In this helpful survey Pheme Perkins addresses:
The origins of Gnosticism
The search for pre-Christian Gnosticism
Gnosticism and Judaism
Gnostic materials and the sayings of Jesus
Gnosis and the Pauline tradition
Redeemer myths and New Testament hymns
Gnostic understandings of Jesus as heavenly revealer
The place of women in gnostic sects
Table of Contents:
Preface
Introduction
PART ONE: GNOSTIC ORIGINS
The Search for Pre-Christian Gnosticism
Simon Magus
Jewish Syncretism
Gnostic Mythemes and Alienation
A Demonized World
Summary
Gnosticism and the Jewish Connection
A Samaritan Origin?
Lingquistic Evidence for Palestinian Traditions
Enoch raditions in Gnostic Mythology
Anti-Jewish Midrash
Christianizing Early Gnostic Traditions
Summary
Gnostic Influence and the New Testament
Variations on the Redeemer Figure
Gnostic Elements in the New Testament
Cultic Innovation and Mythology
Summary
Reconstructing Gnostic History
On the Margins of Judasim
Gnostic Teachers of the Second Century
Valentinians
Sethian Tradition History
Summary
PART TWO: GNOSTIC AND NEW TESTAMENT TRADITIONS
Jesus as Teacher of Wisdom: Sayings and Revelation
Gospel of Thomas and the Sayings Tradition
Dialogue of the Savior
Sayings in Gospel of Truth
Kingdom Parables and Gnosis
Recovering the Divine Image
Praxis in Gospel of Thomas
Summary
Gnosis and the Pauline Tradition
Pauline Opponents (Schmithals)
Gnostic Mythemnes and Pauline Anthropology
Eschatology and Anthropology
The Divine Image
Summary
Redeemer Myths and New Testament Hymns
The Revealer Appears in the World
The Powers React
Christianizing the Gnostic Redeemer
The Revealer in Zostrianos
The Revealer in Gospel of the Egyptians
Summary
Jesus as Word
Wisdom and Myth in John's Prologue
A Gnostic Reading of John's Prologue
John's Prologue and Trimorphic Protennoia
The Word as Revealer
Summary
Discourses of the Revealer
Jesus Reveals God
Postresurrection Revelations
The Style of the Revelation Discourse
Johannine Discourse and the Sayings Tradition (Koester)
"I Am" Predications as Text and Riddle
Discourse and the Elect Community
Summary
PART THREE: GNOSTIC CHRISTIANITY
Gnostic Identity: Conversion and Asceticism
Interpretation and Antinomianism
The Danger of the Demonic
A Call to Conversion
Salvation and Metaphor in Gospel of Truth
Conflict over Ascetic Practice
The Rhetoric of 1 John and Gospel of Truth
Summary
Women Disciplies and Worshipers
Women in the Marcosian Sect
Women in Pauline Traditions
The Ambiguity of the Feminine
The Suffering of Wisdom
Repentance Displaces Wisdom
Summary
Christians: Gnostic and Orthodox
Gnostic Christian Writings
Irenaeus Against the Gnostics
Jesus' Disciples in Gnostic Sources
Christian Gnostics and Religious Pluralism
Christian Gnostics and the Gospel Canon
Summary
Abbreviations
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography Index of Ancient Sources
Index of Modern Authors
About the Author :
Pheme Perkins is Professor of New Testament at Boston College and author of numerous books She also is past president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America.
