Beyond the Gnostic Gospels : Studies Building on the Work of Elaine Pagels

This Volume Gathers Contributions From Both Junior And Senior Scholars Whose Studies Have Developed In Dialogue With Elaine Pagels' Work On Nag Hammadi Literature And Ancient Heresiology. Published Initially In 1979, Pagels' The Gnostic Gospels Represents A Landmark Of Scholarship In Religious Studies. It Not Only Made The Nag Hammadi Writings And Gnosticism Popular Topics In Modern Culture, It Also Invited Scholars To Rethink Early Christianity From New Perspectives. What Were Previously Seen As Dry Theological Arguments And Intricate Gnostic Mythologies Received New Interpretations In The Gnostic Gospels As Echoes Of Political Debates About Orthodoxy And Heresy, Clerical Authority, Martyrdom And Gender. After The Gnostic Gospels, Elaine Pagels Extended Her Research In Various Directions, From Perceptions Of Sexuality In Early Christianity And Identity Politics In The Christian Creation Of The Satan Figure To Ancient Biblical Interpretations, Ritual In Nag Hammadi Texts, And, Recently, The Gospel Of Judas And Ancient Apocalypses. The Studies Included In This Volume Engage Each Stage Of Pagels' Vast Trajectory, And Provide Critical Evaluations Of The Field Of Gnosticism Studies As It Has Developed Over The Past Four Decades, In The Subfields Of The Sethian And Valentinian Schools, And Beyond. The Studies Include New Interpretations Of The Nag Hammadi Texts And Fresh Analyses Of Ancient Heresiological Literature. Explorations At The Edges Of Orthodoxy: Elaine Pagels' Study Of The Early Christian World / Philippa Townsend -- Part I: The Social World Of Early Christians: A Life Full Of Meaning And Purpose: Demiurgical Myths And Social Implications / Michael A. Williams -- Rethinking The Diversity Of Ancient Christianity: Responding To Suffering And Persecution / Karen L. King -- The Valentinian Materials In James (nhc V,3 And Ct,2) / Einar Thomassen -- Part Ii: Creating Orthodoxy And Heresy: Irenaeus, The Will Of God, And Anti-valentinian Polemics: A Closer Look At Against The Heresies I.12.1 / Geoffrey S. Smith -- Nor Is One Ambiguity Resolved By Another Ambiguity: Irenaeus Of Lyons And The Rhetoric Of Interpretation / David W. Jorgensen -- Gnostic Spirituality At The Crossroads Of Christianity: Transgressing Boundaries And Creating Orthodoxy / April D. Deconick -- Part Iii: Ritual And Myth: The Problem Of Bad Baptisms: Unclean Spirits, Exorcism, And The Unseen In Second-century Christian Practice / Nicola Denzey Lewis -- Baptismal Vision, Angelification, And Mystical Union In Sethian Literature / John D. Turner -- Thought, Forethought, And Afterthought In The Secret Book Of John / Marvin Meyer -- Part Iv: Christianity In Egypt: Begotten, Not Made, To Arise In This Flesh: The Post-nicene Soteriology Of The Gospel Of Philip / Hugo Lundhaug -- Buried And Raised: Gospel Of Thomas Logion 5 And Resurrection / Annemarie Luijendijk -- The Teaching Hidden In Silence (nh Ii 1,4): Questions, Answers, And Secrets In A Fourth-century Egyptian Book / Eduard Iricinschi -- Clergy, Clairvoyance, And Conflict: The Synod Of Latopolis And The Problem With Pachomius' Visions / Lance Jenott -- Jesus, Mary And Joseph In Egypt / Deirdre Good -- Part V: New Testament Studies: How Far Can You Go? Jesus, John, The Synoptics And Other Texts / Ismo Dunderberg -- Plato, Plutarch, And John: Three Symposia About Love / Harold W. Attridge -- Jesus And The Tradition Of The Elders: Originalism And Traditionalism In Early Judean Legal Theory / Holger M. Zellentin -- Paul The Zealot, A Man Of Constant Sorrow / John G. Gager -- 6 Ezra And Apocalyptic Judaism In Asia Minor / John W. Marshall. Edited By Eduard Iricinschi, Lance Jenott, Nicola Denzey Lewis And Philippa Townsend. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 447-486) And Indexes. Pagels The Gnostic Gospels ( Die gnostischen Evangelien), welches erstmals 1979 veröffentlicht wurde, ist ein richtungsweisendes Werk der Religionswissenschaften. Es machte nicht nur die Nag Hammadi-Schriften und den Gnostizismus zu populären Themen der modernen Kultur, sondern lud auch dazu ein, das frühe Christentum aus einer neuen Perspektive zu überdenken. Nach der Veröffentlichung von The Gnostic Gospels weitete Elaine Pagels ihre Forschungsarbeit in verschiedene Richtungen aus, von Vorstellungen der Sexualität im frühen Christentum und Identitätspolitik bei der Schaffung der Figur des Satan bis zur Rolle von Ritualen in Nag Hammadi-Texten und, in neuester Zeit, dem Judasevangelium und antiken Apokalypsen. Die Beiträge in diesem Band erfassen jede Phase von Pagels weitem Forschungsfeld und bieten eine kritische Einschätzung des Gebiets des »Gnostizismus-Studien«. Die Untersuchungen beinhalten neue Interpretationen der Nag Hammadi-Texte und aktuelle Analysen antiker häresiologischer Literatur.InhaltsübersichtHarold Attridge: Plato, Plutarch, and John: Three Symposia about Love - April DeConick: Gnostic Spirituality at the Crossroads of Christianity: Transgressing Boundaries and Creating Orthodoxy - Ismo Dunderberg: How Far Can You Go? Jesus, John, the Synoptics and Other Texts - John Gager: Paul the Zealot, A Man of Constant Sorrow - Deirdre Good: Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Egypt - Eduard Iricinschi: 'The Teaching Hidden in Silence' (NH II 1,4): Questions, Answers, and Secrets in a Fourth-Century Egyptian Book - Lance Jenott: Clergy, Clairvoyance, and Conflict: The Synod of Latopolis and the Problem with Pachomius' Visions - David Jorgensen: »Nor is one ambiguity resolved by another ambiguity«: Irenaeus of Lyons and the Rhetoric of Interpretation - Karen King: Rethinking the Diversity of Ancient Christianity: Responding to Suffering and Persecution - Nicola Denzey Lewis: The Problem of Bad Baptisms: Rethinking Early Christian Initiation and Its Implications - AnneMarie Luijendijk: Buried and Raised: Gospel of Thomas Logion 5 and Resurrection - Hugo Lundhaug: Begotten, Not Made, to Arise in This Flesh: The Post-Nicene Soteriology of the Gospel of Philip - John Marshall: 6 Ezra and Jewish Reception of Revelation - Marvin Meyer: Thought, Forethought, and Afterthought in the Secret Book of John - Geoff Smith: Irenaeus, the Will of God, and Anti-Valentinian Polemics: A Closer Look at Against the Heresies I.12.1 - Einar Thomassen: The Valentinian Materials in James (NHC V,3 and CT,2) - John D. Turner: Baptismal Vision, Angelification, and Mystical Union in Sethian Literature - Michael A. Williams: A Life Full of Meaning and Purpose: Demiurgical Myths and Social Implications - Holger Zellentin: Jesus and the Tradition of the Elders: Originalism and Traditionalism in Early Judean Legal Theory Cover Titel Table of Contents Abbreviations PHILIPPA TOWNSEND: Explorations at the Edges of Orthodoxy: Elaine Pagels’ Study of the Early Christian World Part I: The Social World of Early Christians MICHAEL A.WILLIAMS: A Life Full of Meaning and Purpose: Demiurgical Myths and Social Implications KAREN L. KING: Rethinking the Diversity of Ancient Christianity: Responding to Suffering and Persecution EINAR THOMASSEN: The Valentinian Materials in James (NHC V,3 and CT,2) Part II: Creating Orthodoxy and Heresy GEOFFREY S. SMITH: Irenaeus, the Will of God, and Anti-Valentinian Polemics: A Closer Look at Against the Heresies 1.12.1 DAVID W. JORGENSEN: Nor is One Ambiguity Resolved by Another Ambiguity: Irenaeus of Lyons and the Rhetoric of Interpretation APRIL D. DECONICK: Gnostic Spirituality at the Crossroads of Christianity: Transgressing Boundaries and Creating Orthodoxy Part III: Ritual and Myth NICOLA DENZEY LEWIS: The Problem of Bad Baptisms: Unclean Spirits, Exorcism, and the Unseen in Second-Century Christian Practice JOHN D. TURNER: Baptismal Vision, Angelification, and Mystical Union in Sethian Literature MARVIN MEYER†: Thought, Forethought, and Afterthought in the Secret Book of John Part IV: Christianity in Egypt HUGO LUNDHAUG: Begotten, Not Made, to Arise in This Flesh: The Post-Nicene Soteriology of the Gospel of Philip ANNEMARIE LUIJENDIJK: Buried and Raised: Gospel of Thomas Logion 5 and Resurrection EDUARD IRICINSCHI: The