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to any non-Christian Roman, it would have actually made her seem far less aberrant than proto-orthodox
Christians. By venerating busts of philosophers and including Jesus among them as the greatest, Marcellina's followers were honoring him in the same way that other philosophers were typically honored throughout the Greco-Roman world. The Carpocratians may have had a more intellectual outlook than other sects, since, according to
522:." Anne McGuire states that, because all the other figures listed by Origen in this passage are figures who appear in the canonical gospels, it is possible that the Marcellians may have regarded Marcellina, not only as a teacher and religious leader, but as "an authoritative source of apostolic tradition". Williams notes that Origen seems to have been aware that the Marcellians called themselves Gnostics, since, elsewhere in
275:. The goal of the believer is the escape from the cycle of reincarnation by ascending through several stages of deification. The Carpocratians believed that Jesus was only human, not divine, and saw him as an exemplary model to be followed, but an example which a particularly devout believer was capable of surpassing. Jesus's prime virtue was that he could perfectly remember the Divine from his
391:, a male teacher, who appears to have been more actively involved than her in leading followers, writing treatises, and teaching students. Anne McGuire states that it is unclear whether this description of Marcellina in relation to Carpocrates is a result of Irenaeus's own patriarchal worldview, the actual relationship between her and him, or both.
543:
had set forth these people to blaspheme the holy name of the church, so that the people turn their ears from the preaching of truth when they hear their different way of teaching and think we
Christians are all like them. Indeed, when they see their religiosity, they dishonor us all." He adds that:
426:
notes that
Irenaeus does not state that the Marcellians' portrait of Jesus was inaccurate or that portraits of Jesus were inherently immoral. She also argues that the Marcellians' busts of Jesus and other philosophers may have survived long after their sect declined, observing that, nearly a century
411:
states that the veneration of images seems highly unexpected for a supposedly
Gnostic sect, since Gnostics are thought to have held the physical body in contempt. He suggests that Marcellina and her followers, like their pagan contemporaries, may have viewed representations of philosophers' physical
394:
Marcellina's use of images of Jesus and Greek philosophers would not have been unusual in Roman society at the time, because busts and images of philosophers were common objects of adoration in second-century Roman society. While
Irenaeus interprets this as a sign of Marcellina's heterodox teaching,
563:
as partially an indirect reaction against
Marcellina and her permissive moral teachings. Marcellina and other female prophets like her were consistently portrayed negatively in the histories and canons written by proponents of proto-orthodoxy. According to William H. Brackney, sources indicate that
283:, which advocated equality for all people. Marcellina's position as the leader of the Carpocratian community in Rome indicates that, for her community at least, this was an idea which was meant to be literally implemented. Some Carpocratians, possibly including Marcellina,
470:
described the most advanced stage of
Christian asceticism as "the Gnostic", indicating that, despite the association of the word "Gnostic" with Gnosticism, it still retained its original positive meaning in the sense with which Marcellina and her disciples identified.
526:, he notes that one of Celsus's arguments against Christianity was the existence of different sects, including ones "who call themselves gnostics". This would presumably include Marcellina and her followers, but Origen refrains from calling them by this term.
458:", but rather as an epithet for "the ideal or true Christian, the one whose acquaintance with God has been perfected". He notes that Irenaeus himself identifies Marcellina and her sect with the Carpocratians, not with the "Gnostic school of thought". Also,
351:, and, holding these doctrines, she led multitudes astray. They style themselves Gnostics. They also possess images, some of them painted, and others formed from different kinds of material; while they maintain that a likeness of Christ was made by
538:
in the 180s, "we have no fellowship with them either in doctrine or in morals or in our daily social life", but this statement should not be taken to apply to
Christians living in Rome over twenty years prior. Irenaeus also states,
279:. They also venerated Greek philosophers as models to be emulated as well. The Marcellians' syncretic cult of images was a natural consequence of this teaching. One of the foundational teachings of the Carpocratians was the idea of
267:, which holds that only faith and love are necessary to attain salvation and that all other perceived requirements, especially obedience to laws and regulations, are unnecessary. She, like other Carpocratians, believed that the
544:"They misuse the name as a mask." This indicates that Marcellina and her Carpocratian followers called themselves "Christians" and, at least to outsiders, her sect appeared to be connected to other branches of Christianity.
