DOCSLIB.ORG

Gnosis. the Nature and History of Gnosticism

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Gnosis. the Nature and History of Gnosticism GNOSIS KURT The Nature & History RUDOLPH of Gnosticism GNOSIS GNOSIS The Nature and History of Gnosticism KURT RUDOLPH Translation edited by Robert McLachlan Wilson 4 â ü t m HarperSanFrancisco A Division o f WzvpcrCoW'msPublisbers Translators P. W. Coxon (pages 171-274) K. H. Kuhn (pages 275-376) R. McL. Wilson (translation editor; pages 1-170) First published in the German Democratic Republic by Koehler & Amelang, Leipzig, 1977 as Die Gnosis; Wesen und Geschichte einer spätantiken Religion Copyright © Koehler & Amelang, 1977 First Harper & Row Paperback Edition 1987 This work is a translation from the German of the second, revised and expanded edition (1980) of Die Gnosis: Wesen und Geschichte einer spätantiken Religion Copyright © T. & T. Clark Limited, Edinburgh, 1984 All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any man­ ner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022 Library of Congress Number 81-47437 ISBN: 0-06-067018-5 (pbk) CONTENTS List of Illustrations............................................................... VII Abbreviations........................................................................ XI Preface ................................................................................... 1 Translator’s N o te ............................................ ..................... 7 THE SOURCES ............................................................. 9 The Heresiological Literature and the Older History of Research ........................................................................... 9 The Early Heresiologists and Their Works ............. 10 The Older Sources..................... .......................................... 25 The History of Research ..................................................... 30 The Nag Hammadi Discovery and its Significance........... 34 NATURE AND STRUCTURE ............. .................. 53 The Main Features of Gnostic Ideology and Mythology . 53 D ualism ................................................................................... 59 Cosmology and Cosm ogony................................................ 67 Anthropology and Anthropogony..................................... 88 The Doctrine of Redemption and the Redeemer............. 113 The Ascent of the Soul and the End of the World ..... 171 Community, Cult and Social Practice (Ethics) ................204 H I S T O R Y ...........................................................................275 Presuppositions and Causes. The Problem of Origins . 275 Early Schools and System s...................................................294 The Great Systems of the 2nd C entury ............................. 308 M anicheism .......................................................... .,...........326 A Relic : The Mandeans ..................................................... 343 E P IL O G U E ..................................................................... 367 A Historical Survey of the Changes and Consequences of G n o sis................................................................................ 367 A P P E N D IX .......................................................... .. 377 Chronological Table . ................................................... 377 Notes ..................................................................................... 379 Select Bibliography Sources (Original Texts and Translations)........................391 Essays and Monographs ..................................................... 397 Index ......................................................................................405 VII List of Illustrations Illustrations in Text 40 The surroundings of Nag Hammadi, after 567. From an original photograph from the W.C. van Unnik, Evangelien aus dem Nil­ Museum. Cf. also H.Achelis, Das Chri­ sand, Frankfurt (Main) 1960,5. Cf. also I. stentum in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten, Doresse, Les Livres secrets des gnostiques 2nd ed., Leipzig 1925, Plate XI, 1. d ’Égypte, Paris 1958, 152 f. 334 Mandean magic bowl, after H. Pognon, 68 The Ophite Diagram, after H. Leisegang, Inscriptions mandaites des coupes de Die Gnosis, Stuttgart 1955, at p. 32. Cf. also Khouabir. Paris 1898, No. 15. Th. Hopfner, Das Diagramm der Ophiten 361 Traditional Mandean sanctuary (mandi), (in Charisteria Alois Rzach zum 80. Ge­ after E. S. Drower, The Mandaearts o f Iraq burtstag dargebracht, Reichenberg 1930, and Iran, Oxford 1937, 140 (No. 7). The 86-98), 95 plate 3. original for this drawing was the old Mandi 70 The universe as a serpent, from a Greek of Qal’at Salih, today no longer used. manuscript (Z. 299 = 584) in the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciono, Venice, after Plates H. Leisegang, Die Gnosis, at p. 45. 