Pistis Sophia

A scholarly translation and study written in the early 20th century. It presents an authoritative English rendering of a Coptic Gnostic scripture alongside a substantial historical and theological introduction. The focus is on early Christian Gnosticism—its cosmology, rituals, and texts—framed by manuscript scholarship, patristic testimony, and debates over authorship (likely within the Valentinian tradition). Readers can expect a rigorous, source-based exploration rather than devotional or narrative content. The opening of the work defines Gnosticism’s aims and sources, reviews how the Coptic manuscript entered scholarship, and surveys prior editions and translations before describing the codex’s physical features, scribal hands, and probable Greek originals. It then summarizes six constituent documents: an initial account of Jesus’ post-resurrection revelations and the allegory of Pistis Sophia’s fall, penitence, and rescue; a continuation that elaborates heavenly hierarchies and graded “mysteries” promising ascent to the Light; a brief fragment on the Ineffable; a third piece centered on hells, punishments, and the soul’s parts; a fourth that blends astral lore, visionary ascent, and magical-ritual sacraments; and a fifth cataloging sins and postmortem torments, often invoking pagan deities as demonic agents. The editor argues the compilation was likely made for official or judicial scrutiny of heresy, deliberately omitting operational magical details. He further contends the earliest stratum is Alexandrian and probably Valentinian, predating widespread use of the Fourth Gospel, while later layers show a decline into magic and astrology, and he correlates distinctive phrases with patristic critiques to support these claims.