Gnosticism, Hermeticism, and Theosophy
Fragments of a Faith Forgotten: The Gnostics — A Contribution to the Study of the Origins of Christianity
G.R.S. Mead1900
Advancedcomplete
A comprehensive scholarly survey of the Gnostic movements of the early Christian centuries, widely regarded as one of the finest introductions to Gnosticism in the English language. Mead systematically examines the major Gnostic schools — Valentinians, Basilidians, Ophites, Sethians, and others — drawing on Patristic sources and surviving Gnostic texts. He traces the connections between Gnosticism, the Hermetic literature, Neo-Pythagoreanism, and Eastern mysticism, presenting Gnosticism as a sophisticated attempt to synthesise the spiritual wisdom of the ancient world. An essential scholarly companion to the Pistis Sophia and Corpus Hermeticum.
This edition1900
EditionFirst published 1900 by Theosophical Publishing Society, London and Benares
Gnosticismmystical gnosis and knowledgeancient mystery religionsDivine emanationCoptic ManuscriptsEarly ChristianityMystical gnosisReligious syncretismMystery religionsmystical studyHermeticismGnostic philosophyClassical scholarshipEsoteric Christianitymystery cult practicesEarly Christian Gnosticism
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Hermeticism and Alchemy
Hermetic and alchemical source texts covering the Corpus Hermeticum, Divine Pymander, The Kybalion, Paracelsus, alchemical symbolism, medicine, and spiritual transformation.
Gnosticism and Apocrypha
Gnostic and apocryphal texts covering Pistis Sophia, the Book of Enoch, early Christian gnosis, pseudepigrapha, mystical revelation, and esoteric Christian cosmology.
Hermeticism
Primary Hermetic texts, later Hermetic philosophy, and adjacent works on ascent, correspondence, divine mind, and spiritual transformation.
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Gnostic texts and studies on revelation, emanation, demiurgic cosmology, salvation through knowledge, and esoteric readings of Christianity.
Contents761 chapters
- 01The Creed of Christendom
- 02The New Era Two Thousands Years ago
- 03Our Present Task
- 04The New Hope of To-day
- 05The One Religion
- 06The Sunshine of its Doctrine
- 07The Comparative Science of Religion
- 08The Just Method of Comparison
- 09The True Scholar of Religion
- 10The Analysis of Religion
- 11The Beginnings of Christianity
- 12The First Two Centuries
- 13The “Higher Criticism”
- 14“Providentissimus Deus”
- 15Its Immediate Result
- 16The Force of Reaction
- 17The Force of Progress
- 18The Nature of Criticism
- 19The Resultant
- 20Nineteen Centuries Ago and Now
- 21The Conditions of the Comparison
- 22The Return of Souls
- 23The Intensified Present
- 24Occident and Orient
- 25The Reconciliation of Science and Theology
- 26The Coming and Going of Souls
- 27The Birth and Death of Races
- 28The Manhood of the Western World
- 29The Greatest Story in the World
- 30The Main Means to a Recovery of the Outlines
- 31The Need of a Background
- 32The Gnostic Schools
- 33Where to look for their Origins
- 34The Nature of the Field to be Surveyed
- 35The Soil of the Field
- 36Three Mother Streams
- 37The Greece of 600 B.C
- 38The Precursors of Pythagoras
- 39Primitive Hellas
- 40The Orphic Tradition
- 41The Wavelets of Aryan Immigration
- 42The Orphic Line
- 43The Greece of "Homer"
- 44"Orpheus" returns to Greece
- 45The Mysteries
- 46The Reason of it
- 47Their Corruption
- 48The Various Traditions
- 49The Political Mysteries
- 50The Private Mysteries
- 51The Orphic Communities
- 52Pythagoras and Plato
- 53The Philosophic Mysteries
- 54Aristotle and Scepticism
- 55East and West
- 56Rome
- 57The Mysteries of Mithras
- 58The Wisdom of Egypt
- 59The Blendings of Tradition
- 60The Mystic Communities
- 61The Therapeuts
- 62The Earliest Christians of Eusebius
- 63The Pseudo-Philo Theory
- 64An Interesting Question of Date
- 65The Title and Context
- 66The Essæans
- 67The Name Therapeut
- 68Their Abandonment of the World
- 69Their Retreats
- 70The Mareōtic Colony
