parts, the gospel or evangelion and the epistles of paul or apostolicon. The question begins with a quotation from what i said, in contrast to something else i. Epiphanius saw in marcions gospel text that we currently see in lk or mk, mt, etc. Cognitive poetics and transformational soteriology in the gospel of philip and the exegesis. While marcion preached that the god who had sent jesus christ was an entirely new, alien god, distinct from the vengeful god of israel who had created the world. Marcion, who created the first new testament, consisting of a strippeddown version of the gospel of luke and 10 letters of paul, would have made christianity a religon of love rather than a mixture of judgment and grace. Lieu a comprehensive and authoritative account of the heretic marcion, this volume traces the development of the concept and language of heresy in the setting of an exploration of secondcentury christian intellectual debate. Marcionism was an early christian dualist belief system that originated in the teachings of marcion of sinope in rome around the year 144 marcion was the son of a bishop of sinope in pontus. The second element was harnacks fascination with marcion, which he would fully articulate only in 1920, with the work entitled marcion, gospel of the alien god. Marcion was the first, and for karcion long time the only gentile christian who took his stand on paul. The written account of the life of jesus christ, preserved in its original greek by marcion, son of philologus, bishop of sinope. Harnacks study of marcion provides a critical view into the most formative period of early christianity.

Textual considerations marcion did not provide a title for his evangelion his gospel of the lord, here referred to as mcg, nor did he claim authorship. The bible and interpretation marcion and the idea of heresy. Hippolytus of rome, he was the son of a bishop who excommunicated him on grounds of immorality. An essay on the development of radical paulinist theology in the second century chico. About the middle of the second century 140155 he traveled to rome, where he joined the syrian gnostic cerdo marcion believed that jesus was the savior sent by god, and paul the apostle was his.

Marcion s teaching was condemned as heresy in the year 144. Marcion and the roman church was the antithesis between jehovah and the heavenly father. T he outlines of harnacks landmark monograph on marcion are well known from summaries and discussions of it as well as through the german original. The marcionite bible was assembled by marcion of sinope, sometime in the earlymid second century. In the fifteenth year of the reign of tiberius caesar, 2.

In any event, this will at least provide the reader a general idea of what marcion s work antithesis may have been like. In so doing, he advanced the most daring blasphemy against him who is proclaimed as god by the law and the prophets, declaring him to be the author of evils, to take delight in war, to be infirm of purpose, and even to be contrary to himself. Marcions gospel and the beginnings of christianity youtube. Marcion, an extract from the history of dogma part 1 part 2 the english translation of marcion and the gospel of the alien god is still under, however the german text which includes harnacks reconstruction of the marcionite bible has risen harnaci the public domain, and is avalible at archive. Publication date 1990 topics marcion, of sinope, 2nd cent. A scholarly resource for the study of womens religious communities from 400 to 1600 ce. Part of a library of materials dealing with gnosis and gnosticism, both ancient and modern. Marcions greatest contribution is the recognition that the god depicted in the old testament is not the one true god, nor the father spoken of by jesus. But it is an event worthy of note for the work to appear in english, where the complexities and. Marcion of sinope edinburgh research explorer the university. The gospel of the alien god 9781556357039 by adolf harnack, john e. His life, works, beliefs, and impact paul foster, 2010.

The gospel of marcion, called by its adherents the gospel of the lord, was a text used by the mid2ndcentury christian teacher marcion of sinope to the exclusion of the other gospels. Marcions teaching was condemned as heresy in the year 144. Monastic matrix is an ongoing collaborative effort by an international group of scholars of medieval history, religion, history of art, archaeology, religion, and other disciplines, as well as librarians and experts in computer technology. Unlike marcion s god, however, the god of civic religion is not known in. The majority of scholars agree the gospel was an edited version of the gospel of luke contents. A native of sinope in pontus, marcion came to rome c. Focusing on the pauline traditions of the gospel, marcion felt that all other conceptions of the gospel, and especially any association with the old testament religion, was opposed to, and a backsliding from, the truth. With regard, then, to the pending9 question, of lukes gospel so far as its being the common property10 of ourselves and marcion enables it to be decisive of the truth,11 that portion of it which we alone receive12 is so much older than marcion, that marcion, himself once believed it, when in the first warmth of faith he contributed. But the god of the new testament, taught marcion, was completely the opposite. Wipf and stock publishers, dec 1, 2007 religion 192 pages. Here is a question that has been raised about one of my posts. Marcion taught that the god of the old testament was the author of evil, oppressive, and a lesser and distinct entity from the god of the new testament who exhibited love and forgiveness.

