Gnosticism is far more than an ancient Christian and Jewish heresy. It arises in many religions as the belief in a radical dualism both in human beings and the cosmos: immateriality is perceived as good and matter as evil. In the modern age, Gnosticism is very much alive, focused on the belief that human beings are alienated from their true selves. Modern Gnosticism continues to espouse a radical dualism, but this can take a psychological, social and political, rather than a metaphysical form. Among the writers and thinkers of the last two centuries who can be labelled Gnostics are: Hegel, Blake, Goethe, Schelling, Emerson, Melville, Byron, Yeats, Hesse and Toynbee. This text is a collection of 16 essays illuminating Gnosticism in its relation to such issues as Jungian thought, the nature of evil, the place of the feminine, communism and fascism, existentialism, Christian scriptures, Kafka and Buddhism.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
Gnosticism is far more than an ancient Christian and Jewish heresy. It arises in many religions as the belief in a radical dualism both in human beings and the cosmos: immateriality is perceived as good and matter as evil. Gnosticism often surfaces as a theme in contemporary cultural and psychological thought _ especially in the works of C. G. Jung. The Allure of Gnosticism: The Gnostic Experience in Jungian Psychology and Contemporary Culture is a collection of sixteen essays illuminating gnosticism in its relation to such issues as Jungian thought, the nature of evil, the place of the feminine, communism and fascism, existentialism, Christian scriptures, and Buddhism. The works of Kafka and T. S. Eliot are examined in detail. -- Midwest Book Review
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A useful and thought-provoking series of essays,
By
This review is from: The Allure of Gnosticism (Paperback)
Books on "gnosticism" often tend either to be in the academic stratosphere, or full of new age sensationalism. This volume is very useful in that it presents a variety of interesting viewpoints from (mostly) recognized scholars in the field. It's quite accessible and the closing chapter on modern gnostic revivals is of particular import for those seeking to comprehend the continued draw this ancient philosophy -- as radical or paranoid it may be -- exerts upon some elements of our society today. (I adopted this for use in an undergraduate course on gnosticism I teach.)
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
DURING the war we had plenty of time: you could not go out, or eat, or resist, or participate in public life. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sex magic Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Nag Hammadi, New York, Gospel of Philip, Princeton University Press, Master Samael, Apocryphon of John, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Ecclesia Gnostica, New Testament, Gnostic Association, Mary Magdalene, Gospel of Thomas, Mahayana Buddhism, Gospel of Truth, Pure Land, Franz Kafka, Hans Jonas, Jung Codex, Elaine Pagels, Grand Rapids, Roman Catholic, Sacred Marriage, Theosophical Publishing House, Theosophical Society New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
DURING the war we had plenty of time: you could not go out, or eat, or resist, or participate in public life. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sex magic Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Nag Hammadi, New York, Gospel of Philip, Princeton University Press, Master Samael, Apocryphon of John, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Ecclesia Gnostica, New Testament, Gnostic Association, Mary Magdalene, Gospel of Thomas, Mahayana Buddhism, Gospel of Truth, Pure Land, Franz Kafka, Hans Jonas, Jung Codex, Elaine Pagels, Grand Rapids, Roman Catholic, Sacred Marriage, Theosophical Publishing House, Theosophical Society New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
See all 100 books this book cites
9
books
cite this book:
See all 9 books citing this book
- The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels on 5 pages
- Memories, Dreams, Reflections by C.G. Jung on 5 pages
- Collected Works of C.G. Jung: General Bibliography of C.G. Jung's Writings (Vol 19) by C.G. Jung on 4 pages
- Franz Kafka (Essays on Modern Writers) by Walter H. Sokel in Front Matter (1), Front Matter (2), and page 166
- The Gnostic Jung by C. G. Jung in Front Matter, page 37, and page 222
See all 100 books this book cites
- The Many Paths of the Independent Sacramental Movement by John P. Plummer in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Jung's Answer to Job: A Commentary by Paul Bishop in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Jung's Answer to Job: A Commentary by Paul Bishop in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Jung and the Jungians on Myth (Theorists of Myth) by Steven F. Walker in Back Matter
- Nietzsche and Jung: The Whole Self in the Union of Opposites by Lucy Huskinson in Back Matter
See all 9 books citing this book
Books on Related Topics
(learn more)
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
