Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 2, Chapters 10–12 (Condensed)

Augustine, Confessions, Book 10, Chapter 45

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 89, Article 1

Irenaeus continues his assault on the Gnostics—not just refuting their claims, but showing the irrationality and self-contradiction of their system. Their “aeons” collapse under their own logic; their thirtyfold scheme cannot even maintain its number. Augustine then opens his heart in a deeply personal reflection on appetite and self-control, acknowledging that even when he resists drunkenness, the lure of excess still calls through the pleasure of eating. His prayer: “Give what You command.” Finally, Aquinas addresses whether separated souls can know what happens on earth. While they cannot observe bodily e ...