Religious history in the Western world has been dominated by the power and doctrinal discipline of the Catholic Church. But, argues Tony Sunderland in his new book, we are not solely products of this tradition, nor of that of its Protestant challengers. Lost in the footnotes of history is the story of the Church’s fascinating heretical counterpart, Gnosticism. The Gnostics Religious history in the Western world has been dominated by the power and doctrinal discipline of the Catholic Church. But, argues Tony Sunderland in his new book, we are not solely products of this tradition, nor of that of its Protestant challengers. Lost in the footnotes of history is the story of the Church’s fascinating heretical counterpart, Gnosticism. The Gnostics were brutally persecuted and their ideas were suppressed. But their teachings were powerful enough to linger on in the collective unconscious of succeeding generations and to re-emerge in the most unexpected places. From symbols on the American one-dollar bill to the ideals of the 1960s counterculture, from heavy metal music to twenty-first century technological innovations, various facets of Gnostic thought continue to offer us a way to interpret the meaning of our lives. As Sunderland traces the battle between the orthodox and heretical traditions of Christianity, his thorough research and ability to make counterintuitive connections reveal to us a struggle that continues to rage beneath the surface of contemporary life.
A Crisis of Faith ( The battle of beliefs between the Christian Church and Gnosticism)
Religious history in the Western world has been dominated by the power and doctrinal discipline of the Catholic Church. But, argues Tony Sunderland in his new book, we are not solely products of this tradition, nor of that of its Protestant challengers. Lost in the footnotes of history is the story of the Church’s fascinating heretical counterpart, Gnosticism. The Gnostics Religious history in the Western world has been dominated by the power and doctrinal discipline of the Catholic Church. But, argues Tony Sunderland in his new book, we are not solely products of this tradition, nor of that of its Protestant challengers. Lost in the footnotes of history is the story of the Church’s fascinating heretical counterpart, Gnosticism. The Gnostics were brutally persecuted and their ideas were suppressed. But their teachings were powerful enough to linger on in the collective unconscious of succeeding generations and to re-emerge in the most unexpected places. From symbols on the American one-dollar bill to the ideals of the 1960s counterculture, from heavy metal music to twenty-first century technological innovations, various facets of Gnostic thought continue to offer us a way to interpret the meaning of our lives. As Sunderland traces the battle between the orthodox and heretical traditions of Christianity, his thorough research and ability to make counterintuitive connections reveal to us a struggle that continues to rage beneath the surface of contemporary life.
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49 review for A Crisis of Faith ( The battle of beliefs between the Christian Church and Gnosticism)
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Harry Whitewolf –
I get the impression that it’s mostly non-Christians who read stuff about the origins of Christianity and the Gnostic texts; which is a bit odd really, because if you want to know more about your beloved Christ, reading the gospels of Judas and Mary etc. will give you a much better idea of what Jesus’ teachings actually were. It’s like saying you’re a massive fan of the Rolling Stones, but you’ve only ever listened to the Greatest Hits and have never heard albums like Sticky Fingers. But I guess I get the impression that it’s mostly non-Christians who read stuff about the origins of Christianity and the Gnostic texts; which is a bit odd really, because if you want to know more about your beloved Christ, reading the gospels of Judas and Mary etc. will give you a much better idea of what Jesus’ teachings actually were. It’s like saying you’re a massive fan of the Rolling Stones, but you’ve only ever listened to the Greatest Hits and have never heard albums like Sticky Fingers. But I guess most Christians don’t read things like the Nag Hammadi texts and the Dead Sea Scrolls simply because they weren’t included in the Bible (and they bizarrely think the Bible is the actual word of God) which is pretty crazy when we know it was the Council of Nicea and the later Church who decided how to edit the Bible – and from the vast amount of contradictions included in the text, they really could have done with a better proofreader. Anyway, I digress. I’m not a Christian man myself, but I am spiritual and I’ve always been fascinated by religions/their origins, and more importantly: the gods and spiritual beliefs that came long before the more popular ones like ol’ J.C, such as Osiris and Mithras (both of whom most certainly inspired many of the things we attribute to Christ, but I digress even further). So, I very much enjoyed reading Tony Sunderland’s book which focuses on the Gnostic beliefs. To be honest, I knew much of what was on offer, but it was still enjoyable to go over such things again; and if you’re new to reading about Gnosticism and the origins of Christianity and the Holy Bible, then you could do much worse than reading this very informative and extremely well written book. Sunderland has a way of writing that makes possibly complicated things easy to understand, whilst still keeping it within the realms of well-researched academia, where it’s clear that Sunderland has studied this stuff long and hard and knows what he’s talking about. So if you want to learn about Gnosticism, then you should definitely check out this great read.
James Morcan –
An enlightening read. This is one of the clearest summaries of the Gnostic faiths throughout history. I like how Sunderland shows the reader in simple terms how the Gnostic traditions contrast with what the organised religion of Christianity eventually became (even though it appears Christianity derives at least in part from Gnosticism). I must admit the book raises more questions rather than answering everything, but that is the most honest approach given this part of history is still such a grea An enlightening read. This is one of the clearest summaries of the Gnostic faiths throughout history. I like how Sunderland shows the reader in simple terms how the Gnostic traditions contrast with what the organised religion of Christianity eventually became (even though it appears Christianity derives at least in part from Gnosticism). I must admit the book raises more questions rather than answering everything, but that is the most honest approach given this part of history is still such a great mystery. Maybe more scrolls like the Nag Hammadi will be found in future, but I appreciated how Sunderland decided not to "fill in the blanks" in terms of what may have or may not have occurred within the various Gnostic sects. For example, he admits there is no definite evidence to show whether the claimed Gnostic sect of the Essenes even existed. Gnosticism is a very important part of the West's history, and I see this book as a part of the revival into this underreported "Christian alternative to Christianity"!
Jane –
This was an interesting read about the history of the Christian Church and Gnosticism, which was considered heretical at certain points of history. I have read several books on Christian Gnosticism and this is the first one that brought it into the present with the chapters on modern existentialism and technology. I won a copy of this book from the author as part of the Goodreads Giveaways program.
Richard Worden –
Great insights into Gnostic studies.
Richard Worden –
Excellent book...well written, and describes the intersection of the Church and Gnosticism. The book ends with an examination of the contemporary scene.
Rosemary –
A Crisis of Faith (Gnostic vs Christian) A journey to the past and future of Gnosticism, against the rise and possible fall of Christianity. A technological Armageddon.
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