Valentinianism

Valentinianism was an early Christian Gnostic movement founded by Valentinus in the 2nd century. It emphasized that the true God, beyond the material world, created a divine realm. The material universe was seen as a flawed or lesser creation, made through a series of emanations or beings called Aeons. Human souls are considered sparks of the divine trapped within physical bodies, and salvation involves awakening to this spiritual knowledge (gnosis) to return to the divine realm. Valentinianism integrated Christian teachings with Gnostic ideas, stressing spiritual insight and the distinction between the material and spiritual worlds.