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| kurt rudolph gnosis: Gnosis Kurt Rudolph, 2001-06-20 Translated by R. McL. WilsonA full-scale study based on the documents of the Coptic Gnostic library found at Nag Hammadi providing a comprehensive survey of the nature, the teachings, the history and the influence of this religion. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnostic Jung and the Seven Sermons to the Dead Stephan A Hoeller, 2012-12-13 Jungian psychology based on a little known treatise he authored in his earlier years. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: A Separate God Simone Pétrement, 1990 |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Gnostic Truth and Christian Heresy A. H. B. Logan, 1996 The sensational discovery of the Nag Hammadi Coptic Library in Egypt in 1945-46 has revolutionized the study of the origins and development of the ancient religious phenomenon known as Gnosticism. It has brought to light many hitherto unknown Gnostic texts and is forcing a reappraisal of the traditional picture of Gnosticism as in essence a Christian heresy.This work focuses on several foundational Gnostic texts the 'Sethian texts'. Earlier discoveries of Mandaean and Manichaean texts had suggested that the origins of Gnosticism might lie in an oriental religion of redemption, culturally far removed from their pre-Christian context. But the Sethian texts suggest that these Pre-Christian Gnostics were fundamentally influenced by Jewish ideas.Alastair Logan identifies these Gnostics in their developing, essentially Christian context, isolates the earliest forms of their foundational myth in Irenaeus of Lyons (130?-200? CE) and the Apocryphon of John, and traces its development until it underwent a Sethian reinterpretation in the early third century CE. In exploring the fascinating interrelationship of Gnostic and Christian ideas, he relates a series of Nag Hammadi texts to the Gnostics; examines the literary and theological evolution of the two main versions of the Apocryphon in terms of Gnostic cosmology, anthropology, soteriology and eschatology; demonstrates how similar were the theological and soteriological concerns of Gnostics and 'orthodox'; and argues that the Gnostics were the first Christian Platonists, the first to develop a Trinity (of Father, Mother and Son), and the first to make post-baptismal chrismation central to Christian initiation.Dr. Logan overturnsmany common misunderstandings about Gnosticism. The Gnostics felt themselves to be Christians, true interpreters of the message of the unknown God of love first revealed in Christ, the heavenly Son. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Introduction to "Gnosticism" Nicola Denzey Lewis, 2013-02-14 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. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnostic Religion Hans Jonas, 1992 |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnostic Mystery , |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnosis Or Ancient Wisdom in the Christian Scriptures; William 1855-1936 Kingsland, 2021-09-09 This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Rethinking "Gnosticism" Michael Allen Williams, 1999 Here Michael Williams challenges the validity of the category gnosticism and the ways it has been described. Williams uncovers the similarities and differences among some major traditions widely categorized as gnostic and provides an argument for a more accurate way to discuss these interpretive approaches. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Another Seed Stroumsa, 2020-10-26 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. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Christian Teachers in Second-century Rome H. Gregory Snyder, 2020 Essays in Christian Teachers in Second-Century Rome situate Christian teachers in the social and intellectual context of the Roman urban environment. The teaching and textual work of well-known figures such as Marcion, Justin, Valentinus, and Tatian are discussed, as well as lesser-known and appreciated figures such as Theodotus the Cobbler. Authors probe material and visual evidence on teachers and teaching activity, adopting different theoretical perspectives that go beyond the traditional church - school dichotomy: comparative looks at physicians, philosophers and other textual experts; at synagogues, shops and other sites where students gathered around religious entrepreneurs. Taken as a whole, the volume makes a strong case for the sheer diversity of Christian teaching activity in second-century Rome-- |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Wisdom Literature Samuel L. Adams, Matthew Goff, 2020-02-17 A comprehensive introduction to ancient wisdom literature, with fascinating essays on a broad range of topics. The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Wisdom