Evagrius of Pontus: The Gnostic Trilogy

The Gnostic Trilogy is the best-known and most important work by the ascetic philosopher and teacher Evagrius of Pontus. Among the writers of his age, Evagrius stands out for his short, perplexing, and absorbing aphorisms, which provide sharp insight into philosophy, Scripture, human nature, and the natural world. The first part of the trilogy, the Praktikos (The Practiced One), provides a diagnosis and treatment of the eight tempting thoughts. It was a foundational text for monastic asceticism and was the basis for the later Seven Deadly sins tradition. The second, Gnostikos (The Knower), explains how someone who has mastered the body and mental delusions should teach others. The third, longest, and most controversial, the Kephalaia gnostika (Gnostic Chapters), ranges broadly over the origin of the universe, the nature of rational beings, and the hidden symbols of Scripture. This part was responsible for Evagrius's condemnation as a heretic and, as a result, does not survive intact in the original Greek and must be restored from ancient translations. This volume presents the Trilogy in its entirety for the first time since antiquity and provides a fresh, comprehensive English translation of all three works, in all their known ancient versions, both Greek and Syriac. Detailed explanatory notes, cross-references to Scripture, to ancient literature, and to Evagrius's other writings, as well as commentary on the translation techniques of the Syriac translators, provide the necessary resources for understanding this significant but puzzling text.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Abbreviations Praktikos Gnostikos Kephalaia Gnostika Bibliography Select Writings of Evagrius Quotations and Direct Allusions Cross References

About the Author :
Robin Darling Young is Associate Professor of Church History at the Catholic University of America. Joel Kalvesmaki holds a fellowship at Catholic University of America and is the director of the Text Alignment Network. Columba Stewart is Professor of Theology at Saint John's University and executive director of the Hill Museum & Manuscript library. Charles M. Stang is Professor of Early Christian Thought and the Director of the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School. Luke Dysinger is Professor of Church History and Moral Theology at St. John's Seminary.

Review :
The Gnostic Trilogy ought to become a staple in the libraries of not only all institutions of higher learning, but many private libraries as well. With this impressive book we may welcome the first English translation in a single tome of the complete three-volume work of the late fourth-century "philosopher, biblical interpreter, and Christian ascetic Evagrius of Pontus", which consists of the Praktikos, the Gnōstikos, and the Kephalaia gnōstika. In addition to a clear introduction, the translating team has annotated the texts with references primarily to other Evagrian works, but also to significant Christian and philosophical literature and to some essential scholarship. Useful indexes complete the book. Readers have been given the tools to craft their own intellectual journeys through these remarkable and enigmatic pieces of Christian asceticism spirituality, and theology. The translators deserve gratitude and congratulations for a landmark achievement in the study of Evagrius, monasticism, and late ancient Christian philosophy. This is a work of monumental scholarship that for the first time since late antiquity makes the GT available as Evagrius intended, together with the supporting material needed to start navigating the various challenges it presents. It is an invaluable resource both for experienced scholars of Evagrius and for those encountering him for the first time; and given the ever-increasing scholarly interest in Evagrius and the importance of the GT, it is extremely welcome and timely.