PhD ceremony A.A. Winterberg: Valentinus redivivus? The reception and reimagination of Gnosticism within the French Gnostic Churches

In 1890, the Église Gnostique was established as the first modern church to identify as 'gnostic.' Drawing on the latest research from Francophone academia in early Church history and Coptic Studies, its founder Jules Doinel became a pioneer of what later evolved into the French Neo-Gnostic Movement (NGM).

The roots of the NGM can be traced back to the aftermath of the French Revolution, which not only brutally suppressed the Catholic Church but also fostered unintentionally the emergence of a heterodox Catholic subculture. This subculture increasingly blended Roman Catholicism with progressive republican ideas and esotericism. Due to the subculture's estrangement from the See of Saint Peter, alternative authorities and narratives of continuity had to be sought.

To legitimize their clerical order, French Neo-Gnostics referenced Patristic heresiological reports and scholarly work on ancient Coptic texts, notably those by Émile Amélineau. This enabled them to advocate for Gnosticism as a foundation for their dissenting beliefs, making Coptic Studies unintentionally pivotal in the formation of this new religious movement.

Employing Jan Assmann's concept of mnemohistorical theory, I demonstrate how the NGM's reinterpretation of ancient Gnosticism emerged in opposition to, yet deeply influenced by, the Roman Catholic Church in the 19th and 20th centuries. The scholarly ‘discovery’ of Gnosticism served as a counter-memory, suggesting an allegedly primeval form of Christianity. Furthermore, I analyze how the Neo-Gnostic Movement's legacy shaped internal discussions of heresy within the Roman Catholic Church prior to the Second Vatican Council.

Dissertation: https://hdl.handle.net/(...)74-a671-cb8f1a0ef75d