Gnostic History

Although all the titles of the Nag Hammadi library are not known, many people have heard about its most famous components: The Gospel of Thomas - at one time it was discussed whether it should be included in the New Testament - and The Gospel of Philip, which tried to revive the debate around the identity of Mary Magdalene: "Why do you love her more than all of us?" asks a disconcerted Peter to Jesus. Finally, the Nag Hammadi texts have led many scholars to reconsider the rigid canons imposed by the early Church, and the readers to find a more intimate religion that turned upside down many postulates of Christian orthodoxy.

Pistis Sophia is a Gnostic text discovered in 1773, possibly written between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. The existing manuscript, which some scholars place in the late 4th century, relates one Gnostic group's teachings of the transfigured Jesus to the assembled disciples (including his mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Martha). In this text, the risen Jesus had spent eleven years speaking with his disciples, teaching them only the lower mysteries. After eleven years, he receives his true garment and is able to reveal the higher mysteries revered by this group.

A new translation and analysis of the gospel that records the actual words of Jesus Explores the gnostic significance of Jesus's teachings recorded in this gospel Explains the true nature of the new man whose coming Jesus envisioned Translated and interpreted by the author of the...

Most people have heard of Calvinism and Arminianism, and most know there are many problems with the extreme forms, hyper-Calvinism and hyper-Arminianism. But what did John Calvin really teach and where did his ideas come from? Learn the true Gnostic origins of Calvinism from the ancient church fathers and compare Scripture with Scripture to clearly see the trap Satan has set to divide Bible-believing Christians.

Who were the Cathars, and why was the Catholic Church so committed to getting rid of them? The Cathars: The History and Legacy of the Gnostic Christian Sect During the Middle Ages examines the origins of the cult, their fascinating belief system, their gradual development over the years, and the events that contributed to their epic downfall.

Lost for nearly 1,700 years, newly restored and authenticated, the Gospel of Judas presents a very different view of the relationship between Jesus and Judas. Rather than paint Judas as a traitor, it portrays him as acting at Jesus' request.

Follow author Joseph Lumpkin in his dive into Gnosticism. As a follow-up to his book "Tour of Gnosticism," where gnostic cosmology is explored in conjunction with mainstream Christendom, Lumpkin has released this jaw-dropping volume of influential Gnostic texts. Lumpkin takes it a step further by coupling the text with lessons on common themes in Gnosticism, historical context for the texts, and expert commentary exploring the differences in the largest gnostic sects.

In Beyond Belief, renowned religion scholar Elaine Pagels continues her groundbreaking examination of the earliest Christian texts, arguing for an ongoing assessment of faith and a questioning of religious orthodoxy. Spurred on by personal tragedy and new scholarship from an international group...

The success of books such as Elaine Pagels's Gnostic Gospels and Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code proves beyond a doubt that there is a tremendous thirst today for finding the hidden truths of Christianity - truths that may have been lost or buried by institutional religion over the last two millennia. In Forbidden Faith, Richard Smoley narrates a popular history of one such truth, the ancient esoteric religion of gnosticism, which flourished between the first and fourth centuries AD, but whose legacy remains even today, having survived secretly throughout the ages.

Examines in depth Enoch’s full story of the Watchers, the fallen angels who came to Earth and shared corrupting forbidden knowledge Explores how Enoch was a vital component of Second Temple messianic Judaism, speculative Jewish mysticism, the Kabbalah, and Gnostic mythology ...

Examines the survival and revival of the old pre-Christian gods, investigates prehistoric sacred sites, and reveals ancient shamanic traditions Looks at Rosicrucianism and the distinctive Germanic forms of astrology, alchemy, and the Kabbalah Discusses German poets, philosophers, and...

Special edition including the complete text of the Gospel of Thomas Elaine Pagels, one of the world’s most important writers and thinkers on religion and history, and winner of the National Book Award for her groundbreaking work The Gnostic Gospels, now reflects on what matters most about...

The Cathars were different from the mainstream Catholic church in the 13th century. They openly rebelled against some of the hypocritical behavior by priests and leaders, and they established their own deviant beliefs according to the best ability of their conscience. But when it all came down to it, what did this mean? What were those belief systems? What did they think of the crusades in the Middle East? Learn more about the Cathars, a community that made a significant impact during a time of dictatorships, massacres, and persecution of supposed heretics.

The ancient church fathers documented their struggle with the rebellion of the bishops of Rome. They recorded the heresies that crept into the Roman Catholic Church and their subsequent rebuke of those Roman bishops, or popes. The first section will give a detailed history of Rome from AD 50 to the modern times. The second section will deal with some ancient prophecies about the rise and fall of papal Rome.