Teaching Hidden in Silence (NHC II 1,4): Questions, Answers, and Secrets in a Fourth-Century Egyptian Book LANCE JENOTT: Clergy, Clairvoyance, and Conflict: The Synod of Latopolis and the Problem with Pachomius’ Visions DEIRDRE GOOD: Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Egypt Part V: New Testament Studies ISMO DUNDERBERG: How Far Can You Go? Jesus, John, the Synoptics and Other Texts HAROLD W. ATTRIDGE: Plato, Plutarch, and John: Three Symposia about Love HOLGER M. ZELLENTIN: Jesus and the Tradition of the Elders: Originalism and Traditionalism in Early Judean Legal Theory JOHN G. GAGER: Paul the Zealot, A Man of Constant Sorrow JOHN W. MARSHALL: 6 Ezra and Apocalyptic Judaism in Asia Minor Bibliography Contributors Index of References Index of Subjects Explorations at the edges of orthodoxy: Elaine Pagels' study of the early Christian world -- Philippa Townsend Part I: The social world of early Christians: A Life Full of Meaning and Purpose: Demiurgical Myths and Social Implications -- Michael A. Williams Rethinking the Diversity of Ancient Christianity: Responding to Suffering and Persecution -- Karen L. King The Valentinian Materials in James (NHC V,3 and CT,2) -- Einar Thomassen Part II: Creating orthodoxy and heresy: Irenaeus, the Will of God, and Anti-Valentinian Polemics: A Closer Look at Against the Heresies I.12.1 -- Geoffrey S. Smith Nor is one ambiguity resolved by another ambiguity: Irenaeus of Lyons and the Rhetoric of Interpretation -- David W. Jorgensen Gnostic Spirituality at the Crossroads of Christianity: Transgressing Boundaries and Creating Orthodoxy -- April D. DeConick Part III: Ritual and myth: The Problem of Bad Baptisms: Rethinking Early Christian Initiation and Its Implications -- Nicola Denzey Lewis Baptismal Vision, Angelification, and Mystical Union in Sethian Literature -- John D. Turner Thought, Forethought, and Afterthought in the Secret Book of John -- Marvin Meyer Part IV: Christianity in Egypt: Begotten, Not Made, to Arise in This Flesh: The Post-Nicene Soteriology of the Gospel of Philip -- Hugo Lundhaug Buried and Raised: Gospel of Thomas Logion 5 and Resurrection -- AnneMarie Luijendijk The Teaching Hidden in Silence (NH II 1,4): Questions, Answers, and Secrets in a Fourth-Century Egyptian Book -- Eduard Iricinschi Clergy, Clairvoyance, and Conflict: The Synod of Latopolis and the Problem with Pachomius' Visions -- Lance Jenott Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Egypt -- Deirdre Good Part V: New Testament studies: How Far Can You Go? Jesus, John, the Synoptics and Other Texts -- Ismo Dunderberg Plato, Plutarch, and John: Three Symposia about Love -- Harold W. Attridge Jesus and the Tradition of the Elders: Originalism and Traditionalism in Early Judean Legal Theory -- Holger M. Zellentin Paul the Zealot, A Man of Constant Sorrow -- John G. Gager 6 Ezra and Jewish Reception of Revelation -- John W. Marshall. Published initially in 1979, Pagels' The Gnostic Gospels represents a landmark of scholarship in religious studies. It not only made the Nag Hammadi writings and Gnosticism popular topics in modern culture, it also invited scholars to rethink early Christianity from new perspectives. After The Gnostic Gospels , Elaine Pagels extended her research in various directions, from perceptions of sexuality in early Christianity and identity politics in the creation of the Satan figure to the role of ritual in Nag Hammadi texts, and, recently, the Gospel of Judas and ancient apocalypses. The studies included in this volume engage each stage of Pagels' vast trajectory, and provide critical evaluations of the field of Gnosticism studies. The studies include new interpretations of the Nag Hammadi texts and fresh analyses of ancient heresiological literature. Harold Attridge, April DeConick, Ismo Dunderberg, John Gager, Deirdre Good, Eduard Iricinschi, Lance Jenott, David Jorgensen, Karen King, Nicola Denzey Lewis, AnneMarie Luijendijk, Hugo Lundhaug, John Marshall, Marvin Meyer, Geoff Smith, Einar Thomassen, John D. Turner, Michael A. Williams, Holger Zellentin