ナグ・ハマディ文書の発見とグノーシス主義研究史上におけるその意義

Abstract

From our study on the 13 codices of NHTs, which was being published from 1956 to 1963, we have come to the following conclusions.1. Concerning the characteristics of the Gnosticism the NHTs reconfirm the results which had been drawn from the other Gnostic materials: (1) the knowledge on the “consubstantiality” between one's self and the supreme Godhead, (2) the substantial dualism and (3) the revelation of the Godhead (=one's self) through a Revealer or Redeemer. But the heresiologists of the “Great Church” have denounced form their point of view the points (2) and (3) so emphatically that the point (1) does not come enough into their sight. We can find neither “typical” Gnostic, speculative myths (2) nor so-called “Docetic” Christology (3), at least in the “Gospels” of the NHTs. On the contrary our texts are all founded on the “gnosis” of the consubstantiality (1).2. By the light of the NHTs it becomes clearer that the Gnosticism originated in the borderlands between Judaism (including Diaspola) and other hellenistic religions, for example in Samalia, Syria and Egypt, for the most of the NHTs depend on the Gnostic interpretation of the Judaic materials.3. Can we attest any conception of so-called “pre-Christian” Gnostic redeemer? To answer such a question is of course impossible, as the publication of the whole NHTs is not yet completed. We are inclined to think, however, that it is not from Christianity that Gnosticism borrowed the idea of its redeemer, for we can demonstrate by the textual criticism that such a redeemer as “Sophia” is more original than “Christ” in the Apocryphon Johannis and other NHTs.4. NHTs make it clearer that such rituals as baptism and chrism play the important role to combine Gnosticism with Christianity, especially “Sophia” with “Christ”.