Literature is a wide-ranging introduction to the texts, themes, and receptions of the wisdom literature of the Bible and the ancient world. This comprehensive volume brings together original essays from established scholars and emerging voices to offer a variety of perspectives on the “wisdom” biblical books, early Christian and rabbinic literature, and beyond. Varied and engaging essays provide fresh insights on topics of timeless relevance, exploring the distinct features of instructional texts and discussing their interpretation in both antiquity and the modern world. Designed for non-specialists, this accessible volume provides readers with balanced coverage of traditional biblical wisdom texts, including Proverbs, Job, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes; lesser-known Egyptian and Mesopotamian wisdom; and African proverbs. The contributors explore topics ranging from scribes and pedagogy in ancient Israel, to representations of biblical wisdom literature in contemporary cinema. Offering readers a fresh and interesting way to engage with wisdom literature, this book: Discusses sapiential books and traditions in various historical and cultural contexts Offers up-to-date discussion on the study of the biblical wisdom books Features essays on the history of interpretation and theological reception Includes essays covering the antecedents and afterlife of the texts Part of the acclaimed Wiley Blackwell Companions to Religion series, the Companion to Wisdom Literature is a valuable resource for university, seminary and divinity school students and instructors, scholars and researchers, and general readers with interest in the subject. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Secret History of the Gnostics Andrew Phillip Smith, 2015-11-24 Learn more about the myths, practices, history, and recent resurgence of Gnosticism as a Gnostic scholar seeks to answer why this Christian mystical movement has inspired the likes of Dan Brown and Philip Pullman The Secret History of the Gnostics offers long-awaited illumination on the mystical movement that teaches ‘gnosis’—knowledge of God as opposed to unquestioning faith. Acclaimed author Andrew Phillip Smith delves into the myths and practices of this ancient movement, exploring its popularity during 2nd century AD, its subsequent decline under the weight of orthodoxy in the Church, and its present-day resurgence. Gnosticism has travelled a fascinating path—from the Manichaeans in Modern Persia between the 3rd and 7th centuries AD, to the triumphs and tragedies of the Cathars in Southern Europe between the 12th and 14th centuries, to, finally, today’s Mandaeans in Iraq. However, as the author points out, the revival of Gnosticism extends further than these narrow sects, offering inspiration to a legion of literary figures, including Dan Brown and Philip Pullman. Gnosticism’s emphasis on personal over organized religion—in keeping with the doctrine of the early Christian era during which it thrived—has found particular resonance with today’s multicultural world. In addition to discussing the Gnostic gospels and the sect’s practical beliefs and customers, The Secret History of the Gnostics is also, in effect, a manifesto, an appeal to those inspired by or drawn to the Gnostic faith not to forget its origins. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Mandaean Book of John Charles G. Häberl, James F. McGrath, 2019-11-18 Given the degree of popular fascination with Gnostic religions, it is surprising how few pay attention to the one such religion that has survived from antiquity until the present day: Mandaism. Mandaeans, who esteem John the Baptist as the most famous adherent to their religion, have in our time found themselves driven from their historic homelands by war and oppression. Today, they are a community in crisis, but they provide us with unparalleled access to a library of ancient Gnostic scriptures, as part of the living tradition that has sustained them across the centuries. Gnostic texts such as these have caught popular interest in recent times, as traditional assumptions about the original forms and cultural contexts of related religious traditions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, have been called into question. However, we can learn only so much from texts in isolation from their own contexts. Mandaean literature uniquely allows us not only to increase our knowledge about Gnosticism, and by extension all these other religions, but also to observe the relationship between Gnostic texts, rituals, beliefs, and living practices, both historically and in the present day. