The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Theognostus of Alexandria
fl. c. 250 – 280 (death unrecorded) · Head of the catechetical school · Theologian · Alexandria
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Theognostus of Alexandria was
A head of the Alexandrian catechetical school in the generation after Origen, and author of the Hypotyposeis (“Outlines”), a seven-book system of theology on Origenist lines. The work is lost but for the summary Photius made and the citations of Athanasius, who quoted Theognostus approvingly on the Son’s generation from the Father’s substance — a witness that the pro-Nicene tradition could claim Alexandrian roots before Arius. A scholar preserved almost wholly through his readers.
Common questions
When was Theognostus active?
Theognostus of Alexandria is dated fl. c. 250 – 280 (death unrecorded) in the archive, which places Theognostus in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
What did Theognostus write?
Theognostus of Alexandria has 1 catalogued writing in the archive: Hypotyposes (fragments).
Which early sources mention Theognostus?
Theognostus of Alexandria is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Athanasius of Alexandria. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Theognostus from?
The archive associates Theognostus of Alexandria with Alexandria.
Writings (1)
Hypotyposes (fragments)
The catechetical school's seven-book outline, surviving in Athanasius's quotationsThe essence of the Son sprang from the Father's essence, as the radiance of light, as the vapour of water.Read the interlinear source text →
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Athanasius, On the Decrees 25
c. AD 350Theognostus… says thus: ‘The substance of the Son is not one procured from without, nor introduced out of nothing; but it sprang from the substance of the Father, as the radiance of light, as the vapour of water.’Athanasius of Alexandria · source text
Letters to Serapion IV.9–11 (Theognostus quoted on the Son)
c. AD 358Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 235 · Maximinus Thrax targets the clergy, AD 235
- AD 250 · The Decian persecution, AD 250
- AD 251 · The Novatianist schism, AD 251
- AD 257 · The Valerian persecution, AD 257
- AD 260 · Gallienus’ edict of toleration, AD 260
- AD 268 · Antioch deposes Paul of Samosata, AD 268
- AD 272 · Aurelian awards the Antioch church, AD 272
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Theognostus.