The Spiritual Seed: The Church of the Valentinians (Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies) [Hardcover]

Einar Thomassen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2005 | ISBN-10: 9004148027 | ISBN-13: 978-9004148024

This book is a comprehensive study of “Valentinianism,” the most important Gnostic Christian movement in Antiquity. It is the first attempt to make full use of the Valentinian documents from Nag Hammadi as well as the reports of the Church Fathers.

The book discusses the difference between the Eastern and the Western branches of Valentinianism, and argues that individual sources must always be understood in the context of the historical development of Valentinian doctrines. It also analyses the ideas about the incarnation, protological theories, and initiation practice, as well as the dynamic relationship between these building-blocks of Valentinian doctrine. A final chapter studies anew the doctrine of Valentinus himself and outlines the history of the movement. The book’s usefulness lies in its attempt to bring together for the first time all the sources so as to construct a coherent picture of Valentinian Christianity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'The Spiritual Seed is in my opinion the most important book on Valentinian Gnostic Christianity published since the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Codices 60 years ago.' Birger A. Pearson (Professor Emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara)."

About the Author

Einar Thomassen obtained his Ph.D. from the University of St Andrews in 1982, and has been Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Bergen since 1993. His publications include Le Traité Tripartite (1989) and numerous articles and books about Gnosticism and ancient religions generally.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 566 pages
• Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers (November 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9004148027
• ISBN-13: 978-9004148024
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,852,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Spiritual Seed, February 16, 2006

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This review is from: The Spiritual Seed: The Church of the 'Valentinians' (Paperback)

This book is an attempt to give a coherent account of "Valentinianism" by making full use of all the sources now available for understanding this peculiar form of Christianity. Such an account is in fact long overdue, considering that the Valentinian texts from Nag Hammadi have now been available for over three decades, and no systematic attempt has been made to integrate them into an overall interpretation of the history and doctrines of Valentinianism. Much valuable work has indeed been done on the individual Nag Hammadi tractates during this time, and important Valentinian figures - Valentinus himself, Marcus "the Magician," Heracleon - have recently attracted new interest and been the subjects of detailed monographs. It is also necessary, however, to paint the larger picture. Indeed, such a wider context is needed not least in order that the individual Valentinian documents themselves may be properly understood, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that become fully meaningful only when they are placed in relation to the depicted scene as a whole.