Thursday, February 14, 2008

Apocryphote of the Day: Valentine's Day

"Like this, the soul again made herself beautiful. [She hastened] to enjoy her lover, and he too loved her. And when she made love with him, she received from him seed, which is the spirit that gives life. She bears good children and raises them. For this is the great perfect wonderful birth. So this marriage is consummated by the will of the Father.
The soul needs to regenerate herself and become as she was at first. So the soul moves. And she received divinity from the Father. She caused her rejuvenation so that she should be restored to where she was from the first.
This is the resurrection from the dead.
This is the redemption from captivity.
This is the ascent to heaven.
This is the road up to the Father."

Exegesis on the Soul
133.32-134.16 (A Valentinian text) (trans. DeConick)

2 comments:

Bob MacDonald said...

Thanks for these - they are a great idea. There are not many people who will follow this metaphor of word and seed to its full conclusion - perhaps even fewer who will let the Word be incarnate in them. The canonical texts of both Judaism and Christianity support such readings but there is equally, much fear of a failure of control mechanisms within the assemblies - and as a result more than necessary ignorance.

R.Eagle said...

Wow, I'm speechless.

Isn't this what Da vinci was talking about? In theory, at least.

Right on, Dr. Deconick! You certainly know how to pick'm.