This complete edition of the Corpus Hermeticum, which introduces in eighteen chapters the religious and philosophical principles of Hermetics, was translated by G. R. S. Mead. Hermetics is a religious, philosophical, and esoteric practice based around the beliefs and writings of the pagan priest Hermes Trismegistus. Influential for its distinct beliefs and characteristics, Hermeticism carried a profound influence over the Renaissance in Europe. Many Christian believers paid it heed, with much art depicting the Hermetic belief system appearing between the 14th and 17th centuries in particular. Notably, Hermetics claims to be a descended version of the prisca theologia - a principle which affirms there is but one, true theology in the world. This essence of the divine is present in all religions, and was according to legend given to mankind in distant antiquity. This belief, discussed by Hermes Trismegistus, has led many scholars of philosophy and religion to examine Hermetics in detail.

Pistis Sophia: A Gnostic Gospel, translated by G.R.S. Mead. The Gnostics were composed of a number of early Christian mystical sects. Their teachers were persecuted and documents destroyed because the Church desired a uniform set of beliefs to operate under. Only now have we begun to better appreciate these early Christian mystics. Pistis Sophia was the most important Gnostic document until the discovery and publication of The Nag Hammadi Library. This work remains an important milestone in Gnostic research, on par with Nag Hammadi, and should be part of any serious study. It is the story of how we, as spiritual beings, have fallen into the world of physical creation. The soul is asleep here, bogged down in physical surroundings, unaware of its true nature. The purpose of this gospel is to awaken us, and aid in the process of spiritual freedom.

A document of paramount historical importance, not only in terms of Christianity but also with respect to the development of Western religion. It chronicles the teachings of Jesus, who explains life's mysteries to his disciples and Mary Magdalene. Their discussions take place after Christ's resurrection and include accounts of his ascension into heaven.

George Robert Stow Mead (1863 1933) was for twenty-five years a prominent member of the Theosophical Society and worked closely with its founder, Helena Blavatsky. He was fascinated both by eastern religions and by western esotericism, including gnosticism, and published widely in these areas. Pistis Sophia, an important, probably second-century, text preserved in a Coptic manuscript, presents complex gnostic teachings in 'gospel' format, as having been addressed by Jesus Christ to his disciples after the resurrection. This translation, based on a Latin version published in 1851, appeared in 1896 and was the first English version of a major gnostic work. The book also includes passages from the Books of the Saviour found in the same manuscript. Mead's introduction discusses the origin of the texts and highlights their difficulty. It also describes the upsurge of scholarly interest in Gnosticism in the mid-nineteenth century and the mysterious history of the manuscript itself.