Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing by Stephan A. Hoeller

Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing Reviews

• 
  Algirdas Brukštus

  Gera knyga pirmai pažinčiai su gnosticizmu.
• 
  Mark

  Dr Hoeller explains the basic tennets of the modern Gnostic movement with reference to the historical Gnostics. Much of what is known about Gnosticism is through stories, myths, and criticism which can make explaining the tradition a bit difficult. In a nation founded on Orthodox Christian beliefs, shifting your viewpoint to understand the Gnostic world view can be hard. Dr Hoeller does a decent job showing this worldview, though I found his approach a little haphazard. Many of the chapters can be read stand alone as they don't form a consistent and building viewpoint. I especially enjoy the Gnostic Adam and Eve myth which seems more reasoned and less accusatory. I consider myself a Gnostic and have for many years; with that in mind I think this is a good starting point for someone checking out Gnosticism for the first time, but definitely not an authoratative voice for the whole of the religion.
• 
  Jonathan

  By no means is this a book for theologians. Neither do you have to be of a 'religious' disposition to find this book insightful. A fantastic introduction to this, often misunderstood, sect of Christianity. It provides information on theological origins, its evolution throughout the changes in history, right up to how it has influenced many well known philosophers, psychologists and writers of fiction. Easy to follow and understand, the only downside is a rather preachy last chapter, albeit short.
• 
  Ryan

  A thorough introduction to the history and thought of Gnosticism. Well written and easily read, Hoeller’s book explores the major mythological teachings of the ancient wisdom tradition, the Gnostic Christ, Sophia, and a historical overview of Gnostic movements (Manichaeans, Mandeans, Cathers). But the best part of this quick and concise introduction is the glossary of terms and suggested reading at the end of the book. This helps any neophyte continue his or her study of the Gnostic tradition.
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  JJ

  This book is an indispensable introduction to the subject of Gnosticism--its history, and principles. The book is concise and sympathetic presentation of the teachings and spiritual ambience of the Gnostic tradition. The author states in the introduction that the book is not really a work of academic scholarship. I think this is rather a good thing, as most of the books I have read so far on the subject were academic scholarship with a disgusting bias towards the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Christianity. With that said, I enjoyed the author's rather free-thinking approach to the subject. If you liked Elaine Pagel's: Gnostic Gospels then I believe you will like this book as well. The difference is this author rather defends Gnosticism and the Gnostics. Elaine Pagels on the other hand defended the corrupt child molesting Roman Catholic Church as if Orthodox Christianity's bloody history justified the end. The author tried to limit references and documentation to an irreducible minimum while expanding the list of recommended reading and annotating it for the readers convenience. The format and style of this book are rather simple than those of his other books. For this reason, the book aspires to serve as an introduction to the subject. Gnosticism is not only for the learned or the pious. Like other esoteric systems of teaching, it might be likened to an ocean, wherein a small child may wade in the shallows while a deep-sea diver may penetrate into the depths. Still, it is impossible to write a book that could bear the title Gnosticism for Dummies. The subject is not one that lends itself to an all too elementary treatment; rather, it requires a certain subtle of thinking and a proclivity for an intuitive perception. The title of the book describes it as containing insights into a tradition. This is intended not as a mere figure of speech, for Gnosticism is truly a tradition and not a mere collection of ideas, myths, and symbols that may be interpreted according to any whim or opinion. Gnosticism is a philosophy geared towards spirituality and those who are on the spiritual path and/or spiritually awakened. Gnosis is knowledge from experience; transcendental experience to be precise. Seeing beyond the five senses and leaving-the-body. This is why Gnosticism requires intuitive perception to truly appreciate it's philosophy and scriptures. Anyhow, upon reading this book you will learn:
  
  1. The Gnostic view of the divine and the manifest world, good and evil, and the essence of the human soul.
  
  2. The Gnostic Christ as the messenger of light and the guide to sacred mysteries.
  
  3. Sophia, the Gnostic archetype of Feminine Wisdom.
  
  4. The scriptures, sacraments, and rituals of Gnostic religions such as the Mandaean, holding secret wisdom traced back to John the Baptist; the Manichaen, founded by the  Great third-century Persian prophet, Mani; and the Cathar, the glorious and persecuted movement in medieval southern France.
  
