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Zusatztext "I agree with the blurbs on the back of this book. Maurice Wiles finds that the Gnostics presented here are neither bizarre eccentrics nor evil enemies of the Christianity, but rather credible participants in ancient dialogue about meaningful Christiantiy. Gerd Theissen lauds the book as an introduction to an ancient movement and a balanced summary of recent scholarship on that movement. I too recomment this book to anyone interested in early Christian history and ancient intellectual history."-Catholic Book Reviews Online, January 2004 Informationen zum Autor Christoph Markschies is Professor of Early Church History and President of Humboldt University Berlin. Zusammenfassung This introduction to Gnosis by Christoph Markschies combines great clarity with immense learning. In his Introduction, Markschies defines the term Gnosis and its relationship to 'Gnosticism', indicating why Gnosis is preferable and sketches out the main problems. He then treats the sources, both those in the church fathers and heresiologists, and the more recent Nag Hammadi finds. He goes on to discuss early forms of 'Gnosis' in antiquity, Jewish and Christian (New Testament) and the early Gnostics; the main representatives of Gnosis, especially Valentinus and Marcion; Manichaeism as the culmination and end-point of Gnosis; ancient communities of 'Gnostics'; and finally 'Gnosis' in antiquity and the present.There is a useful chronological table and an excellent select bibliography. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction: Definition of Gnosis, its relationship to 'Gnosticism'.Chapter II: The sources, ancient authors (from Irenaeus to Epiphanius), heresologists (Justin and Tertullian), Gnostic original text (the Nag Hammadi material) and non-'Gnostic' texts (the Hermetic Writings and the Hekhalot literature).Chapter III: Early forms of 'Gnosis' in antiquity: Jewish, New Testament, and early representatives (Simon Magus and Basilides).Chapter IV: Marcion and the Marcionites, Valentinus and Valentinians and the 'Barbelo Gnostics'.Chapter V: Manichaeism as the culmination and end-point of Gnosis.Chapter VI: Ancient communities of 'Gnostics'.Chapter VII: 'Gnosis' in antiquity and the present.Index...