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnostic Philosophy Tobias Churton, 2003 |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Understanding New Religious Movements John A Saliba, 2004-09-08 Discussions of any religion can easily raise passions. But arguments tend to become even more heated when the religion under discussion is characterized as new. Divisions around the study of new religious movements (NRMs), or cults, or nontraditional or alternative or emergent religions are so acute that there is even controversy over what to call them. John Saliba strives to bring balance to these discussions by offering perspectives on new religions from different academic perspectives: history, psychology, sociology, law, theology, and counseling. This approach provides rich descriptions of a broad range of movements while demonstrating how the differing aims of the disciplines can create much of the controversy around NRMs. The new second edition has been updated and revised throughout and includes a new foreword by noted historian of religion, J. Gordon Melton. For classes in religion or the social sciences, or for interested individuals, Understanding New Religious Movements offers the most objective introduction possible. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Thunder: Perfect Mind H. Taussig, J. Calaway, M. Kotrosits, C. Lillie, J. Lasser, 2015-10-14 This is the first book-length treatment in English of the Nag Hammadi text, The Thunder: Perfect Mind - a poem of 'I am' statements that has garnered a strong following in mainstream culture. This book offers a fresh, current translation (with detailed Coptic annotations) and ten chapters of introductory analysis of the text. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The New Testament and Gnosis Alastair Logan, Alexander J. M. Wedderburn, 2004-11-11 Important essays on Gnosis and Gnosticism. Contributors include Rudolph, Pagels, Grant, and Barrett. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Gnosis Daniel Merkur, 1993-01-01 Traces the use of powerful gnostic visionary techniques from Hellenistic Gnosticism and Jewish merkabah mysticism, through Muhammad, the Ismaeilis, and theosophical Sufism to medieval neoplatonism, and renaissance alchemy. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnostic Gospels Elaine Pagels, 1989-09-19 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE WINNER • SELECTED BY THE MODERN LIBRARY AS ONE OF THE 100 BEST NONFICTION BOOKS • The landmark study exploring alternative perspectives of early Christianity as revealed through the Nag Hammadi texts that could have shaped the religion differently if included in the Christian canon • [Pagels] is always readable, always deeply informed, always richly suggestive of pathways her readers may wish to follow out for themselves.—Harold Bloom, The Washington Post “[Pagels] writes with the instincts of a novelist, the skill of a scholar, and the ability to sort out significances that many writers lack.”—Chicago Tribune • “An intellectually elegant, concise study . . . The economy with which [Pagels] evokes the world of early Christianity is a marvel.”—The New Yorker The Gnostic Gospels is 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. 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 and stunning in its implications, The Gnostic Gospels is a radical, eloquent reconsideration of the origins of the Christian faith. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Augustine's Manichaean Dilemma, Volume 1 Jason David BeDuhn, 2012-01-31 Augustine of Hippo is history's best-known Christian convert. The very concept of conversio owes its dissemination to Augustine's Confessions, and yet, as Jason BeDuhn notes, conversion in Augustine is not the sudden, dramatic, and complete transformation of self we likely remember it to be. Rather, in the Confessions Augustine depicts conversion as a lifelong process, a series of self-discoveries and self-departures. The tale of Augustine is one of conversion, apostasy, and conversion again. In this first volume of Augustine's Manichaean Dilemma, BeDuhn reconstructs Augustine's decade-long adherence to Manichaeism, apostasy from it, and subsequent conversion to Nicene Christianity. Based on his own testimony and contemporaneous sources from and about Manichaeism, the book situates many features of Augustine's young adulthood within his commitment to the sect, while pointing out ways he failed to understand or put into practice key parts of the Manichaean system. It explores Augustine's dissatisfaction with the practice-oriented faith promoted by the Manichaean leader Faustus and the circumstances of heightened intolerance, anti-Manichaean legislation, and pressures for social conformity surrounding his apostasy. Seeking a historically circumscribed account of Augustine's subsequent conversion to Nicene Christianity, BeDuhn challenges entrenched conceptions of conversion derived in part from Augustine's later idealized account of his own spiritual development. He closely examines Augustine's evolving self-presentation in the year before and following his baptism and argues that the new identity to which he committed himself bore few of the hallmarks of the orthodoxy with which he is historically identified. Both a historical study of the specific case of Augustine and a theoretical reconsideration of the conditions under which conversion occurs, this book explores the role religion has in providing the materials and tools through which self-formation and reformation occurs. