The Gospel According to Philip: The Sources and Coherence of an Early Christian Collection

Study of The Gospel according to Philip, an important gnostic christian test, has been hampered by unresolved questions about the unity, genre and sectarian contexts of the work. This book argues that terms of self-designation, use of controversial vocabulary, style, hermeneutic strategies, and theological commitments together present persuasive evidence of derivation from multiple sectarian milieux. The document’s organizing principles are found to be in accord with the excerpting and collection practices of late antiquity. The coherence of the text lies in its compiler’s distinctive interests and choices, not in the uniformity of its materials. The persuasive case made by this book will help to advance research on this significant document of early christianity.