- 71Their Dwellings
- 72The Original Meaning of the Term Monastery
- 73Their Prayers and Exercises
- 74The Nature of their Books
- 75Their Mode of Meeting
- 76The Sanctuary
- 77Their Rule
- 78Fasting
- 79Housing and Clothing
- 80The Seventh-day Common Meal
- 81Their Sacred Feasts
- 82Seniority
- 83The Banquet on the Fiftieth Day
- 84The Women Disciples
- 85The Plain Couches
- 86The Servers
- 87The Frugal Fare
- 88The Instruction
- 89The President
- 90The Interpretation of Scripture
- 91The Singing of Hymns
- 92Bread and Salt
- 93The Sacred Dancing
- 94A Note on the Sacred Numbers
- 95The Morning Prayer
- 96Philo's Connection with the Therapeuts
- 97The Lay Disciples
- 98The Variety of Communities
- 99The Influence of Babylon
- 100The Mythology of History
- 101The Writing of Scripture-history
- 102Honest Self-delusion
- 103The Spiritualizing of Judaism
- 104Zealotism
- 105Pharisaism
- 106The Chassidim and Essenes
- 107The Inner Schools
- 108A Bird's-eye View of the City
- 109The Populace
- 110The Library
- 111The Museum
- 112The Schools of the Sophists
- 113The Dawn-land
- 114The New Religion
- 115Jewish and Christian Schools
- 116The Canon
- 117The Gospels
- 118The Letters of Paul
- 119The Gentilization of Christianity
- 120The Nazoræans
- 121The Poor Men
- 122The Ebionite Tradition of Jesus
- 123Their Manner of Life
- 124The Degrees of Holiness
- 125Points of Contact with Christianity
- 126The "Secularizing" of Christianity
- 127The Inner Teaching
- 128Yahweh not "the Father" of Jesus
- 129Various Classes of Souls
- 130The Person of Jesus
- 131The Main Doctrines
- 132Literature
- 133Indirect Sources
- 134Direct Sources
- 135No Classification possible
- 136The Origin of the Name
- 137A Follower of John the Baptist
- 138The Pre-Christian Gnosis
- 139The Ebionite "Simon"
- 140The "Simonian" Literature
- 141The "Simonian" System of Irenæus
- 142The Great Announcement
- 143The Hidden Fire
- 144The Fire Tree
- 145The Æons
- 146His Date
- 147His Doctrines
- 148A Link with Zoroastrianism
- 149The Chain of Teachers
- 150Asceticism
- 151Summary of Doctrines
- 152The Making of Man
- 153The Obscurity of the Subject
- 154The Term "Ophite"
- 155The Serpent Symbol
- 156The Myth of the Going-forth
- 157Pseudo-philology
- 158The Spiritual Creation
- 159O. T. Exegesis
- 160Yahweh Ialdabaōth
- 161Christology
- 162Jesus
- 163Justinus
- 164The Book of Baruch
- 165Baruch
- 166Christology
- 167Their Literature
- 168Their Mystical Exegesis
- 169The Assyrian Mysteries
- 170The Egyptian
- 171The Greek
- 172The Phrygian
- 173The Samothracian
- 174The Mysteries of the Great Mother
- 175The Fragment of a Hymn
- 176The Source of their Tradition
- 177The Three Worlds
- 178A Direct Quotation
- 179The Meaning of the Name
- 180Psychological Physiology
- 181The Lost Books of Hippolytus
- 182Seth
- 183An Outline of their System
- 184The Mysteries
- 185God
- 186The Æons
- 187Cosmos and Man
- 188The Saviour
- 189Number Theories
- 190How to Seek after God
- 191The Obscurity of the Subject
- 192The Enemies of Yahweh the Friends of God
- 193Judas
- 194A Scrap of History
- 195Their Idea of Jesus
- 196Reincarnation
- 197Communism
- 198The Moon-god
- 199The Monadic Gnosis
- 200The Scape-Goat for the “Pillar-Apostles”
- 201The Over-Writer of the Apocalypse
- 202“Which Things I hate”
- 203The Master of Marcion
- 204The Spread of Marcionism
- 205The "Higher Criticism"
- 206The Gospel of Paul
- 207Eznik
- 208A Marcionite System
- 209The Title Chrēstos
- 210His Wide Tolerance
- 211Philumēnē
- 212Her Visions
- 213Basilides and his Writings
- 214Our Sources of Information
- 215The Divinity beyond Being
- 216Universality beyond Being
- 217Ex Nihilo
- 218The Sonship
- 219The Holy Spirit
- 220The Great Ruler
- 221The Ætherial Creation
- 222The Sub-lunary Spaces
- 223Soteriology
- 224The Mystic Gospel
- 225The Sons of God
- 226The Final Consummation
- 227Jesus
- 228Karman and Reincarnation
- 229The Theory of "Appendages"
- 230Moral Responsibility
- 231A Trace of Zoroastrianism
- 232The Spurious System
- 233Abraxas
