Christian Gnosis: Christian Religious Philosophy in Its Historical Development

Ferdinand Christian Baur's Die Christliche Gnosis, published in 1835, is a pivotal work in nineteenth-century Gnosticism. Baur's thesis of a link between ancient and modern religious philosophy and his conception of Gnosticism consolidate Christian Gnosis as an important contribution to Christian theology. He classifies gnostic systems in terms of their relationship to Christianity, Judaism, and paganism and discusses the criticism and reaction to gnosis in church history. Baur's work is considered a masterpiece of religious-historical study and Robert Brown's translation ensures its impact today.

Format: Paperback / softback
Publication date: 26 January 2023
Publisher: James Clarke & Co Ltd

Ferdinand Christian Baur's Die Christliche Gnosis, originally published in 1835, holds immense significance as a pivotal work within Baur's canon and is widely regarded as the most important book on Gnosticism published in the nineteenth century. Baur's distinctive thesis, which establishes a connection between ancient and modern religious philosophy, as well as his unique conception of Gnosticism, which was shaped through engaging dialogues with his predecessors and contemporaries, solidify Christian Gnosis as a significant contribution to Christian theology. This seminal work, written over a century before the manuscript discovery at Nag Hammadi, categorizes the gnostic systems based on their perspectives on the relationship between Christianity, Judaism, and paganism, providing detailed descriptions of these systems. Baur then delves into the historical criticism and reactions to gnosis within the church, exploring the perspectives of various theologians and philosophers of his time, including Boehme, Schelling, Schleiermacher, and Hegel. Christian Gnosis stands as Baur's pioneering religio-historical study, and Robert Brown's masterful translation ensures that the impact of this work remains profound even today, as it did upon its initial publication.

Weight: 940g
Dimension: 179 x 253 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780227177921