Jonatan Simons, Ph.D. (2021), Australian Catholic University, is Assistant Professor of Theology at Fundación Universitaria Seminario Bíblico de Colombia. He has presented and published various papers in the field of Patristics, such as “God and eiusdem substantiae in Against Heresies 2.17-18” (Studia Patristica in 2021).

• AcknowledgementsAbbreviationsIntroduction1 Irenaeus’ Mobility and Correspondence2 Irenaeus’ Usage of Sources3 StructurePart 1 Divine Simplicity in Haer. 2.131 Theological Claims in Book 2 of Against Heresies1 Beyond “Purely Negative Polemic”: Theological Claims in Books 1–22 The Rule of Truth (Haer. 1.10 and 1.22)3 The One God Is Creator (Haer. 2.1–2)4 God Is Simple (Haer. 2.12–13)5 God Is Revealed in the Harmony of Scripture (Haer. 2.25–28)6 Conclusion2 Definition and Explanation of Divine Simplicity in Haer. 2.131 Haer. 2.13.3–4a: Irenaeus’ Definition of Divine Simplicity2 Haer. 2.13.4B–10: Parameters for Language about God3 ConclusionPart 2 Theological Implications of Divine Simplicity3 Divine Will for Creation in the Containment Metaphor of Haer. 2.1–61 Spatial Meaning of “Containing, Not Contained”2 Temporal Meaning of “Containing, Not Contained”3 Cognitive Meaning of “Containing, Not Contained”4 Providential Meaning of “Containing, Not Contained”5 Conclusion4 Divine Generation and a Simple God1 Second-Century Descriptions of the Simple God and Divine Generation2 Metaphors for Divine Generation in Irenaeus (Haer. 2.17.2)3 Distinction in a Simple, Uniform, Equal, and Similar Generation4 Conclusion5 Divine Activity in the Hands of God Metaphor of Haer. 4.201 Scriptural Exegesis for the Hands of God Metaphor2 Terminology of Divine Simplicity in the Activity of Father, Son, and Spirit3 Two Potential Challenges to This Reading of Haer. 4.204 Conclusion6 Divine Powers and Divine Titles1 Powers, Names, and Titles of “One and the Same” God in Haer. 2.35.3–42 Mutually Entailing Powers of God in Creation3 Mutually Entailing Titles and Names of God in Scripture4 ConclusionConclusionBibliographyIndex