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What Is Gnosticism?
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Karen L. King is a scholar of early Christianity and Gnosticism, and this book, published by Harvard University Press, is an academic critical history of the category Gnosticism itself, arguing that the term as commonly used is substantially a later scholarly construction imposed on a much more varied set of ancient texts and groups. Its strength is that King traces the history of the label back through patristic heresiology and into modern scholarship, showing how each era's definition of Gnosticism reflected its own theological and academic concerns. Its limit is that this is a critical, somewhat revisionist argument within ongoing scholarly debate about how to classify these ancient texts, so specific classification claims from it should be understood as one influential scholarly position rather than final consensus.
Facts
Citation
AuthorKaren L. King
PublisherHarvard University Press
Publication Year2003
URLhttps://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674017627
Source Typeacademic monograph
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Karen King's scholarly examination, published by Harvard University Press, of how the category Gnosticism itself has been constructed and used in the study of early Christianity. NotesScholarly examination of the category "Gnosticism" and its use in the study of early Christianity.
Claims Backed By This Source (73 claims)
This source backs 73 claims across the atlas. As facts: 57 well-attested. As cited relationships: 3 holds, 1 connected. Plus 12 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Denominations, 19 claims: 13 well-attested, 3 holds, 3 general references.
- Religions, 11 claims: 10 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Articles, 9 claims: 7 well-attested, 2 general references.
- Practices, 8 claims: 7 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Sources, 8 claims: 8 well-attested.
- Open Questions, 7 claims: 5 well-attested, 1 connected, 1 general references.
- Historical Figures, 5 claims: 4 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Doctrines, 3 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Esoteric Texts, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Beliefs & Restrictions, 1 claims: 1 general references.
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