Sunday, December 16, 2007
No Other Gospel - Nick Perrin
The Fall 2007 issue of Christian History and Biography features an article of interest by Nicholas Perrin:
No Other Gospel
Despite the appearance of Gnostic "gospels," the early church decided that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were without rival.
from Issue 96: The Gnostics Hunger for Secret Knowledge
It turns out that Nick was at school with Dan Brown; and he admits to being "one of the few literate adults living who has not read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code". Count me in the same club; and I have no intention of ever reading it. The short article is nicely written, and it provides a good introduction to the issues from a conservative perspective, though it side steps some of the issues that scholars might wish to highlight. It does not, for example, make clear that the issues under discussion are controversial within the academy, even if it is universally acknowledged in the academy that Dan Brown has no serious understanding of these issues. The most problematic paragraph is this one:
No Other Gospel
Despite the appearance of Gnostic "gospels," the early church decided that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were without rival.
from Issue 96: The Gnostics Hunger for Secret Knowledge
It turns out that Nick was at school with Dan Brown; and he admits to being "one of the few literate adults living who has not read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code". Count me in the same club; and I have no intention of ever reading it. The short article is nicely written, and it provides a good introduction to the issues from a conservative perspective, though it side steps some of the issues that scholars might wish to highlight. It does not, for example, make clear that the issues under discussion are controversial within the academy, even if it is universally acknowledged in the academy that Dan Brown has no serious understanding of these issues. The most problematic paragraph is this one:
Historically speaking, those touting the apostolic origins of the apocryphal gospels had little to stand on. These texts came much later than the four-fold gospel collection. The canonical gospels were all first-century documents; all four offer credible eyewitness accounts of Jesus of Nazareth. The apocryphal gospels, written generations later, can barely compete with this claim.This drives too strong a wedge between "canonical gospels" and "apocryphal gospels". We may not be talking about "generations"; that sounds a bit like overstatement. In contemporary New Testament scholarship, the idea that "all four offer credible eyewitness accounts" is a highly dubious claim, and one that should not be made with so little qualification. It is true that there is now a case that the canonical gospels are reliant on eyewitness testimony (Richard Bauckham) but as far as recent New Testament scholarship is concerned, this is a new and highly controversial claim that is only now beginning to be tested, and even Bauckham does not claim that the four are written by eyewitnesses (except perhaps John).
Labels: Gnosticism, Nicholas Perrin, Non-canonical
Monday, July 23, 2007
Birger Pearson, Ancient Gnosticism
Latest from Fortress:
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Fortress Press Releases Ancient Gnosticism
Minneapolis (July 20, 2007) — In the newly released Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions and Literature, Birger A. Pearson provides authoritative answers to the questions: Who were the Gnostics? What did they believe?
Even as public interest is attracted to this esoteric religion, scholars have debated its origins, its relationship to Judaism and Christianity, and even whether one distinctive and separate Gnostic “religion” ever existed. Pearson’s expert and accessible introduction brings the reader into this debate.
In Ancient Gnosticism Pearson surveys all the primary literary evidence for ancient Gnosticism, providing a clear and succinct introduction to each individual writing (including the newly published Gospel of Judas from the Tchacos Codex), along with a judicious consideration of the historical origin of Gnosticism. The classic schools of Christian Gnosticism are discussed, along with Hermetic Gnosis, Manichaeism, and the Mandaeans. Chapters are helpfully keyed to all the standard translations of Gnostic writings, including The Nag Hammadji Scriptures: The International Edition, edited by Marvin W. Meyer (2007). The book includes illustrations, maps, timeline, and a bibliography.
