Magic and Theology. Barbaric Utterances in the Pistis Sophia and their Different Levels of Interpretation

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The expressions “barbarian names or utterances” refers to invocative or exegetical formulas, consisting of sequences of sounds or names of deities and/or demons that usually enter in a register that does not belong to the language of the document in which they are inscribed. They have usually been considered meaningless and can rarely be cut into easy units to pronounce and interpret.

The aim of this study is to show not only the diversity and complexity of the nomina barbara detailed in the Pistis Sophia, but also to support the idea that their study is essential for our understanding of theology, cosmogony and anthropology in Late Antiquity. For that purpose, on the one hand, we will study the co-text (both immediate and extended) surrounding these expressions and, on the other hand, we will conduct a parallel research on philosophical sources such as Plotinus Enneads, on patristic sources, such as the writings of Irenaeus of Lyon or Clement of Alexandria, and on other Gnostic texts such as the Valentinian texts of the Nag Hammadi Collection. These levels will allow diverse but confluent paths, providing a new perspective to elucidate the meaning of these barbaric utterances and to expose the ideas that they convey.