Two of the contributors to this blog have recently co-edited a collection of essays, Paul and Gnosis, the ninth volume in the Pauline Studies (PAST) series by Brill (our third contributor also has a chapter in it). The series has been one of the more popular ones by Brill, covering a wide range of topics related to one of the most influential figures in the New Testament. In each of the volumes in this series, Porter has invited scholars to submit contributions for the proposed topic. Interested scholars may want to contribute to future books in this series (see the preface for the topics of the next five books coming out in subsequent years).

Paul and Gnosis is a unique topic in the series, since the word gnosis can be interpreted broadly, relating to either knowledge in general or Gnosticism specifically. In that vein, the book contains five essays in each of these subtopics, from contributors from several different parts of the world, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., and Denmark. The first part deals with various aspects of Paul and knowledge, including a lexical study of “knowledge” words, and Paul’s knowledge of himself, theological concepts, and Scripture. The second part of the book deals with Paul in relation to Gnosticism, in both Pauline writings and the Nag Hammadi literature. Readers who have little knowledge of Paul and gnosis will benefit from this “enlightening” set of essays.

Table of Contents:

Introduction to Paul and Gnosis
Stanley E. Porter and David I. Yoon

Part 1: Paul and Knowledge

What Do We Mean by Speaking of Paul and Gnosis/Knowledge?
A Semantic and Frequency Investigation
Stanley E. Porter

Paul’s Thorn and His Gnosis: Epistemic Considerations
David I. Yoon

Paul’s Concept of the Resurrection Body in 1 Corinthians 15:35–58
Andrew W. Pitts

Detecting Allusions in the Pauline Corpus: A Method
Adam Z. Wright

Paul, the Expected Eschatological Phinehas-Elijah Prophet Law-Giver
Chris S. Stevens

Part 2: Paul and Gnosticism

“The Apostle of the Heretics”: Paul, Valentinus, and Marcion
James D.G. Dunn

Is There a Heresy in the Pastorals? A Sociolinguistic Analysis of 1 and 2 Timothy via the Ethnography of Communication Theory
Hughson T. Ong

Paul at Nag Hammadi
Michael Kaler

The Concept of Fullness in Paul and the Pauline Tradition:
A Cosmological Approach to Paul and Gnosis
Tilde Bak Halvgaard

The Strong/Gnosis, Paul, and the Corinthian Community
Panayotis Coutsoumpos