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. |
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... reality and structure of the community of believers to be a regenerative leaven in the churches of North America and in North American culture and society. He does not hesitate to challenge established thinkers and widely accepted ...
... reality and structure of the community of believers to be a regenerative leaven in the churches of North America and in North American culture and society. He does not hesitate to challenge established thinkers and widely accepted ...
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... reality we call Protestantism; that something like the ancient misalliance has occurred in our own time, particularly in the North American expression of Protestantism; and that within Protestantism the faith of Christ has become so ...
... reality we call Protestantism; that something like the ancient misalliance has occurred in our own time, particularly in the North American expression of Protestantism; and that within Protestantism the faith of Christ has become so ...
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... reality is not terribly alarming; every great religion has variations on the theme. When, however, we come to a period like that of the first four centuries of the Church, when the gnostic way almost prevailed, how can we speak of a ...
... reality is not terribly alarming; every great religion has variations on the theme. When, however, we come to a period like that of the first four centuries of the Church, when the gnostic way almost prevailed, how can we speak of a ...
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... reality the tribes of Jacob could only become Israel by disentangling themsleves from both gnosis and magic . 13 ... Perhaps , in the typological comparisons that follow , it can be seen that the grave threat Buber felt gnosticism posed ...
... reality the tribes of Jacob could only become Israel by disentangling themsleves from both gnosis and magic . 13 ... Perhaps , in the typological comparisons that follow , it can be seen that the grave threat Buber felt gnosticism posed ...
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... reality , which is the object of knowledge in orthodox Christianity . Not so for the Christian gnostic : " For Basilides the world and history were merely symbols referring to an inner process . " Similarly , states Quispel , in ...
... reality , which is the object of knowledge in orthodox Christianity . Not so for the Christian gnostic : " For Basilides the world and history were merely symbols referring to an inner process . " Similarly , states Quispel , in ...
Contents
Gnosticism Within the Orthodox Faith | |
From Gratitude to Despair | |
From Holy Event to Private Illumination | |
Modern Escapefrom the Home of the Brave? | |
From the Sacred Community to the Inner Self | |
From the Many to the | |
From the Particular to the Nebulous | |
GNOSTICISM ESTABLISHED WITHIN NORTH AMERICAN | |
The Renewal of Hope | |
Epilogue | |
Bibliography | |
Index | |
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accept alienation ancient gnostics Apostle baptism become believe Bellah biblical body Bultmann Calvinist Catholic Christian claim concern confessed congregation cosmos covenant creation divine doctrine early Elaine Pagels elitism Emerson Ernst Troeltsch escape ethical Eucharist evangelical experience faith Fathers Gilles Quispel gnosis Gnostic Gospels God’s grace Greven Hans Jonas Harold Bloom Harper & Row Harvey Cox heresy Holy human human potential movement Ibid individual individualistic Institutes Irenaeus Israel italics Jesus Christ John Calvin Jonas Jonathan Edwards knowledge liberal liturgy Lord Luther Marty medieval ministry modern movement nature Niebuhr Old Testament orthodox Pagels Parrington particular Paul person political preaching Protestant churches Protestant Temperament Protestantism Puritan Quispel Quoted radical reality Reformed Reinhold Niebuhr religion religious Righteous Empire Roman sacraments salvation Scripture secular sense sexual social soul spiritual syncretism teaching theologians theology things thought tradition trans Troeltsch truth understanding University Press Walker Percy William Word