In Gnostic Afterlives, fourteen scholars explore the intersection of Gnostic spirituality in American religion and culture. Papers theorize Gnosis/Gnostic in modernity, examine neo-Gnostic movements in America, and investigate the Gnostic in popular American films, literature, art, and other aspects of culture.

In Gnostic Countercultures, fourteen scholars investigate countercultural aspects associated with the gnostic which is broadly conceived with reference to the claim to have special knowledge of the divine, which either transcends or transgresses conventional religious knowledge. The papers explore the concept of the gnostic in Western culture from the ancient world to the modern New Age.

Building on critical work in biblical studies, which shows how a historically-bounded heretical tradition called Gnosticism was 'invented', this work focuses on the following stage in which it was "essentialised" into a sui generis, universal category of religion. At the same time, it shows how Gnosticism became a religious self-identifier, with a number of sizable contemporary groups identifying as Gnostics today, drawing on the same discourses. This book provides a history of this problematic category, and its relationship with scholarly and popular discourse on religion in the twentieth century. It uses a critical-historical method to show how and why Gnosis, Gnostic and Gnosticism were taken up by specific groups and individuals - practitioners and scholars - at different times. It shows how ideas about Gnosticism developed in late nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholarship, drawing from continental phenomenology, Jungian psychology and post-Holocaust theology, to be constructed as a perennial religious current based on special knowledge of the divine in a corrupt world. David G. Robertson challenges how scholars interact with the category Gnosticism, and contributes to our understanding of the complex relationship between primary sources, academics and practitioners in category formation.

The book reveals that Whitefield was both a great man of prayer, and a voracious reader. For instance, he acknowledges Matthew Henry s Commentary, Alleine s Alarm, A Call to the Unconverted, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, among the many classics that he fed upon and found both soul-stirring and soul-satisfying. In his personal life, he very much reminds one of Jonathan Edwards, being so dedicated in all his activities. In fact, all his hours were assigned in this way: ''I . . . generally divided the day into three parts eight hours for study and retirement, eight hours for sleep and meals, and eight hours for reading prayers, catechizing and visiting the parish.'' (p. 41). The Second Journal covered May 1738 to November 1738. This is the first journal that he consented to be printed. He arrived in Georgia on May 17, 1738 He then gives various experiences, sometimes day by day, sometimes a week or more between. The Third Journal covers December, 1738 through June, 1739, when he returned to London. He spoke to huge crowds. He preached almost constantly, and often from morning to midnight he was either preaching or witnessing personally. People almost hung on the rafters to hear him. Throughout this book you will see demonstrated the Scriptures in action. He breathed spirituality in his every appearance, private or public. At this time he was yet but 24 years of age. Such a life, some may say, is not for them. So prone are we to think that some of our hours and thoughts are our own. Whatever one s progress in holiness may be, the reader of these journals may be sure that much of Whitefield s spirit will greatly profit his or her soul. After all, how many opportunities does one have to look into the heart and soul of such a committed servant of God. Get it. It may be but a personal account, but it is sure to be of great value to any Christian. Whitefield (1714-1770) is the justly famous evangelist of the eighteenth century. He wrote his first rather full autobiographical account while on board ship in 1736. The balance of the book chronicles his travels as an evangelist through 1756.Despite the well-known differences in doctrine between Whitefield and John Wesley (which resulted at last in his famous letter to that one), he counted both John and Charles Wesley as dear friends. 332 pages, hard cover

In this new commentary on the controversial Gospel of Thomas, Simon Gathercole provides the most extensive analysis yet published of both the work as a whole and of the individual sayings contained in it. This commentary offers a fresh analysis of Thomas not from the perspective of form criticism and source criticism but seeks to elucidate the meaning of the work and its constituent elements in its second-century context. With its lucid discussion of the various controversial aspects of Thomas, and treatment of the various different scholarly views, this is a foundational work of reference for scholars not just of apocryphal Gospels, but also for New Testament scholars, Classicists and Patrologists.

The controversial and influential Gnostic accounting of the Gospel of John; appearing in English for the first time.