The Gnostics: Identifying an Ancient Christian Cult

"The Gnostics" demonstrates the existence and explore the character, theology, liturgy and cultic beliefs and practices of the Gnostic movement. Engaging in the current debates engendered by M.A. Williams' 'Rethinking Gnosticism' (1996), Alastair Logan develops the work introduced in his own 'Gnostic Truth and Christian Heresy' (1996), continuing his quest to identify the Gnostics as a cult movement originating in the late first century and arising out of Christianity. He does so first by examining the evidence of the early Christian heresiologists in the light of the Nag Hammadui Library of Coptic Texts, to test the reliability of the heresiological accounts and to attempt to establish the character of the Library as in fact the work of the Gnostic cult movement. He then examines the evidence of the pagan critics with a clear knowledge of the movement (Celsus, Plotinus, Porphyry). He explores the Gnostics' own sense of identity against the Catholics, seeks to reconstruct the unique Gnostic rite of initiation from "Nag Hammadi" and related texts and, finally, argues that the early third century Hypogeum of the Aurelii in Rome, with its remarkable series of paintings (illustrated), represents a cult centre of Gnostics, where they recalled their initiation and theology and buried their dead.

Table of Contents:
Introduction; Chapter One The Nag Hammadi Library and the Heresiologists; Chapter Two Celsus, Plotinus and Porphyry and the Gnostics; Chapter Three Gnostics versus Catholics on Christian Idedtity (1); Authority and Tradition; Chapter Four Gnostics versus Catholics on Christian Idedtity (2); Initiation and Lifestyle; Chapter Five Gnostics versus Catholics on Christian Idedtity (3); Belief and Knowledge; Chapter Six Gnostic Initiation Reconsidered; Chapter Seven A Gnostic Cult Centre in Rome? The Hypogeum of the Aurelii; Appendix Gnostics and Hermetism.

About the Author :
Rev. Dr Alastair H.B. Logan is Senior Lecturer in Theology, University of Essex.

Review :
."..(this title) by Alistair Logan is commended on the back cover as having something of the quality, which is rare indeed, of an important monograph and an introductory text-book rolled into one'. It is certainly the former, though to call it 'introductory' hardly does justice to its careful and scholarly augmentation... His book also breaks new ground in finding tangible evidence of the existence of such a movement in the wall-paintings of what appears to have been a Gnostic burial site..." --Sanford Lakoff "Church Times " "If you have only one book on Gnosticism on your shelf- then make sure its this one. Alastair Logan's new treatment of the subject cuts through voluminous secondary literature, distilling the truly important insights and communicating the results skilfully and with a light touch." "The illustrations that are included...make the discussion particularly rich..." ."..the discussion reads with wonderful coherence and clarity. This is an excellent book and should be a key text for years to come."--Sanford Lakoff "Expository Times " "Logan makes a strong case for a very different view of Gnosticism." -The Bible Today--Sanford Lakoff "While the debate over the existence of Gnostics will surely continue, Logan's incisive synthesis of a wide variety of evidence has advanced the conversation in ways that graduate students and scholars of early Christianity should appreciate." David M. Reis, Religious Studies Review, Vol. 33, No. 4, July 2007--Sanford Lakoff 'Alastair Logan uses his formidable expertise in Gnosticism and early Christianity in this new and exciting study of the Gnostics to argue, against the claims of some today, that the 'Gnostics' really did exist as a social group with their own rituals as well as myths. This is a massively erudite, but thoroughly readable, book which will be of interest to all those engaged in study of Gnosticism and early Christianity.' Christopher Tuckett, Professor of New Testament Studies, University of Oxford 'In this learned book, Alastair Logan seeks to argue that the Gnostics represent a cult movement within Christianity and that such a hypothesis best fits the varied evidence we have. In the process of arguing his case, he covers many of the major issues in the contested field of gnostic studies, including important chapters on the Nag Hammadi library and gnostic identity. This book combines originality of thought and sure-footed analysis of previous scholarship in equal measure and has, therefore, something of the quality, which is rare indeed, of an important monograph and an introductory text-book rolled into one.'--Dr James Carleton-Paget, Lecturer, New Testament Studies, and Fellow of Peterhouse, University of Cambridge "Logan offers the results of many years of research into the Gnostic phenomenon." Reviewed in International Review of Biblical Studies, 2007.