174 “Signs” and “seals” of the aeons, from Plate I Manichean book illustration (miniature) Koptisch-gnostische Schriften, 1. Band, Die from Turkestan, Museum für Indische Pistis Sophia, Die beiden Bücher des Jeu, Kunst, Berlin (West), after A. von Le Coq, ed. C. Schmidt, 3rd ed. rev. W. Till Berlin Die Buddhistische Spätantike in Mittelasien 1962 (GCS 45), 268, 269,292,322. Cf. also II. Die manichäischen Miniaturen, Berlin V.MacDermot, The Books of Jeu, Leiden 1923, Plate 7b. Photo: Volkmar Herre, 1978 (NHS XIII), 57, 58,85,86,127. Leipzig. 212 Grave inscription of Flavia Sophë, Museo II Manichean book illustration (miniature) Kircheriano (Museo Nazionale Romano), from Turkestan, Museum für Indische after A. Ferma, Questioni di epigrafia eret- Kunst, Berlin (West), after A. von Le Coq, ica romano (in Rivista di Archeologia Manichäische Miniaturen, Plate 8b. Cf. al­ Christiana XXI (1944/5), 164-221), p. 185. so id., Chotscho. Faksimile - Wiedergaben 223 The world serpent (ouroboros) as an der wichtigeren Funde der 1. Kgl. Preussi- amulet. Greek papyrus CXXI in the British schen Expedition nach Turfafi in Ost-Tur- Museum, London, after H. Leisegang, Die kistan, Berlin 1913, Bd. 1, plate 5, left Gnosis, at p. 145. Cf. also K. Preisendanz, (front). Photo: Volkmar Herre, Leipzig. Papyri Graecae Magicae, 2nd ed. rev. III Manichean book illustration (miniature) A. Henrichs, Bd. II, Stuttgart 1974, 26f. from Turkestan, Museum für Indische (VII, 580-590) and Plate 1, No. 4. Kunst, Berlin (West), after A. von Le Coq, 248 Serpent in the ancient Greek cult of Manichäische Miniaturen, plate 8a: b. Cf. Demeter at Eleusis, after a relief in the Ny id., Chotscho, Bd. 1, plate 5 right. Photo: Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, Cat. Volkmar Herre, Leipzig. No. 144. The Museum very kindly placed a IV Prominent Uigur ladies, Museum für In­ photo at my disposal. Cf. E.Kister, Die dische Kunst, Berlin (West), after A. von Schlange in der griechischen Kunst und Re­ Le Coq, Chotscho, Bd. 2, plate 30b. Photo ligion, Berlin 1913,146f. Volkmar Herre, Leipzig. 295 Dedication to the old Roman god of Plate 1 Hippolytus of Rome, Vatican. For­ oaths, Semo Sancus. Lapidarium of the merly in the Lateran Museum but now (ac­ Vatican Museum (new) No. 6808, CIL VI cording to J. Frickel) in the entrance hall of VIII the Vatican Libary. The photograph was Preussischen Kulturbesitz, Ägyptisches taken after cleaning in 1975. Cf. J.Ficker, Museum, inv. 9861. Greenish red jasper. Die altchristlichen Bildwerke im christli­ Photo: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin chen Museum des Lateran untersucht und (DDR). Cf.M.Pieper, Die Abraxasgem­ beschrieben, Leipzig 1890, 166-175; men 142. O. Wulff, Die altchristliche Kunst I, Berlin 6 Berlin (West), Staatliche Museen, Stiftung 1913, 150; M.Guarducci, La statua di Preussischen Kulturbesitz, Ägyptisches “Sant’ Ippolito” in Vaticano, in Rendiconti Museum, inv. 9805. Reddish brown stone. della Pontificia Accademia Romana d'Ar- Photo :,J. Leipoldt-Archiv, Universität Je­ cheologia XLVII (1974/75), 163-190 (ad­ na, Sektion Theologie. Cf. J. Leipoldt, vocates the theory that the statue was origi­ Bilder zum neutestamentlichen Zeitalter nally not a male figure at all, but a second- (= Umwelt des Urchristentums, ed. J. Lei­ century representation of Themista, a fe­ poldt and W. Grundmann, Bd. III) Berlin male disciple of Epicurus; the inscriptions 1966, illustration 13. were subsequently carved on the sides of 7 Berlin (West), Staatliche Museen, Stiftung the chair by Christians in the third century ; Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Ägyptisches only in the 16th century, particularly in the Museum, inv. 9931. Green stone. Photo: first description by Pirro Ligario, was it J. Leipoldt-Archiv, Universität Jena, Sek­ made into a statue of Hippolytus, and here tion Theologie. Cf. J.Leipoldt, Bilder zum the ancient coin-type of Hippocrates served neutestamentlichen Zeitalter, illustration as a model). The dating of the rededication 14. of the statue through the inscriptions about 8 Alabaster bowl, in private ownership (pres­ 235/237, which is also the period of a perse­ ent location unknown ; it last appears in the cution to which Hippolytus fell victim, goes auction catalogue of the Jacob-Hirsch- back to information in a letter (7.1. 1977) Collection from 5. Dec. 1957, Lucerne, from J. Frickel in Rome. no. 105). Height 8cm. diam.22cm., depth 2 Epiphanius of Salamis, fresco from Faras, 5.5cm. After R.Delbrueck / W. Vollgraff, Cat.No.57. Photo: Zbigniew Kapuscik, An Orphic Bowl, in Journal o f Hellenic Stu­ Warsaw. - Cf. K.Michalowski, Faras, Die dies 54 (1934) 129-139, plate III. Cf. also Wandbilder in den Sammlungen
