Giuliano Chiapparini: The Theodotus of Clement of Alexandria was not a valentinian? Analysis of Excerpts from Theodotus 1-3.

My paper concerns the first three chapters of the so-called Excerpts from Theodotus of Clement of Alexandria. According to the traditional opinion Exc.Theod. 1-3 presents mainly some aspects of the Gnostic Valentinian doctrine with brief observations by Clement. Instead, in my opinion, the text clearly alternating two distinct 'heterodox' sources, before the conclusion by Clement himself. Indeed, Exc.Theod. 1.1-3 contains a literal quotation from a text of Theodotus, while Exc.Theod. 2.1 summarizes briefly the thought of the 'eastern' Valentinians. The two doctrines are briefly repeated (Exc.Theod. 2,2), before Clement explains his opinion (Exc.Theod.3,1-2). In Exc.Theod. 1-3, therefore, the exegesis of Luke 23.46 proves that the thought of Theodotus must be distinguished from that of the Valentinians.According to Theodotus, the redemption comes from the Saviour: he introduces a "spiritual seed" that perfects the psychic and material part of the human being. According to the 'eastern' Valentinians, however, the 'spiritual seed' is present from the beginning only in some human beings and the Saviour comes to perfect it: the psychic and material parts are excluded from salvation. Finally, according to Clement the Saviour acts only on the soul and does it also through the Spirit, but it does not belong to human beings.Therefore, the common opinion that Theodotus was one of the most important teachers of 'eastern Valentinianism', is probably to be reconsidered.