Gnostic Wars

Author : Rossbach Stefan Rossbach
Publisher : Edinburgh University Press
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2019-08-07
Category : POLITICAL SCIENCE
ISBN : 9781474472180

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Gnostic Wars by Rossbach Stefan Rossbach Pdf

In this unique exposition of important and yet often neglected developments in the history of Western spirituality, Stefan Rossbach reminds us of the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of the Cold War era, drawing on the traditions of apocalypticism, millenarianism and 'Gnostic' spirituality.Beginning with the 'Gnostic' systems of late Antiquity, the analysis follows 'lines of meaning' which extend through the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, right up to the present. From the long-term perspective which is thereby established, the spectre of a man-made nuclear apocalypse appears as the latest and most dramatic expression of an outlook on the human condition which refuses to accept limits in the imposition of human designs on the world. The paradoxical continuities that underlie the sense of epoch evoked by the end of the Cold War highlight this work's profound implications for our understanding of contemporary international politics.

Author : Arthur Versluis
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 208 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2006-07-27
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0195345622

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The New Inquisitions by Arthur Versluis Pdf

The only book of its kind, The New Inquisitions is an exhilarating investigation into the intellectual origins of totalitarianism. Arthur Versluis unveils the connections between heretic hunting in early and medieval Christianity, and the emergence of totalitarianism in the twentieth century. He shows how secular political thinkers in the nineteenth century inaugurated a tradition of defending the Inquisition, and how Inquisition-style heretic-hunting later manifested across the spectrum of twentieth-century totalitarianism. An exceptionally wide-ranging work, The New Inquisitions begins with early Christianity, and traces heretic-hunting as a phenomenon through the middle ages and right into the twentieth century, showing how the same inquisitional modes of thought recur both on the political Left and on the political Right.

Author : Eric Voegelin,Gilbert Weiss
Publisher : University of Missouri Press
Page : 348 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 1989
Category : Church and state
ISBN : 9780826261939

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The Collected Works of Eric Voegelin: Modernity without restraint by Eric Voegelin,Gilbert Weiss Pdf

Author : Glenn Hughes,Stephen McKnight,Geoffrey Price
Publisher : A&C Black
Page : 655 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2001-03-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780567347381

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Politics, Order and History by Glenn Hughes,Stephen McKnight,Geoffrey Price Pdf

This volume brings together critical review papers, many specially commissioned, on key themes and questions in the work of the political scientist, philosopher and religious thinker Eric Voegelin (1901-1985). Areas covered include: (1) Political science: 'Political Religions': manifestations in Nazi Germany and in contemporary European and North American nationalism; (2) International relations: the 'Cold War' in critical perspective; (3) Philosophy: Plato and Aristotle in the reading of Eric Voegelin: contemporary assessments; (4) Sociology: Correspondence of Voegelin and Alfred Schütz; (5) New Testament studies and Christology: questions and developments for Voegelin's interpretations; (6) Old Testament studies: questions and developments from Voegelin's Israel and Revelation; (7) Historical sociology: Revelation and order in axial-age societies; (8) Philosophy of history: Voegelin and Toynbee in contrast; (9) Literary studies: Voegelin in contrast with contemporary literary theory; critical readings of Milton, Greek tragedy.

Author : April D. DeConick
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 515 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2016-09-27
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780231542043

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The Gnostic New Age by April D. DeConick Pdf

Gnosticism is a countercultural spirituality that forever changed the practice of Christianity. Before it emerged in the second century, passage to the afterlife required obedience to God and king. Gnosticism proposed that human beings were manifestations of the divine, unsettling the hierarchical foundations of the ancient world. Subversive and revolutionary, Gnostics taught that prayer and mediation could bring human beings into an ecstatic spiritual union with a transcendent deity. This mystical strain affected not just Christianity but many other religions, and it characterizes our understanding of the purpose and meaning of religion today. In The Gnostic New Age, April D. DeConick recovers this vibrant underground history to prove that Gnosticism was not suppressed or defeated by the Catholic Church long ago, nor was the movement a fabrication to justify the violent repression of alternative forms of Christianity. Gnosticism alleviated human suffering, soothing feelings of existential brokenness and alienation through the promise of renewal as God. DeConick begins in ancient Egypt and follows with the rise of Gnosticism in the Middle Ages, the advent of theosophy and other occult movements in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and contemporary New Age spiritual philosophies. As these theories find expression in science-fiction and fantasy films, DeConick sees evidence of Gnosticism's next incarnation. Her work emphasizes the universal, countercultural appeal of a movement that embodies much more than a simple challenge to religious authority.

