Gnostic religion is the expression of a religious worldview which is dominated by the concept of Gnosis, an esoteric knowledge of God and the human being which grants salvation to those who possess it. Roelof van den Broek presents here a fresh approach to the gnostic current of Late Antiquity within its historical and religious context, based on sources in Greek, Latin and Coptic, including discussions of the individual works of preserved gnostic literature. Van den Broek explores the various gnostic interpretations of the Christian faith that were current in the second and third centuries, whilst showing that despite its influence on early Christianity, gnostic religion was not a typically Christian phenomenon. This book will be of interest to theologians, historians of religion, students and scholars of the history of Late Antiquity and early Christianity, as well as specialists in ancient gnostic and hermetic traditions.

An examination of Gnostic religion in Late Antiquity within its historical and religious context, using Greek, Latin and Coptic sources.

About the Author
Roelof van den Broek is Emeritus Professor of History of Christianity at the University of Utrecht. His books include Studies in Gnosticism and Alexandrian Christianity (1996), Dutch translations, with introductions and notes, of ancient hermetic and Gnostic texts (2006 and 2010), and Pseudo-Cyril of Jerusalem On the Life and the Passion of Christ: A Coptic Apocryphon (2012). He is co-editor of several books, the most recent being Dictionary of Gnosis and Western Esotericism, 2 volumes (with Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Antoine Faivre and Jean-Pierre Brach, 2005).

Reviews
"...This is a trustworthy, nuanced guide to recent scholarship.... Recommended..." --S. Young, McHenry County College, CHOICE



Book Information
ISBN 9781107514799
Author Roelof van den Broek
Format Paperback
Page Count 266
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 360g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 14mm