Kategoria BISAC: Religion >> Gnosticism

For seven centuries, the enigma of Baphomet has mystified both scholars and the general public. Did the Knights Templar really worship a demonic idol of that name? If so, what does the word mean? What is the origin of this figure? What was the nature of the rituals that the Templars performed in secret? What were their covert beliefs? Why, if the Templars initially described their idol as a mummified severed head, is this figure now represented as a hermaphrodite human with the head of a goat?

Authors Tracy R. Twyman and Alexander Rivera have dived head-first into the bottomless...

"Whoever finds the meaning of these words will not taste death." Gospel of Thomas

Christians have been thirsting for the wisdom and sayings of Jesus Christ for over 2000 years, constantly looking for new meaning to discover in Jesus' words, as offered in the ancient gospels of the New Testament in the Bible. Yet, the most accurate portrayal of the teachings of Jesus may have been intentionally hidden from Christians by the Church.

With the discovery of the Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas in Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945, scholars of biblical...

This introduction to gnosis by Christoph Markschies combines clarity with a huge wealth of learning. Markschies defines the term gnosis and its relationship to 'Gnosticism', indicating why gnosis is preferable and sketches out the main problems. He then introduces sources, both those in the Church Fathers and the more recent Nag Hammadi finds. Next, Markschies provides an overview of the early forms of 'gnosis' in antiquity, Jewish and Christian (New Testament) and the early gnostics. This is followed with an outline of the main representatives and key figures of Gnosis, especially...

The inspiration and insight of these Gnostic writings can become a companion on your own spiritual journey.

Just what is a soul, exactly? Where did the idea come from? How do we experience our souls? Two ancient Gnostic texts--The Exegesis on the Soul and The Hymn of the Pearl, both presented here in all-new translations--hold important clues to the development of the soul as a concept and reveal inspiring ways your own soul can remember and return to its unique, divine purpose.

The Exegesis on the Soul depicts the soul as a feminine figure who...

This ancient Gnostic text can be a companion for your own spiritual quest.

The Gospel of Philip is one of the most exciting and accessible of the Gnostic texts found at Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945. The source of Dan Brown's intriguing speculations about Mary Magdalene in his best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, the Gospel of Philip draws on ancient imagery--the natural world, the relationships between women, men and family, the ancient distinctions between lord and servants, free people and slaves, and pagans, Jews and Christians--to offer us...

This edition is a fully illustrated reprint of the 1904 publication by Aleister Crowley and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers. This edition of The Lesser Key of Solomon the King contains all of the over 150 seals, sigils, and charts of the original lesser book of Solomon. Beware of other editions that do not contain the Lesser Key of Solomon seals; they were painstakingly researched by Mathers and Crowley, and Solomon's lesser key is enhanced by their inclusion. This edition also contains Crowley's original comments located in over 35 annotations to help the reader understand the lesser...

A fascinating insight into the rival religious communities of the early Christian church.

These apocryphal texts open a window to understanding the rival religious communities which coexisted with the early church. Written after the ministry of Christ and the apostles, these collections of writings speak contain stories about Jesus that were never part of the canonical Gospels, but nevertheless offer a fascinating glimpse into the world of the early church. These translations by Rick Brannan are perfect for use by students, scholars, and everyday Christians...