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Emerging from Darkness Paul Allan Mirecki, Jason David BeDuhn, 1996-12-31 This volume contains several presentations of new Manichaean source materials and provocative essays upon them. The studies are authored by an international group of leading scholars in the fields of ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern studies, comparative religion, early Christianity, patristics, Turkic studies, and Coptology. Throughout the book the studies present and discuss a variety of source materials representing the vast geographical spread of Manichaeism. This book should prove to be foundational for future research on Manichaeism and late antique religions in general. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Legacy of Hans Jonas Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, Christian Wiese, 2008-06-25 An international, interdisciplinary, and interreligious retrospective examination of Hans Jonas (1903-1993) that engages his ideas in light of Existentialism, utopian thought, process philosophy and theology, Zionism, and environmentalism. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Search for Roots: C. G. Jung and the Tradition of Gnosis Alfred Ribi, 2013-07-31 The publication in 2009 of C. G. Jung's The Red Book: Liber Novus has initiated a broad reassessment of Jung’s place in cultural history. Among many revelations, the visionary events recorded in the Red Book reveal the foundation of Jung’s complex association with the Western tradition of Gnosis. In The Search for Roots, Alfred Ribi closely examines Jung’s life-long association with Gnostic tradition. Dr. Ribi knows C. G. Jung and his tradition from the ground up. He began his analytical training with Marie-Louise von Franz in 1963, and continued working closely with Dr. von Franz for the next 30 years. For over four decades he has been an analyst, lecturer and examiner of the C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich, where he also served as the Director of Studies. But even more importantly, early in his studies Dr. Ribi noted Jung’s underlying roots in Gnostic tradition, and he carefully followed those roots to their source. Alfred Ribi is unique in the Jungian analytical community for the careful scholarship and intellectual rigor he has brought to the study Gnosticism. In The Search for Roots, Ribi shows how a dialogue between Jungian and Gnostic studies can open new perspectives on the experiential nature of Gnosis, both ancient and modern. Creative engagement with Gnostic tradition broadens the imaginative scope of modern depth psychology and adds an essential context for understanding the voice of the soul emerging in our modern age. A Foreword by Lance Owens supplements this volume with a discussion of Jung's encounter with Gnostic tradition while composing his Red Book (Liber Novus). Dr. Owens delivers a fascinating and historically well-documented account of how Gnostic mythology entered into Jung's personal mythology in the Red Book. Gnostic mythology thereafter became for Jung a prototypical image of his individuation. Owens offers this conclusion: “In 1916 Jung had seemingly found the root of his myth and it was the myth of Gnosis. I see no evidence that this ever changed. Over the next forty years, he would proceed to construct an interpretive reading of the Gnostic tradition’s occult course across the Christian aeon: in Hermeticism, alchemy, Kabbalah, and Christian mysticism. In this vast hermeneutic enterprise, Jung was building a bridge across time, leading back to the foundation stone of classical Gnosticism. The bridge that led forward toward a new and coming aeon was footed on the stone rejected by the builders two thousand years ago.” Alfred Ribi's examination of Jung’s relationship with Gnostic tradition comes at an important time. Initially authored prior to the publication of Jung's Red Book, current release of this English edition offers a bridge between the past and the forthcoming understanding of Jung’s Gnostic roots. