Research Guides: RELG 222: Gnosticism (HC) Spring 2024: Background Information

Background Information

Intaglio with Pataikos, Isis, and Nephthys (Gnostic gem with scarab). 1st-3rd century CE. The Walters Art Museum.

Background Information on Religions

The following sources provide overviews of religious groups and their practices in the United States. These resources are a quick way for you to find out the basic facts and recent scholarly interpretations.

When using an article in an encyclopedia or handbook, always check the bibliography for further reading at the end of the article. It will provide a selective list of the books, articles, and, frequently, Web resources considered to be the most up-to-date and reliable.

Cambridge history of early Christian literature
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See the chapter on Gnostic literature.

Essays dealing more broadly with the time period may also be of help, like "Social and Historical Setting" and "Articulating Identity."
Dictionary of gnosis and Western esotericism
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A reference guide for Western practices from late antiquity to the present, exploring forms of religiosity that emphasize esoteric knowledge as a way to gain reunion with the divine.
Encyclopedia of religion
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Considered a standard reference in the field, and presents a cross-cultural approach that emphasizes religion's role within everyday life and as a unique experience from culture to culture.

Example articles to consider:

"Gnosticism: Gnosticism from its Origins to the Middle Ages." A helpful description of relevant people and a timeline of gnosticism.

"Gnosticism: Gnosticism as a Christian Heresy" details when Gnosticism was excluded from Christian orthodoxy.
Oxford handbook of early Christian studies
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See the substantive essay on Gnosticism by Antti Marjanen as well as such related pieces as "Women and Gender" and "Pagans and Christians."

Marjanen’s article (Essay 10) gives helpful explanation of Irenaeus’ “Against Heresies”and his polemical devices describing and refuting gnostics. It contains helpful summaries of each of the Nag Hammadi works.
Gnosticism : from Nag Hammadi to the Gospel of Judas by David Brakke
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A video and guidebook set featuring lectures on 24 different aspects of Gnosticism.

Online Resources

Gnosis Archive
Offers introductory material, primary source texts in translation, bibliographies of scholarly research, and links to modern writers influenced by Gnosticism.
Nag Hammadi Archive
Claremont Colleges make the earliest photographs of the Nag Hammadi manuscript available along with scenes of the excavation.
Resources on the Gospel of Thomas