The Gnostics by David Brakke
This book offers an illuminating discussion of recent scholarly debates over the concept of 'Gnosticism' and the nature of early Christian diversity.
Not since Elaine Pagels's ground-breaking and best-selling The Gnostic Gospels (1979) has there been a work that communicates so clearly the content and significance of the "Gnostics" for our understanding of early Christian historyThe public and the academy need The Gnostics. -- Denise Buell, Williams College
A model for how to engage in careful social historical reconstruction. -- Stephen Davis, Yale University
Brakke has a growing reputation for his studies on the history and literature of ancient Christianity, and he moves easily among the sources, making good sense of the sometimes scanty evidence...The Gnostics is a book to be warmly commended to those who have an interest in the development of Christianity. -- Nicholas King, SJ * Times Literary Supplement *
Perhaps the finest aspect of this book is the way that Brakke successfully nuances the conflict models of early Christian history that remain current in most introductory texts. Rather than merely keying students to the varieties of early Christianity, Brakke introduces beginners to a more open narrative that has emerged recently. This model focuses on the agonistic production of orthodox and heterodox identities through processes of textual production, interpretation, ritual, and so forth. Brakke accomplishes this through a style that is lucid without falling into oversimplification. -- J. Schott * Choice *
A model for how to engage in careful social historical reconstruction. -- Stephen Davis, Yale University
Brakke has a growing reputation for his studies on the history and literature of ancient Christianity, and he moves easily among the sources, making good sense of the sometimes scanty evidence...The Gnostics is a book to be warmly commended to those who have an interest in the development of Christianity. -- Nicholas King, SJ * Times Literary Supplement *
Perhaps the finest aspect of this book is the way that Brakke successfully nuances the conflict models of early Christian history that remain current in most introductory texts. Rather than merely keying students to the varieties of early Christianity, Brakke introduces beginners to a more open narrative that has emerged recently. This model focuses on the agonistic production of orthodox and heterodox identities through processes of textual production, interpretation, ritual, and so forth. Brakke accomplishes this through a style that is lucid without falling into oversimplification. -- J. Schott * Choice *
David Brakke is Joe R. Engle Chair in the History of Christianity and Professor of History, Ohio State University.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780674066038 |
| ISBN 10 | 0674066030 |
| Title | The Gnostics |
| Author | David Brakke |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Harvard University Press |
| Year published | 2012-09-03 |
| Number of pages | 180 |
| Prizes | Nominated for Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion 2011, Nominated for Distinguished Book Award - Sociology of Religion 2011, Nominated for Grawemeyer Award in Religion 2017 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |