THE ESSENCE OF THE GNOSTICS

A vivid exploration of ancient spiritual rebels, this compelling guide uncovers the origins, beliefs, and modern revival of the provocative and transformative Gnostic tradition. Long before there was a system of belief called Gnosticism there were those who reached for a special intimate knowledge of God and His mysterious ways. The possession of such knowledge, they believed, would bring salvation from suffering. In The Essence of the Gnostics Bernard Simon offers a fascinating insight into this ancient and yet in many ways surprisingly contemporary faith, and explores the reasons for its current renaissance. The Mystic Wisdom introduces four of the world’s most influential mystical traditions – Gnosticism, Sufism, Kabbalah, and Buddhism – tracing the history of these movements and their exploration of personal and spiritual transformation.