Gnosticism and the New Testament

by Pheme Perkins

The gnostic writings found at Nag Hammadi have stimulated much controversy about the relationship between early Christians and the diverse religious movement of the first three centuries. Perkins fills the New Testament student's need for a guide to recent developments in scholarship with a helpful survey that addresses the origins of Gnosticism, its relationship to Judaism, Redeemer myths and New Testament hymns, and other relevant topics.

Genres: Theology

272 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1993

About the author

Pheme Perkins (PhD, Harvard University) is professor of theology at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. She is the author of numerous books, including Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels, Reading the New Testament, Peter: Apostle for the Whole Church, Gnosticism and the New Testament, and several commentaries.

Reviews

[Stephen Bedard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to Gnosticism. What is unique about this study is that it is written with its relationship to the New Testament in view. The author argues for a pre-Christian Gnosticism that took on elements of Christianity as the two religions developed in parallel. By the second century, they were very much intertwined.