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Christians and Jews in Muslim Societies
    Arabic and its Alternatives Christians and Jews in Muslim Societies Editorial Board Phillip Ackerman-Lieberman (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA) Bernard Heyberger (EHESS, Paris, France) VOLUME 5 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/cjms Arabic and its Alternatives Religious Minorities and Their Languages in the Emerging Nation States of the Middle East (1920–1950) Edited by Heleen Murre-van den Berg Karène Sanchez Summerer Tijmen C. Baarda LEIDEN | BOSTON Cover illustration: Assyrian School of Mosul, 1920s–1930s; courtesy Dr. Robin Beth Shamuel, Iraq. This is an open access title distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, which permits any non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided no alterations are made and the original author(s) and source are credited. Further information and the complete license text can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ The terms of the CC license apply only to the original material. The use of material from other sources (indicated by a reference) such as diagrams, illustrations, photos and text samples may require further permission from the respective copyright holder. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Murre-van den Berg, H. L. (Hendrika Lena), 1964– illustrator. | Sanchez-Summerer, Karene, editor. | Baarda, Tijmen C., editor. Title: Arabic and its alternatives : religious minorities and their languages in the emerging nation states of the Middle East (1920–1950) / edited by Heleen Murre-van den Berg, Karène Sanchez, Tijmen C. Baarda. Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2020. | Series: Christians and Jews in Muslim societies, 2212–5523 ; vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Niels De Jong
    r atin • • 1r1 lit nowledge and Empowerment on the David Icke Discussion Forum Niels de Jong Master thesis for the research master Religion & Culture 1 February 2013 First Advisor: Kocku.von Stuckrad (University of Groningen) Second Advisor: Stef Aupers (Erasmus University Rotterdam) NIELS DE JONG Table of Contents Preface ............................................................................................................................................. 5 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Research questions ................................................................................................................ 9 1.2 Sociology of knowledge ...................................................................................................... 10 1.3 Preliminary definitions ........................................................................................................ 11 1.4 Davidicke.com/forum .......................................................................................................... 15 1.5 Method ................................................................................................................................ 16 1.5.1 Lurking ......................................................................................................................... 17 1.5.2 Ethics ...........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Dositheos Notaras, the Patriarch of Jerusalem (1669-1707), Confronts the Challenges of Modernity
    IN SEARCH OF A CONFESSIONAL IDENTITY: DOSITHEOS NOTARAS, THE PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM (1669-1707), CONFRONTS THE CHALLENGES OF MODERNITY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY Christopher George Rene IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Adviser Theofanis G. Stavrou SEPTEMBER 2020 © Christopher G Rene, September 2020 i Acknowledgements Without the steadfast support of my teachers, family and friends this dissertation would not have been possible, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to express my deep debt of gratitude and thank them all. I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee, who together guided me through to the completion of this dissertation. My adviser Professor Theofanis G. Stavrou provided a resourceful outlet by helping me navigate through administrative channels and stay