Valentinus

Valentinus was an influential early Christian thinker from the 2nd century who developed a complex spiritual philosophy called Gnostic Christianity. He believed that the material world was created by a lesser divine being and that human souls originally belonged to a higher, divine realm. The goal of spiritual growth was to gain knowledge (gnosis) to reconnect with this divine source, transcending the material world. Valentinus's teachings emphasized inner spiritual awakening and saw Christ as a spiritual guide helping souls return to their divine origin. His ideas contributed significantly to early Christian theological debates and Gnostic thought.