Gnosticism, Judaism, and Egyptian Christianity

Book excerpt: In this important contribution to the scholarly study of Egyptian Gnosticism, Pearson situates Gnosticism in its historical context and describes its manifold relationships to Judaism, early Christianity, and ancient Platonism. Birger Pearson gives special attention to the controversial issue of the impact of Gnosticism on early Egyptian Christianity up to the Muslim conquest of the seventh century. "Pearson is one of the most thorough and perceptive scholars in Gnostics studies today. The topics he deals with here are current and important, and no doubt will remain so for some time. This volume is a must for everyone in the field." ——Douglas M. Parrott, University of California, Riverside "Uniformly excellent contributions on the subject.... Students and teachers will benefit from Pearson's insightful and creative observations." ——Marvin Meyer, Chapman College