Paradise Reconsidered in Gnostic Mythmaking
Paradise Reconsidered in Gnostic Mythmaking

Author: Tuomas Rasimus

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2009-10-31

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 9047426703

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This book offers a new understanding of Sethianism and the origins of Gnosticism by examining the mythology in and social reality behind a group of texts to which certain leaders of the early church occasionally attached the label ‘Ophite.’ In the unique Ophite mythology, which rewrites the Genesis paradise story and is attested, for example, in Irenaeus’ Adversus haereses 1.30, The Apocryphon of John and On the Origin of the World, the snake’s advice to eat of the tree of knowledge is considered positive, the creator and his angels are turned into demonic beasts and the true Godhead is presented as an androgynous heavenly projection of Adam and Eve. It is argued that Hans-Martin Schenke’s influential model of the ‘Sethian system’ only reveals part of a larger whole to which the Ophite material belongs as an important and organic component.

Gnostic Morality Revisited
Gnostic Morality Revisited

Author: Ismo Dunderberg

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Published: 2015-06-18

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 9783161525674

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While the early Christian texts discussed in this book are often treated as "gnostic" ones, they are here approached as witnesses to the views of educated Christians engaged in dialogue with philosophical traditions. Following the idea that ancient philosophical schools provided their adherents with ways of life, Ismo Dunderberg explores issues related to morality and lifestyle in non-canonical gospels and among groups that were gradually denounced as heretical in the church. He deals with the soul's progress from material concerns to a life dominated by spirit, the control of emotions, the avoidance of luxury, the ideal "perfect human" as a tool in moral instruction, classifications of humankind into distinct groups based on their moral advancement, and Christian debates about the value of martyrdom. In addition, he offers a critical review of some recent trends and attitudes in New Testament scholarship.

The Gnostic World
The Gnostic World

Author: Garry W. Trompf

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-10-03

Total Pages: 833

ISBN-13: 1317201841

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The Gnostic World is an outstanding guide to Gnosticism, written by a distinguished international team of experts to explore Gnostic movements from the distant past until today. These themes are examined across sixty-seven chapters in a variety of contexts, from the ancient pre-Christian to the contemporary. The volume considers the intersection of Gnosticism with Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Indic practices and beliefs, and also with new religious movements, such as Theosophy, Scientology, Western Sufism, and the Nation of Islam. This comprehensive handbook will be an invaluable resource for religious studies students, scholars, and researchers of Gnostic doctrine and history.

Another Seed
Another Seed

Author: Stroumsa

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2020-10-26

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 9004437312

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Preliminary Material /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --Gnostic Mythology and the Sethian Myth /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --From Origin of Evil to Origin of Righteousness /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --Unde Malum: From Apocalyptic Literature to Gnostic Myth /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --The Archons as Seducers /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --The Gnostic Race /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --Seth and the Child /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --Gnostic Salvation History /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --Sacred Geography /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --Sons of God or Sons of Seth? /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --Echoes and Repercussions /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --Gnostic Elements in Hermetic Traditions /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --Gnostic Myths in Manichaean Garb /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --The Gnostic Sexual Myth /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa --Bibliography /Gedaliahu A.G. Stroumsa.

Women and Knowledge in Early Christianity
Women and Knowledge in Early Christianity

Author: Ulla Tervahauta

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2017-10-17

Total Pages: 389

ISBN-13: 9004344934

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Women and Knowledge in Early Christianity offers a collection of essays that deal with perceptions of wisdom, femaleness, and their interconnections in a wide range of ancient sources, including papyri, Nag Hammadi documents, heresiological accounts and monastic literature.