  5. Gnostic literature and its influence on cultural giants such Voltaire, Blake, Yeats, Hesse, Melville, and Jung.
  
  6. Gnosticism west and east, what constitutes a Gnostic, and how Gnosticism can guide us into the twenty-first century. 
  
  
  Great introduction to Gnosticism!
• 
  Colleen

  On one hand, this book was precisely what I wanted: it is a quick and easy read, and it lays out many of the tenets of the Gnostic faith, presented within a strong framework of history. After reading it, I feel qualified to discuss Gnosticism with other individuals on the basis of what Gnostics believe, how they view the world, their sacred texts, and their method of living. It also fulfilled my primary purpose of researching Gnosticism: I now know enough to play with the basic precepts to use the ideas and forms presented in a fictional world if I so choose.
  
  On the other, this book fails to be a good, objective view on the subject. I will grant that books on religion written by practitioners of that religion are unequivicably biased. But maybe Bart Ehrman raised the bar for me in what I expect from critical religious literature. There were many assumptions in the text that were faulty, either due to poor research, or a desire to oversimplify the world. In Hoeller's book, there are only three paths being pursued in today's world: the Judeo-Christian-Muslum monotheistic outlook, the elevation of science and technology to a religion, or a New-Age jumble of philosophies dressed in ritual that lack discipline. As an adherent of none of these, I found his regular - and voiciferous - condemnation of such philosophies to be tiring.
  
  It also made some basic assumptions about Christianity that are false - such as the fact that Christianity as a whole believes in "original sin," or that everyone interprets the creation story of Genesis in the same way. Since Hoeller does mention a Mormon scholar at one point, one must wonder how he is so ignorant of the breadth of practices and beliefs present in those who proclaim to follow Christ. Indeed, half of this book read as a diatribe against the early Catholic Church and the writers like Iraeneus who penned tractates against the Gnostics in the first two centuries A.D. In that way, it is no better than those who did it the disservice in the first place. The other half of the book reads as a diatribe against "modernism," "rationalism," and other such philosophies. The true nuggets are in the middle of the book where Hoeller briefly relates the tale of the creation of the universe through the fall and redemption of Sophia, and the view of the role and nature of Jesus. However, this is weakened by the bookends of diatribe and condemnation that open and close the work.
  
• 
  Manuel Vega

  You may resignate or not with Gnosticism, but this book is as clear as it can be about it. I didn't feel any proselytizing attitude, on the contrary; a very honest exposition of this spiritual path that removes many of the prejudices we may have about it.
• 
  Sophia

  lovely intro to gnostic cosmology and history, appropriate for the layman to esotericism. Makes abundant references to Jung and deep psychology, which results in an introduction well cemented in relatively recent works as well as the Nag Hammadi Library and other manuscripts. My one misgiving is the somewhat ambiguous references it makes to hermetic philosophy, as it does not attempt to characterize the relationship between the two in any satisfactory way.
  All in all, I would absolutely recommend this to others who may be new to Gnosticism and wish to learn more without stopping at the wikipedia article.
• 
  Evan Grove

  Better to just read the gnostic works themselves. Not what I was looking for.
• 
  Madeleine

  Heady, insightful and properly eye-opening. I'll have more to say once I've digested this a bit because, while blessedly accessible, the amount and variety of information presented here is tremendous. It did reaffirm that Gnosticism appeals to me far more than mainstream Christianity, as well as my suspicion that a lot of people who read and reviewed this book did so neither carefully nor with open minds.
• 
  Ali Abbas

  A great primer on the lost teachings of old. Recommend to anybody who's looking to reframe their thinking on spirituality and our place in the universe. A slightly less urgent, but still important recommendation for those who would be interested in the "alternative" development of religion, that existed in defiance of the patriarchal and oppressive institutions that have shaped the world we live in today.
• 
  Anjoo

  A rather nice primer regarding the nature and history of Gnosticism. Hoeller's prose is very easily readable and explains the more central beliefs and tenants of the religious tradition rather well, containing quotations from many sacred texts. The further reading section also contains a wealth of extremely worthwhile books on Gnosticism.
• 
  Greg

  He doesn't paint a clear enough picture to call it an introduction to Gnosticism and he doesn't go very deep. Wikipedia does a better job because you can follow hyperlinks to get more info.
• 
  T Fool

  The purpose is to give Gnosticism a 'good name'. Clean up misunderstanding, establish a valid pedigree among recognized religions.
  
  So it proceeds historically. Documents from ancient sources are negative, but suggest why gnostic ideas were spurned. Hoeller prefers to follow Nag Hammadi texts to establish an alternative, positive case. He finds a trail of ideas through suggestive connections with Mandaean and Manichean traditions, with Templars, with Cathars, with Theosophists, up to Jung.
  
  Let the scholars handle that.
  
  What the book might do, what it should do, in order to vindicate the value of gnostic ideas, is show how it operates?
  