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Gnostica, Judaica, Catholica. Collected Essays of Gilles Quispel Gilles Quispel, Johannes van Oort, 2008-12-31 This volume brings together a rich and varied collection of essays by Gilles Quispel (1916-2006), Professor of the History of the Early Church at Utrecht University from 1951 until his retirement in 1983. During his illustrious career, Professor Quispel was also visiting Professor at Harvard University in 1964/65, and visiting Professor at the Catholic University of Leuven from 1969 until 1974. The fifty essays collected in this volume testify to most of the prominent themes from Professor Quispel’s scholarly career: the writings of the Nag Hammadi library in general and the Gospel of Thomas in particular; Tatian’s Diatessaron and its influences; the Hermetica; Mani and Manichaeism; the Jewish origins of Gnosticism; and Gnosis and the future of Christianity. This volume also makes a number of his less known earlier publications (mainly presented under the heading ‘Catholica’) available to the international community. Until shortly before he died, Professor Quispel remained active in his study of the Gospel of Thomas. He had been one of the first to acquire the Coptic text of the Gospel of Thomas, of which he published the first translation in 1959 and his final translation in 2005. He was also active in researching the Diatessaron, and Valentinus ‘the Gnostic’. One of his most recent essays – published for the first time in this volume – is on ‘the Muslim Jesus.’ |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Secret Book of John , 2012-12-14 This ancient Gnostic text can be a companion for your own spiritual quest The Secret Book of John is the most significant and influential text of the ancient Gnostic religion. Part of the library of books found in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945, this central myth of Gnosticism tells the story of how God fell from perfect Oneness to imprisonment in the material world, and how by knowing our divine nature and our divine origins—that we are one with God—we reverse God’s descent and find our salvation. The Secret Book of John: The Gnostic Gospel—Annotated & Explained decodes the principal themes, historical foundation, and spiritual contexts of this challenging yet fundamental Gnostic teaching. Drawing connections to Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, kabbalistic Judaism, and Sufism, Davies focuses on the mythology and psychology of the Gnostic religious quest. He illuminates the Gnostics’ ardent call for self-awareness and introspection, and the empowering message that divine wholeness will be restored not by worshiping false gods in an illusory material world but by our recognition of the inherent divinity within ourselves. Now you can experience and understand this foundational teaching even if you have no previous knowledge of Gnosticism. This SkyLight Illuminations edition presents the most important and valued book in Gnostic religion with insightful yet unobtrusive commentary. It provides deeper insight into the understanding that in Gnosticism the distinction between savior and saved ceases to exist—you must save yourself and in doing so save God. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Secrecy and Concealment Hans Hans Gerhard Kippenberg, Guy G. Stroumsa, 1995 The volume addresses a neglected subject: secrecy and concealment as a means of creating identity and establishing social interaction. For the first time well known historians of mediterranean religions reveal the practical competence of notions of concealment and describe the fundamental differences between polytheistic and monotheistic systems. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Mandaeism. [Mit Fig.] Kurt Rudolph, 1978 |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Laughing Jesus Timothy Freke, Peter Gandy, 2005-07-12 Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy, authors of The Jesus Mysteries and Jesus and the Lost Goddess, return with a powerful indictment of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic fundamentalism and a passionate reinterpretation of Gnostic spirituality. According to Freke and Gandy, religiously inspired acts of violence, such as the attacks on 9/11, are nothing new. They are the continuation of a long and bloody history of brutality caused by mistaking bizarre old books for the Word of God. The time has come to end religious intolerance and wake up to oneness by rediscovering the Gnostic way of transforming oneself and the world. Freke and Gandy's Incendiary New Book Is a Wake-Up Call to the World What if the Old Testament is a work of fiction, Jesus never existed, and Muhammad was a mobster? What if the Bible and the Qur’an are works of political propaganda created by Taliban-like fundamentalists to justify the sort of religious violence we are witnessing in the world today? What if there is a big idea that could free us from the us-versus-them world created by religion and make it possible for us to truly love our neighbors—and even our enemies? What if it is possible to awaken to a profound state of oneness and love, which the Gnostic Christians