The Gnostic Paul
Encyclopedia
The Gnostic Paul is a book by Elaine Pagels
, a scholar of gnosticism
and professor of religion at Princeton University
. In the work, Pagels considers each of the non-pastoral Pauline Epistles
, and questions about their authorship
. The core of the book examines how the Pauline epistles were read by 2nd century Valentinian
gnostics and demonstrates that Paul could be considered a proto-gnostic as well as a proto-Catholic
.
Her treatment involves reading the Pauline corpus as being dual layered between a Pneumatic
, esoteric Christianity and a Psychic, exoteric Christianity.
Elaine Pagels
Elaine Pagels, née Hiesey , is the Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University. The recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, she is best known for her studies and writing on the Gnostic Gospels...
, a scholar of gnosticism
Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a scholarly term for a set of religious beliefs and spiritual practices common to early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism , and Neoplatonism.A common characteristic of some of these groups was the teaching that the realisation of Gnosis...
and professor of religion at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. In the work, Pagels considers each of the non-pastoral Pauline Epistles
Pauline epistles
The Pauline epistles, Epistles of Paul, or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen New Testament books which have the name Paul as the first word, hence claiming authorship by Paul the Apostle. Among these letters are some of the earliest extant Christian documents...
, and questions about their authorship
Authorship of the Pauline epistles
The Pauline epistles are the fourteen books in the New Testament traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle, although many dispute the anonymous Epistle to the Hebrews as being a Pauline epistle....
. The core of the book examines how the Pauline epistles were read by 2nd century Valentinian
Valentinus (Gnostic)
Valentinus was the best known and for a time most successful early Christian gnostic theologian. He founded his school in Rome...
gnostics and demonstrates that Paul could be considered a proto-gnostic as well as a proto-Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
.
Her treatment involves reading the Pauline corpus as being dual layered between a Pneumatic
Pneumatic (Gnosticism)
The pneumatics were, in gnosticism, the highest order of humans, the other two orders being psychics and hylics. The pneumatic saw himself as escaping the doom of the material world via the secret knowledge. Outsiders could only know these secrets by joining a gnostic group...
, esoteric Christianity and a Psychic, exoteric Christianity.
| Pneumatic, esoteric Christianity | Psychic, exoteric Christianity |
|---|---|
| "Greeks" | "Jews" |
| The religion of Heresy | The Orthodox religion |
| Early Paul | Peter, The Church Fathers and their forged later Paul |
| The Truth, wisdom, enlightenment | The Lie, error, darkness, foolishness |
| The initiated, adults | The uninitiated, children |
| A secret mystery is revealed to some apostles, but not to other apostles | No secret mystery; all apostles have authority through simple ordinary seeing of miraculous resurrection |
| The sacrament of apolytrosis (apo- can mean after-, post-, and separate redemption) in addition to common eucharist | The common eucharist, only |
| Redemption | Salvation, baptism |
| Spiritual freedom from moral codes—but metaphysical determinism/fatedness, predestined election | Spiritual enslavement to morality—with delusion of free will and choosing faith oneself |
| Reject idea of responsible moral agency and idea of our culpability of sin/guilt | Belief in responsible moral agency and our culpability for sin/guilt |
| The apple was a gift of gnosis | The apple was bad |
| All blame is placed on the Ground, not us | All blame is placed on us |
| No death on the Cross (it was mythic and could be seen as a pseudo-death) | Jesus died on the Cross |
| Sacrifice is mythic, mental, conceptual, a mental experience | Sacrifice is bodily, bloody, magically effective, physical |
| No bodily resurrection | Bodily resurrection |
| Mythic Christ | Supernaturalist Jesus |
| Belief in higher and lower Christians (with a principled respect for the lower) | Disbelief in higher level of Christianity—to obtain unity and harmony of the Church |
| No point in moral-reward heaven or moral-punishment hell | Moral-reward heaven and moral-punishment hell exist, for the responsible agent/soul |
| We are spirits, controlled by God | We are souls, controlled by ourselves |
Publication data
- The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters (1975), Fortress Press, ISBN 0-8006-0403-2.
- 2nd edition 1992: Trinity Press International, ISBN 1-56338-039-0,