The Reception of Pistis Sophia and Gnosticism : Uncovering the Link Between Esoteric Milieus and Contemporary Academia
(2022) In Aries – Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism 23(2). p.262-300- Abstract
- This article surveys the reception of the Gnostic text Pistis Sophia in esoteric milieus in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. The first part of the article contains an overview of the text and scholarship on it. Then follows a study of the reception of Pistis Sophia in a broader array of esoteric circles. It becomes clear that the text was hailed as an example of ancient and great spiritual wisdom, although seldom discussed in detail theologically. Next, this is compared to the academic reception at the same time where it was, as previous scholars have made clear, discarded due to what was understood as a discrepancy with “Gnostic” characteristics. This article shows that Pistis Sophia was not discarded in esoteric circles... (More)
- This article surveys the reception of the Gnostic text Pistis Sophia in esoteric milieus in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. The first part of the article contains an overview of the text and scholarship on it. Then follows a study of the reception of Pistis Sophia in a broader array of esoteric circles. It becomes clear that the text was hailed as an example of ancient and great spiritual wisdom, although seldom discussed in detail theologically. Next, this is compared to the academic reception at the same time where it was, as previous scholars have made clear, discarded due to what was understood as a discrepancy with “Gnostic” characteristics. This article shows that Pistis Sophia was not discarded in esoteric circles but rather read in light of already established esoteric trajectories, for example Blavatsky’s, Krumm-Heller’s, or Papus’ particular spiritual evolutionary perspectives. Lastly, it is argued that the understanding of Gnosticisms that both these receptions reflect is still very much active today: academics and esoteric groups are guided by similar trajectories vis-à-vis Gnosticism, seeing it as a representative of a “universal religious essence” associated with progressive attitudes (for example regarding sex and gender), which allows/forces them to renegotiate the ancient sources themselves. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- This article surveys the reception of the Gnostic text Pistis Sophia in esoteric milieus in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. The first part of the article contains an overview of the text and scholarship on it. Then follows a study of the reception of Pistis Sophia in a broader array of esoteric circles. It becomes clear that the text was hailed as an example of ancient and great spiritual wisdom, although seldom discussed in detail theologically. Next, this is compared to the academic reception at the same time where it was, as previous scholars have made clear, discarded due to what was understood as a discrepancy with “Gnostic” characteristics. This article shows that Pistis Sophia was not discarded in esoteric circles... (More)
- This article surveys the reception of the Gnostic text Pistis Sophia in esoteric milieus in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. The first part of the article contains an overview of the text and scholarship on it. Then follows a study of the reception of Pistis Sophia in a broader array of esoteric circles. It becomes clear that the text was hailed as an example of ancient and great spiritual wisdom, although seldom discussed in detail theologically. Next, this is compared to the academic reception at the same time where it was, as previous scholars have made clear, discarded due to what was understood as a discrepancy with “Gnostic” characteristics. This article shows that Pistis Sophia was not discarded in esoteric circles but rather read in light of already established esoteric trajectories, for example Blavatsky’s, Krumm-Heller’s, or Papus’ particular spiritual evo- lutionary perspectives. Lastly, it is argued that the understanding of Gnosticisms that both these receptions reflect is still very much active today: academics and esoteric groups are guided by similar trajectories vis-à-vis Gnosticism, seeing it as a representa- tive of a “universal religious essence” associated with progressive attitudes (for example regarding sex and gender), which allows/forces them to renegotiate the ancient sources themselves. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/8396bf70-f29b-49c2-b869-51bfa7584ac8
- author
- Linjamaa, Paul LU
- organization
- alternative title
- Receptionen av Pistis Sophia och gnosticism : En studie av länken mellan esoteriska rörelser och akademiska miljöer
- publishing date
- 2022-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- reception of Gnosticism, Pistis Sophia, Esotericism, Counter Culture, Theosophy, Ancient Wisdom Tradition, reception of Gnosticism, Pistis Sophia, esotericism, counter culture, theosophy, Ancient Wisdom Tradition, libertinism
- in
- Aries – Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism
- volume
- 23
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 39 pages
- publisher
- Brill
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85124616597
- ISSN
- 1570-0593
- DOI
- 10.1163/15700593-20211003
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8396bf70-f29b-49c2-b869-51bfa7584ac8
- date added to LUP
- 2022-02-01 18:54:13
- date last changed
- 2023-10-26 14:59:18
@article{8396bf70-f29b-49c2-b869-51bfa7584ac8,
abstract = {{This article surveys the reception of the Gnostic text Pistis Sophia in esoteric milieus in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. The first part of the article contains an overview of the text and scholarship on it. Then follows a study of the reception of Pistis Sophia in a broader array of esoteric circles. It becomes clear that the text was hailed as an example of ancient and great spiritual wisdom, although seldom discussed in detail theologically. Next, this is compared to the academic reception at the same time where it was, as previous scholars have made clear, discarded due to what was understood as a discrepancy with “Gnostic” characteristics. This article shows that Pistis Sophia was not discarded in esoteric circles but rather read in light of already established esoteric trajectories, for example Blavatsky’s, Krumm-Heller’s, or Papus’ particular spiritual evolutionary perspectives. Lastly, it is argued that the understanding of Gnosticisms that both these receptions reflect is still very much active today: academics and esoteric groups are guided by similar trajectories vis-à-vis Gnosticism, seeing it as a representative of a “universal religious essence” associated with progressive attitudes (for example regarding sex and gender), which allows/forces them to renegotiate the ancient sources themselves.}},
author = {{Linjamaa, Paul}},
issn = {{1570-0593}},
keywords = {{reception of Gnosticism; Pistis Sophia; Esotericism; Counter Culture; Theosophy; Ancient Wisdom Tradition; reception of Gnosticism; Pistis Sophia; esotericism; counter culture; theosophy; Ancient Wisdom Tradition; libertinism}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{262--300}},
publisher = {{Brill}},
series = {{Aries – Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism}},
title = {{The Reception of Pistis Sophia and Gnosticism : Uncovering the Link Between Esoteric Milieus and Contemporary Academia}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15700593-20211003}},
doi = {{10.1163/15700593-20211003}},
volume = {{23}},
year = {{2022}},
}