Author : Willis Barnstone,Marvin Meyer
Publisher : Shambhala Publications
Page : 896 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2009-06-30
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0834824140

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The Gnostic Bible by Willis Barnstone,Marvin Meyer Pdf

Gnosticism was a wide-ranging religious movement of the first millennium CE—with earlier antecedents and later flourishings—whose adherents sought salvation through knowledge and personal religious experience. Gnostic writings offer striking perspectives on both early Christian and non-Christian thought. For example, some gnostic texts suggest that god should be celebrated as both mother and father, and that self-knowledge is the supreme path to the divine. Only in the past fifty years has it become clear how far the gnostic influence spread in ancient and medieval religions—and what a marvelous body of scriptures it produced. The selections gathered here, in poetic, readable translation, represent Jewish, Christian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, Islamic, and Cathar expressions of gnostic spirituality. Their regions of origin include Egypt, the Greco-Roman world, the Middle East, Syria, Iraq, China, and France. Also included are introductions, notes, an extensive glossary, and a wealth of suggestions for further reading.

Author : John F. MacArthur
Publisher : Thomas Nelson
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2008-12-28
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781418568375

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The Truth War by John F. MacArthur Pdf

Right now, truth is under attack, and much is at stake. Perhaps no one in America is more passionate than John MacArthur about exposing those who are mounting this attack?especially those bringing the assault right into the church. There is no middle ground?no safe zone for the uncommitted in this war. The battle for truth is raging, and this book reveals: The pitfalls of postmodern thinking Why the Emerging Church Movement is inherently flawed Past skirmishes in the Truth War and their effect on the Church The importance of truth and certainty in a postmodern society How to identify and address the errors and false teachings smuggled into churches "[The postmodern age] is the age of no truth, an age that has reached a point of deadly fatigue when it comes to facing the truth?a generation that no longer believes truth can be known. Dr. John MacArthur knows better, and he is armed with the courage to confront this age with a bold defense of truth. . . . His argument is compelling, his defense of truth is brilliant, and his concern for the church is evident on every page. The evangelical church desperately needs this book, and it arrives just in time." ?R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Author : Randy Davila
Publisher : Hierophant Publishing
Page : 208 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2009-06-05
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780981877112

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Gnostic Mystery by Randy Davila Pdf

An ancient mystery in today's Middle East . . . Jack Stanton, an American businessman, makes a pilgrimage to war-torn Israel in hopes of rekindling his Christian faith. While traveling with his friend Punjeeh, an ER doctor from Jerusalem, Jack acquires an ancient scroll written by the Gnostics, a mystical group of early Christians--and his spiritual quest takes an unexpected turn. The scroll makes the startling claims that the Gnostics were the original followers of Jesus, and that they retained secret knowledge of Jesus that was not included in the Bible. With the help of the brilliant Chloe Eisenberg, a professor of philosophy and religion, Jack and Punjeeh navigate the dangerous terrain of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in an attempt to decipher the puzzle of the scroll and bring the Gnostics' revelations about Jesus to light. Threaded with the searing realities of today's Middle East, The Gnostic Mystery is packed with historical facts about the Christian religion. The thrilling mystery makes a compelling case that the origins of Christianity are far different than we believed . . . until now.

Author : Elaine Pagels
Publisher : Random House
Page : 281 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2004-06-29
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781588364173

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The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels Pdf

Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time The Gnostic Gospels is a landmark study of the long-buried roots of Christianity, a work of luminous scholarship and wide popular appeal. First published in 1979 to critical acclaim, winning the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, The Gnostic Gospels has continued to grow in reputation and influence over the past two decades. It is now widely recognized as one of the most brilliant and accessible histories of early Christian spirituality published in our time. In 1945 an Egyptian peasant unearthed what proved to be the Gnostic Gospels, thirteen papyrus volumes that expounded a radically different view of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ from that of the New Testament. In this spellbinding book, renowned religious scholar Elaine Pagels elucidates the mysteries and meanings of these sacred texts both in the world of the first Christians and in the context of Christianity today. With insight and passion, Pagels explores a remarkable range of recently discovered gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, to show how a variety of “Christianities” emerged at a time of extraordinary spiritual upheaval. Some Christians questioned the need for clergy and church doctrine, and taught that the divine could be discovered through spiritual search. Many others, like Buddhists and Hindus, sought enlightenment—and access to God—within. Such explorations raised questions: Was the resurrection to be understood symbolically and not literally? Was God to be envisioned only in masculine form, or feminine as well? Was martyrdom a necessary—or worthy—expression of faith? These early Christians dared to ask questions that orthodox Christians later suppressed—and their explorations led to profoundly different visions of Jesus and his message. Brilliant, provocative, and stunning in its implications, The Gnostic Gospels is a radical, eloquent reconsideration of the origins of the Christian faith.

