St. Irenaeus of Lyons
(C. 140 - 202 AD)
Historical Note
St. Irenaeus was born in Asia Minor around the year 140. He was probably
a native of Smyrna where in his younger years he was acquainted with St.
Polycarp. During this time, he became an assiduous disciple of the aged
bishop and would later appeal to his authority. Around the years 177-178,
at only 37 years of age, St. Irenaeus became the second bishop of Lyons,
succeeding the martyred St. Pothinus. The reasons for such a radical move
remain clouded in mystery.
St. Irenaeus stands out in history for a number of important reasons: firstly,
he was involved in trying to bring peace between Pope Victor I of Rome
and Polycrates of Ephesus concerning the proper date for the celebration of
Easter; secondly, he combated gnosticism through his compiling of Against
Heresies, a work which ranks him as certainly the most important
theologian of the second century (Jurgens vol. 1, p. 84); thirdly, he labored
zealously for the conversion of the countryside around Lyons.
The full name for Against Heresies is The Detection and Overthrow of the
Gnosis Falsely So-called. This enormous five-volume work was originally
written entirely in Greek between the years 180 and 199 AD. Up until
certain discoveries of gnostic writings in the mid-1940’s the Against
Heresies was the primary source for knowledge of gnostic beliefs.
St. Irenaeus wrote Against Heresies at the request of a friend, perhaps a
bishop, who desired an exposition of heresies he was unfamiliar with. The
first volume deals with the detection of the errors of the various gnostic
sects, the second and fifth are devoted to refuting these errors. His
exposition of the gnostic systems is sincere and well informed. The third
book outlines the rule of faith for Christians, which is the teaching of the
Apostles preserved and passed on by the Church. The principles he
established concerning the doctrinal authority of the Church, and of Rome
in particular, amount also to a refutation in advance of future heresies. The
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