Found Christianities
Found Christianities

Author: M. David Litwa

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2022-02-24

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0567703886

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M. David Litwa tells the stories of the early Christians whose religious identity was either challenged or outright denied. In the second century many different groups and sects claimed to be the only Orthodox or authentic version of Christianity, and Litwa shows how those groups and figures on the side of developing Christian Orthodoxy often dismissed other versions of Christianity by refusing to call them “Christian”. However, the writings and treatises against these groups contain fascinating hints of what they believed, and why they called themselves Christian. Litwa outlines these different groups and the controversies that surrounded them, presenting readers with an overview of the vast tapestry of beliefs that made up second century Christianity. By moving beyond notions of “gnostic”, “heretical” and “orthodox” Litwa allows these “lost Christianities” to speak for themselves. He also questions the notion of some Christian identities “surviving” or “perishing”, arguing that all second century "Catholic" groups look very different to any form of modern Roman Catholicism. Litwa shows that countless discourses, ideas, and practices are continually recycled and adapted throughout time in the building of Christian identities, and indeed that the influence of so-called “lost” Christianities can still be felt today.

The Doubt of the Apostles and the Resurrection Faith of the Early Church
The Doubt of the Apostles and the Resurrection Faith of the Early Church

Author: J. D. Atkins

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Published: 2019-08-02

Total Pages: 587

ISBN-13: 3161581652

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"Why do the Gospels depict the risen Jesus as touchable and able to eat? J. D. Atkins challenges the common view that Luke 24 and John 20 are apologetic responses to docetism by re-examining the redaction of the appearance stories in light of their reception among early docetists and church fathers."--Page 4 of cover.

Telling the Christian Story Differently
Telling the Christian Story Differently

Author: Francis Watson

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-06-25

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 0567679519

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This volume examines the 'counter-narratives' of the core Christian story, proposed by texts from Nag Hammadi and elsewhere. A noteworthy body of highly respected scholars examine material that is sometimes difficult and often overlooked, contributing to the ongoing effort to integrate Nag Hammadi and related literature into the mainstream of New Testament and early Christian studies. By retracing the major elements of the Christian story in sequence, they are able to discuss how and why each aspect was disputed on inner-Christian grounds, and to reflect on the different accounts of Christian identity underlying these disputes. Together the essays in this book address a central issue: towards the end of the second century, Irenaeus could claim that the overwhelming majority of Christians throughout the world were agreed on a version of the core Christian story which is still recognisable today. Yet, as Irenaeus concedes and as the Nag Hammadi texts have confirmed, there were many who wished to tell the core Christian story differently. Those who criticized and rejected the standard story did so not because they were adherents of another religion, 'Gnosticism', but because they were Christians who believed that the standard account was wrong at point after point. Ranging from the Gospels of Judas and Mary to Galatians and Ptolemy's Letter to Flora, this volume provides a fascinating analysis of how the Christian story as we know it today developed against counter-readings from other early Christian traditions.

Refutation of All Heresies
Refutation of All Heresies

Author: M. David Litwa

Publisher: SBL Press

Published: 2016-01-29

Total Pages: 885

ISBN-13: 0884140865

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A reliable, readable translation for scholars and students The Refutation of All Heresies (ca. 225 CE) is a treasure-trove of ancient philosophy, astrology, medicine, magic, Gnostic thought, numerology, heresiography, ecclesial politics, and early Christian studies in general. Offered here for the first time in almost a century is a full English translation, along with a newly-edited Greek text, extensive notes, and a thorough introduction. Features: A full English translation with extensive notes Newly edited Greek text that avoids the pitfalls of the most recent edition A thorough-going introduction that addresses the questions of authorship, date, and audience, as well as the purpose of the book, its organization, method, and importance for Gnostic studies

Gnosticism, Platonism and the Late Ancient World
Gnosticism, Platonism and the Late Ancient World

Author: Kevin Corrigan

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2013-07-25

Total Pages: 753

ISBN-13: 9004254765

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This Festschrift honors the life and work of John D. Turner (Charles J. Mach University Professor of Classics and History at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln) on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Professor Turner’s work has been of profound importance for the study of the interaction between Greek philosophy and Gnosticism in late antiquity. This volume contains essays by international scholars on a broad range of topics that deal with Sethian, Valentinian and other early Christian thought, as well as with Platonism and Neoplatonism, and offer a variety of perspectives spanning intellectual history, Greek and Coptic philology, and the study of religions.