Author: David Brakke
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674066030
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 181
Book Description
Who were the Gnostics? And how did the Gnostic movement influence the development of Christianity in antiquity? Is it true that the Church rejected Gnosticism? This book offers an illuminating discussion of recent scholarly debates over the concept of ÒGnosticismÓ and the nature of early Christian diversity. Acknowledging that the category ÒGnosticismÓ is flawed and must be reformed, David Brakke argues for a more careful approach to gathering evidence for the ancient Christian movement known as the Gnostic school of thought. He shows how Gnostic myth and ritual addressed basic human concerns about alienation and meaning, offered a message of salvation in Jesus, and provided a way for people to regain knowledge of God, the ultimate source of their being. Rather than depicting the Gnostics as heretics or as the losers in the fight to define Christianity, Brakke argues that the Gnostics participated in an ongoing reinvention of Christianity, in which other Christians not only rejected their ideas but also adapted and transformed them. This book will challenge scholars to think in news ways, but it also provides an accessible introduction to the Gnostics and their fellow early Christians.
The Gnostics
Author: David Brakke
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674066030
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 181
Book Description
Who were the Gnostics? And how did the Gnostic movement influence the development of Christianity in antiquity? Is it true that the Church rejected Gnosticism? This book offers an illuminating discussion of recent scholarly debates over the concept of ÒGnosticismÓ and the nature of early Christian diversity. Acknowledging that the category ÒGnosticismÓ is flawed and must be reformed, David Brakke argues for a more careful approach to gathering evidence for the ancient Christian movement known as the Gnostic school of thought. He shows how Gnostic myth and ritual addressed basic human concerns about alienation and meaning, offered a message of salvation in Jesus, and provided a way for people to regain knowledge of God, the ultimate source of their being. Rather than depicting the Gnostics as heretics or as the losers in the fight to define Christianity, Brakke argues that the Gnostics participated in an ongoing reinvention of Christianity, in which other Christians not only rejected their ideas but also adapted and transformed them. This book will challenge scholars to think in news ways, but it also provides an accessible introduction to the Gnostics and their fellow early Christians.
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674066030
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 181
Book Description
Who were the Gnostics? And how did the Gnostic movement influence the development of Christianity in antiquity? Is it true that the Church rejected Gnosticism? This book offers an illuminating discussion of recent scholarly debates over the concept of ÒGnosticismÓ and the nature of early Christian diversity. Acknowledging that the category ÒGnosticismÓ is flawed and must be reformed, David Brakke argues for a more careful approach to gathering evidence for the ancient Christian movement known as the Gnostic school of thought. He shows how Gnostic myth and ritual addressed basic human concerns about alienation and meaning, offered a message of salvation in Jesus, and provided a way for people to regain knowledge of God, the ultimate source of their being. Rather than depicting the Gnostics as heretics or as the losers in the fight to define Christianity, Brakke argues that the Gnostics participated in an ongoing reinvention of Christianity, in which other Christians not only rejected their ideas but also adapted and transformed them. This book will challenge scholars to think in news ways, but it also provides an accessible introduction to the Gnostics and their fellow early Christians.
Sex
Author: Alastair J. L. Blanshard
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119062535
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
Sex: Vice and Love from Antiquity to Modernity examines theimpact that sexual fantasies about the classical world have had onmodern Western culture. Offers a wealth of information on sex in the Greek andRoman world Correlates the study of classical sexuality with modern Westerncultures Identifies key influential themes in the evolution of eroticdiscourse from antiquity to modernity Presents a serious and thought-provoking topic with greataccessibility
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119062535
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
Sex: Vice and Love from Antiquity to Modernity examines theimpact that sexual fantasies about the classical world have had onmodern Western culture. Offers a wealth of information on sex in the Greek andRoman world Correlates the study of classical sexuality with modern Westerncultures Identifies key influential themes in the evolution of eroticdiscourse from antiquity to modernity Presents a serious and thought-provoking topic with greataccessibility