Worship in second-century Gnosticism : studies in the ritual life of some early Christian minorities
This series of interconnected studies in the ritual practice of the groups associated with the early Christian movement which are now usually now described as 'Gnostic', is a modest essay towards a survey of the subject, last undertaken by Bousset in 1907 and Fendt in 1922. Of the three main groups of sects which became distinguishable during the investigation, these studies are concerned with two:- those here designated 'Cults of Power', and those showing signs of having their origin in the separation of church from synagogue. A consideration of the third group, here entitled 'The Gentile Counter-Churches', is omitted, to keep this dissertation within manageable compass; it would have been comparatively brief, because of the paucity of evidence. At the outset, it had been expected that general characterizations would be possible. However, the repeated discovery that the expectation of unifying characteristics, or even of some sort of underlying unitive rite, was not substantiated hy the material,each detectable ritual association on its own, with the minimum recourse to evidence from other contexts, except to note the clearest parallels and probable borrowings. Chapter One lists the questions asked; surveys
Tripp, David Howard
Philosophy
Worship in second-century Gnosticism : studies in the ritual life of some early Christian minorities. This series of interconnected studies in the ritual practice of the groups associated with the early Christian movement which are now usually now described as 'Gnostic', is a modest essay towards a survey of the subject, last undertaken by Bousset in 1907 and Fendt in 1922. Of the three main groups of sects which became distinguishable during the investigation, these studies are concerned with two:- those here designated 'Cults of Power', and those showing signs of having their origin in the separation of church from synagogue. A consideration of the third group, here entitled 'The Gentile Counter-Churches', is omitted, to keep this dissertation within manageable compass; it would have been comparatively brief, because of the paucity of evidence. At the outset, it had been expected that general characterizations would be possible. However, the repeated discovery that the expectation of unifying characteristics, or even of some sort of underlying unitive rite, was not substantiated hy the material,each detectable ritual association on its own, with the minimum recourse to evidence from other contexts, except to note the clearest parallels and probable borrowings. Chapter One lists the questions asked; surveys
worship second_century gnosticism study ritual life early_christian minority series interconnect study ritual_practice group associate early_christian movement usually describe gnostic modest essay towards survey subject last undertaken three_main group sect become distinguishable investigation study_concern designate cults power show sign origin separation church synagogue consideration third group entitle the gentile counter churches omit keep within would comparatively brief paucity evidence outset expect general characterization would possible however repeat discovery expectation unify characteristic even sort underlie rite substantiate material detectable ritual association minimum recourse evidence context except note parallel probable borrowing list question_ask survey