Mazur, The Platonizing Sethian Background of Plotinus’s Mysticism

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

The Platonizing Sethian Background of Plotinus’s Mysticism

Series: Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies, Volume: 98
Author: Zeke Mazur

In The Platonizing Sethian Background of Plotinus’s Mysticism, Zeke Mazur offers a radical reconceptualization of Plotinus with reference to Gnostic thought and praxis. A crucial element in the thought of the third-century CE philosopher Plotinus—his conception of mystical union with the One—cannot be understood solely within the conventional history of philosophy, or as the product of a unique, sui generis psychological propensity. This monograph demonstrates that Plotinus tacitly patterned his mystical ascent to the One on a type of visionary ascent ritual that is first attested in Gnostic sources. These sources include the Platonizing Sethian tractates Zostrianos (NHC VIII,1) and Allogenes (NHC XI,3) of which we have Coptic translations from Nag Hammadi and whose Greek Vorlagen were known to have been read in Plotinus’s school.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €129.00 / $155.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44171-2
Publication Date: 12 Oct 2020

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44167-5
Publication Date: 15 Oct 2020

For some background on Plotinus and the Gnostics, see here, here, and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.