on course academically. Moreover, he fostered an inviting space for parrhesia with vigorous dialogue and intellectual tenacity on the ideas of identity, modernity, and the role of Patriarch Dositheos. It was in fact Professor Stavrou who many years ago at a Slavic conference broached the idea of an Orthodox Commonwealth that inspired other academics and myself to pursue the topic. Professor Carla Phillips impressed upon me the significance of daily life among the people of Europe during the early modern period (1450-1800). As Professor Phillips’ teaching assistant for a number of years, I witnessed lectures that animated the historical narrative and inspired students to question their own unique sense of historical continuity and discontinuities. Thank you, Professor Phillips, for such a pedagogical example.
    [Show full text]
  • Archons (Commanders) [NOTICE: They Are NOT Anlien Parasites], and Then, in a Mirror Image of the Great Emanations of the Pleroma, Hundreds of Lesser Angels
    A R C H O N S HIDDEN RULERS THROUGH THE AGES A R C H O N S HIDDEN RULERS THROUGH THE AGES WATCH THIS IMPORTANT VIDEO UFOs, Aliens, and the Question of Contact MUST-SEE THE OCCULT REASON FOR PSYCHOPATHY Organic Portals: Aliens and Psychopaths KNOWLEDGE THROUGH GNOSIS Boris Mouravieff - GNOSIS IN THE BEGINNING ...1 The Gnostic core belief was a strong dualism: that the world of matter was deadening and inferior to a remote nonphysical home, to which an interior divine spark in most humans aspired to return after death. This led them to an absorption with the Jewish creation myths in Genesis, which they obsessively reinterpreted to formulate allegorical explanations of how humans ended up trapped in the world of matter. The basic Gnostic story, which varied in details from teacher to teacher, was this: In the beginning there was an unknowable, immaterial, and invisible God, sometimes called the Father of All and sometimes by other names. “He” was neither male nor female, and was composed of an implicitly finite amount of a living nonphysical substance. Surrounding this God was a great empty region called the Pleroma (the fullness). Beyond the Pleroma lay empty space. The God acted to fill the Pleroma through a series of emanations, a squeezing off of small portions of his/its nonphysical energetic divine material. In most accounts there are thirty emanations in fifteen complementary pairs, each getting slightly less of the divine material and therefore being slightly weaker. The emanations are called Aeons (eternities) and are mostly named personifications in Greek of abstract ideas.
    [Show full text]
  • Handbook of Religious Beliefs and Practices
    STATE OF WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS HANDBOOK OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES 1987 FIRST REVISION 1995 SECOND REVISION 2004 THIRD REVISION 2011 FOURTH REVISION 2012 FIFTH REVISION 2013 HANDBOOK OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES INTRODUCTION The Department of Corrections acknowledges the inherent and constitutionally protected rights of incarcerated offenders to believe, express and exercise the religion of their choice. It is our intention that religious programs will promote positive values and moral practices to foster healthy relationships, especially within the families of those under our jurisdiction and within the communities to which they are returning. As a Department, we commit to providing religious as well as cultural opportunities for offenders within available resources, while maintaining facility security, safety, health and orderly operations. The Department will not endorse any religious faith or cultural group, but we will ensure that religious programming is consistent with the provisions of federal and state statutes, and will work hard with the Religious, Cultural and Faith Communities to ensure that the needs of the incarcerated community are fairly met. This desk manual has been prepared for use by chaplains, administrators and other staff of the Washington State Department of Corrections. It is not meant to be an exhaustive study of all religions. It does provide a brief background of most religions having participants housed in Washington prisons. This manual is intended to provide general guidelines, and define practice and procedure for Washington State Department of Corrections institutions. It is intended to be used in conjunction with Department policy. While it does not confer theological expertise, it will, provide correctional workers with the information necessary to respond too many of the religious concerns commonly encountered.
