Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-6dbcb7884d-4tctr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-13T15:26:59.510Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 8 - The Angelification of Zostrianos

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2020

M. David Litwa
M. David Litwa
Affiliation:
Australian Catholic University, Melbourne
Get access

Summary

Chapter 8 presents angelification in the Christian apocalypse Zostrianos. Zostrianos is the mysterious reputed author of the longest tractate in the Nag Hammadi library (NHC VIII,8.1). The first known reception of this text was by Christians, one-time friends of Plotinus who tried to fit into his philosophical circle at Rome. Zostrianos ascends into four extra-cosmic dimensions in which he experiences successively higher forms of angelification. The text of Zostrianos is designed to lead its readers into contemplative ascent prefaced by a life of purifying virtues. These virtues completely cut one off from the structures of civic society in an effort to generate an angelic subjectivity on earth.

Keywords

ZostrianosgnosticNag Hammadipurifying virtueangelgloryascent to heavenPorphyryPlotinusalienation
Type
Chapter
Information
Posthuman Transformation in Ancient Mediterranean Thought
Becoming Angels and Demons
 , pp. 133 - 150
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • The Angelification of Zostrianos
  • M. David Litwa, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne
  • Book: Posthuman Transformation in Ancient Mediterranean Thought
  • Online publication: 24 December 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108921572.010
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • The Angelification of Zostrianos
  • M. David Litwa, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne
  • Book: Posthuman Transformation in Ancient Mediterranean Thought
  • Online publication: 24 December 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108921572.010
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Angelification of Zostrianos
  • M. David Litwa, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne
  • Book: Posthuman Transformation in Ancient Mediterranean Thought
  • Online publication: 24 December 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108921572.010
Available formats
×