Gnosis: The Nature and History of Gnosticism (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Our knowledge and understanding of any historical phenomenon on is dependent to a quite considerable extent upon the state of our sources, be they written,..." (more)
Key Phrases: gnostic soteriology, gnostic communities, third envoy, Nag Hammadi, Old Testament, New Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Presents a readable and appealing introduction to what otherwise might seem an inaccessible religion of late antiquity.

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (May 6, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060670185
• ISBN-13: 978-0060670184
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,706 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #8 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Reference > Archaeology
  #12 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Church History > Gnosticism
  #79 in	Books > Nonfiction > Foreign Language Nonfiction > German

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rudolf's book is the best one on Gnosis after Jonas., July 8, 1999

By A Customer

It is comprehensive, steeped in the sources and objective which is rare in a field where personal covinctions often interfere with narrative. There are some minor works or subjects which I wanted to see better covered but, nevertheless, it is an outstanding achievement. It helped me a lot to penetrate the world of ancient Gnosticism and finally to write and defend a doctoral thesis on it. It will be published in 2000, alas, in Bulgarian. It also stimulated me to begin researching the influence of Gnosticism through the ages which is enormous but much neglected.

57 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good!, November 24, 2000

By	"burunduk" (Dorchester, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This is a comparatively easy read (if compared to someinsufferable history books I read in college), and it is also veryinformative. No new age [stuff] -- just scholarship and very goodanalysis. This survey is much better than Hans Jonas in that itincorporates Nag Hammadi findings, and is not as hostile. The selectbibliography at the end is a jewel ...

119 of 139 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you ever wanted to know about the Gnostics, April 12, 2000

By	Deirdre A. Le Blanc "Artist/Writer" (VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Although scholarly, this book is most readable. I have found it the best study of the Gnostics individually and as a whole, and Rudolph has portrayed quite well how a group of Gnostic Christians broke away from the older Gnostic sects to produce what has become Catholicism. In addition, he gives us a clear view of how and why the early Gnostics accepted Jesus into their pantheon. I am quite surprised that Messrs. Freke and Gandy had not read this book before writing The Jesus Mysteries, but it does not appear in their bibliography.

From studying the Gnostics one can see where the Roman Church gained it rituals and sacraments, and why it was necessary to denigrate the many Gnostics sects in order to prove theirs was the truest. It is all a matter of belief systems. If you can gain more people who believe in yours (even through persecution), then you can call everyone else a heretic, pagan or infidel.

Rudolph confirmed for me that man has always sought mysteries. Knowledge is power, and secret knowledge is true power. Though Rudolph doesn't say it, Gnosticism was certainly behind the quest throughout the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation, and the reason men like Ficino, Pico, Albertus Magus, Francis Bacon, Giordano Bruno, etc., sought gnosis outside the Roman Church for the right to study suppressed knowledge, which was the beginning of what we know as the Hermetic Arts, Occult science, Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry.