THE BEGINNINGS OF GNOSTIC CHRISTIANITY

CHAPTER I
Introductory ... ..... 1
1. Influence of Greek Philosophy upon Jewish Religion.
2. The Wisdom Literature.
3. Hellenistic Jewish Sects.
CHAPTER II
The Odes of Solomon : their Character and Probable Date 23
1. They are Jewish.
2. They are Gnostic.
3. Their Probable Date.
CHAPTER III
The Odes of Solomon : their Doctrine ... 50
1. The Indwelling Word and Gnosis.
2. The Term " the Lord."
3. The Messiah (Christ = the Anointed).
4. The Son of God.
5. The Christ as Supposed Speaker. Resurrection. 
6. The Water of Life. The Bridegroom.
7. Summary.
CHAPTER IV
The Dogma of the Incarnation . . . .119
1. Jewish Gnostic Communities in the First Century.
2. The Naassenes, Peratai and Sethians.
3. The Clementines.
CHAPTER V
The Name Jesus ....... 146
1 . Is it the Name of a Known Man ?
2. The "Prophet" Joshua
3. The Jesus of the Gospels is One of Several.
4. Literalization of Gnostic Symbolism
5. The Name a Divine One before the Christian Era.
CHAPTER VI
The Death of the Christ 164
1. The Trial by Pilate.
2. The Gospel of Peter.
3. The Death of Hercules.
4. Naassene Doctrine of the Death of the Son of Man.
5. Literalization of the Dogma.
6. The Quasi-historical Details.
7. The Sacred Meal.
CHAPTER VII
Pauline and Johannine Christianity ...198
1. The Pauline Problem.
2. Jewish "Mysteries"
3. Union with the Saviour.
4. The Pauline Baptism.
5. Importance of the Hermetic Literature.
6. The Archons.
7. Pauline Christology is Independent of an Historical Jesus.
8. Priority of the Odes of Solomon.
9. The Character of the Fourth Gospel.
10. The Johannine Logos.
11. Resurrection.
12. God-vision.
CHAPTER VIII
The PRIMITIVE GOSPEL ... 238
1. Its General Character.
2. The Baptism of Jesus.
3. The Purpose of the Descent of the Son of God.
4. The Son of God a Saviour.
5. Esoterism.
6. The Mother and the Brethren.
CHAPTER IX
Conclusion 266
1. Period of Co-ordination.
2. Catholicization.
3. What is the Essence of Christianity ?
Appendix A. The Gospel of Peter .... 277
Appendix B. The Gnostic Nucleus of the Epistle to the Romans .... 283
Appendix C. The Gnostic Nucleus of the First Epistle to the Corinthians  286
Appendix D. The Gnostic Nucleus of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians  290
Appendix E. The Original Epistle to the Galatians 292
Appendix F. Prologue to the Fourth Gospel  295
Index 297