Contents
Maps and Illustrations
Preface
Map of the World of Ancient Gnosticism
1. What is Gnosticism?
2. Heresiological Reports on Early Gnostic Teachers and Systems
3. Sethian or Classic Gnosticism
4. Gnostic Biblical Interpretation: The Gnostic Genesis
5. Basilides and Basilidian Gnosis
6. Valentinus and Valentinian Gnosis
7. Three-Principle Systems
8. Coptic Gnostic Writings of Uncertain Affiliation
9. Thomas Christianity
10. Hermes Trismegistus and Hermetic Gnosis
11. Mani and Manichaeism
12. The Mandaeans: A Surviving Relic of Ancient Gnosis
Epilogue: The Persistence of Gnosticism
Suggestions for Further Reading
Indexes
Birger A. Pearson is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a leading expert on Gnosticism. His previous books include The Roots of Egyptian Christianity (Fortress Press, 1997), Gnosticism, Judaism, and Egyptian Christianity (Fortress Press, 1990; new release 2006), and Gnosticism and Christianity in Roman and Coptic Egypt (2004). He is the translator of Nag Hammadi Codices IX and X (1997) and (with Frederik Wisse) of Nag Hammadi Codex VII (1996).
Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions and Literature
By Birger A. Pearson
Item Number: 978-0-8006-3258-8
Price: $25.00 / CAN $30.00/ UK £14.99
Specs: 6” x 9”, paperback, 256 pages
To order Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions and Literature call Fortress Press at 1-800-328-4648 or visit the Web site at www.fortresspress.com.
To request review copies (for media) or to inquire about speaking opportunities and interviews with the authors please call 1-800-426-0115 ext. 234 or e-mail toddb@augsburgfortress.org
To request exam copies for classroom use (professors) go to www.fortresspress.com/examcopy.
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Fortress Press Releases Ancient Gnosticism
Minneapolis (July 20, 2007) — In the newly released Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions and Literature, Birger A. Pearson provides authoritative answers to the questions: Who were the Gnostics? What did they believe?
Even as public interest is attracted to this esoteric religion, scholars have debated its origins, its relationship to Judaism and Christianity, and even whether one distinctive and separate Gnostic “religion” ever existed. Pearson’s expert and accessible introduction brings the reader into this debate.
In Ancient Gnosticism Pearson surveys all the primary literary evidence for ancient Gnosticism, providing a clear and succinct introduction to each individual writing (including the newly published Gospel of Judas from the Tchacos Codex), along with a judicious consideration of the historical origin of Gnosticism. The classic schools of Christian Gnosticism are discussed, along with Hermetic Gnosis, Manichaeism, and the Mandaeans. Chapters are helpfully keyed to all the standard translations of Gnostic writings, including The Nag Hammadji Scriptures: The International Edition, edited by Marvin W. Meyer (2007). The book includes illustrations, maps, timeline, and a bibliography.
Contents
Maps and Illustrations
Preface
Map of the World of Ancient Gnosticism
1. What is Gnosticism?
2. Heresiological Reports on Early Gnostic Teachers and Systems
3. Sethian or Classic Gnosticism
4. Gnostic Biblical Interpretation: The Gnostic Genesis
5. Basilides and Basilidian Gnosis
6. Valentinus and Valentinian Gnosis
7. Three-Principle Systems
8. Coptic Gnostic Writings of Uncertain Affiliation
9. Thomas Christianity
10. Hermes Trismegistus and Hermetic Gnosis
11. Mani and Manichaeism
12. The Mandaeans: A Surviving Relic of Ancient Gnosis
Epilogue: The Persistence of Gnosticism
Suggestions for Further Reading
Indexes
Birger A. Pearson is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a leading expert on Gnosticism. His previous books include The Roots of Egyptian Christianity (Fortress Press, 1997), Gnosticism, Judaism, and Egyptian Christianity (Fortress Press, 1990; new release 2006), and Gnosticism and Christianity in Roman and Coptic Egypt (2004). He is the translator of Nag Hammadi Codices IX and X (1997) and (with Frederik Wisse) of Nag Hammadi Codex VII (1996).
Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions and Literature
By Birger A. Pearson
Item Number: 978-0-8006-3258-8
Price: $25.00 / CAN $30.00/ UK £14.99
Specs: 6” x 9”, paperback, 256 pages
To order Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions and Literature call Fortress Press at 1-800-328-4648 or visit the Web site at www.fortresspress.com.
To request review copies (for media) or to inquire about speaking opportunities and interviews with the authors please call 1-800-426-0115 ext. 234 or e-mail toddb@augsburgfortress.org
To request exam copies for classroom use (professors) go to www.fortresspress.com/examcopy.
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Labels: Fortress, Gnosticism
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