Download or read book Gnosticism and the History of Religions written by David G. Robertson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-08-12 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Building on critical work in biblical studies, which shows how a historically-bounded heretical tradition called Gnosticism was 'invented', this work focuses on the following stage in which it was “essentialised” into a sui generis, universal category of religion. At the same time, it shows how Gnosticism became a religious self-identifier, with a number of sizable contemporary groups identifying as Gnostics today, drawing on the same discourses. This book provides a history of this problematic category, and its relationship with scholarly and popular discourse on religion in the twentieth century. It uses a critical-historical method to show how and why Gnosis, Gnostic and Gnosticism were taken up by specific groups and individuals – practitioners and scholars – at different times. It shows how ideas about Gnosticism developed in late nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholarship, drawing from continental phenomenology, Jungian psychology and post-Holocaust theology, to be constructed as a perennial religious current based on special knowledge of the divine in a corrupt world. David G. Robertson challenges how scholars interact with the category Gnosticism, and contributes to our understanding of the complex relationship between primary sources, academics and practitioners in category formation.
Download or read book The Nag Hammadi Texts in the History of Religions written by Søren Giversen and published by Kgl. Danske Videnskabernes Selskab. This book was released on 2002 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Monastic Origins of the Nag Hammadi Codices written by Hugo Lundhaug and published by Mohr Siebeck. This book was released on 2015-10-19 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Hugo Lundhaug and Lance Jenott offer a sustained argument for the monastic provenance of the Nag Hammadi Codices. They examine the arguments for and against a monastic Sitz im Leben and defend the view that the Codices were produced and read by Christian monks, most likely Pachomians, in the fourth- and fifth-century monasteries of Upper Egypt. Eschewing the modern classification of the Nag Hammadi texts as “Gnostic,” the authors approach the codices and their ancient owners from the perspective of the diverse monastic culture of late antique Egypt and situate them in the context of the ongoing controversies over extra-canonical literature and the theological legacy of Origen. Through a combination of sources, including idealized hagiographies, travelogues, monastic rules and exhortations, and the more quotidian details revealed in documentary papyri, manuscript collections, and archaeology, monasticism in the Thebaid is brought to life, and the Nag Hammadi codices situated within it. The cartonnage papyri from the leather covers of the codices, which bear witness to the monastic culture of the region, are closely examined, while scribal and codicological features of the codices are analyzed and compared with contemporary manuscripts from Egypt. Special attention is given to the codices’ scribal notes and colophons which offer direct evidence of their producers and users. The study ultimately reveals the Nag Hammadi Codices as a collection of books completely at home in the monastic manuscript culture of late antique Egypt."--
Download or read book The Nag Hammadi Scriptures written by Marvin W. Meyer and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2010-09-14 with total page 868 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Nag Hammadi Scriptures, edited by Marvin Meyer, is the most complete, up-to-date, one-volume, English-language edition of the renowned library of Gnostic manuscripts discovered in Egypt in 1945, which rivaled the Dead Sea Scrolls find in significance. It includes the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, and the recently discovered Gospel of Judas, as well as other Gnostic gospels and sacred texts. This volume also includes introductory essays, notes, tables, glossary, index, etc. to help the reader understand the context and contemporary significance of these texts which have shed new light on early Christianity and ancient thought. The compilation of ancient manuscripts that constitute The Nag Hammadi Scriptures is a discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about the early Christian church, ancient Judaism, and Greco-Roman religions.
Download or read book The Nag Hammadi Library written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-11-28 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes excerpts from the texts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Many people interested in biblical themes know about the Dead Sea Scrolls and their guardians, the mysterious Essenes, the sect of Judaism that hid its priceless library in caves before marching against the Romans in an end-time war, certain that God would intervene at the decisive moment. The ancient texts found in their rock cabinets have produced tons of literature. Fewer people know about an equally fascinating finding in the same region of the planet, made only a few months apart: a collection of hitherto unknown Christian codices, buried in the 4th century AD, and found accidentally by peasants near the city of Nag Hammadi, Upper Egypt. Among the old codices was The Gospel of Thomas, lost for sixteen centuries, and other unfamiliar titles such as The Gospel of Philip and the Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles. In this case it was not Essenes who had entrusted them to the protection of the caves and the centuries, but monks who followed a now forgotten variant of Christianity called Gnosticism. The Gnostics were mystics who had no real use or hope for the world. Their writings became forbidden when the Church defined the canon of the books authorized to be read in the congregation. For some reason, instead of burning them, the monks of Nag Hammadi decided to entrust them to posterity, perhaps waiting for better times. The library of Nag Hammadi, Egypt is as significant in the study of early Christianity as the writings of the Essenes to the understanding of Judaism during the time of the Roman occupation. Considering the history of religions, they were composed at the opposite sides of that watershed that was the 1st century CE, which witnessed the birth of Christianity and the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem. The Dead Sea Scrolls belonged to a community that lived before the traumatic destruction of Holy City and its temple at the hands of the Romans. The library of Nag Hammadi was produced and buried by a group of Christians whose ancestors had left their place of origin many years before. Although all the titles of the Nag Hammadi library are not known, many people have heard about its most famous components: The Gospel of Thomas -at one time it was discussed whether it should be included in the New Testament- and The Gospel of Philip, which tried to revive the debate around the identity of Mary Magdalene: "Why do you love her more than all of us?" asks a disconcerted Peter to Jesus. Finally, the Nag Hammadi texts have led many scholars to reconsider the rigid canons imposed by the early Church, and the readers to find a more intimate religion that turned upside down many postulates of Christian orthodoxy. Along with the history of their discovery in 1945, the analysis of the main texts that form this collection, the exposition of their most important beliefs, and the reasons for their suppression in the 4th century CE, you will learn about the unknown gospels and the Gnostic texts of Nag Hammadi like never before.
