Wednesday, January 15, 2014

The Melons of Valentinus

I am re-reading Irenaeus's Against Heresies, and came across one of my favorite passages of the book - his reductio ad absurdum discussion of Valentinus's aeonic realms:

But along with it there exists a power which I term a Gourd; and along with this Gourd there exists a power which again I term Utter-Emptiness. This Gourd and Emptiness, since they are one, produced (and yet did not simply produce, so as to be apart from themselves) a fruit, everywhere visible, eatable, and delicious, which fruit-language calls a Cucumber. Along with this Cucumber exists a power of the same essence, which again I call a Melon. These powers, the Gourd, Utter-Emptiness, the Cucumber, and the Melon, brought forth the remaining multitude of the delirious melons of Valentinus. (AH 1.11.4; ANF translation)

Say what you want about Irenaeus, he is funny!
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2 comments:

  1. RebeccaJanuary 16, 2014 at 11:22 PM

    This would be a good satire of some kabbalistic language as well!

    Or perhaps part of it could be used as the title for an academic paper....

    Check out the Academic Essay Title Generator - http://www.besttitlegenerator.com/index.php.

    Here's a good one:
    Melons Of Valentinus: Devising Postmodern Absence and Complicity

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jared CalawayJanuary 16, 2014 at 11:39 PM

    I just did it and got the following:

    Contesting Impulsive Margins: The Melons of Valentinus in/and the Marginalized

    Scary how ... appropriate ... these titles are...

    ReplyDelete