Hidden Wisdom: Esoteric Traditions and the Roots of Christian Mysticism (Numen Book Series, 70)

229 Pages·2005·0.9 MB·English

by  Guy Stroumsa

Hidden Wisdom
Numen Book Series
Studies in the History of Religions
Edited by
ff
Wouter J. Hanegraa
P. Pratap Kumar
Advisory Board
P. Antes, M. Despland, R.I.J. Hackett,
M. Abumalham Mas, A.W. Geertz, G. Ter Haar,
G.L. Lease, M.N. Getui, I.S. Gilhus, P. Morris,
J.K. Olupona, E. Thomassen, A. Tsukimoto,
A.T. Wasim
VOLUME 70
Hidden Wisdom
Esoteric Traditions and the Roots of
Christian Mysticism
by
Guy G. Stroumsa
Second, Revised and Enlarged edition
BRILL
LEIDEN•BOSTON
2005
Cover photo reproduced with kind permission of Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.
Picture of Moses, in octateuch from Constantinople (Ms.gr. 747, folio 76 verso).
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data
Stroumsa, Gedaliahu A.G.
Hidden wisdom : esoteric traditions and the roots of Christian mysticism /
by Guy G. Stroumsa. — Rev. and extended pbk. ed.
p. cm. — (Numen book series. Studies in the history of religions,
ISSN 0169-8834; v. 70)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 90-04-13635-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Occultism—Religious aspects—Christianity—History of doctrines—Early
church, ca. 30-600. 2. Discipline of the secret. 3. Mysticism—History—Early
church, ca. 30-600. I. Title. II. Studies in the history of religions; 70.
BR 195.O33S77 2005
261.5’13—dc22 2005045741
ISSN 0169-8834
ISBN 90 04 13635 5
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printed in the netherlands
For Rachel and Daphna

CONTENTS
Preface to the First Edition ...................................................... ix
Preface to the Second Edition .................................................. xi
Abbreviations .............................................................................. xvii
Introduction ................................................................................ 1
I. Myth as Enigma: Cultural Hermeneutics in Late
Antiquity ........................................................................ 11
II. Paradosis: Esoteric Traditions in Early Christianity ...... 27
III. Gnostic Secret Myths .................................................... 46
IV. Esotericism in Mani’s Thought and Background ........ 63
V. The Body of Truth and its Measures:
New Testament Canonization in Context .................. 79
VI. Moses’ Riddles: Esoteric Trends in Patristic
Hermeneutics .................................................................. 92
VII. Clement, Origen and Jewish Esoteric Traditions ........ 109
VIII. Milk and Meat: Augustine and the End of Ancient
Esotericism ...................................................................... 132
IX. From Esotericism to Mysticism in Early Christianity 147
X. Mystical Descents .......................................................... 169
XI. A Nameless God: Judaeo-Christian and Gnostic
‘Theologies of the Name’ .............................................. 184
Sources ........................................................................................ 201
Indices ........................................................................................ 203
General Index ................................................................ 203
Names ............................................................................ 204
Literature ........................................................................ 205

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
Although the existence of secret traditions in the earliest strata of
Christianity is now recognized by most scholars, the importance of
these traditions is not always appreciated. These traditions disap-
peared in late antiquity, and their traces are to a great extend blurred.
But the existence, at the same period, of esoteric trends in other
religious traditions such as the Greek mysteries, Zoroastrianism or
Judaism, strengthens the hypothesis of significant esoteric trends in
early Christianity.
In the last decade or so, some of my efforts have been dedicated
to the study of esoteric trends in early Christianity as well as among
Gnostics and Manichaeans. As I proceeded in my research I realized,
however, that the question was not yet ripe for a synthetic study to
be written. I have opted, therefore, for a series of investigations on
various aspects of esotericism in the first Christian centuries. These
investigations are intended as forays—or Vorarbeiten—to check the ter-
rain. It is hoped that presented together, their results will provide
accumulated circumstantial evidence, and carry a weight that will
encourage further discussion of the material.
My interest in these questions owes a great deal to many col-
leagues and friends. At the Hebrew University, I have learned much,
in particular, from Galit Hasan-Rokem, Moshe Idel, David Satran,
Shaul Shaked, David Shulman and R.J. Zwi Werblowsky. Some of
the ideas developed here were first tried in a graduate seminar on
esoteric traditions in ancient Mediterranean religions, taught together
with Yehudah Liebes a few years ago.
Versions of the chapters of this book were presented before var-
ious audiences. I am grateful for the oral and written comments I
received on these occasions. In particular, I should like to thank
Hans Dieter Betz, Alain Le Boulluec, Carsten Colpe, Peter Kingsley,
Kurt Rudolph, and Werner Sundermann. Robert Lamberton and
Charles Kahn kindly read two chapters and made various useful
comments. I also wish to recall the memory of Jonas Greenfield,
Shlomo Pines, Morton Smith and Ioan Culiano, with whom I dis-
cussed some of the issues dealt with here.
A sustained and systematic effort to understand the nature, role
and transformation of Christian esotericism in late antiquity demands
x preface to the first edition
a comparative approach, which is best done in collaborative ven-
tures. I was privileged to be associated with two such collective enter-
prizes, which sought to develop cross-cultural approaches to the study
of secrecy and esotericism. In 1993, Hans Kippenberg and I orga-
nized a workshop on “Secrecy and concealment in Mediterranean
and Near Eastern religions,” the proceedings of which have recently
been published in the Numen Book Series. The contributions cover
much of the Greek background of the topics dealt with here, the
New Testament, and the repercussions of ancient esotericism up to
Shi‘ite traditions. I have therefore felt it unnecessary to cover again,
much less authoritatively, the same material.
Jan and Aleida Assmann (Heidelberg and Konstanz) organized a
series of three interdisciplinary conferences on various aspects of
secrecy. I have learned much from participating in the second and
the third of these conferences, held in 1992 and 1993.
I am indebted to Tamar Osnat Avraham, who compiled the index
with diligence. Finally, I wish to thank the editors of Numen Book
Series for accepting this book, and Elisabeth Erdman-Visser and
Hans van der Meij at Brill for their patience and competence.
More than ten years ago, in the Preface of my Another Seed: Studies
in Gnostic Mythology, I thanked Sarah Stroumsa for her interest in
“arcane topics.” Meanwhile, this interest has extended to the arcana
themselves. For that, and for her loving support, I am deeply grate-
ful. This book is dedicated to our daughters, in appreciation of their
wisdom.
Jerusalem, August 1995