Download or read book The Gnostic Discoveries written by Marvin W. Meyer and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-07-21 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Meaning of the Nag Hammadi, now in paperback opens the with the thrilling adventure story of the discovery of the ancient Papyrii at Nag Hammadi. Muhammad Ali, the fellahin, discovered the sealed jar, he feared that it might contain a jinni, or spirit, but also had heard of hidden treasures in such jars. Greed overcame his fears and when he smashed open the jar, gold seemed to float into the air. To his disappointment, it was papyrus fragmenst, not gold, but for scholars around the world, it was invaluable. Meyer then discusses the pre–Christian forms of wisdom that went onto influence what Christians believe today. In addition, some Nag Hammadi texts are attributed to Valentinus, a man who almost became Pope, and whose rejection changed the church in significant ways. Text by text, Meyer traces the history and impact of this great find on the Church, right up to our current beliefs and popular cultural fascination with this officially suppressed secret knowledge about Jesus and his followers.
Download or read book The Nag Hammadi Codices and Late Antique Egypt written by Hugo Lundhaug and published by Mohr Siebeck. This book was released on 2017-05-01 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essays in this volume situate the Nag Hammadi Codices and their texts in the context of late antique Egypt, treating such topics as Coptic readers and readings, the difficulty of dating early Greek and Coptic manuscripts, scribal practices, the importance of heavenly ascent, asceticism, and instruction in Egyptian monastic culture. They also explore the relationship of the texts to the Origenist controversy and Manichaeism, the continuity of mythical traditions in later Coptic literature, and issues relating to the codices' production and burial. The volume thus showcases the new trend in scholarship to treat the Nag Hammadi Codices not as sources for Gnosticism, but instead for Christianity and monasticism in late antique Egypt.
Download or read book The Nag Hammadi Scriptures written by Marvin W. Meyer and published by HarperOne. This book was released on 2007-05-29 with total page 864 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Definitive Collection of Gnostic Writings The year is 1945. At the foot of a cliff along the Nile River, near the city of Nag Hammadi, an Egyptian peasant unearths a large storage jar containing ancient manuscripts. The discovery turns out to be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the past century. A treasure of fourth-century texts, the manuscripts are the scriptures of the ancient mystical tradition commonly called Gnosticism, from the Greek gnosis, that is, secret knowledge. It is a discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about the early Christian church, ancient Judaism, and Greco-Roman religions. The Nag Hammadi Scriptures is the most complete and up-to-date English-language edition of these sacred texts from Egypt. It is full of treatises, testimonies, and secret books that had been lost for centuries. In addition to gospels purportedly by the apostles Thomas and Philip, and the revelations of James, Peter, and Paul, this collection also includes the Gospel of Mary and the controversial Gospel of Judas. The documents have been newly translated by a team of prominent international scholars. This volume also features introductory essays and extensive notes to help readers understand the context and significance of these texts that have revolutionized the study of early Christianity and ancient religious thought.
Download or read book The Gnostic Gospels written by Elaine Pagels and published by Random House. This book was released on 2004-06-29 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time The Gnostic Gospels is a landmark study of the long-buried roots of Christianity, a work of luminous scholarship and wide popular appeal. First published in 1979 to critical acclaim, winning the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, The Gnostic Gospels has continued to grow in reputation and influence over the past two decades. It is now widely recognized as one of the most brilliant and accessible histories of early Christian spirituality published in our time. In 1945 an Egyptian peasant unearthed what proved to be the Gnostic Gospels, thirteen papyrus volumes that expounded a radically different view of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ from that of the New Testament. In this spellbinding book, renowned religious scholar Elaine Pagels elucidates the mysteries and meanings of these sacred texts both in the world of the first Christians and in the context of Christianity today. With insight and passion, Pagels explores a remarkable range of recently discovered gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, to show how a variety of “Christianities” emerged at a time of extraordinary spiritual upheaval. Some Christians questioned the need for clergy and church doctrine, and taught that the divine could be discovered through spiritual search. Many others, like Buddhists and Hindus, sought enlightenment—and access to God—within. Such explorations raised questions: Was the resurrection to be understood symbolically and not literally? Was God to be envisioned only in masculine form, or feminine as well? Was martyrdom a necessary—or worthy—expression of faith? These early Christians dared to ask questions that orthodox Christians later suppressed—and their explorations led to profoundly different visions of Jesus and his message. Brilliant, provocative, and stunning in its implications, The Gnostic Gospels is a radical, eloquent reconsideration of the origins of the Christian faith.
