The Gospel of Philip: Annotated & Explained (SkyLight Illuminations) [Paperback]

Andrew Phillip Smith (Author), Stevan Davies (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: SkyLight Illuminations | Publication Date: September 2005

The Gospel of Philip is one of the most exciting and accessible of the Gnostic texts found at Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945. The source of Dan Brown's intriguing speculations about Mary Magdalene in his best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, the Gospel of Philip draws on ancient imagery--the natural world, the relationships between women, men and family, the ancient distinctions between lord and servants, free people and slaves, and pagans, Jews and Christians--to offer us insight into the spiritual interpretation of scripture that is at the foundation of Christianity.

The Gospel of Philip: Annotated and Explained unravels the discourses, parables and sayings of this second-century text to explore a spiritual, non-literal interpretation of the Bible. Along with his elegant and accurate new translation from the original Coptic, Andrew Phillip Smith probes the symbolism and metaphors at the heart of the Gospel of Philip to reveal otherwise unrecorded sayings of Jesus, fragments of Gnostic mythology and parallels to the teachings of Jesus and Paul. He also examines the joyful imagery of rebirth, salvation and mystical union in the bridal chamber that was the pursuit of Christian Gnosticism.

Now you can experience this ancient Gospel even if you have no previous knowledge of early Christianity or Gnostic thought. This SkyLight Illuminations edition provides important insights into the historical context and major themes of the Gospel of Philip, and gives you a deeper understanding of the Gospel's overarching message: deciphering our own meaning behind the symbols of this world increases and enriches our understanding of God.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent new translation and annotation that brings a fascinating Gnostic text to life. A valuable contribution to our ongoing efforts to understand the richness of early Christianity." -- Timothy Freke, coauthor of The Jesus Mysteries, Jesus and the Lost Goddess and The Laughing Jesus

"How refreshing to move ... to a spiritual world alive with symbol, metaphor and the poetry of the Divine." -- Ron Miller, Religion Department chair, Lake Forest College, author of The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice

"Provides us with a wealth of insightful annotations, and the translation is the most accessible to date." -- Stephan A. Hoeller, author of Gnosticism, Jung and the Lost Gospels and The Gnostic Jung

From the Publisher

The Gospel of Philip is one of the most exciting and accessible of the Gnostic texts found at Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945. The source of Dan Brown’s intriguing speculations about Mary Magdalene in his best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, the Gospel of Philip draws on ancient imagery—the natural world, the relationships between women, men and family, the ancient distinctions between lord and servants, free people and slaves, and pagans, Jews and Christians—to offer us insight into the spiritual interpretation of scripture that is at the foundation of Christianity.

The Gospel of Philip: Annotated and Explained unravels the discourses, parables and sayings of this second-century text to explore a spiritual, non-literal interpretation of the Bible. Along with his elegant and accurate new translation from the original Coptic, Andrew Phillip Smith probes the symbolism and metaphors at the heart of the Gospel of Philip to reveal otherwise unrecorded sayings of Jesus, fragments of Gnostic mythology and parallels to the teachings of Jesus and Paul. He also examines the joyful imagery of rebirth, salvation and mystical union in the bridal chamber that was the pursuit of Christian Gnosticism.

Now you can experience this ancient Gospel even if you have no previous knowledge of early Christianity or Gnostic thought. This SkyLight Illuminations edition provides important insights into the historical context and major themes of the Gospel of Philip, and gives you a deeper understanding of the Gospel’s overarching message: deciphering our own meaning behind the symbols of this world increases and enriches our understanding of God.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Skylight Paths Publishing (September 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159473111X
• ISBN-13: 978-1594731112
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,071,255 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

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to gnostic Christianity, June 2, 2008

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This review is from: The Gospel of Philip: Annotated & Explained (SkyLight Illuminations) (Paperback)

"The Gospel of Philip" is considered to be a "Valentinian" gnostic Christian text. Its theology fits well with what is known about Valentinian theology. Valentinian Christianity is one of the more "accessible" forms of gnostic Christianity. This makes this text a good point of entry into study of gnostic Christianity.

However, like "The Gospel of Thomas," this text, rather than explaining everything clearly, invites the reader to make connections in order to understand the inner meaning of its sayings. Unfortunately, the passage of the centuries, the burning of books, and damage to the only surviving copy of this text make the task harder than the original author may have intended. A guide book such as this can be a great aid for a reader new to these writings, and even people who've spent some time reading these texts can learn a thing or two from someone else's sharing of the fruits of their investigations.

Mr. Smith takes a sound approach to the text. He doesn't engage in wild speculations about things like the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. He helps elucidate the text by showing how its expressions relate to things said in other texts, including the New Testament, other gnostic literature, and even the Tolidot Yeshua, a Jewish text.

The book is helpful, especially for someone new to the subject matter of The Gospel of Philip. People familiar with this text can still learn a thing or two from Mr. Smith.