Prolegomena to Christian Magic
Continuing with our series of studies on aspects of the Abrahamic esoteric in late antiquity, we are turning to Christian magic.
Primary Sources
Ante-Nicene Christian Library, Vol. 23: Origen Contra Celsum
This volume captures one of the most significant debates in Western history. Origen faces Celsus, a brilliant pagan critic who attacks the Christian faith as a dangerous, superstitious sect. Origen does not retreat. Instead, he systematically deconstructs the claims of Greek philosophy to show that
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Vol. 2 (Augustine: City of God, Christian Doctrine)
This volume presents the definitive ecclesiastical histories of Socrates Scholasticus and Sozomen, documenting how Christianity transformed from a persecuted sect into an imperial power. Readers follow the turbulent Arian controversy, where theological debates over the divinity of the Son served as
Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 5 (Hippolytus, Cyprian, Novatian)
This collection presents primary evidence for the intellectual battles of the early Church. Hippolytus argues that Gnosticism is not a new revelation but a patchwork of stolen pagan ideas and astrological tricks. Cyprian shifts the focus to the practical struggle for unity, proving that the early Ro
Refutation of All Heresies, Vol. 1
This text provides an aggressive polemic against the Gnostic sects that threatened to fracture the early Christian Church. Hippolytus dismantles their claims to divine revelation by tracing their doctrines back to the pagan classrooms of Pythagoras, Plato, and the Stoics. He asserts that these movem
Refutation of All Heresies, Vol. 2
This volume is an aggressive polemic against the Gnostic thinkers who threatened the foundations of the early Church. Hippolytus dismantles systems like those of Valentinus and Basilides by tracing their roots directly back to Pythagoras and Aristotle. He identifies these doctrines not as divine rev