• The Mandaean Book of John

    Editor(s):
    Charles Häberl (see profile) , James McGrath
    Date:
    2019
    Group(s):
    Digital Middle East & Islamic Studies, Gnosticism
    Subject(s):
    Gnosticism, Mysticism, Church history--Primitive and early church, Civilization, Classical, History, Ancient
    Item Type:
    Book
    Tag(s):
    Mandaeism, John the Baptist, Mandaic, Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Aramaic, Early Christianity, Late Antiquity
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/9k8h-e218
    Abstract:
    Given the degree of popular fascination with Gnostic religions, it is surprising how few pay attention to the one such religion that has survived from antiquity until the present day: Mandaism. Mandaeans, who esteem John the Baptist as the most famous adherent to their religion, have in our time found themselves driven from their historic homelands by war and oppression. Today, they are a community in crisis, but they provide us with unparalleled access to a library of ancient Gnostic scriptures, as part of the living tradition that has sustained them across the centuries. Gnostic texts such as these have caught popular interest in recent times, as traditional assumptions about the original forms and cultural contexts of related religious traditions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, have been called into question. However, we can learn only so much from texts in isolation from their own contexts. Mandaean literature uniquely allows us not only to increase our knowledge about Gnosticism, and by extension all these other religions, but also to observe the relationship between Gnostic texts, rituals, beliefs, and living practices, both historically and in the present day.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Book     Show details
    Pub. DOI:
    https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110487862
    Publisher:
    De Gruyter
    Pub. Date:
    2019-11-22
    ISBN:
    9783110487862
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    4 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved
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