Gnosticism’s fundamental metaphysics, which was defined most specifically in the work of Valentinus, has been described by the church father Irenaeus (Adversus haereses, I) and others. It is presented in mythological form under the hypostatization of a number of abstract concepts such as truth, wisdom, and reason. The basic point of view is dualistic in nature, which is to say that it proceeds from a contrast between the world of the spirit and the material world, together with a contrast between
Page 36