Product Description

This definitive introduction to the gnostic scriptures provides a crucial look at the theology, religious atmosphere, and literary traditions of ancient Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism.

Maps and tables.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #440443 in Books
• Published on: 1995-08-01
• Released on: 1995-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 576 pages

From Library Journal
Layton renders some of the enigmatic literature of gnostic Christianity a bit less baffling, primarily for nonspecialists. The general introduction explains his selection of documents (classic gnostic scripture, writings of Valentinus and his followers, and related writings that display gnostic elements) and places them within the milieu of early Christian literature. Introductions to the individual translations explain content, literary background, characters (where appropriate), and textual information. Extensive introductory material, lucid translation, and plentiful annotations, all relatively free of jargon, make this a fine introduction to the thought and literature of Gnosticism. Recommended for academic libraries and for public libraries where there is interest. Craig W. Beard, Harding Univ. Lib., Searcy, Ark.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Bentley Layton’s The Gnostic Scriptures is the one indispensable book for the understanding of Gnosis and Gnosticism. No other translations are within light-years of Layton’s in eloquence, pathos, and accuracy, while no other commentaries match his as an introduction to this perpetually relevant religious stance. Layton is particularly brilliant in his appreciation of Valentinus, the central Gnostic visionary, whose Gospel of Truth is marvelously served in this translation.”
—Harold Bloom, author of The Book of J and The Western Canon

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)

Customer Reviews

Very Useful For Tackling a Tough Area
Bentley's "Gnostic Scriptures", while it may not be as complete as the Nag Hammadi Library, is for me the more useful volume. The introductions are very detailed, and many conventions of this arcane type of literature are clarified. I don't really understand some of the complaints in the other reviews. Books are grouped by school of thought, and the order seems very logical to me. Many writings are fragmented, and those who wish to read this kind of thing need to learn to deal with brackets. The translation job is generally quite a bit more illuminating than other translations of the same material I have read. This is an excellent resource.

Not the best of its class, anymore
I own this book and have read it. It was wonderful for its time, but if I were buying now I'd buy the recent Nag Hammadi Library in English. Mr. Layton's collection isn't as comprehensive and I found his format a little annoying, as well as the New Age cover! The book omits some material from the Nag Hammadi find that I found myself really missing after a while. That said, I've used this book for years and have benefited enormously from it.

An Investigation of the Highest Quality
The book provides an in depth look at a specific class of ancient Christian literature, the so-called "Gnostic" materials (primarily found in the Nag Hammadi corpus). The book also covers some of the more interesting accounts by the so-called Church Fathers with regards to the various "gnostic" sects. Several important "Gnostics" texts are presented in new translations, all of which are superb owing to Layton's first-rate command of Coptic.

The above review by enemy@enemies.com does not do justice to the content of the work. The sexual acts referred to above are not the assertion of the author (B. Layton), but rather the assertions of a Christian heresiologist covered in the work: Epiphanius. The work itself takes into account the myriad reports given to us via the Fathers and the archaeological record in order to interpret these reports and to reconstruct a plausible socio-historical setting for the various "Gnostic" sects, if indeed there ever were such sects (a topic the book confronts). It is an academic work of the highest quality.