Noëtus of Smyrna
NOËTUS OF SMYRNA
Monarchian heretic who taught in Smyrna, c. 180 to 200. His teachings are known from the antiheretical writings of hippolytus of rome (d. 235). He seems to have been the first to have taught patripassianism, i.e., that the Father was born, suffered, and died, since the Father and the Son are only different ways (modi ) of God's self-revelation. He admitted only an allegorical interpretation of St. John's Gospel, thus rejecting the doctrine of the Logos, and he accused his opponents of ditheism. A synod of the presbyters of Smyrna condemned him c. 200. One of his disciples, Epigonus, brought his doctrines to Rome.
Bibliography: hippolytus of rome, Contre les hérésies, ed. and tr. p. nautin (Paris 1949); Philosophumena, ed. p. wendland (GCS 26; 1916) 9:3–9.3. c. h. turner, Journal of Theological Studies 23 (1921–22) 28–35. g. bardy, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique 10.2:2193–2209. b. kotter, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche 7:1018
[m. c. mccarthy]