Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harper & Row
Date Published: 1981
ISBN-13:9780060669294ISBN:0060669292
Description: Good in Good jacket. Underlining and marking, past owner's name stamps, several page corners folded over. Jacket spine sunned. Buy with confidence-Satisfaction Guaranteed! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harper & Row
Date Published: 1981
ISBN-13:9780060669294ISBN:0060669292
Description: Very Good. Isbn mtaches very clean hardcover w/ dj. preowner name inside cover. very clean text FAST SHIPPING W/ CONFIRMATION. NO PRIORITY OR INTERNATIONAL ORDERS OVER 4LBs. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harper & Row
Date Published: 1981
ISBN-13:9780060669294ISBN:0060669292
Description: Good. 1977 edition. 493 pages. Same ISBN. There is an open tear to the top edge of the dust jacket. Part of the first end page has removed. There is a name on the edge of the book. A few pages have underlining. We ship daily. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harper & Row
Date Published: 1981
ISBN-13:9780060669294ISBN:0060669292
Description: Very Good. 1977 hardcover from a private collection. dj edges are tattered and faded, corner price clipped, dj protected in mylar cover. Very good copy, unmarked and gently read. Committed to please! READ HEAR NOW. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper & Row, San Francisco
Date Published: 1977
Description: Good+ Trade Paperback. Lower fore corner of the back cover is ceased, with a very minor (coffee? ) stain, else binding is clean and unworn. The same stain shows up on the bottom edge and has penetrated in a very minor fashion onto the lower margins of about a third of the book. Otherwise the contents are clean and unworn on easy-on-the-eyes off-white paper.; 8" Tall, 493pp. The PAPER COVER is about the weight of posterboard. RELIGION. Translated by members of the Coptic Gnostic Library Project ... read more
Edition: First Printing
Binding: Olive Cloth 6" x 9 1/4"
Publisher: Harper & Row, New York
Date Published: 1977
ISBN-13:9780060669294ISBN:0060669292
Description: VG, corners/spine ends a little worn, DJ Good 493 pp. DJ corners/spine ends worn, a little rubbed, few 1/2" tears top edge. stamps on free endpapers/page ends, ISBN 0-06-066929-2, read more
Description: Good. No Jacket. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. Third completely revised edition, book is tight with no markings, some soiling to page edges, back wrap has a two inch tear along the bottom, some staining spots to back wrap and first blank page, wraps have some rubbing and light soiling with corners curling. read more
Description: Jan1506-01a (Feb2009); Very good. No dust jacket as issued. No spine crease, so probably never read. No marks, no bumps, no creases. Minor scrape along top edge of rear cover-tiny amount of paper missing. Glued binding. Thick trade-size paperback. 549 p. Jan1506-01a (Feb2009); Comparative Religion; Gnostic literature; Gnosticism; Philosophy; read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harper & Row
Date Published: 1981
ISBN-13:9780060669294ISBN:0060669292
Description: As-New/Very Good First Edition, 2nd Printing HC with DJ. An exceptional copy in brand new condition inside and out. Excellent clipped DJ. 6.5" x 9.5", 493 pages, index. For the first time in one volume, one of the most dramatic archeological finds of the century-all of the documents of the secret Gnostic writings of ancient Egypt unearthed at Nag Hammadi. The sacred texts are essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the cradle of civilization at the time of Jesus and early ... read more
Binding: Unbound
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Date Published: 1981-03-01
ISBN-13:9780060669348ISBN:0060669349
Description: Good. Excellent customer service. May ship from alternate location depending on your zip code and availability. Satisfaction guaranteed! ! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harper & Row
Date Published: 1981
ISBN-13:9780060669294ISBN:0060669292
Description: Good. Excellent customer service. May ship from alternate location depending on your zip code and availability. Satisfaction guaranteed! ! read more
Edition: Revised Edition
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Harper & Row Pubishers, New York, New York
Date Published: 1988
ISBN-13:9780060669348ISBN:0060669349
Description: Fine. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. 549 pages; tight and clean. NO creasing to spine. I'm not so sure that this book has been read. Great condition! read more
Edition: REVISED EDITION
Binding: Paperbound
Publisher: HARPER & ROW, New York
Date Published: 1988
ISBN-13:9780060669348ISBN:0060669349
