CONTENTS, Preface and acknowledgements (CHAPTER ONE: THE PROBLEM OF THE RELATION BETWEEN GNOSTICISM AND PLATONISM . 1. Introduction . A. Gnosticism B. Platonism Views on the Relation of Gnosticism to Platonism.. ‘A. Gnosticism as Platonism B. Platonism as Incipient Gnosticism C. Gnosticism and Later Platonism as Interdependent D. The Gnostic Synthesis of Judaic and Platonic Conceptuality. . Rethinking the Relationship between Gnosticism and Platonism: A Caveat F, Platonizing Treatises in the Nag Hammadi Library m PART ONE SETHIAN GNOSTICISM CHAPTER TWO: THE LITERATURE OF GNOSTIC SETHIANISM . I. The Sethians . . Il. The Sethian Literature III. Common Sethian Doctrines and Mythologumena A. The Sethian Revelation par excellence: the Apocryphon of John B. The Transcendent World of the Sethians. C. Two Patterns of the Salvific Process . 1. The “Descent Pattern”: Enlightenment by a Descending Revealer 2. The “Ascent Pattern”: Enlightenment by Contemplative Ascent IV.An Anticipatory Sketch of the Ontology of the Sethian Treatises. V. Literary Genre of the Sethian Treatises . : VI.Summary of Main Doctrinal and Literary Features. 57 60 63 69 78 80 80 81vill SETHIAN GNOSTICISM AND THE PLATONIC TRADITION CHAPTER THREE: INTERDEPENDENCIES AMONG THE SETHIAN TREATISES ; I. Thematic Interdependencies A. Treatises Employing the Descent Pattern 1. The Apocryphon of John . The Trimorphic Protennoia . Melchizedek . . Apocalypse of Adam . . The Gospel of the Egyptians . . The Hypostasis of the Archons . The Thought of Norea . B. Treatises Employing the Ascent Pattern . . Zostrianos 2. Allogenes 3. The Three Steles of Seth 4, Marsanes. : TI]. Summary of Main Doctrinal and Litetary Features. NAWEON CHAPTER FOUR: THE CHRONOLOGY AND REDACTION OF THE SETHIAN TREATISES. PART I: TREATISES OF THE DESCENT. PATTERN . 1. 100-125 CE: The Earliest Sethian Compositions A. Hymnic Accounts of the Savior’s Descent... B. The Pronoia Monologue of the Apocryphon of John Il. 125-150+ CE: Christianized Sethian Treatises. A. The Apocryphon of John 1. Sources and Redaction . . 2. The Anthropogony and Soteriology . 3. The Date of the Apocryphon of John . B. The Trimorphic Protennoia 1. The Redactional Stages of The Trimorphic Protennoia 2. The Trimorphie Protennoia and Johannine Christianity. III. 150-175+ Ce: Sethian-Christian polemic. A. The Apocalypse of Adam B. The Hypostasis of the Archons and the Thought of Norea . 1V.175-200+ CE: Thoroughly Christianized Sethianism 93 93 93 93 100 101 103 106 108 108 114 118 122 122 125 127 128 128 130 136 136 136 139 141 142 142 151 155 155 166 169‘TABLE OF CONTENTS. Ix A. The Gospel ofthe Egyptians»... . 2. «170 B. Melchizedek. . . woe 176 V. 200+ CE: The Platonizing Sethian Treatises | soe ee 178 CHAPTER FIVE: THE CHRONOLOGY AND REDACTION OF THE, SETHIAN TREATISES. PART Il: TREATISES OF THE ASCENT PATTERN AND SUMMARY . toe . 2. 19 I. 200-300 CE: The Sethian Rapprochement with Platonism . . . . 179 A. Zostrianos D000 aa 182 B, Allogenes 18S C. The Three Steles of Seth eee ee 187 D. Marsanes. . . . 189 E. The Untitled Treatise ofthe Bruce Codex woe ee 195 F. PlotinusandtheSethians . 2 2 2. 2. 1 2. . 198 G. The Relative Positions of the Platonizing Sethian Treatises . . . . . . 199 Il. The Literary History of the Sethian Corpus. . . . . 201 A. Two Possible Non-Sethian Precursors of the Sethian Treatises. 2. 203 1. The (Sethian?) Ophites of Irenaeus, Haereses 1.30 soe oe ee 203 2. Eugnostos the Blessed. . . . . . . . . 204 B. The Beginnings of Sethian ‘Theology: the Members of the Divine Triad. . . . . . . 209 1. The Ambiguity of the Second Member of the Triad: Male or Female? . 210 2. The Identity of the Third Member of the Triad . 212 C. The Development of the Sethian eee Corpus. . 214 1, Pre-SethianSources . . . woe ee 214 2. The First Pre-Sethian Texts ofthe Descent Pattern. 2 2 1. - + 216 3. The Christian Sethian Texts of the Descent Pattern. . soe oe e217 4. The Shift from the Sethian- Christian Descent Pattern to the Platonic Ascent Pattern. . 218 D. A Hypothetical Literary Stemma of the Sethian Treatises Loe ee 220