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pattmayne 's review for:
This was thrilling. Gnosticism is fascinating anyway but this deep dive into its origins, its types, its meaning, and its resonance with modern existentialism, brings out all the vivid spectacle and philosophical richness of these ancient visionary ideas.
Jonas is eloquent and deeply researched. He clearly respects the thinkers and is personally intrigued by the cultural upheavals they were dealing with. This works great as a cultural history lesson in itself, but the real glory is the mythological detail. Any fan of Joseph Campbell will appreciate the lore and its analysis.
But what really brings this to another level is Jonas' existentialist background. His ultimate critique of the world-denial within gnosticism is the same as his critique of existentialist nihilism. As a student of Heidegger he's in a good position to show what is missing in his former mentor's system, and its resonace with gnostic beliefs is what compelled him to this study in the first place. That's what gives him the perspective to draw out all the meaning in these mythologies.
While reading this I ordered two of his other books. This is his analysis of other thinkers' ideas, but it's enough to compel me to read his other books which elaborate more on his own ideas. Very much looking forward to reading his essays on life and technology.
Jonas is eloquent and deeply researched. He clearly respects the thinkers and is personally intrigued by the cultural upheavals they were dealing with. This works great as a cultural history lesson in itself, but the real glory is the mythological detail. Any fan of Joseph Campbell will appreciate the lore and its analysis.
But what really brings this to another level is Jonas' existentialist background. His ultimate critique of the world-denial within gnosticism is the same as his critique of existentialist nihilism. As a student of Heidegger he's in a good position to show what is missing in his former mentor's system, and its resonace with gnostic beliefs is what compelled him to this study in the first place. That's what gives him the perspective to draw out all the meaning in these mythologies.
While reading this I ordered two of his other books. This is his analysis of other thinkers' ideas, but it's enough to compel me to read his other books which elaborate more on his own ideas. Very much looking forward to reading his essays on life and technology.