- 234The “Great Unknown” of Gnosticism
- 235“They of Valentinus”
- 236The Leaders of the Movement
- 237The So-called Eastern and Western Schools
- 238The Syntheticizing of the Gnosis
- 239Sources of Information
- 240Biography
- 241Date
- 242Writings
- 243The Fragments that Remain
- 244Concerning the Creation of the First Race of Mankind
- 245On the Pure in Heart
- 246Concerning One of the Powers of the Perfect Man
- 247The Face of God
- 248Ye are Sons of God
- 249Concerning the People of the Beloved
- 250The Galilæans
- 251The Wisdom of the “Little One”
- 252The Chain of Being
- 253The Ariadne’s Thread out of the Maze
- 254Towards the Great Silence
- 255The Depth beyond Being
- 256The Æon World
- 257The Platonic Solids
- 258A Living Symbolism
- 259The “Fourth Dimension”
- 260The Eternal Atom
- 261The Law of Syzygy
- 262The Law of Differentiation
- 263The Three and the Seven
- 264The Twelve and Ten
- 265The Dodecahedron
- 266The Decad
- 267Chaos
- 268Theos
- 269Cosmos
- 270Mythology
- 271The Sophia-Mythus
- 272The Mother of Many Names
- 273The Father of All
- 274The Parents of the Æons
- 275The Names of the Æons
- 276The World-Mother
- 277The Abortion
- 278The Term “Only-begotten”
- 279The Cross
- 280The Last Limit
- 281The Mystic or Cosmic Jesus
- 282The Grief of Sophia
- 283The Sensible World
- 284Its Demiurge
- 285Souls
- 286“Words” or Minds
- 287Bodies
- 288The New Man
- 289The Mystic Body of the Christ
- 290Soteriology
- 291Sources
- 292Number-letters
- 293Kabalism
- 294The Great Name
- 295The Echo of the Name
- 296The Symbolic Body of the Man of Truth
- 297The Numbers
- 298Gospel Exegesis
- 299The Creation of the Sensible World
- 300The Tetraktys
- 301Theological Arithmetic
- 302Jesus the Master
- 303The "Moving Image of Eternity"
- 304From the Marcosian Ritual
- 305The Letter to Flora
- 306The "Higher Criticism"
- 307The Source of Moses' Inspiration
- 308The Proem to the Fourth Gospel
- 309His Commentary on the Fourth Gospel
- 310Biography
- 311Writings
- 312Indirect Sources
- 313From His Hymns
- 314The Book of the Laws of Countries
- 315Karman
- 316Fortune and Nature
- 317The Right and Left
- 318The Hymn of the Soul
- 319The Gnostic Acts
- 320Catholic Over-Working
- 321Early Collectors
- 322A Hymn to Wisdom
- 323Its Meaning
- 324Two Sacramental Invocations
- 325A Note thereon
- 326The Palace that Thomas built
- 327A Recently-published Fragment
- 328The Rationale of Docetism
- 329The Evolution of Tradition
- 330Mystic Stories of Jesus
- 331The Christ speaks with Jesus
- 332An Early Form of One of the Great Miracles
- 333A Ritual from the Mysteries
- 334The Doxology
- 335The Mystery of the Cross
- 336The Interpretation thereof
- 337The Initiation of the Cross
- 338The Higher and Lower Selves
- 339A Prayer of Praise to Christ
- 340John's Farewell Address to his Community
- 341John's Last Prayer
- 342The Story of John and the Bugs
- 343Address to the Cross
- 344The Descent of Man
- 345The Mystic Redemption through the Cross
- 346Afterword
- 347The Askew Codex
- 348The Bruce Codex
- 349Translations
- 350The Difficulty of the Subject
- 351Programme
- 352The Mystic Transfiguration and Ascent in the Twelfth Year
- 353The Teaching of the Eleven Years
- 354The Master Returns to His Disciples
- 355The Mystic Incarnation of the Twelve
- 356Concerning the Robe of Glory
- 357Of His Own Incarnation
- 358That the Soul of Elias is Born in John the Baptist
- 359The Hymn of Welcome "Come unto Us"
- 360The Three Vestures of Light
- 361The Journey into the Height
- 362The Master Robs the Æons of a Third of Their Light
- 363The Questions of Mary
- 364Why the Rulers have been Robbed
- 365Its Death-blow
- 366Page 1
- 367Page 2
- 368Page 3
- 369Page 4
- 370Page 5
- 371Page 6
- 372FRAGMENTS OF A
- 373Page 8
- 374FRAGMENTS OF A FAITH FORGOTTEN
- 375Page 10
- 376PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
- 377Page 12
- 378PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
- 379Page 14
- 380Page 15
- 381Page 16
- 382SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS.
