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Seeking Recommendation Books to study Gnosticism

Seeking recommendations for books.

Morell

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I'm looking on books on Gnosticism, modern if possible. I want to get into understanding of this system and honestly ancient texts are hard to understand deeply for me, Gnostic gospels make little deeper sense to someone who is not even Christian...
 

Evara

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This channel is a good resource.
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I'm going to just steal what they have in their video description and post it. They're not my recommendations, but I trust Justin's taste for old occult literature. Especially when it's Abrahamic flavored.

Recommended Readings:
Meyer - The Nag Hammadi Scriptures
Robinson - The Nag Hammadi Library
Davies - The Secret Book of John
King - The Secret Revelation of John
van den Broek - Gnostic Religion in Antiquity
Lambdin - Introduction to Sahidic Coptic
Williams - Rethinking "Gnosticism": An Argument for Dismantling a Dubious Category
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Gnosticism to me has always felt like the smothered whistle blower.
But... it's stance that "creation is entirely lost and we must escape back to the source" I think is... dangerous.
It's throwing the baby out with the bath water and wash tub.

But it was defiantly onto something when it came to corrupted and compromised Gods.
 

KjEno186

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There's the Nag Hammadi Scriptures, for reference.

Jesus and the Lost Goddess: The Secret Teachings of the Original Christians by Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy

The Gnostic Jesus Christ & Yaldabaoth His Ignorant Unbegotten Brother by David Allen Neron
 

Morell

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Gnosticism to me has always felt like the smothered whistle blower.
But... it's stance that "creation is entirely lost and we must escape back to the source" I think is... dangerous.
It's throwing the baby out with the bath water and wash tub.

But it was defiantly onto something when it came to corrupted and compromised Gods.
The return to the source is puzzling, but back then I guess that Christianity had to leave it's mark. Perhaps they didn't succeed with their goal and got pushed back believing that they are liberated, when they were not.
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Gnostic Collection Zip on Book Shares
Damn, should have looked before. Found it, thanks!
 

Jsinclair

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The return to the source is puzzling, but back then I guess that Christianity had to leave it's mark. Perhaps they didn't succeed with their goal and got pushed back believing that they are liberated, when they were not.
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Damn, should have looked before. Found it, thanks!
It wasn't there before. I just compiled and posted it last night then informed this thread. My pleasure.
 

stalkinghyena

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The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels is worth a read if you want to get a perspective on how early Christians developed the gradual distinction between "gnostic" heresy and the evolving apostolic doctrines that developed into a structured Church.
 

Evara

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The return to the source is puzzling, but back then I guess that Christianity had to leave its mark. Perhaps they didn't succeed with their goal and got pushed back believing that they are liberated, when they were not.
Basically it’s a view that all life contains a spark of the Sacred. They wanted to give their spark back and escape everything else by dissolving. The viewed “heaven”, as a trap.
 

Morell

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Basically it’s a view that all life contains a spark of the Sacred. They wanted to give their spark back and escape everything else by dissolving. The viewed “heaven”, as a trap.
Agreed, it is a trap. This spark is there, but it is not supposed to return, but to grow fire of it's own. No child returns into their parent.
 

Evara

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Agreed, it is a trap. This spark is there, but it is not supposed to return, but to grow fire of it's own. No child returns into their parent.
I don't think creation is a trap. I think it's the place emergence.
Which includes our side of the veil. The structures inside it are constructed using human soul Godforms.
Dissolving and returning to the Sacred is just.... quitting....

And I 100% agree with you. Souls are supposed to grow fire on their own.
Which is why I greatly dislike religions and faiths that paint humanity as something that needs to be saved from themselves.
It's a subtle way of infantilizing souls and tricking them into handing over their sovereignty to others.
 
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