The Gospels of Thomas and Philip:  In the year 1945 in the Hag Hammadi Valley in upper Egypt came the discovery of a collection of over fifty early Gnostic Christian scriptures which have inaugurated a new era in the spirituality of the West.  Dubbed the “Nag Hammadi Collection” but often called the “Gnostic Gospels”, this collection of lectures by Dr. Hoeller concentrates on the two greatest scriptures from this collection, the “Gospel of Thomas” and the “Gospel of Philip”.

Dr. Hoeller addresses the Gnostic St. Thomas Tradition.  In recent decades St. Thomas the Apostle has emerged as a major influence in early Christianity.  Prof. Elaine Pagels in her book Beyond Belief established the thesis that St. Thomas and his tradition represent an Alternative Christianity.

Dr. Hoeller evaluates the figure of St. Thomas in a Gnostic perspective and presents a Gnostic view of The Book of Thomas the Contender (from Nag Hammadi) and the Acts of Thomas from the Apostolic Acts written by Leucius Charinus in about the second Century A.D.

In great detail Dr. Hoeller examines both the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Philip by reading the passages and providing interpretation, thus shedding new light on these tremendous treasures.

The individual titles are:

• Thomas and Philip: Gospels of the Gnostic Christ. “The Gospel of Thomas” and “The Gospel of Philip”. 79:52 #100700
• Who was St. Thomas the Apostle? Was Thomas the twin of Jesus? Did Thomas travel to and die in India? Has the Thomas tradition been perpetuated in India? What is the relation of Thomas to the tradition of the Prophet Mani? 72:59 #100701
• The Gospel of Thomas: On Being Human. Sayings of Jesus on the Human Condition. 72:21 #100702
• The Gospel of Thomas: Sayings Concerning Conduct. Was the Law of Moses abrogated by Jesus? How are people to behave? 78:43 #100703
• The Gospel of Thomas: Sayings Concerning the Redeemer. What are we being saved from and who does the saving? Do we have a Messiah in our souls? 83:35 #100704
• The Gospel of Thomas: Sayings Concerning Self-Knowledge. How to know ourselves. Self-knowledge as knowledge of God. 88:03 #100705
• The “Acts of Thomas” and the “Book of Thomas the Contender”. The magnificent Hymn of the Pearl and Wedding Song of Wisdom from the Acts of Thomas and the mysterious Book of Thomas the Contender is reviewed and evaluated. 72:47 #100706
• The Gospel of Philip: Holy Names and Saving Beings. Early part of the Gospel. Children of God and slaves of the Demiurge; Spiritual death against Gnosis; Reaping Gnosis; Miracles of the Spiritual life. 80:43 #100707
• The Gospel of Philip: Humans and the World. The parables of the Vessels of glass and earthenware; the Gnostic view of the Eucharist; Mary Magdalene, the companion of the Logos. The mystic baptism. The inseparable union of the Bridal Chamber. 77:09 #100708
• The Gospel of Philip: Earthly and Heavenly Union. Coming out of the world; Truth in the (arche)types and images; the five original Sacraments; the heavenly Union destroys death. 94:49 #100709
• The Gospel of Philip: Son of Man and Bridal Chamber. The mystery of the Tree of Life; Celestial nourishment defeats death; Bridal Chamber and self-knowledge; the true veil of the Sanctuary of Gnosis. 81:55 #100710