This ancient Gnostic text can be a
companion for your own spiritual quest.
The Gospel of Philip is one of the most
exciting and accessible of the Gnostic texts found at Nag
Hammadi in Egypt in 1945. The source of Dan Brown’s
intriguing speculations about Mary Magdalene in his
best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code, the Gospel of Philip draws
on ancient imagery—the natural world, the relationships
between women, men and family, the ancient distinctions between
lord and servants, free people and slaves, and pagans, Jews and
Christians—to offer us insight into the spiritual
interpretation of scripture that is at the foundation of
Christianity.
The Gospel of Philip: Annotated and
Explained unravels the discourses,
parables and sayings of this second-century text to explore a
spiritual, non-literal interpretation of the Bible. Along with
his elegant and accurate new translation from the original
Coptic, Andrew Phillip Smith probes the symbolism and metaphors
at the heart of the Gospel of
Philip to reveal otherwise
unrecorded sayings of Jesus, fragments of Gnostic mythology and
parallels to the teachings of Jesus and Paul. He also examines
the joyful imagery of rebirth, salvation and mystical union in
the bridal chamber that was the pursuit of Christian
Gnosticism.
Now you can experience this ancient Gospel
even if you have no previous knowledge of early Christianity or
Gnostic thought. This SkyLight Illuminations edition provides
important insights into the historical context and major themes
of the Gospel of Philip, and gives you a deeper understanding
of the Gospel’s overarching message: deciphering our own
meaning behind the symbols of this world increases and enriches
our understanding of God.
“How refreshing to move from our
contemporary culture of Christian literalism to a spiritual
world alive with symbol, metaphor and the poetry of the
Divine.”
—Ron
Miller, Religion Department chair,
Lake Forest College, author of The
Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice
“Provides us with a wealth of
insightful annotations, and the translation is the most
accessible to date. All of those with an interest in Gnostic
tradition and its sacraments will be happy to receive this
splendid work!”
—Stephan
A. Hoeller, author of Gnosticism, Jung and
The Lost Gospels and The Gnostic Jung
“An excellent new translation and
annotation that brings a fascinating Gnostic text to life. A
valuable contribution to our ongoing efforts to understand the
richness of early Christianity.”
—Timothy
Freke, coauthor of The Jesus Mysteries, Jesus and the Lost Goddess and The Laughing
Jesus