Download or read book Nag Hammadi Texts and the Bible written by C.A. Evans and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2019-07-01 with total page 575 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume places in synoptic form parallel texts from Nag Hammadi and from the Bible. This will enable scholars of Coptic Gnosticism, as well as scholars concerned with early Christian biblical interpretation, to make the comparisons necessary to determine relationships and what dependence, if any, there may be between these two bodies of material. This volume should facilitate the discussion concerning the origin, antiquity, and relationship of Gnosticism to Christianity. The volume also contains an extensive bibliography of materials relevant to this topic. Finally, a Scripture index will make it possible for the reader to find quickly any desired passage.
Download or read book Hellenistic Mystery Religions written by Richard Reitzenstein and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 1978-01-01 with total page 584 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Nag Hammadi Codex VII written by Birger Pearson and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2020-10-26 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume contains the critical edition of the five tractates in Nag Hammadi Codex VII, with codex introduction (by Frederik Wisse), introductions, Coptic text, and English translations and notes, of The Paraphrase of Shem (Wisse). Second Treatise of the Great Seth (Gregory Riley), Apocalypse of Peter (M. Desjardins and James Brashler), The Teachings of Silvanus (Malcolm Peel and Jan Sandee) and The Three Steles of Seth (James Goehring and James M. Robinson).
Download or read book After World Religions written by Christopher R Cotter and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-02-05 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The World Religions Paradigm has been the subject of critique and controversy in Religious Studies for many years. After World Religions provides a rationale for overhauling the World Religions curriculum, as well as a roadmap for doing so. The volume offers concise and practical introductions to cutting-edge Religious Studies method and theory, introducing a wide range of pedagogical situations and innovative solutions. An international team of scholars addresses the challenges presented in their different departmental, institutional, and geographical contexts. Instructors developing syllabi will find supplementary reading lists and specific suggestions to help guide their teaching. Students at all levels will find the book an invaluable entry point into an area of ongoing scholarly debate.
Download or read book The Nag Hammadi Library in English written by James McConkey Robinson and published by Brill Archive. This book was released on 1984 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Introduction to Gnosticism written by Nicola Denzey Lewis and published by OUP USA. This book was released on 2013-02-14 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction to "Gnosticism": Ancient Voices, Christian Worlds is the first textbook on Gnosticism, guiding students through the most significant of the Nag Hammadi texts, grouping them by theme and genre, and revealing to the uninitiated their most inscrutable mysteries.
Download or read book Hidden Gospels written by Philip Jenkins and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2002-12-05 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This incisive critique thoroughly and convincingly debunks the claims that recently discovered texts such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, and even the Dead Sea Scrolls undermine the historical validity of the New Testament. Jenkins places the recent controversies surrounding the hidden gospels in a broad historical context and argues that, far from being revolutionary, such attempts to find an alternative Christianity date back at least to the Enlightenment. By employing the appropriate scholarly and historical methodologies, he demonstrates that the texts purported to represent pristine Christianity were in fact composed long after the canonical gospels found in the Bible. Produced by obscure heretical movements, these texts have attracted much media attention chiefly because they seem to support radical, feminist, and post-modern positions in the modern church. Indeed, Jenkins shows how best-selling books on the "hidden gospels" have been taken up by an uncritical, drama-hungry media as the basis for a social movement that could have powerful effects on the faith and practice of contemporary Christianity.
Download or read book Mystery and Secrecy in the Nag Hammadi Collection and Other Ancient Literature Ideas and Practices written by Christian H. Bull and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2011-10-28 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mystery and secrecy were central concepts in the ritual, rhetoric, and sociological stratification of antique Mediterranean religions. That the ultimate nature and workings of the divine were secret, and either could not or should not be revealed except as a mystery for the initiated, was widely accepted among Pagans, Jews, and then Christians, both Gnostic and otherwise. The similarities and differences in the language of mystery and secrecy across religious and cultural borders are thus crucial for understanding this important period of the history of religions. The present anthology aims to present and analyze a wide selection of sources elucidating this theme, reflecting the correspondingly wide scholarly interests of Professor Einar Thomassen in honor of his 60th birthday.