symbolized by the enigmatic figure of the laughing Jesus? Discover for Yourself Why the Gnostic Jesus Laughs |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Cambridge Handbook of Western Mysticism and Esotericism Glenn Alexander Magee, 2016-04-18 Mysticism and esotericism are two intimately related strands of the Western tradition. Despite their close connections, however, scholars tend to treat them separately. Whereas the study of Western mysticism enjoys a long and established history, Western esotericism is a young field. The Cambridge Handbook of Western Mysticism and Esotericism examines both of these traditions together. The volume demonstrates that the roots of esotericism almost always lead back to mystical traditions, while the work of mystics was bound up with esoteric or occult preoccupations. It also shows why mysticism and esotericism must be examined together if either is to be understood fully. Including contributions by leading scholars, this volume features essays on such topics as alchemy, astrology, magic, Neoplatonism, Kabbalism, Renaissance Hermetism, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, numerology, Christian theosophy, spiritualism, and much more. This Handbook serves as both a capstone of contemporary scholarship and a cornerstone of future research. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnostics Sean Martin, 2012-02-03 Gnosticism - derived from the Greek word gnosis, to know - is the name given to various religious schools that proliferated in the first centuries after Christ and, at one time, it almost became the dominant form of Christianity. Yet some Gnostic beliefs derive from the older Mystery traditions of Greece and Rome, and the various Gnostic schools came to be branded as heretical by the emerging Christian church. Indeed, although some Gnostic beliefs are close to mainstream Christianity Gnosticism also held that the world is imperfect as it was created by an evil god who was constantly at war with the true, good God; that Christ and Satan were brothers; that reincarnation exists; and that women were the equal of men As a result, the Gnostics held the Feminine Aspect of God - whom they addressed as Sophia, or Wisdom - in very high regard. They also stressed that we each have a spark of the Divine inside us which, when recognised and developed, will ultimately liberate us from the prison of the material world. Although largely stamped out by the Church by the sixth century, Gnosticism survived underground through groups such as the Bogomils and the Cathars, and influenced the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the psychologist Carl Jung, the Existentialists, the New Age movement and writers as diverse as William Blake, W.B. Yeats, Albert Camus and Philip K. Dick. In this book, Sean Martin recounts the long and diverse history of Gnosticism, and argues for its continued relevance today. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Simon Magus: The First Gnostic? Stephen Haar, 2012-10-24 This latest comprehensive work on Simon Magus lends new impetus to the investigation of Early Christianity and questions surrounding the origin and nature of Gnosticism. Major contributions of this study include: (1), a departure from the traditional exegesis of Acts 8, 5-24 (the first narrative source of Simon), and the later following reports of ancient Christian writers; (2), an overview of the literature of Graeco-Roman antiquity to determine the contribution of magic and the Magoi in the development of perceptions and descriptions of Simon; and (3), the inclusion of social science explanation models and modern estimations of identity, in a creative approach to questions surrounding the phenomenon of Simon. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Elements of Gnosticism Stuart Holroyd, 1997 Learn about this religion that rivaled Christianity during the first three centuries of the Christian era. Is there relevance in Gnosticism for today? |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnostic Discoveries Marvin W. Meyer, 2005-11-08 On the 60th anniversary of the discovery of ancient Gnostic texts at Nag Hammadi, a leading scholar explains the historical significance and continuing influence of these alternative views of Christianity suppressed by the early church. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnostic Gospels Alan Jacobs, Vrej N. Nersessian, 2016-11-15 This eye-opening collection of texts sheds light on the esoteric knowledge of Gnosticism, revealing intimate conversations between Jesus and his Disciples In 1945, several gospels, hidden since the first century, were found in the Egyptian Desert at Nag Hammadi. This discovery caused a sensation as the scrolls revealed the mysteries of the Gnostics—a movement which emerged during the formative period of Christianity. ‘Gnosis’, from the Greek, broadly meaning ‘hidden spiritual knowledge’, was associated with renouncing the material world, and focusing on attaining the life of the Holy Spirit. Many Christian sects are derived from the esoteric knowledge of Gnosticism. The gospels selected here by Alan Jacobs reveal intimate conversations between Jesus and his Disciples. