The Gnostics

Overview

Gnostics have always sought to “know” rather than to accept dogma and doctrine, often to their peril. This inquiry into Gnosticism examines the character, history, and beliefs of a brave and vigorous spiritual quest that originated in the ancient Near East and continues into the present day.Lawrence Durrell writes, “This is a strange and original essay, more a work of literature than of scholarship, though its documentation is impeccable. It is as convincing a reconstruction of the way the Gnostics lived and thought as D.H. Lawrence’s intuitive recreation of the vanished Etruscans.”

Author Biography

Lawrence George Durrell (February 27, 1912—November 7, 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan. His most famous work is the tetralogy The Alexandria Quartet. Jacques Lacarrière (December 2, 1925—September 17, 2005) was a French writer. He studied moral philosophy, classical literature, and Hindu philosophy and literature. Professionally, he was also a prominent critic, journalist, and essayist. His essay L'été grec was an immense popular success, as were his following classical works Maria of Egypt and Dictionnaire amoureux de la Grèce. Lacarrière's 1973 literary essay, Les Gnostiques, is also well respected for its insights into the early Christian religious phenomenon of Gnosticism. For the whole of his work, he was awarded le Grand Prix de l'Académie française in 1991.