Lavinia Cerioni: Shifting Genders in Gnosticism. The use of gender categories to determine the Gnostic affiliation of the Gospel of Thomas

The use of gender categories in the theological speculation represents a distinctive mark of Gnostic myths, where feminine and masculine imagery are often used to convey core theological doctrines.In this presentation, I will analyze Logion 114 of the Gospel of Thomas, where it is said that Mary has to become male in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This passage resembles closely other texts affiliated to Gnosticism like Heracleon’s fragments in Origen,Commentary on the Gospel of John, 6, 20, 1 and Hippolytus, Refutatio 5, 8, 44. Similarly, the spiritual seed changes from male to female and vice versa in the Excerpta ex Theodoto, varying according to the mythologies. All these instances suggest that the shifting of genders was a primary issue within Gnostic movements.In this paper, I will compare the use of gender categories in the Gospel of Thomas with those of other Gnostic works, such as the Apocryphon of John, the Hypostasis of the Archons, the Gospel of Philip, the Exegesis of the Soul. Moreover, I intend to highlight the close similarities between the Gospel of Thomas and Gnosticism with regard to the use of gender categories, thus challenging that line of scholarship which supports the non-Gnostic affiliation of this Gospel. In summary, this presentation intends to propose a fresh approach to an old question: can the Gospel of Thomas be deemed a Gnostic work?