Description: Good in N/A jacket. RELIGION/GNOSTIC SCRIPTURES PAPERBOUND WITH NO DJ FROM THE PUBLISHER IN GOOD CONDITION. TEXT CONTAINS SOME UNDERLINING IN INK AND SOME HIGHLIGHTING. OLD BOOK PRICE ON THE FRONT FLYLEAF IN PENCIL. NOTES ON THE BACK FLYLEAF IN INK. SOLID BINDING. COVER IS SLIGHTLY SOILED WITH SLIGHT SCUFFING, AND VERY SLIGHT EDGE WEAR. read more
"Typically when one does any scholarship, he or she uses source material relatively close to the font of that source. In this particular case, all of these books or letters were written in the second century. In addition, there is not any record that any of the writers of the epistles actually knew Jesus. We have names which imply that actual apostles wrote them, but there is no evidence whatsoever to support this and in fact, considerable evidence against it. In addition, these texts were found buried in Egypt. While it is true that there was a large contingent of Jews in Alexandria, there is no evidence to support that any of this was even remotely mainstream, even in Egypt, much less in Israel before or after the dispersion.
The worst criticism of Gnosticism which one can bring is exactly what another review lauds, that there are hierarchies of knowledge of God. These occur because one comes to "experience" God inwardly in a way in which others, not yet as "experienced," cannot know. In this way, Gnosticism is appealing to people who prefer, say Scientology to Christianity. The only thing missing is the language of being clear.
Does Gnosticism make its version of Christianity more appealing? I think it does simply because it promotes inner spiritual awareness and does away with a lot of silly rules that we encounter elsewhere such as in Romans 13: 8-9. However the greatest criticism of Gnosticism is this: Gnosticism does away with Jesus Christ. No more virgin birth, no more women at the tomb, no more visiting the underworld and no more ascension to heaven. The good part is that it cuts down on one's obligations: your truth remains what you experience, what you learn about God inside yourself. It's an old song in a different guise. Secular humanism didn't invent itself last century.
It is unfortunate that Gnostic writings are inconsistent with the Biblical scheme of things which founds itself directly on Christ's teachings of the first century. Despite what one hears from itinerant atheists posing as college professors, there is no evidence whatsoever to suppose that Biblical accounts are not so. This, of course, does not deny that there are arguments about certain passages of Biblical scripture. However, not one of these arguments does away with a single message of Christ as the one and only son of God.
Secularists have been pounding on these Gnostic writings for years, maintaining that there was a secret collaboration from the church to suppress the truth. Da Vinci Code anyone? I fully understand why one would enjoy getting rid of Jesus as the one and only son of God: that would make religion much freer and open to interpretation. Thus God becomes somewhat of a bumbling idiot presented in so many secular views of this age. The one problem of course, is that these views aren't new. They always show up with a new name, each maintaining themselves to be correct.
It is true that these books were deliberately not included when the Bible was compiled, chiefly by Jerome in 405 and you can read why if you want to understand. Its compilation and translation to the Latin Vulgate is not without issue, but that is certainly a larger topic; his dismissal of the so-called Gnostic Gospels is not an effort of subterfuge, but one of consistency and sense. Far from agreeing with the canon of our New Testament, the Gnostic Gospels are inconsistent with the Old Testament also.
Lastly, these Gnostic texts should be read. Each person interested should not read a book about these books, but read the original text, just as he or she should read the Bible as we know it, either Catholic or Protestant versions. To do anything else is to give disservice to the fundamental spiritual truths of him or herself. The truth of Jesus Christ is about spiritual life, one which rises above our natural inclinations. This requires considerable humility. I am unable to do that alone. On the other hand, if you have no desire to do anything other than dream, you can follow Gnostic texts as gospel. Gnosticism costs a little more these days but what's spiritual clarity worth on the open market? Christ gives it to you for free, but it requires personal change. If paying for spiritual clarity is more your style, enjoy your trance-like states, believe the Gnostic gospels and please say hello to L. Ron Hubbard for me."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
