The Memoirs of a Modern Gnostic(Volume 1)-现代灵知主义者的回忆录(第1卷)

作者：Edward Conze

书名：The Memoirs of a Modern Gnostic(Volume 1)《现代灵知主义者的回忆录(第1卷)》

英文简介：The Gnostic ideas and systems flourished in the Mediterranean world in the second century AD, in conjunction with and influenced by the early Christian movements and Middle Platonism. After the second century, a decline set in. In the Persian Empire, Gnosticism in the form of Manicheism spread as far as China, while Mandaeism is still alive in Iraq.

A major question in scholarly research is the qualification of Gnosticism, based on the study of its texts, as either an interreligious phenomenon or as an independent religion.

中文背景：诺斯底主义（Gnosticism 或称灵知派和灵智派）的“诺斯底”一词在希腊语中意为“知识”，诺斯底是指在不同宗教运动及团体中的同一信念，这信念可能源自于史前时代，但却于公元的首数个世纪活跃于地中海周围与伸延至中亚地区。了解这个核心信念的关键就是要透过拥有“灵知”（Gnosis，或译“真知”），“灵知”在希腊语原文是指透过个人经验所获得的一种知识或意识。诺斯底主义者相信透过这种超凡的经验，可使他们脱离无知及现世