    [Show full text]
  • Gnostic Imagery from the Beginning of Our Era to Today Katherine Schaefers, MA
    Gnostic Imagery from the Beginning of our Era to Today Katherine Schaefers, M.A. Go directly to the start of the text. Abstract Originally presented at the conference “Hidden in Plain Sight: The Influence of Western Esoteric Movements on Modern Thought,” this essay is an adaption, with additional updates and insights, from my 2004 Master’s thesis “Gnosticism: Towards an Archaeological Definition.” It endeavors to provide suggestions for the possible identification of “Gnostic” material culture, while taking on the question of why there are very few legitimately recognized artifacts from an early Christian period religious movement termed “Gnosticism” by later scholars. This study works to aid scholars in the iconographic identification of ancient Gnosticism, so that we may trace and evaluate symbolic meaning as the movement has continued up to the present day, and its effects on modern trends of thought and belief. The ancient and modern definitions of “Gnosis,” “Gnostic,” and “Gnosticism” are discussed, along with images illustrating possible Gnostic iconography. The concluding section will take a look at the symbols of two modern Gnostic movements, the Ecclesia Gnostica of Los Angeles, California headed by Dr. Stefan Heller and Novus Spiritus, established by Sylvia Browne. Imagerie gnostique du début de notre ère à aujourd’hui Katherine Schaefers, M.A. Résumé À l’origine présenté à la conférence « Dissimulé en pleine lumière: l’influence des mouvements ésotériques occidentaux sur la pensée moderne », cet essai est une adaptation de ma thèse de maîtrise de 2004 intitulée « gnosticisme : vers une définition archéologique », avec des mises à jour et des notions supplémentaires. C’est une tentative pour proposer des suggestions d’identification potentielle de culture matérielle « gnostique », tout en considérant la question du pourquoi il y a peu d’artefacts légitimement reconnus provenant de la période religieuse du début du christianisme, appelée « gnosticisme » plus tard par les érudits.
    [Show full text]
  • THE GNOSTIC SOCIETY LIBRARY “The Nag Hammadi Library”
    THE GNOSTIC SOCIETY LIBRARY “The Nag Hammadi Library” The “Nag Hammadi Library” is a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts discovered near the Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi, in 1945. Nag Hammadi library The Nag Hammadi library (popularly known as The Gnostic Gospels) is a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts discovered near the town of Nag Hammâdi in 1945. That year, twelve leather-bound papyrus codices buried in a sealed jar were found by a local peasant named Mohammed Ali. The writings in these codices comprised fifty-two mostly Gnostic tractates (treatises), but they also include three works belonging to the Corpus Hermeticum and a partial translation / alteration of Plato's “Republic”. In his "Introduction" to “The Nag Hammadi Library” in English, James Robinson suggests that these codices may have belonged to a nearby Pachomian monastery, and were buried after Bishop Athanasius condemned the uncritical use of non-canonical books in his Festal Letter of 367 AD. The contents of the codices were written in Coptic, though the works were probably all translations from Greek. The best-known of these works is probably the “Gospel of Thomas”, of which the “Nag Hammadi Codices” contain the only complete text. After the discovery it was recognized that fragments of these sayings of Jesus appeared in manuscripts discovered at Oxyrhynchus in 1898, and matching quotations were recognized in other early Christian sources. Subsequently, a 1st or 2nd century date of composition circa 80 AD for the lost Greek originals of the Gospel of Thomas has been proposed, though this is disputed by many if not the majority of biblical matter researchers.
