Valentinian

Gnostic sect

Also known as: Valentinian gnosticism

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July 14, 2026

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Valentinian Gnosticism was a prominent Gnostic tradition founded by Valentinus in the 2nd century CE. This system of religious dualism, which posits a distinction between a supreme, unknown God and a lesser creator deity (the Demiurge), emphasizes salvation through esoteric knowledge, or gnosis.12

Valentinian cosmology involves a complex genealogy of divine beings called aeons, with Wisdom being a key figure. The Demiurge, created by Wisdom, is seen as the maker of the material universe and humanity. Humans are believed to possess a material body, a soul from the Demiurge, and a divine spiritual element, or "seed," capable of reuniting with the spiritual realm. Valentinians viewed life as a school, where spiritual maturity is achieved through discipline and instruction, leading to restoration after death. Jesus's role in this tradition is primarily instructional, guiding individuals to recognize divine nature and understand hidden scriptural meanings for salvation.3

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gnosticism
Valentinian gnosticism
The category “gnostic,” however, has conventionally included still other movements. The most famous of them are the Valentinian traditions that Irenaeus and other heresiologists discuss at great length and which are also found among the Nag Hammadi works. The evidence regarding Valentinus himself…
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The category “gnostic,” however, has conventionally included still other movements. The most famous of them are the Valentinian traditions that Irenaeus and other heresiologists discuss at great length and which are also found among the Nag Hammadi works. The evidence regarding Valentinus himself…
Read More

Christianity
Messianic secrets and the mysteries of salvation
The gnostic sects—among them the Valentinians, Basilidians, Ophites, and Simonians—developed a variety of myths. Among them were those of Valentinus, who lived in Rome and Alexandria in the mid-2nd century. Valentinian myths describe how the pleroma (spiritual realm) that existed in the beginning was disrupted by a Fall. The Creator…
Read More
The gnostic sects—among them the Valentinians, Basilidians, Ophites, and Simonians—developed a variety of myths. Among them were those of Valentinus, who lived in Rome and Alexandria in the mid-2nd century. Valentinian myths describe how the pleroma (spiritual realm) that existed in the beginning was disrupted by a Fall. The Creator…
Read More