Cosmology and Fate in Gnosticism and Graeco-Roman Antiquity

Under Pitiless Skies

AvNicola F. Denzey

Inbunden, Engelska, 2013

Del 81 i serien Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies

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Beskrivning

In Cosmology and Fate in Gnosticism and Graeco-Roman Antiquity, Nicola Denzey Lewis dismisses Hans Jonas' mischaracterization of second-century Gnosticism as a philosophically-oriented religious movement built on the perception of the cosmos as negative or enslaving. A focused study on the concept of astrological fate in “Gnostic” writings including the Apocryphon of John, the recently-discovered Gospel of Judas, Trimorphic Protennoia, and the Pistis Sophia, this book reexamines their language of “enslavement to fate (Gk: heimarmene)” from its origins in Greek Stoicism, its deployment by the apostle Paul, to its later use by a variety of second-century intellectuals (both Christian and non-Christian). Denzey Lewis thus offers an informed and revisionist conceptual map of the ancient cosmos, its influence, and all those who claimed to be free of its potentially pernicious effects.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2013-03-28
Mått:155 x 235 x 17 mm
Vikt:481 g
Format:Inbunden
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies
Antal sidor:206
Förlag:Brill
ISBN:9789004245488

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Mer om författaren

Nicola Denzey Lewis, Ph.D (1998), Princeton University, is Visiting Associate Professor in Religious Studies at Brown University. A specialist in Gnosticism, her publications include Introduction to 'Gnosticism': Ancient Voices, Christian Worlds (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012).

Recensioner i media

"focused study that seeks to rebut the characterisation of second-century Gnosticism as a religious philosophy that apprehends the universe as an enslaving force. [...] a rich study, which offers a new way of thinking about the concept of face in Gnostic texts. ...it promises to be a valuable and provocative contribution." – Paul Foster, University of Edinburgh, in: The Expository Times 126/2 (2014)"...concise and convincing, [...] the book is clearly-argued [...]. Its critical engagement with the research of the old school dispels scholarly myths and provides a new starting point for debate about how we are to understand the problems of fate, providence, and salvation in late ancient religious life.[...] worthwhile reading not just for students of Gnostic and Hermetic literature, but the New Testament, early Christian studies, and religion in the later Roman Empire as well." – Dylan Burns, Leipzig University, in: Numen 61 (2014)"...excellent overview of the primary sources whilst producing numerous thought-provoking arguments [...] It is a useful book for anyone interested in second-century thought patterns and is suitable for a wide audience with a range of interests." – Sarah Parkhouse, Durham University, in: Reviews of Biblical and Early Christian Studies (RBECS.org)

Innehållsförteckning

1. Were the Gnostics Cosmic Pessimists?2. Nag Hammadi and the Providential Cosmos3. This Body of Death: Cosmic Malevolence and Enslavement to Sin in Pauline Exegesis4. Heimarmene at Nag Hammadi: The Apocryphon of John and On the Origin of the World5. Middle Platonism, Heimarmene, and the Corpus Hermeticum6. Ways Out I: Interventions of the Savior God7. Ways Out II: Baptism and Cosmic Freedom8. Astral Determinism in the Gospel of Judas9. Conclusions, and a New Way Forward