Recommended by top scholars in the field of Gnostic studies for many years, but has been virtually impossible to find until now. One of the best books on the subject, essential for any serious researcher. Takes the reader through every facet of the Gnostic experience including sections on The Soul is Sent Forth, Glory of the Indwelling Light, The Way to the Higher Mysteries, The Final Secret of the Self, and The Soul Travels Home. Based on rare, surviving works of ancient Gnostic teachers like Pistis Sophia and the two Books of Ieu. Other sources include the Agnew Codex, Bruce Codex, Akhmim Codex, Jung Codex, Cairo Codex, the Gnostic Acts (of Peter, Andrew, John, Thomas and Philip), the Chaldean Oracles, and various Gnostic hymns, prayers, Gospels and papyri. A virtual gold mine of Gnostic material, some translated and presented here for the first time.

Christianity, according to Paul Carus, is the "grandchild of ancient paganism," its character predetermined by everything that came before it, growing naturally from preceding ages to become "the fulfilment of the times, the pleroma of the ages." Arguing that Christianity was derived not from Judaism but was the legitimate result of "the religious development of mankind," the author presents his case, in this work first published in 1909, for the "gentile character" of Christianity. While his interpretation may be provocative, his explorations into paganism, Gnostic movements, kindred sects, and the origins of Judaism make this book essential reading for anyone interested in the history of religion. American philosopher and theologian PAUL CARUS (1852-1919) also wrote The Religion of Science (1893), The Gospel of Buddha (1894), and The History of the Devil (1900).

This book is a facsimile reprint and may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.

This book is a facsimile reprint and may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages.

With A Sketch Of His Work, Life, And Character By The Earl Of Carnarvon.

The Codex Brucianus is a translation of an ancient Gnostic work from the sixth century and was brought to England from Upper Egypt and donated to the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Gnosis is the power of receiving and understanding direct revelation of God and the transformation of the whole man into a spiritual being by contact with Him. This book is a very beautiful Gnostic work and should be read by anyone interested in experiencing the divine Gnosis of God.

In the last twenty years or so, numerous mainstream movies have drawn from the ideas and images of ancient thought to address the collapse of appearance and reality. These films have consistently featured the Gnostic currents that emerged from Plato: not only Gnosticism itself but also Cabbala and alchemy. Despite important differences, these traditions have provided filmmakers with ready-made ruminations on the relationship between surface and depth as well as with engaging plot lines and striking scenes. In films like "The Matrix" (1999) and "The Truman Show" (1998), Gnostic myths have offered speculations on the real as well as conspiracy theories. The Cabbalistic motif of golem-making has provided such movies as "A.I." (2001) and "Blade Runner" (1982) with mediations on the human and with parables of machines yearning for life. Pictures like "Dead Man" (1996) and "Altered States" (1980) have drawn on alchemical symbols to explore the possibilities of transmutation and to feature stories of the dead rising to life. Recent commercial Gnostic films are meditations on the conundrums of the post-modern age and the timeless soul. These pictures constitute archetypal sites for sacred contemplation. They create spaces akin to the caves of Eleusis or Lascaux, chambers where habits are annihilated and the ego is shattered. Maybe this spiritual attraction is the secret reason behind the recent abundance of Gnostic films. If so, then the dream factory is betraying its purpose. It is negating its deceptions and sales in the name of a bewildering reality that cannot be found. "Secret Cinema" explores these possibilities through engaging in three related activities. One, the book establishes the theoretical foundations and implications of the genre of Gnostic cinema. It develops these theoretical elements in the contexts of Gnosticism and the esoteric traditions emerging from it, Cabbala and alchemy. Two, in undertaking this work, Wilson considers several collateral issues. The book discusses the functions of genre, the relationships between cinema and psychology, the connections between the moving image and sacred power, the role of the cinematographic apparatus, and the romance of film. Three, the book is a broad meditation on the seductions of cinema. It is attuned to material attractions of the movies, those gorgeous lights and lurid shadows, but also the film's spiritual invitations, the gaps between the pictures, the empty spaces at the heart of life.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.