Against the Protestant GnosticsIn this penetrating and provocative assessment of the current state of religion and its effects on society at large, Philip J. Lee criticizes conservatives and liberals alike as he traces gnostic motifs to the very roots of American Protestantism. With references to an extraordinary spectrum of writings from sources as diverse as John Calvin, Martin Buber, Tom Wolfe, Margaret Atwood, and Emily Dickinson, he probes the effects of gnostic thinking on a wide range of issues. Calling for the restoration of a dialectical faith and practice, the book points to positive ways of restoring health to endangered Protestant churches. |
Contents
GNOSTICISM IN ASCENDANCE IN NORTH AMERICA | 81 |
GNOSTICISM ESTABLISHED WITHIN NORTH AMERICAN PROTESTANTISM RESULTS AND REFORM | 187 |
Epilogue | 282 |
Notes | 284 |
Bibliography | 325 |
Index | 337 |
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accept alienation American Protestantism ancient gnostics Apostle baptism become biblical Bultmann Catholic Christian claim concern congregation cosmos creation divine doctrine early Elaine Pagels elitism Emerson Ernst Troeltsch escape Ethics Eucharist evangelical experience faith Fathers flesh Gilles Quispel gnosis Gnostic Gospels God's God’s grace Greven Hans Jonas Harold Bloom Harper & Row Harvey Cox heresy Holy human human potential movement Ibid individual Institutes Irenaeus Israel italics Jesus Christ John Calvin Jonas Karl Barth knowledge liberal liturgical Lord Luther Martin Buber Marty Max Weber medieval ment modern nature Niebuhr North American Old Testament orthodox Pagels Parrington Paul person political preaching Protes Protestant churches Protestant Temperament Protestantism Puritan Quispel Quoted reality Reformed Reinhold Niebuhr religion religious Righteous Empire Roman sacraments salvation Scripture secular sense sexual social soul spiritual syncretism teaching theologians theology things thought tion tradition trans Troeltsch truth understanding University Press Word York