- 383SOME ROUGH OUTLINES OF THE BACKGROUND OF THE GNOSIS 29—120
- 384Page 19
- 385Page 20
- 386Page 21
- 387Page 22
- 388Page 23
- 389Page 24
- 390Page 25
- 391Page 26
- 392Page 27
- 393xxii. FRAGMENTS OF A FAITH FORGOTTEN.
- 394Page 29
- 395Page 30
- 396Page 31
- 397Page 32
- 398Page 33
- 399Page 34
- 400Page 35
- 401XXX. FRAGMENTS OF A FAITH FORGOTTEN.
- 402SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS
- 403Page 38
- 404INDEX.
- 405B
- 406C
- 407D
- 408E
- 409F
- 410G
- 411H
- 412I
- 413J
- 414K
- 415M
- 416Page 51
- 417N
- 418O
- 419P
- 420Q
- 421S
- 422Page 57
- 423T
- 424Page 59
- 425U
- 426X
- 427Page 62
- 428INTRODUCTION.
- 429Page 64
- 430Page 75
- 431Page 77
- 432Page 82
- 433Page 84
- 434Page 93
- 435Page 100
- 436Page 102
- 437Page 107
- 438Page 114
- 439Page 118
- 440Page 121
- 441Page 125
- 442Page 143
- 443Page 145
- 444Page 149
- 445Page 151
- 446ALEXANDRIA.
- 447Page 159
- 448Page 160
- 449Page 161
- 450Page 163
- 451Page 165
- 452Page 166
- 453Page 167
- 454Page 169
- 455Page 170
- 456Page 173
- 457Page 174
- 458Page 176
- 459Page 177
- 460Page 179
- 461Page 180
- 462Page 181
- 463Page 182
- 464Page 187
- 465Page 191
- 466Page 192
- 467THE ESSENES.
- 468Page 197
- 469Page 199
- 470Page 204
- 471Page 206
- 472Page 207
- 473Page 209
- 474Page 210
- 475Page 211
- 476Page 212
- 477Page 214
- 478Page 215
- 479Page 216
- 480THE GNOSIS ACCORDING TO
- 481Page 218
- 482Page 220
- 483Page 221
- 484Page 223
- 485"SIMON MAGUS."
- 486Page 228
- 487Page 231
- 488Page 236
- 489Page 238
- 490Page 241
- 491Page 246
- 492Page 247
- 493Page 252
- 494Page 254
- 495Page 257
- 496Page 266
- 497Page 273
- 498Page 278
- 499THE DOCETÆ.
- 500Page 283
- 501Page 289
- 502THE CARPOCRATIANS.
- 503Page 294
- 504“EPIPHANES.”
- 505Page 297
- 506Page 305
- 507Page 307
- 508Page 310
- 509Page 314
- 510Page 316
- 511Page 320
- 512Page 328
- 513Page 331
- 514Page 333
- 515Page 335
- 516Page 337
- 517Page 341
- 518Page 343
- 519Page 345
- 520Page 348
- 521Page 350
- 522Page 352
- 523Page 354
- 524Page 355
- 525Page 357
- 526Page 363
- 527Page 366
- 528Page 370
- 529Page 372
- 530Page 377
- 531Page 379
- 532Page 381
- 533Page 386
- 534Page 389
- 535Page 392
- 536Page 399
- 537Page 406
- 538Page 411
- 539Page 412
- 540Page 418
- 541Page 419
- 542Page 422
- 543Page 424
- 544Page 426
- 545Page 429
- 546Page 430
- 547Page 433
- 548Page 436
- 549Page 439
- 550Page 441
- 551Page 443
- 552Page 444
- 553Page 446
- 554Page 448
- 555Page 451
- 556Page 452
- 557Page 456
- 558Page 459
- 559Page 464
- 560Page 466
- 561Page 467
- 562THE HYMN OF THE ROBE OF GLORY.