87:
was only a man, but saw him as a model to be emulated, albeit one which a believer was capable of surpassing. Marcellina's community appears to have sought to literally implement the foundational
Carpocratian teaching of
387:) are known to have been active as prophetesses, teachers, and disciples involved in sects led by men, but none of them are known to have been leaders themselves. Nonetheless, Marcellina still appears in relation to
550:
states that it is possible that members of the proto-orthodox community in Rome simply allowed
Marcellina and her sect to coëxist, but that it is also possible that they may have actively condemned them.
180:. Women like Mary and Martha were the explicit role models for Marcellina and her fellow female preachers. A creed that may have been recited at Christian initiation ceremonies is quoted by the apostle
534:
It is unclear how Marcellina and her followers were regarded by proto-orthodox Christians living in Rome during the 150s and 160s. Irenaeus states that, among members of his own congregation in
371:
Marcellina is the only woman associated with early Gnostic Christianity who is recorded to have been an active religious leader in her own right. Other women such as Helena (allegedly a former
447:. She remarks, "For all we know, one of the many unidentified philosopher busts that exist in today's collections might have been thought of as Jesus in the second–third centuries."
454:, the reason why Marcellina and the members of her school identified themselves as "Gnostics" was not as a sectarian identification with the branch of early Christianity known as "
466:"call themselves 'gnostics' in their own way, as if they alone have drunk from the amazing acquaintance of the Perfect and Good." In the late fourth century, the ascetic monk
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at that time when Jesus lived among them. They crown these images, and set them up along with the images of the philosophers of the world that is to say, with the images of
188:: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." In the late first century,
431:(reigned 222 – 235) is said to have possessed a collection of portrait busts of various philosophers, religious figures, and historical figures including Jesus,
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Others of them employ outward marks, branding their disciples inside the lobe of the right ear. From among these also arose Marcellina, who came to Rome under
242:
240) complained: "These heretical women—how audacious they are! They have no modesty; they are bold enough to teach, to engage in argument, to enact
451:
1199:
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Jesus After the Gospels: The Christ of the Second Century: The Hale Memorial Lectures of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, 1989
246:, to undertake cures, and, it may be, even to baptize!" He denounced one female religious leader in North Africa as "that viper".
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321:. Busts of philosophers, such as this one of Pythagoras, were common objects of adoration in second-century Roman society.
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Women played prominent roles in many early Christian sects as prophets, teachers, healers, missionaries, and
367:, and the rest. They have also other modes of honouring these images, after the same manner of the Gentiles.
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alongside two other women (the third now almost completely missing due to extensive damage) approaching the
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1116:, translated by Steinhauser, Michael, London, England: Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.,
219:, as the founders of their movement. Female religious leaders like Marcellina were not favored by
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of Jesus. Such women were the "explicit models" for Marcellina and other early female preachers.
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were female followers of Jesus who are mentioned in the gospels and were believed to know the "
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157 – 168). She attracted large numbers of followers and founded the Carpocratian sect of
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likenesses as "windows to the soul" and a means of reflecting on the person's teachings.
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Irenaeus records that the Marcellians venerated images of Greek philosophers, including
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does not classify Marcellina and her followers as members of the Gnostic sect either.
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religious leader in the mid-second century AD known primarily from the writings of
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interprets Marcillina's use of images of famous philosophers as an indication of
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the Carpocratians may have continued to exist as late as the fourth century.
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Rethinking "Gnosticism": An Argument for Dismantling a Dubious Category
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Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries: From Paul to Valentinus
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30:"Marcellians" redirects here. For the fourth-century heresy, see
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must follow the path to redemption, possibly going through many
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The Gnostics: Myth, Ritual, and Diversity in Early Christianity
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1206:, Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, pp. 330–355,
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160) appointed women as presbyters on an equal basis as men.
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1132:"Women, Gender, and Gnosis in Gnostic Texts and Traditions"
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theologians, who accused them of madness, unchastity, and
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Second-century Carpocratian Christian religious leader
1252:, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press,
1073:, Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster/John Knox Press,
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782:, translated by Alexander Roberts and William Rambaut
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knows also of Marcellians who follow Marcellina, and
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As a Carpocratian, Marcellina taught the doctrine of
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92:. The Marcellians in particular are reported to have
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104:of Jesus as well as Greek philosophers such as
96:their disciples on the insides of their right
1027:Historical Dictionary of Radical Christianity
496:253) also briefly mentions Marcellina in his
1181:Gnosis: The Nature and History of Gnosticism
379:), Philumena (a prophetess associated with
1161:, New York City, New York: Vintage Books,
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1178:(1983) , Wilson, Robert McLachen (ed.),
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291:. They also celebrated a form of
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383:), and Flora (a student of
285:held all property in common
211:regarded two prophetesses,
203:In the second century, the
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1333:
1317:2nd-century Egyptian women
375:prostitute turned muse of
29:
1226:What Did Jesus Look Like?