    [Show full text]
  • Nag Hammadi, Gnosticism and New Testament Interpretation
    Grace Theological Journal 8.2 (1987) 195-212 Copyright © 1987 by Grace Theological Seminary. Cited with permission. NAG HAMMADI, GNOSTICISM AND NEW TESTAMENT INTERPRETATION WILLIAM W. COMBS The Gnostic heresy alluded to in the NT and widely repudiated by Christian writers in the second century and after has been in- creasingly studied in the last forty years. The discovery in upper Egypt of an extensive collection of Gnostic writings on papyri trans- formed a poorly known movement in early Christianity into a well documented heresy of diverse beliefs and practices. The relationship of Gnosticism and the NT is an issue that has not been resolved by the new documents. Attempts to explain the theology of the NT as dependent on Gnostic teachings rest on ques- tionable hypotheses. The Gnostic redeemer-myth cannot be docu- mented before the second century: Thus, though the Gnostic writings provide helpful insight into the heresies growing out of Christianity, it cannot be assumed that the NT grew out of Gnostic teachings. * * * INTRODUCTION STUDENTS of the NT have generally been interested in the subject of Gnosticism because of its consistent appearance in discussions of the "Colossian heresy" and the interpretation of John's first epistle. It is felt that Gnosticism supplies the background against which these and other issues should be understood. However, some who use the terms "Gnostic" and "Gnosticism" lack a clear understanding of the movement itself. In fact, our knowledge of Gnosticism has suffered considerably from a lack of primary sources. Now, however, with the discovery of the Nag Hammadi (hereafter, NH) codices, this void is being filled.
    [Show full text]
  • The Gospel of Thomas and Plato
    The Gospel of Thomas and Plato Ivan Miroshnikov - 978-90-04-36729-6 Downloaded from Brill.com02/10/2020 03:36:56PM via University of Helsinki Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies Editors Johannes van Oort Einar Thomassen Editorial Board J.D. Beduhn – D.M. Burns – A.D. Deconick W.-P. Funk – I. Gardner – S.N.C. Lieu A. Marjanen – L. Painchaud – N.A. Pedersen T. Rasimus – S.G. Richter – M. Scopello J.D. Turner – G. Wurst volume 93 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/nhms Ivan Miroshnikov - 978-90-04-36729-6 Downloaded from Brill.com02/10/2020 03:36:56PM via University of Helsinki The Gospel of Thomas and Plato A Study of the Impact of Platonism on the “Fifth Gospel” By Ivan Miroshnikov LEIDEN | BOSTON Ivan Miroshnikov - 978-90-04-36729-6 Downloaded from Brill.com02/10/2020 03:36:56PM via University of Helsinki This title is published in Open Access with the support of the University of Helsinki Library. This is an open access title distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, which permits any non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided no alterations are made and the original author(s) and source are credited. Further information and the complete license text can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ The terms of the CC license apply only to the original material. The use of material from other sources (indicated by a reference) such as diagrams, illustrations, photos and text samples may require further permission from the respective copyright holder.
    [Show full text]
  • The Gospel of Mary: Reclaiming Feminine Narratives Within Books Excluded from the Bible
    The Gospel of Mary: Reclaiming Feminine Narratives Within Books Excluded from the Bible By Therasa Topete Jayne Lewis, Ph.D. Department of English Joseph McKenna, Ph.D. Department of History A thesis submitted in partial completion of the certification requirements for the Honors Program of the School of Humanities University of California, Irvine May 26, 2017 ii Acknowledgments I would like to thank the individuals and groups that have supported me through the year-long process of producing this thesis. I would like to thank the director of the School of Humanities Honors Program Professor Jayne Lewis. I have greatly appreciated your support and enthusiasm for my project. I am so grateful that you never gave up on me and continued to draw out my passion for this labor of love, especially when I could not see a way past the wall at times. Thank you. Thank you to my faculty advisor Joseph Mckenna who stepped in without a second thought to help me through the end of this process. I appreciate that you are always willing to greet me with a smile and engage in some of the most interesting conversations I have had in my three years at UCI. You are the best. Thank you to my peers in the humanities Honors program. Your encouragement and positive attitudes have been a source of inspiration, and I have appreciated the opportunity to engage in amazing intellectual discussions twice a week for the last two years. You are all amazing. Lastly, I would like to say a big thank you to my family.
