From Publishers Weekly This book may well be the most comprehensive collection of Gnostic materials ever gathered in one volume. After a dry introduction to current debates about gnosticism (by Meyer) and a luminous, marvelously literary introduction to issues of translation (by Barnstone), the bulk of the text is taken up with primary sources, which are drawn from three continents and span an astonishing 13 centuries. These are helpfully organized into various schools of Gnostic tradition: Sethian, Valentinian, Syrian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, and--in an unusual move--relatively late Islamic and Cathar texts. Each grouping of texts is preceded by a brief introduction to that particular section's brand of Gnosticism. What is clear from this sourcebook is the tremendous diversity of thought that exists under the "Gnostic" umbrella, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, pagan, Zoroastrian and Greco-Roman themes. Many of the texts are being published here in English for the first time, making this a valuable resource for students and scholars.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review "Elegantly translated. . . . An important sampler of relatively unknown spiritual literature."— Library Journal
Gnosticism was a wide-ranging religious movement of the first millennium CE—with earlier antecedents and later flourishings—whose adherents sought salvation through knowledge and personal religious experience. Gnostic writings offer striking perspectives on both early Christian and non-Christian thought. For example, some gnostic texts suggest that god should be celebrated as both mother and father, and that self-knowledge is the supreme path to the divine. Only in the past fifty years has it become clear how far the gnostic influence spread in ancient and medieval religions—and what a marvelous body of scriptures it produced. This is the first time that such a rich and diverse collection of gnostic texts have been brought together in a single volume, in translations that allow the spirit of the original texts to shine. The selections gathered here, in poetic, readable translation, represent Jewish, Christian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, Islamic, and Cathar expressions of gnostic spirituality. Their regions of origin include Egypt, the Greco-Roman world, the Middle East, Syria, Iraq, China, and France. Also included are introductions, notes, an extensive glossary, and a wealth of suggestions for further reading.
From Publishers Weekly This book may well be the most comprehensive collection of Gnostic materials ever gathered in one volume. After a dry introduction to current debates about gnosticism (by Meyer) and a luminous, marvelously literary introduction to issues of translation (by Barnstone), the bulk of the text is taken up with primary sources, which are drawn from three continents and span an astonishing 13 centuries. These are helpfully organized into various schools of Gnostic tradition: Sethian, Valentinian, Syrian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, and--in an unusual move--relatively late Islamic and Cathar texts. Each grouping of texts is preceded by a brief introduction to that particular section's brand of Gnosticism. What is clear from this sourcebook is the tremendous diversity of thought that exists under the "Gnostic" umbrella, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, pagan, Zoroastrian and Greco-Roman themes. Many of the texts are being published here in English for the first time, making this a valuable resource for students and scholars.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review "Elegantly translated. . . . An important sampler of relatively unknown spiritual literature."— Library Journal

motw/The Gnostic Bible_ Gnostic Texts of Mystic - Willis Barnstone.pdf

lgli/P:\kat_magz\20 Philosophy Books Collection PDF Set 55\Books/Barnstoneandmeyer Eds The Gnostic Bible.pdf

nexusstc/The Gnostic Bible: Gnostic Texts of Mystical Wisdom form the Ancient and Medieval Worlds/f4bd79ca6e27d6da31496583ceffb530.pdf

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The Gnostic Bible: Gnostic Texts of Mystical Wisdom from the Ancient and Medieval Worlds

The Gnostics and their scriptures

Willis Barnstone; Marvin W. Meyer

Shambhala Redstone Editions

Shambhala Pocket Classics

United States, United States of America

First edition, Boston, Mass, 2003

1 edition, December 2, 2003

Boston, Mass, 2004

0

lg305688

producers:
Adobe Acrobat 8.1

{"edition":"1","isbns":["1570622426","9781570622427"],"last_page":880,"publisher":"Shambhala"}

Memory of the World Librarian: Quintus

Includes bibliographical references (p. 835-848) and index.

Publisher's description: Gnosticism was a wide-ranging religious movement of the first millennium CE--with earlier antecedents and later flourishings--whose adherents sought salvation through knowledge and personal religious experience. Gnostic writings offer striking perspectives on both early Christian and non-Christian thought. For example, some gnostic texts suggest that god should be celebrated as both mother and father, and the self-knowledge is the supreme path to the divine. Only in the past fifty years has it become clear how far the gnostic influence spread in ancient and medieval religions--and what a marvelous body of scriptures it produced. This is the first time that such a rich and diverse collection of gnostic texts have been brought together in a single volume, in translations that allow the spirit of the original texts to shine. The selections gathered here, in poetic, readable translation, represent Jewish, Christian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, Islamic, and Cathar expressions of gnostic spirituality. Their regions of origin include Egypt, the Greco-Roman world, the Middle East, Syria, Iraq, China, and France. Also included are introductions, notes, an extensive glossary, and a wealth of suggestions for further reading

I was very disappointed by this purchase, as it was NOT the Gnostic Bible as advertised. While the product description implies that this item is a copy of the Gnostic Bible, with certain sections being read on the included CDs, the "book" included is little more than a booklet of commentaries, and the CDs, while nicely made, are nothing more than selections from the Gnostic Bible. Had it not been for the fact that I made this purchase expecting to get the book I needed for a seminary class I'm currently taking, I would have almost been happy with my purchase. However, even if that were the case, and I hadn't been duped into spending money on a product that was not what I needed, I would still be rather disappointed by the fact that much of the desired materials are missing from this work. So, if you are simply looking for something nice and easy to get your feet wet with, feel free to get this "book". If, however, you are a serious student of Gnosticism, or are looking to otherwise add something substantial to your collection, make sure to purchase the right Gnostic Bible (the one with no CDs).

Edited By Willis Barnstone And Marvin Meyer. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 821-848) And Index.

2010-08-30