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427:later, the Roman emperor
63:during the episcopate of
1087:Haskins, Susan (2005) ,
761:, pp. 107–108, 127.
518:, and others who follow
514:, and others who follow
1297:Gender and Christianity
1277:2nd-century Roman women
1244:Williams, Michael Allen
1287:Roman-era Alexandrians
1130:McGuire, Anne (1999),
1044:Brakke, David (2010),
409:Michael Allen Williams
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289:shared sexual partners
255:Carpocratian teachings
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403:had been trained in
399:, Carpocrates's son
55:. She originated in
18:Marcellina (gnostic)
1158:The Gnostic Gospels
813:, pp. 260–261.
712:, pp. 214–215.
441:Alexander the Great
437:Apollonius of Tyana
405:Platonic philosophy
142:Dura-Europos church
32:Marcellus of Ancyra
460:Hippolytus of Rome
325:The Church Father
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250:Life and teachings
225:demonic possession
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148:240 AD, depicting
128:Historical context
1236:978-0-5676-7151-6
1057:978-0-674-04684-9
1037:978-0-8108-7365-0
1009:, pp. 59–61.
918:, pp. 48–49.
776:Adversus Haereses
583:, pp. 58–59.
468:Evagrius Ponticus
429:Alexander Severus
340:Adversus Haereses
300:Adversus Haereses
190:Marcion of Sinope
16:(Redirected from
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1017:Bibliography
1002:
942:
866:
858:
811:McGuire 1999
806:
799:McGuire 1999
774:
766:
742:McGuire 1999
658:Rudolph 1983
632:
602:Streete 1999
581:Haskins 2005
576:
546:
533:
523:
497:
484:
479:
452:David Brakke
449:
422:
393:
370:
346:
338:
324:
299:
273:incarnations
258:
205:Valentinians
202:
159:
144:, dating to
72:
45:Carpocratian
37:
36:
1123:0567-080501
935:Brakke 2010
916:Brakke 2010
851:Taylor 2018
710:Taylor 2018
637:Pagels 1989
625:Pagels 1989
548:Peter Lampe
510:who follow
414:Peter Lampe
389:Carpocrates
377:Simon Magus
293:agape feast
265:libertinism
81:libertinism
73:Marcellians
1271:Categories
1007:Grant 1990
995:Lampe 2003
884:Lampe 2003
725:Lampe 2003
568:References
456:Gnosticism
357:Pythagoras
311:Pythagoras
232:Tertullian
209:Montanists
162:presbyters
154:empty tomb
122:Gnosticism
106:Pythagoras
57:Alexandria
38:Marcellina
1307:Polyamory
1155:(1989) ,
1067:(1990) ,
464:Naassenes
401:Epiphanes
365:Aristotle
319:Aristotle
244:exorcisms
213:Maximilla
176:" of the
174:mysteries
114:Aristotle
1282:Gnostics
1246:(1996),
1223:(2018),
868:Stromata
771:Irenaeus
557:Polycarp
516:Mariamme
349:Anicetus
327:Irenaeus
118:gnostics
98:earlobes
65:Anicetus
49:Irenaeus
445:Abraham
433:Orpheus
385:Ptolemy
381:Apelles
140:of the
94:branded
40:was an
1256:
1233:
1210:
1188:
1165:
1142:
1120:
1097:
1077:
1054:
1034:
530:Legacy
520:Martha
512:Salome
504:Celsus
492:184 –
486:Origen
443:, and
373:Tyrian
363:, and
359:, and
353:Pilate
333:130 –
317:, and
238:155 –
227:. The
217:Prisca
112:, and
53:Origen
871:3.5.3
541:Satan
361:Plato
315:Plato
263:, or
196:85 –
110:Plato
85:Jesus
1254:ISBN
1231:ISBN
1208:ISBN
1186:ISBN
1163:ISBN
1140:ISBN
1118:ISBN
1095:ISBN
1075:ISBN
1052:ISBN
1032:ISBN
559:and
536:Gaul
287:and
269:soul
215:and
182:Paul
168:and
138:nave
100:and
61:Rome
51:and
184:in
1273::
973:^
954:^
923:^
908:^
891:^
876:^
865:,
833:^
818:^
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773:,
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494:c.
490:c.
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