Introduction to "Gnosticism" ─ Ancient Voices, Christian Worlds

"Introduction to `Gnosticism' packs a great deal of information and insight into marvelously readable language, offering an excellent introduction to the complex and fascinating world of early Christianity-including new discoveries that many scholars have not yet explored."-Elaine Pagels, Princeton University

"In this outstanding book, Nicola Denzey Lewis provides a clear and lively introduction to the wide diversity of texts and religious views found in the Nag Hammadi collection. She explains the biblical and philosophical contexts of these writings, clarifies their complex myths and esoteric terminology, and shows how they speak to the perennial religious questions of God, death, and the meaning of the universe. Readers will be grateful to have this book by their side as they explore these fascinating texts."-David Brakke, The Ohio State University

"This book is a godsend for those of us who teach courses in early Christianity. What can one use as a textbook? Now we have the answer in this terrific contribution. Introduction to `Gnosticism' is skillfully conceived, helpfully organized, and beautifully written, precisely what we have long needed for classroom use."-Bart D. Ehrman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Discovered in Egypt in 1945, the fascinating and challenging Nag Hammadi writings forever changed our understanding of early Christianity. State-of-the-art and the only volume of its kind, Introduction to "Gnosticism": Ancient Voices, Christian Worlds guides students through the most significant of the Nag Hammadi texts. Employing an exceptionally lucid and accessible writing style, Nicola Denzey Lewis groups the texts by theme and genre, places them in the broader context of the ancient world, and reveals their most inscrutable mysteries

Ideal for use in courses in Early Christianity/Origins of Christianity, Christianity to 1500, Gnostic Gospels, Gnosticism, Early Christian Writings, Orthodoxy and Heresy, and New Testament Studies, Introduction to "Gnosticism" is enhanced by numerous pedagogical features, including images of the manuscripts, study and discussion questions, annotated bibliographies, tables, diagrams, maps, and a glossary

Nicola Denzey Lewis is an award-winning teacher who has taught Gnosticism for fifteen years at Bowdoin College, Dartmouth University, and Harvard University. An internationally recognized expert in Gnosticism, she is the author of two books and numerous articles on various aspects of Nag Hammadi. She is currently Visiting Associate Professor in Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean in the Department of Religious Studies at Brown University.