This this is only a tiny concession to modern biblical research against tertullians wholly anachronistic. The gospel of marcion, called by its adherents the gospel of the lord, was a text used by the. However, this language should not be taken to suggest any particular directionality between the originals of marcions gospel and any part of the bible. Jul 16, 2015 but the god of the new testament, taught marcion, was completely the opposite. In any event, this will at least provide the reader a general idea of what marcions work antithesis may have been like. Developing some eccentric theological views, he eventually taught that the god of the old testament was not the true god but rather that the true and higher god had been revealed only with jesus c. Marcions gospel, compared verse by verse with luke. For that, he is regarded as the greatest of heretics, or the wisest of the early christian writers, who almost single handedly put the apostle paul on the map. As regards the prophets, it was the outer sacrificial worship, and the deliverance was the idea of jehovahs righteousness. Developing some eccentric theological views, he eventually taught that the god of the old testament was not the true god but rather that the true and higher god had been revealed only with jesus christ.

Sep 09, 2014 marcions gospel and the beginnings of christianity professor markus vinzent inaugural lecture professor of the history of theology, kings college london 17 october 2012. The jewish god of creation is not the superior god of jesus. Marcions gospel and the beginnings of christianity professor markus vinzent inaugural lecture professor of the history of theology, kings college london 17 october 2012. Marcion, on the other hand, you must know, ascribes no author to his gospel, as if it could not be allowed him to affix a title to that from which it was no crime in his eyes to subvert the very body. Take this teachercreated 6th grade practice test to see if you can expand your vocabulary. Unlike marcions god, however, the god of civic religion is not known in. Because marcion found his own solution to the suffering problem a different kind of god.

The god proclaimed in the law and the prophets of the old testament was the creator of the world, and inferior to the supreme being. However, tertullian and epiphanius lived several generations after marcion, and they assumed. Marcions gospel, compared verse by verse with luke tricky. Gospel of marcion wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. The site includes the gnostic library, with the complete nag hammadi library and a large collection of other primary gnostic scriptures and documents. Bierma, marcion, the gospel of the alien god, durham, labyrinth, 1990, 23. Jason david beduhn the myth of marcion as redactor. Marcionism is the theological doctrine known after the heretic marcion of sinope, a ship owner from pontus in asia minor1 who died around 160 a. This was the true god revealed through jesus christ when he came to earth with the good news. Its reconstructed fragments now appear among the new testament apocrypha. Luke is a response to marcion s gospel, the consensus supports the view of tertullian and the other fathers that marcion s work is a form of gospel redaction. Sep 17, 2019 marcion was the first, and for karcion long time the only gentile christian who took his stand on paul.

Marcion, apostolikon, marcions gospel, antitheses, two gods, tertullian, rome. He believed paul had shown this antithesis the opposites of jehovahs law and the grace of god the father. Luke is a response to marcions gospel, the consensus supports the view of tertullian and the other fathers that marcions work is a form of gospel redaction. Theology and christology in marcions gospel redaction, tyndale bulletin 44. The premise of marcionism is that many of the teachings of christ are incompatible with the actions of the god of the old testament. The gospel was a shorter version of the gospel of luke, but scholars are divided on whether the author of luke added material to marcion s gospel, or whether. Strongly antijewish, he distinguished the merely just god of the ot from the loving god and. Marcion of pontus succeeded him, and developed his doctrine. The gospel of marcion, called by its adherents the gospel of the lord, was a text used by the mid2nd century christian teacher marcion of sinope to the exclusion of the other gospels. Harnack began his teaching career at the university of leipzig in 1874, the same year he received his ph. Harnack is ordinary professor of church history in the university, and fellow of the royal academy of science, berlin. Oct 28, 20 critics of marcion like tertullian and epiphanius complained that marcion cut and edited scripture to fit his beliefs. Marcion gospel, the protevangelion and the gospel of the. The sect which he founded spread widely, and was for a time a serious menace to the church.

He, unlike that malicious old testament god, was loving, gracious, peaceful, and infinitely good. He understood paul to have rejected the old testament and its god by saying the reading of the old testament and moses. Sep 04, 2016 the gospel of marcion, called by its adherents the gospel of the lord, was a text used by the mid2nd century christian teacher marcion of sinope to the exclusion of the other gospels. Critics of marcion like tertullian and epiphanius complained that marcion cut and edited scripture to fit his beliefs. Cerdo believed that only the soul and not he the body shared in the resurrection. The creation god of the jews is a demiurge, incompetent and ignorant.

Marcion preached that the god who sent jesus into the world was a different, higher deity than the creator god of judaism. He is loving and embracing but lacks attributes such as justice and wrath. Marcion was a native of sinope modern sinop, turkey, in pontus, asia minor. Pontius pilatus being the governor of judaea, jesus came down to capernaum, a city in galilee, and was. She examines marcions gospel, apostolikon, and antitheses in detail and compares his principles with those of contemporary christian and nonchristian thinkers, covering a wide range of controversial issues.