Customer Reviews

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

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"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.