Saturday 2 May 2015

Hugo Lundhaug: The Dialogue of the Savior (NHC III,5) as a Monastic Text

The Dialogue of the Savior, preserved only in Nag Hammadi Codex III, has commonly been treated as "Gnostic" text from the second century, and studies have largely focused on tracing its even earlier sources. In contrast, this paper eschews the category of "Gnosticism" and argues that the text is best understood as a product of early Egyptian monasticism. By comparing the Dialogue of the Savior with other monastic texts from Egypt, it will be shown how the text reflects monastic ideals and interests with regard to a range of topics, including prayer, repentance, and the ascent of the soul.

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