Hippolytus of Rome – On Christ and Antichrist

Introduced by Claudio Rocchetti
 
'And Ezekial also spoke.'
 
Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170s - 230s) was an enigma even to his contemporaries. His work was read and admired by the Church Fathers, yet they weren't sure who he was. Perhaps it didn't matter; the work spoke for itself. His reputation rested on his Refutation Omnium Haeresium, a far-ranging treatise on the religious controversies of his time. 
 
On Christ and Antichrist is an exploration of the symbolism found in the Old and New Testament accounts of the end of days, particularly the synaesthetic language of Daniel and Revelation. It is also a compelling example of the late-Classical teaching text, whereby a teacher mentors and expounds to a named student - Theophilus, in this case, 'the God-loving'.
 
The Corpus Hermeticum, portions of which likely date to this period, adopts the same schema in some of its discourses, and the reading of the one in the context of the other illustrates how visionary Paganism and Christianity existed on a continuum of inner experience, sharing and shaping a common language.