Author : James McConkey Robinson
Publisher : Brill Archive
Page : 516 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 1984
Category : Gnostic literature
ISBN : 9004071857

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The Nag Hammadi Library in English by James McConkey Robinson Pdf

Author : Richard Landes
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 520 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2011-08-04
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780199830527

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Heaven on Earth by Richard Landes Pdf

Millennialists through the ages have looked forward to the apocalyptic moment that will radically transform society into heaven on earth. They have delivered withering critiques of their own civilizations and promised both the impending annihilation of the forces of evil and the advent of a perfect society. And all their promises have invariably failed. We tend, therefore, to dismiss these prophets of doom and salvation as crackpots and madmen, and not surprisingly historians of our secular era have tended to underestimate their impact on our modern world. Now, Richard Landes offers a lucid and ground-breaking analysis of this widely misunderstood phenomenon. This long-awaited study shows that many events typically regarded as secular--including the French Revolution, Marxism, Bolshevism, Nazism--not only contain key millennialist elements, but follow the apocalyptic curve of enthusiastic launch, disappointment and (often catastrophic) re-entry into "normal time." Indeed, as Landes examines the explicit millennialism behind such recent events as the emergence of Global Jihad since 1979, he challenges the common notion that modern history is largely driven by secular interests. By focusing on ten widely different case studies, none of which come from Judaism or Christianity, he shows that millennialism is not only a cultural universal, but also an extremely adaptive social phenomenon that persists across the modern and post-modern divides. At the same time, he also offers valuable insight into the social and psychological factors that drive such beliefs. Ranging from ancient Egypt to modern-day UFO cults and global Jihad, Heaven on Earth both delivers an eye-opening revisionist argument for the significance of millennialism throughout history and alerts the reader to the alarming spread of these ideologies in our world today.

Author : Hans Kelsen,Eric Voegelin
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 146 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : UOM:39015061027234

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A New Science of Politics by Hans Kelsen,Eric Voegelin Pdf

Eric Voegelin is famous as a philosopher of history and a as one of the most eminent political scientists of the 20th century. His most fundamental work on political theory, the 'New Science of Politics', is nowadays considered a classic in its field. While the New Science has always been very controversial book, its critics have hardly ever taken the pain to pinpoint the weaknesses they condemned Voegelins book for. There is, however, one exception: Only shortly after the appearance of Voegelins New Science in 1954, Hans Kelsen has written a most detailed reply to this book of his former student. Being a distinguished philosopher himself of an erudition and breadth of knowledge that matches that of Eric Voegelin, Hans Kelsen is able to support the critical stance he takes on Voegelin 'New Science' by clear and well founded argument. This critical reply to Voegelins New Science is not only an important contribution to the dispute about the foundations of political order in modern society, but will also prove valuable to readers generally interested in Voegelins life and work.

Author : Stephan A Hoeller
Publisher : Quest Books
Page : 269 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2012-12-13
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780835630245

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The Gnostic Jung and the Seven Sermons to the Dead by Stephan A Hoeller Pdf

Jungian psychology based on a little known treatise he authored in his earlier years.

Author : Eric Voegelin
Publisher : University of Missouri Press
Page : 267 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Europe
ISBN : 9780826263971

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Published Essays by Eric Voegelin Pdf

Annotation Contains some of Voegelin's most provocative and interesting work, including his first publications after he fled Vienna; a summary of the two volumes on the growth of the race idea first published in 1933; his analysis of the diplomatic correspondence conducted between the Western powers, the papacy, and the Great Khans; a study of the grounds of much of modern philosophy and of all modern political ideologies; surveys of the state of political theory in the late 40s; studies of utopian thought; and a concluding essay that explores the intricacies of "Gnostic Politics." Edited by Sandoz, director of the Eric Voegelin Institute for American Renaissance Studies at Louisiana State University. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

Author : Clare Goodrick-Clarke,Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke
Publisher : North Atlantic Books
Page : 254 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2005-08-10
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 155643572X

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G. R. S. Mead and the Gnostic Quest by Clare Goodrick-Clarke,Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke Pdf

George Robert Stowe Mead (1863-1933) was a major translator, editor, and commentator on Gnostic and hermetic literature and thus a pivotal figure linking the late 19th-century esoteric revival to 20th-century art, literature, and psychology. As a young convert to the new movement of theosophy, he served as private secretary to its co-founder, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, and after founding the European section of the Theosophical Society edited its London journal, Lucifer, for many years. Mead's initial interest in theosophy and Hinduism soon blossomed into a lifelong and wide-ranging engagement with the texts of Gnosticism, neo-Platonism, and hermeticism. His editions and commentaries on previously inaccessible sources became standard works before the First World War and an important source of inspiration to such figures as Jung, Ezra Pound, Yeats, and Robert Duncan. A new entry in the Western Masters Series of concise biographies noting key figures in the Western esoteric tradition, G.R.S. Mead and the Gnostic Quest introduces Mead's life, works, and influences, combining a substantial biography with a collection of his most important writings.