Gnosticism and Christianity in Roman and Coptic Egypt (Studies In Antiquity & Christianity) [Paperback]

Birger A. Pearson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 19, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0567026108 | ISBN-13: 978-0567026101

An important addition to the Studies in Antiquity and Christianity series. This book, by one of the world's most renowned experts on Coptic Christianity and Gnosticism, contains the results of research that Pearson has conducted over the past several years. The first chapter alone is groundbreaking and contributes in significant ways to our understandings of the development of early Christianity in Egypt. In that chapter Pearson discusses current research on topics ranging from the growth of the Egyptian Christian hierarchy, the spread of Christianity from Alexandria into the Egyptian countryside, the origins of Egyptian monasticism, to Gnostic literature and Hermetic literature. In other chapters, Pearson nimbly ranges over a number of other topics from the Acts of Mark to Enoch in Egypt to Gnostic ritual and Gnostic iconography. This book is a classic of scholarship on early Christianity and adds immeasurably to our knowledge about these matters. Birger A. Pearson is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is the author of The Emergence of the Christian Religion: Essays on Early Christianity and a co-editor of Nag Hammadi Codex VII.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lucidly written, historically and textually meticulous, with a commanding scope and sense for broader religious patterns, Pearson's essays are essential reading for the growth of Christianity in Egypt and early Christian diversity in general."--David Frankfurter, University of New Hampshire, author of Religion in Roman Egypt: Assimilation and Resistance (David Frankfurter )

"This welcome publication gathers in a single collection important essays by an eminent scholar whose work on texts from ancient Egyptian Christianity and related religious and philosophical currents has been pioneering. Pearson's studies provide samplings of the rich variety of religion in ancient Christian Egypt, with insightful analysis and interpretation informed by a mastery of the sources and made accessible even to most non-specialists by an admirable clarity of style."--Michael A. Williams, Chair, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization,University of Washington. (Michael A. Williams )

"Few subjects in the history of Christianity are as strange and fascinating as the emergence of the new religion in Egypt, with its curious blend of traditionalist conservatism and speculative theology. Professor Pearson's new collection of essays, written with well balanced judgment on the basis of decades of detailed research, offers both the general reader and the specialist alike a series of carefully planned and expertly guided glimpses into the world of early Christianity in Roman and Coptic Egypt. This is a world that every educated reader should visit at least once."--Stephen Emmel, Professor of Coptology, Münster University. (Stephen Emmel )

"A respected scholar brings together in one volume the achievements of a distinguished thirty year career in the study of Gnosticism and early Christianity. His first essay catalogues for the first time all second and third century sources for Christian and Gnostic origins in Egypt. The volume will remain for some time to come a valuable resource and the place where the study of Egyptian Christianity begins."--Charles W. Hedrick, Department of Religious Studies, Southwest Missouri State University. (Charles W. Hedrick )

"Gnosticism and Christianity in Roman and Coptic Egypt is an absolute delight. Written in an engaging fashion by Birger Pearson, a scholar well known for his scholarly forays into intriguing intellectual corners of Egypt, this book is sure to spark interest in the fascinating varieties of religious expression in Egypt during antiquity and late antiquity."--Marvin Meyer, Griset Professor of Bible and Christian Studies, Chapman University (Marvin Meyer )

"Prof. Pearson's new collection of essays, written with well-balanced judgment on the basis of decades of detailed research, offers both the general reader and the specialist alike a series of carefully planned and expertly guided glimpses into a world of early Christianity in Roman and Coptic Egypt. This is a world every educated reader should visit at least once." -Stephen Emmel, Universitat Munster

'Twelve papers contribute to the ongoing discussion whether or not ancient Judaism was monotheistic and whether or not early Christianity satisfies the category of monotheism...A most fascinating article comes from C. Fletcher-Louis...[and] J.F. McGrath and J. Truex have contributed a most helpful select bibliography on "Early Jewish and Christian Monothesiam."'

