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SUPPLEMENTS
TO
VIGILIAE CHRISTIANAE Formerly Phibsophia Patrum TEXTS AND STUDIES OF EARLY CHRISTIAN LIFE AND LANGUAGE EDITORS J . DEN BOEFT — R. VAN DEN BROEK — A.F.J. KLJJN G. QUISPEL — J.C.M. VAN WINDEN
VOLUME XXXIII
'6 8* '
SEEK TO SE E HI M ASCENT AND VISION MYSTICISM IN T H E GOSPEL OF THOMAS
BY
A P R I L D. D E
C O N I C K
'6 8 * '
EJ.
BRILL
LEIDEN · NEW
YORK · KÖLN
1996
The pape r i n thi s boo k meet s th e guideline s fo r permanenc e an d durabilit y o f th e Committee o n Productio n Guideline s fo r Boo k Longevit y o f th e Counci l o n Librar y Resources. Library o f Congress Cataloging-in-Publicatio n Dat a De Conick , Apri l D. Seek to see hi m : ascent and vision mysticism in the Gospel of Thomas / Apri l D . De Conick . p. cm . — (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae ; v. 33 ) Includes bibliographical references an d index. ISBN 9004104011 (alk. paper) 1. Mysticism—Judaism . 2 . Ascension of the soul. 3 . Beatific vision. [1 . Gospel of Thomas—Criticism , interpretation, etc.] I . Tide . I I . Series. BS2860.T42D43 199 6 229\8—dc2 0 95-2472 2 CIP Die Deutsch e Bibliothe k — CIP-Einheitsaufnahme [Vigiliae Christiana e / Supplements ] Supplements t o Vigiliae Christiana e : formerly Philosophia Patrum ; texts and studies of early Christian life an d language. - Leide n ; New York ; Köln : Brill . Früher Schriftenreihe ISSN 0920-623X NE: HST Vol. 33 . Conick, April D . de: Seek to see him . - 199 6 Conick, A p r i l D . de: Seek to see hi m : ascent and visio n mysticis m i n the gospe l of Thomas / b y April D . de Conick . - Leide n ; New York ; Köln : Brill, 199 6 (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae ; Vol. 33) ISBN 90-04-10401-1
ISSN 0920-623 X ISBN 9 0 04 1040 1 1 © Copyright 1996 by E.J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use tr granted by E.J. Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Dowers MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change.
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
Ich, Ebenbil d der Gottheit , das sic h schon Ganz na h gedünkt de m Spiege l ewige r Wahrheit, Sein selbs t geno ß i n Himmelsglan z und Klarheit , Und abgestreif t de n Erdensohn . I , God' s ow n image, I who deem'd I stood With trut h eterna l ful l withi n m y gaze, And o f thi s earthl y hus k divested , view' d In dee p contentment heaven' s effulgent blaze . Goethe, faus/1.614-61 7 (ed. F. C. Endres [Basle , 1949] )
CONTENTS Preface
xiii PART ONE
INTRODUCTION I.
The Problem: Is Thomas Gnostic? 1) The Initial Studies 2) The Second Wave of Studies 3) Differentiating Thomas from Gnosticism a) The Pre-Mundane Fall b) Theological Dualism 4) Conclusion
3 3 11 16 16 21 24
II.
The Solution: Thomas is Mystical 1) Evidence for First-Century Jewish Mysticism a) Mysticism and Apocalypticism b) Mysticism and Jewish Sectarianism i) The Therapeutae ii) The Qumranites c) Mysticism and Philo 2) Mysticism and Thomas
28 28 28 32 32 33 34 38
PART TWO
ASCENT LORE IN THOMAS: LOGION 50 III.
The Triad of Questions in Logion 50 and Mystical Ascent 1) The Catechismal Paradigm 2) Community Dispute 3) Interrogations of the Soul at Death 4) Interrogations during Mystical Ascent 5) Conclusion
43 44 49 50 55 62
X CONTENT
IV.
S
The Tria d o f Answers in Logio n 5 0 an d Traditio n History 6 1) Fro m th e Ligh t 6 a) Ligh t as a Primal Entit y 6 b) Th e Self-Generate d Ligh t 6 c) Th e Manifestatio n o f Light int o Huma n Beings 6 d) Th e Plac e of the Ligh t 7 2) Th e Offsprin g o f the Ligh t 7 a) Origi n and Retur n 7 b) Th e Elec t 8 3) Movemen t an d Res t 9 4) C