Episode notes
Today’s journey takes us from Valentinian Gnosticism to the paradox of forgetfulness, and finally to the structure of the human soul. In Against Heresies, Irenaeus steps into the chaotic world of Gnostic speculation and exposes just how inconsistent—and downright absurd—the teachings of Valentinus and his followers had become. From shadowy Aeons to spiritual produce like cucumbers and melons, the satire practically writes itself. Then Augustine, in Confessions 10.16, invites us into the strange world of memory, asking how we can even remember something like forgetfulness—which by definition erases memory. And finally, Aquinas in Summa Theologica, Part I, Question 79, Article 1, answers a foundational question: is the intellect a power of the soul, or something separate? His answer reminds us of what makes human beings c ...