  If the found world is indeed corrupt -- evil -- why gloss over how a gnostic practitioner might still delight over a warm, sunny day, over the pleasure of a bird's song, over any touching music? Over laughter among friends, over friendship itself? Hoeller seems to suggest a gnostic believer doesn't reject such things.
  
  And if ceremonial, canonical, Gnostic practice brings one to the prime spiritual release -- akin to Eastern elimination of suffering -- to the point that book-understanding, rationality, cannot reach, then why not try describing how ritual behaviors transmute a disciple?
  
  Jung may try to use 'unorthodox' ideas, religious ones, but his goal is to find its unconscious source in order to provide psychological balance. Hoeller thinks Jung stops short, is too rationalistic, too focused on 'psyche' rather than 'spirit' -- a distinction Hoeller makes often.
  
  The book seems to leave us sitting at the temple entrance, knowing something goes on inside, but barely getting a glimpse of the accoutrements, hardly hearing the speech, not being included.
  
  To earn Gnostic initiation would be as it would with any religious commitment -- faith first, willingness to accept teachings as true, following accepted ritual.
  
  A good life may be attained that way, but what's left open is which of dozens of "ways" is the one to give allegiance to. And if life itself -- even what we consider 'good' -- is actually part of a grand scheme of 'evil', then . . . what sort of spiritual release is being sought?
• 
  John Fredrickson

  This is an interesting overview what it means to be Gnostic, and presents as well as the history of a variety of Gnostic endeavors and personages. Many different gospels are discussed, most of which are from the Nag Hammadi trove, but others are presented as well. Much attention is given to how the theological conceptions of these gospels differ from each other, but most importantly, how they differ from mainstream conceptions of Jesus and his relationship to 'God'.
  
  Although the treatment of this appears late in the book, it was interesting to see considerations given to more modern Gnostics such as Blake and Goethe. The book also repeatedly brings Carl Jung into discussion, although the treatment of Jung's connection to Gnosticism never gets adequately covered.
  
  One of the things that surprised me in the book was the dualistic nature of Gnosticism. I had thought that Gnosticism was strictly oriented around experiential personal unification (without a mediator) with the divine, which indeed it is, but apparently Gnosticism still strongly presupposes active divine agent/forces of "good" and "evil" in the world. These spirits are ranked differently by Gnostics, as is what is considered to be "good" and "evil". The consideration given to the Manicheans and Cathars as Gnostics is in line with this dualism.
• 
  Ken Hannaman

  There is so much of the Christian past that I didn't know. Coming across the Gnostic teachings with the recent discoveries of the Nag Hamaddi texts as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls has really helped spark the resurgence of the Gnostic views and teachings. I am fascinated by what has been "decided" upon to be put in the Bible from the Orthodox Church and what was extracted from the scriptures. If you want some great perspective on the Gnostic faith as well as why perhaps some of the teachings were kept from the Bible, then I suggest you give this book a read.
• 
  Arthur George

  The author is overly inclined to equate ancient Gnosticism with too many other spiritual traditions including his own form of contemporary Gnosticism and does not acknowledge the differences between them, but he has many other valuable insights that redeem the book and make it a very worthwhile read. He also does not cite to the passages in the ancient Gnostic texts that he is talking about, which is frustrating when you are doing research.
• 
  Michel Sabbagh

  Subject Appeal: 5/5.
  Research Depth: 5/5.
  Research Breadth: 4/5.
  Narrative Flow: 4/5.
  
  Verdict: 5/5. As food for original thought, Hoeller's graspable look at spiritual insight is a feast for broadening the senses.
• 
  Ralitsa Mitova

  2.5 rating
• 
  Vince Busch

  Excellent guide for first steps on journey (author and book).
• 
  Maria Hiers

  Author is a big Jung enjoyer
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  Tre Kay

  This keeps getting more and more interesting and intriguing
• 
  Indrid Cold

  Really great primer on Gnosticism. I think some of the less positive reviews were hoping for something more in depth, but as the description and author point out many times, that really wasn’t the intention here. The dedicated student will make great use of the resources found in the back of the book listed for further reading.
  
  This book is well written, and a pretty easy read for the average person. I’d mostly recommend it for someone going in with little or no knowledge on the subject of Gnosticism. If you make it through and give the content some thought, it will prepare you to go in any direction you want to take your studies. That being said, I think there is also some value here for adept who is just trying to see what (in a subject where so little information exists) is out there.
• 
  Andrew Bihl

  Hoeller seems to keep writing the same introductory book to Gnosticism over and over again...at least each time he seems to get better. This book is probably the best overall introduction I've read and goes a long way to "standardizing" a definition of Gnosticism (if such a thing is possible).