    [Show full text]
  • Resistance to Christianity. the Heresies at the Origins of the 18<Sup
    Library.Anarhija.Net The Resistance to Christianity. The Heresies at the Origins of the 18th Century Raoul Vaneigem Raoul Vaneigem The Resistance to Christianity. The Heresies at the Origins ofthe 18th Century 1993 Retrieved on December 21, 2009 from www.notbored.org Published by Editions Artheme Fayard in 1993. Translated from the French by NOT BORED! All footnotes by the author, except where noted. March 2007. Thanks to Christopher Gray and Kim Paice for material support and encouragement. To Contact NOT BORED! [email protected] ISSN 1084–7340. Snail mail: POB 1115, Stuyvesant Station, New York City 10009–9998 lib.anarhija.net 1993 Contents Translator’s Introduction 10 Foreword 20 Chapter 1: A Nation Sacrificed to History 33 Chapter 2: Diaspora and Anti-Semitism 54 Jewish Proselytism and Anti-Semitism . 57 Chapter 3: The Judean Sects 65 The Sadduceans ....................... 65 The Pharisians ........................ 68 The Zealot Movement .................... 72 Chapter 4: The Men of the Community, or the Essenes 82 History of the Sect ...................... 83 Monachism and Ecclesiastic Organization . 87 Essenism is the True Original Christianity . 91 The Messiah ......................... 92 The Essene Churches .................... 97 A Dualist Tendency . 100 Towards a Judeo-Christian Syncretism . 102 Chapter 5: The Baptist Movement of the Samaritan Messiah Dusis/Dosithea 105 Shadow and Light from Samaria . 105 The Messiah Dusis/Dunstan/Dosithea . 107 2 • Wiesel, W., “Bibliography of Spiritual Libertines,” in Religion Chapter 6: Simon of Samaria and Gnostic Radicality 113 in Geschicte und Gegenwort. The So-Called Disciples of Simon . 126 • Wilker, R.-L., Le Mythe des Origines Chretiennes, Paris, 1971. Chapter 7: The phallic and fusional cults 129 The Naassenes or Ophites .
    [Show full text]
  • Cyclical Time and Ismaili Gnosis
    ISLAMIC TEXTS AND CONTEXTS Cyclical Time General Editor Hermann Landolt and Ismaili Gnosis Professor of Islamic Studies, McGill University, Montreal and The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London Henry Corbin Assistant Editors KEGAN PAUL INTERNATIONAL London, Boston, Melbourne and Henley Elizabeth Brine in association with Dr James Morris ISLAMIC PUBLICATIONS The Institute of Ismaili Studies London The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London The Institute of Ismaili Studies was established in December 1977 with the object of promoting scholarship and learning in Islam, and a better understanding of other faiths, beliefs and practices. Its programmes are designed to encourage a balanced study of Islam and the diversity that exists within its fundamental unity. They also deal with the contemporary situation of the Islamic World, focusing on issues that are critical to its well-being. Since 1980 the Institute has been affiliated to McGill University, Mon- treal, Canada. It also works in association with other universities. With the co-operation of McGill University, the Institute runs a Depart- ment of Graduate Studies and Research (London and Paris). The series "Islamic Texts and Contexts" is edited by this Department. The views expressed in this series are those of the respective authors. Contents Editorial Note IX 1 CYCLICAL TIME IN MAZDAISM AND ISMAILISM 1 Translated by Ralph Manheim 1. Cyclical Time in Mazdaism 1 The Ages of the World in Zoroastrian Mazdaism 1 The Absolute Time of Zervanism 12 Dramaturgical Alterations 20 Time as a Personal Archetype 22 2. CyclicalTime in Ismailism 30 Absolute Time and Limited Time in the Ismaili Cosmology 30 The Periods and Cycles of Mythohistory 37 Resurrection as the Horizon of the Time of "Combat for the Angel" .
    [Show full text]