A Dictionary of Gnosticism [Paperback]

Andrew Phillip Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2009

A Dictionary of Gnosticism is a scholarly yet accessible guide that covers the people, mythology, movements, scripture, and technical terms related to this pre-Christian Western religion. It contains nearly 1700 entries, from Aachiaram, an angel in the Secret Book of John to Zostrianos, a third-century Gnostic text, and is a reliable reference for the Nag Hammadi library and other Gnostic texts. An introduction explains who the Gnostics were and provides a whirlwind tour through the history of this captivating movement.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is the answer to the prayers of students and practitioners of Gnosticism from far and wide. Andrew Phillip Smith has given us a readable, informative and accurate compendium of words, names and concepts of Gnostic interest that will be welcomed and used abundantly.

—Dr. Stephan A. Hoeller, Bishop of the Ecclesia Gnostica and author of Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing


Not only is this an excellent aid for anyone trying to make sense out of the complicated cosmologies and scriptures of the ancient Gnostics, but it also provides an overview of gnostic movements and mystics down through the centuries.

—Jay Kinney, author of The Masonic Myth and The Inner West

A long-awaited and indispensable grammar of classical Gnosticism – essential for any serious student, and a practical gem for the curious.

—Jordan Stratford, author of Living Gnosticism

More than a dictionary for reference and research, this book is an index of ideas and suggestions. Readers interested in Gnosticism and related alternative religions of earlier times will find a whole host of new ideas and leads and directions for further inquiry. Think of the book as a thousand starting points for your explorations into spiritual unknowns!

—Stevan Davies, Professor of Religious Studies, Misericordia University

A Dictionary of Gnosticism is a valuable resource for any student of Gnosis. If you need a helpful translator of the language, or a sympathetic guide to the beliefs of these extraordinary women and men who lived a long time ago, in a world far, far away, then this is the book for you. Think of it as the 'Lonely Cosmos Guide to Gnosis', and always pack a copy when you are setting out for that strange and exciting country. Have a great trip!

—Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy authors of The Jesus Mysteries and The Gospel of the Second Coming

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Quest Books (November 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0835608697
• ISBN-13: 978-0835608695
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #918,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in 1966 in Penarth, Wales, and attended the University College of Swansea. I now live with my wife Tessa and son Dylan in Dublin, Ireland, after long stints in the London area and the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. I am the author of several books and articles on Gnosticism, early Christianity and esoterica. My books include A Dictionary of Gnosticism, The Gnostics: History * Tradition * Scriptures * Influence, The Lost Sayings of Jesus: Annotated & Explained, Gnostic Writings on the Soul: Annotated & Explained, and The Gospel of Philip: Annotated & Explained. I'm also editor of The Gnostic: A Journal of Gnosticism, Western Esotericism and Spirituality. I wrote the forewords for New Nightingale, New Rose, Poems From the Divan of Hafiz, The Quatrains of Omar Khayyam: Three Translations of the Rubaiyat, and Don't Forget: P.D. Ouspensky's Life of Self-Remembering by Bob Hunter. I've been studying the Gospel of Thomas and the Fourth Way teachings since the late 1980s, and have given a number of presentations and readings on the Gnostics and other esoteric and poetical works.

Current projects include biographies of Alan Moore and Rodney Collin, and perhaps a second book on the Gospel of Thomas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful in digging for truth, November 15, 2009

By 

L. Gagne (Cape Cod, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Dictionary of Gnosticism (Paperback)

This book is a terrific reference for anyone interested in religion, mysticism, esoterica, ancient history and any form of Gnosis from ancient to modern. Though it would appear at first glance to be a basic dictionary of words rarely used and seldom contemplated in the average everyday world, it is a storehouse of clues to the origins of Western esoterica and literary fancy. Take "AEEIOUO," an entry on page 5. Reminiscent of the Caterpillar's song in Lewis Carol's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" it is also the (Greek) vowels chanted repetitively in certain forms of magic derived from Gnostic texts ... a little online cross-research explains that according to the Nag Hammadi, Aeeiouo is the shape of the Self Begotten Soul. (In Greek, Alice happens to mean "truthful.")

The Nag Hammadi codices are outlined beginning on page 168 where it is explained that the "tractates in the codices are in Coptic, but scholars believe they were originally composed in Greek."

What's a "tractate"? Look it up on page 247 where you can also brush up on the word "transcendence" contrasted with "immanence" on page 124.

A Dictionary of Gnosticism will help you comprehend Plato's Timaeus from which the concept of the "demiurge" originates, as well as modern film concepts. The 1999 movie "The Matrix" is explained on page 156 where "archon" equivalent characters (agents) govern reality "on behalf of the entity that created the world". The demiurge in Gnosticism is compared to the machines in the Matrix.

Try Googling all that! It is wonderful to have this handy Gnostic dictionary at one's fingertips as a quick reference for looking up some of the more obscure terms of Gnosis ("direct spiritual experience") - but it also helps in grasping much of what more mainstream literature and contemporary media have been trying to tell us all along. The truth is in between the lines ... or in the process of "inverse exegesis." Make up your "Nous" or mind and avoid the "interdict" if you are a heretic. Explore Pistis Sophia. Use this quick reference manual of Gnostic terms as a springboard for further inquiry. Ablanathanalba.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very resourceful, May 19, 2010

By 

Red (Skokie, Illinois, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Dictionary of Gnosticism (Paperback)

this book makes it a handy reference in researching the terms i encounter when studying gnosticism. it simplifies the need to search the key terms i encounter. want to know something about origen? instead of searching a lot of pages in the internet, get your hands on the book and see the term origen.. though, it still needs an updated version. lots of space unused.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good companion book to the "Nag Hammadi Library", October 23, 2011

By 

S. Laney "Nature Lover" (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Dictionary of Gnosticism (Paperback)

A must-have if studying the Gnostic scriptures. I would suggest anyone ordering, "The Nag Hammadi Library" buy this at the same time.