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene sheds new light on his relationship with his favorite follower, while the Gospel of Thomas consists of mini-parables of deep inward and symbolic meaning—many of which are not found in the New Testament. The wisdom in this inspiring collection of texts is wholly relevant to our lives today, addressing the questions of good and evil, sin and suffering, and the path to salvation. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Suppressed Prayers Gerd Lüdemann, Martina Janssen, 1998 This book is about Gnostic prayers and hymns from the beginnings of Christianity. The hymns chosen for this book are in a new translation, with commentary and introduction and give a lively impression of how Gnostics felt about their world. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnostic Imagination Deutsch, 2023-09-20 This volume is the first to survey and systematically evaluate the history of scholarship on the relationship between Gnosticism and Merkabah mysticism. In addition, it offers new interpretations on primary sources and suggests topics for future research. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnostic World Garry W. Trompf, Gunner B. Mikkelsen, Jay Johnston, 2018-10-03 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. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: The Gnostic Bible Willis Barnstone, Marvin W. Meyer, 2009 This expanded edition of The Gnostic Bible includes the Gospel of Judas'the recently discovered and translated gnostic text that was an instant best seller on its original appearance in 2006-in its most accessible translation yet. Also included are such important and topical texts as the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and the Gospel of Thomas. Religious thinkers engaged in the quest for wisdom and knowledge, the gnostics proclaimed that salvation could be found through mystical knowledge and intuition. Dating from the first to the thirteenth centuries, the texts in The Gnostic Bible represent Jewish, Christian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, Islamic, and Cathar forms of gnostic spirituality, and they derive from Egypt, the Greco-Roman world, the Middle East, Syria, Iraq, China, France, and elsewhere. |
| kurt rudolph gnosis: Ginza Rba Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki, Brayan Majid Al-Mubaraki, 1998 |
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Apr 22, 2025 · KURT - KU Leuven Reservation Tool. Start on www.kuleuven.be/kurt to reserve: Group study rooms in the libraries and learning centres of KU Leuven; Seats for study or …
Kurt Geiger | Designed In London
Discover the world of Kurt Geiger, new styles from the Kensington collection and the latest designer handbags, footwear, accessories.
Kurt Workholding
Our line of Kurt vises includes high precision CNC vises, 5-axis vises, rotary table workholding solutions for VMCs, and ToolBlox tombstones. Our precision workholding solutions provide …
Kurt
Kurt Manufacturing is a global leader in precision, engineered metal components and products manufacturing. Utilizing the newest manufacturing technology to produce CNC-machined parts …
Kurt Cobain - Wikipedia
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. April 5, 1994) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana.
Women's Totes, Clutches & Shoulder Bags | Kurt Geiger
Discover your new favorite with our designer handbag collection. From leather crossbody to oversized totes and sparkly clutches, find the perfect London-designed accessory for any look. …
Kurt - Wikipedia
Kurt is a male given name in Germanic languages. Kurt or Curt originated as short forms of the Germanic Konrad/Conrad, depending on geographical usage, with meanings including …
New Season Shoes & Bags | New In - Kurt Geiger
Discover our new season arrivals for every look. Each piece has been designed in-house by our London design team to reflect the mood, diversity and creativity of our founding city.
Kurt's Notes – By Dr. Kurt Schaberg
Jun 3, 2025 · Below are my notes for a range of conditions commonly encountered by surgical pathologists and cytopathologists. I developed these as teaching aides for my resident didactic …
Kurt Warner - Wikipedia
Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with …
Reservation of rooms, seats and equipment (KURT)
Apr 22, 2025 · KURT - KU Leuven Reservation Tool. Start on www.kuleuven.be/kurt to reserve: Group study rooms in the libraries and learning centres of KU Leuven; Seats for study or …