- 563Page 469
- 564Page 470
- 565Page 471
- 566Page 472
- 567Page 473
- 568Page 474
- 569Page 475
- 570Page 476
- 571Page 480
- 572Page 482
- 573Page 487
- 574Page 494
- 575Page 495
- 576Page 498
- 577Page 506
- 578Page 510
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- 580Page 513
- 581Page 514
- 582Page 520
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- 587Page 533
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- 613Page 559
- 614Page 560
- 615Page 561
- 616Page 562
- 617Page 563
- 618Page 564
- 619Page 565
- 620Page 566
- 621Page 567
- 622Page 568
- 623SUMMARY OF THE EXTRACTS FROM THE BOOKS OF THE SAVIOUR.
- 624Page 570
- 625Page 571
- 626Page 572
- 627Page 573
- 628Page 574
- 629Page 575
- 630Page 576
- 631Page 577
- 632Page 578
- 633Page 579
- 634Page 580
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- 636Page 582
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- 640Page 586
- 641Page 587
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- 650Page 596
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- 654Page 600
- 655Page 601
- 656Page 602
- 657Page 603
- 658Page 604
- 659Page 605
- 660Page 606
- 661Page 607
- 662Page 608
- 663SELECTIONS FROM THE UNTITLED APOCALYPSE OF THE CODEX BRUCIANUS.
- 664Page 610
- 665Page 611
- 666Page 612
- 667Page 613
- 668Page 614
- 669Page 615
- 670Page 616
- 671Page 617
- 672Page 618
- 673Page 619
- 674Page 620
- 675Page 621
- 676Page 622
- 677Page 623
- 678Page 624
- 679Page 625
- 680Page 626
- 681Page 627
- 682Page 628
- 683NOTES ON THE CONTENTS OF THE BRUCE
- 684Page 630
- 685Page 631
- 686Page 632
- 687Page 633
- 688Page 634
- 689Page 635
- 690Page 636
- 691Page 637
- 692Page 638
- 693Page 639
- 694Page 640
- 695THE AKHMĪM CODEX.
- 696Page 642
- 697Page 643
- 698Page 644
- 699Page 645
- 700Page 646
- 701Page 647
- 702Page 648
- 703Page 649
- 704Page 650
- 705Page 651
- 706Page 652
- 707Page 653
- 708Page 654
- 709SOME FORGOTTEN SAYINGS.
- 710Page 656
- 711Page 657
- 712Page 658
- 713Page 659
- 714Page 660
- 715Page 661
- 716Page 662
- 717Page 663
- 718Page 664
- 719CONCLUSION.
- 720Page 666
- 721AFTERWORD.
- 722Page 668
- 723Page 669
- 724BIBLIOGRAPHIES.
- 725GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY.
- 726Page 672
- 727Page 673
- 728Page 674
- 729Page 675
- 730Page 676
- 731Page 677
- 732Page 678
- 733Page 679
- 734Page 680
- 735Page 681
- 736Page 682
- 737Page 683
- 738Page 684
- 739Page 685
- 740THE COPTIC GNOSTIC WORKS.
- 741Page 687
- 742Page 688
- 743Page 689
- 744REVIEWS AND ARTICLES IN ENGLISH AND AMERICAN PERIODICALS.
- 745Page 691
- 746UNCANONICAL ACTS.
- 747GNOSTIC (?) GEMS AND ABRAXAS-STUDIES.
- 748Page 694
- 749Page 695
- 750Works by G. R. S. MEAD, B.A., M.R.A.S.
- 751WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
- 752THE GOSPELS AND THE GOSPEL :
- 753WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
- 754WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
- 755THE THEOSOPHY OF THE GREEKS.
- 756THRICE-GREATEST HERMES.
- 757Page 703
- 758Page 704
- 759Page 705
- 760Page 706
- 761
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