What's a good introductory book on gnosticism?
>>528144
The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels
Rethinking Gnosticism: An Argument for Dismantling a Dubious Category by Michael Allen Williams
Lost Christianities by Bart Ehrman
Nag Hammadi Library in English (with introductions to each text)
>>528144
my diary, desu
Pic related is probably the best intro, though it is specifically Valentinianism
>Light in the absence of eyes illuminates nothing. Visible forms are not inherent in the world, but are granted by the act of seeing. Though the world and events do exist independent of mind, they obtain of no meaning in themselves- none that the mind is not guilty of imposing on them. I bid my people follow and, like all good equations, they follow. For full endowment of purpose, they do submit. In turn, they resign me to a role inhuman, impossible, and unaccountable. But I can no longer stand the sleepless nights. I think I am learning to love the Demiurge...
Plotinus - Against Those That Affirm the Creator of the Cosmos and the Cosmos Itself to Be Evil
http://thriceholy.net/Texts/Plotinus5.html
>>531037
Yes great Author
Valis changed my life
What is Gnosticism by King
It basically explains how the term Gnostic is a polemical meme and that most people just want to look at the stuff from the NHL
http://gnosis.org/
http://www.sacred-texts.com/gno/index.htm
These should cover you for quite a bit of your questions.
>>531818
valis is kind of shit desu
the divine invasion, valis, transmigration of timothy archer are boring as fuck reads
Gnosticism weirds me out
>>535701
They are literally his best works...
>>535938
that being the case, they are still boring as all-fuck
ubik and game-players were much more fun
>>535738
Gnosticism is false hope for weak speacial snowflake people with daddy issues.
Real religion: you suffer because you suck and we hate you. Deal with it.
Gnosticism: you suffer because you are divine being traped in material universe by evil fake god.
>>535701
Transmigration is one of his best works. Radio Free Albemuth is a better read than Valis in my recollection but it's been a while.
Still, if you're not transcribing unpublished Exegesis pages for zebrapedia you might as well not even try
>>538466
it being best doesn't mean it isn't boring as all-fuck, man.
if der gnostiks knew that life is suffering they wouldn't have made their theodacy as boring as it is
