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Simon Magus: The First Gnostic?
This latest comprehensive work on Simon Magus lends new impetus to the investigation of Early Christianity and questions surrounding the origin and nature of Gnosticism. Major contributions of this study include: (1), a departure from the traditional exegesis of Acts 8, 5-24 (the first narrative source of Simon), and the later following reports of ancient Christian writers; (2), an overview of the literature of Graeco-Roman antiquity to determine the contribution of "magic" and "the Magoi" in the development of perceptions and descriptions of Simon; and (3), the inclusion of social science explanation models and modern estimations of "identity", in a creative approach to questions surrounding the phenomenon of Simon.
Worlds of Power
One cannot understand the politics of the present without taking religious thought seriously. In Africa religious belief has a huge impact on politics, from the top of society to the bottom. Religious ideas show what people actually think about the world and how to deal with it. Ellis and ter Haar maintainthat the specific content of religious thought has to be mastered if we are to grasp the political significance of religion in Africa today, but their book also informs our understanding of the relationship between religion and political practice in general.
They Went Out from Us
By means of careful historical work and exegesis, Streett argues that the secession mentioned in 1 John did not have to do with a later complex Christological issue such as docetism, Cerinthianism, or a devaluation of the historical life/death of Jesus, but rather concerned the foundational belief in the Messiahship of Jesus, a tenet the secessionists had renounced in order to return to the Jewish synagogue. He critiques the common maximalistic mirror-reading approach to the letter as misguided, and contends that the letter is primarily pastoral, meant to comfort and reassure the community rather than to argue against the secessionists. Streett’s main contributions are his detailed examination of the ancient historical evidence (especially the Patristic evidence) for the Johannine opponents, and his in-depth and innovative exegesis of the key opponent passages (1 Jn 2:18–27; 4:1–6; 5:6–12; 2 Jn 4–11).
Receptions of Simon Magus as an Archetype of the Heretic
This book about receptions of Simon Magus uncovers further facets of one who was held to be the evil archetype of heretics. Ephraim Nissan and Alberto Ferreiro explore how Simon Magus has been represented in text, visual art, and music. Special attention is devoted to the late medieval Catalan painter Lluís Borrassà and the Italian librettist and musician Arrigo Boito. The tradition of Simon Magus’ demonic flight, ending in his crashing down, first appears in the patristic literature. The book situates that flight typologically across cultures. Fascinating observations emerge, as the discussion spans flight of the wicked in rabbinic texts, flight and death of King Lear’s father and a Soviet-era Buryat Buddhist monk, flight and doom of the fool in an early modern German broadsheet, and more. The book explains and moves beyond extant scholarly wisdom on how the polemic against Mani (the founder of Manichaeism) was tinged with hues of Simon Magus. The novelty of this book is that it shows that Simon Magus’ receptions teach us a great deal about the contexts in which this archetype was deployed.
Studies in the Acts of the Apostles
This collection of essays is indicative of the years of research that the author has devoted to the Acts of the Apostles. In a very easy style, some of the intriguing episodes in Acts are understood through the lens of ancient literature and the worldview that is reflected in it. The intention is to try and read them as an early Christian might have heard them even if, from a modern perspective, that reading appears quite strange. It is hoped that the modern reader might be intrigued and even inspired to read Acts again and so to explore its strange events and people even more deeply. More broadly, such an exploration might lead to an appreciation that all writings that many Christians now hold as “inspired and authoritative” are deeply embedded in an ancient cultural context.
John of History, Baptist of Faith
Studies of the historical Jesus typically reduce John the Baptist to a subordinate role in the story of Christian origins. This meticulous historical study focuses on John himself, revealing his extensive and enduring influence. In the popular imagination, John the Baptist plays the supporting role of Jesus’s unkempt forerunner. But meticulous historical study reveals his wide-reaching and enduring influence on the history of religion. The first study of its kind, John of History, Baptist of Faith sheds light on the historical John the Baptist and his world. James F. McGrath applies historical-critical methodology not only to the New Testament but also to the Mandaean Book of John, a holy ...
Simon Magus in Patristic, Medieval and Early Modern Traditions
This book is an exploration of the post-New Testament figure of Simon Magus spanning the patristic era, Middle Ages, and the early modern period as found in art, vernacular literatures, heresiologies, theological texts, hagiographies and homilies.
Women and Knowledge in Early Christianity
Women and Knowledge in Early Christianity offers a collection of essays that deal with perceptions of wisdom, femaleness, and their interconnections in a wide range of ancient sources, including papyri, Nag Hammadi documents, heresiological accounts and monastic literature.
Marcion and the Making of a Heretic
This study explores Marcion's ideas through his writings and the writings of early Christian polemicists who shaped the idea of heresy.
The LORD's Service
Worship in the Old Testament has been frequently misunderstood. Its rites and ceremonies are often perceived as legalistic works that were required by an angry God to gain his favor or avert his wrath. But is that really what the Bible teaches? To be sure, the LORD did institute the divine service in the Old Testament with all of its laws, rites, and ceremonies. Yet did God do this in order to be appeased or pleased by the ancient Israelites? When the priests enacted the offerings and sacrifices at the sanctuary, was it merely to do good works that God required but without meaning or purpose for his people? Was worship in the Old Testament always what the people did for the LORD or did God do anything that was beneficial to the Israelites? This book answers these questions and, furthermore, dispels the recurring misinterpretation of worship in the Old Testament. The LORD established the divine service in the Pentateuch not to receive what he demanded from the people of ancient Israel, but, on the contrary, to cleanse them from their sinful impurities, sanctify them to share in his holiness, and dwell among them with his blessing.
