Gnostic Self-Deification: The Case of Simon of Samaria
In: Gnosis: Journal of Gnostic StudiesSearch for other papers by M. David Litwa in
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This essay argues that gnostic deification can be redescribed as self-deification. Self-deification, it is argued, is realized in three “moments”: (1) the intuition of one’s own divine core, (2) deeply reflexive practices of self-knowledge, and (3) identification with a higher divine self. These three moments are contextualized with the help of ancient philosophy and several gnostic texts. Finally, a case study on Simon of Samaria illustrates how the three moments of self-deification play out.
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1
Foucault 2005, 120, 180.
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2
Foucault 2005, 256–57, 419–21, 454–55.
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3
Turner 2014; Burns 2014, 122–39.
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4
Roig Lanzillotta 2013, 71–102.
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5
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21
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See further Betz 1970, 471; Pépin 1971, 71–114.
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Epiphanius, Pan. 26.3.1 (Holl, Bergermann, and Collatz 2013, 278).
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Beyschlag 1974, 218–19.
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64
E.g., Haer. 6.15.3, 6.17.2 (Marcovich 1986, 220, 222). Note that Marcovich was prone to change φασί in the manuscript to φησί(ν).
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80
Foucault 2005, 184–85.
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81
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.3.13.3 (Le Boulluec 1997, 70).
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82
Foucault 1984, 351. See the comments of Nehamas 1998, 177.
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Gnostic Self-Deification: The Case of Simon of Samaria
In: Gnosis: Journal of Gnostic StudiesSearch for other papers by M. David Litwa in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
This essay argues that gnostic deification can be redescribed as self-deification. Self-deification, it is argued, is realized in three “moments”: (1) the intuition of one’s own divine core, (2) deeply reflexive practices of self-knowledge, and (3) identification with a higher divine self. These three moments are contextualized with the help of ancient philosophy and several gnostic texts. Finally, a case study on Simon of Samaria illustrates how the three moments of self-deification play out.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 655 | 90 | 5 |
| Full Text Views | 285 | 3 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 76 | 11 | 0 |