"The Gospel of Marcion" as a Source of Argumentation in August Cieszkowski’s Romantic Treatise "Our Father"

Abstract

Count August Cieszkowski’s treatise, Our Father (1814–1894), represents a significant contribution to historiosophy and offers an exegetical exposition (expositio) of the Lord’s Prayer. In a manner characteristic of Romanticism, the treatise presents a commentary ‘from the perspective of a new revelation’, or a ‘revelation of Revelation’, heralding the forthcoming era of the Holy Spirit. While interpreting the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer, Cieszkowski endeavours to convince his readers that it is a supplication for the descent of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity upon humanity, thereby inaugurating a new phase of history. As evidence for this claim, Cieszkowski cites a variant of this petition found in the apocryphal Gospel of Marcion. He engages with contemporary debates regarding the textual value of this variant, which have been spurred by two recent critical editions that reconstructed the apocryphal text. Additionally, Cieszkowski presents his own hypothesis concerning the verbal form of the petition. He places equal emphasis on the canonical version of Luke 11:2, while also acknowledging the significance of Marcion’s version. Through his historiosophical thesis on the progressive nature of Revelation and the various degrees of biblical  inspiration, Cieszkowski harmonizes the two versions.