Review

~ International Review of Biblical Studies, vol 51, 2004/05

"Readers interested in the details of the transmission of this tradition will be richly informed by Pearson's book."
Patrick Madigan, Arrupe College, Zimbabwe, Heythrop Journal

"Lucidly written, historically and textually meticulous, with a commanding scope and sense for broader religious patterns, Pearson's essays are essential reading for the growth of Christianity in Egypt and early Christian diversity in general."--David Frankfurter, University of New Hampshire, author of Religion in Roman Egypt: Assimilation and Resistance (, )

"This welcome publication gathers in a single collection important essays by an eminent scholar whose work on texts from ancient Egyptian Christianity and related religious and philosophical currents has been pioneering. Pearson's studies provide samplings of the rich variety of religion in ancient Christian Egypt, with insightful analysis and interpretation informed by a mastery of the sources and made accessible even to most non-specialists by an admirable clarity of style."--Michael A. Williams, Chair, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization,University of Washington. (, )

"Few subjects in the history of Christianity are as strange and fascinating as the emergence of the new religion in Egypt, with its curious blend of traditionalist conservatism and speculative theology. Professor Pearson's new collection of essays, written with well balanced judgment on the basis of decades of detailed research, offers both the general reader and the specialist alike a series of carefully planned and expertly guided glimpses into the world of early Christianity in Roman and Coptic Egypt. This is a world that every educated reader should visit at least once."--Stephen Emmel, Professor of Coptology, Münster University. (, )

"A respected scholar brings together in one volume the achievements of a distinguished thirty year career in the study of Gnosticism and early Christianity. His first essay catalogues for the first time all second and third century sources for Christian and Gnostic origins in Egypt. The volume will remain for some time to come a valuable resource and the place where the study of Egyptian Christianity begins."--Charles W. Hedrick, Department of Religious Studies, Southwest Missouri State University. (, )

"Gnosticism and Christianity in Roman and Coptic Egypt is an absolute delight. Written in an engaging fashion by Birger Pearson, a scholar well known for his scholarly forays into intriguing intellectual corners of Egypt, this book is sure to spark interest in the fascinating varieties of religious expression in Egypt during antiquity and late antiquity."--Marvin Meyer, Griset Professor of Bible and Christian Studies, Chapman University (, )

"Readers interested in the details of the transmission of this tradition will be richly informed by Pearson’s book."
Patrick Madigan, Arrupe College, Zimbabwe, Heythrop Journal

About the Author

Birger A. Pearson is Professor of Religious Studies, Emeritus, at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Professor and Interim Director of the Religious Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of Gnosticism, Judaism, and Egyptian Christianity and editor, with James E. Goehring, of The Roots of Egyptian Christianity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: T&T Clark Int'l (March 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0567026108
• ISBN-13: 978-0567026101
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,125,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellect Scholarship -- Primer on Subject, December 17, 2008

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David M. Dougherty (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gnosticism and Christianity in Roman and Coptic Egypt (Studies In Antiquity & Christianity) (Paperback)

This book is a collection of essays by the author of which only the first and longest one was not previously published. For everyone interested in the development of early Christianity or Gnosticism (which the author treats as a separate religion) in Egypt, this work is literally required reading. It is at its best as a primer into the various sources and how they fit into a mosaic of Christian and Gnostic development.

The essays deal with the following subjects, each in its own chapter:
(1) Current issues in the study of early Christianity in Egypt.
(2) Christian and Jews in First Century Alexandria.
(3) Ancient Alexandria in the "Acts of Mark."
(4) A Coptic Homily "On Riches" attributed to Saint Peter of Alexandria.
(5) Enoch in Egypt.
(6) A Coptic Enoch Apocryphon.
(7) Gnosticism as a religion.
(8) Gnostic Ritual and Iamblichus's treatise "On The Mysteries of Egypt."
(9) Gnostic iconography.
(10) The figure of Seth in Manichaean literature.

The author argues that early Christians were part and parcel of the Jewish community of Alexandria before Trajan's extirpation of the Jews of Alexandria, and that their development was distinct from Christianity's development in Rome, Syria and elsewhere. Coptic was developed as a language in translating the Christian and Old Testament books from Greek into a language for Egyptian use, and Christianity and Gnosticism (growing out of Jewish origins separately from Christianity) came closely together for a period (actually certain Christian leaders adopted some Gnostic mysticism in their development of Christianity) before separating permanently. He also argues that Gnosticism is indeed a religion and worthy of independent study.

Author Pearson brings together sources from the Old and New Testaments, the Apocrypha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Nag Hammadi codexes, Hellenistic Jewish writers, Patristic literature and various other letters, codexes and writings. The end notes are copious and form excellent avenues for further study by themselves.

As the author states, this work offers a window into the world of early Christianity and Gnosticism in Egypt, and provides an excellent primer for further study and research.

I highly recommend this work for everyone interested in the early development of Christianity.