The Gospel of Philip: Annotated & Explained (Skylight Illuminations) (Paperback)

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

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

Product Description
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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 116 pages
• Publisher: Skylight Paths Publishing (August 30, 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.com Sales Rank: #695,757 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	J. Jones "a reader" (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"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.