Happy New Year

Okay, it's late June, but I must shamefacedly admit that this is my first blog post of 2008. The good news is that I've been busy. Near the beginning of the year I completed The Gnostics: History Tradition Scriptures Influence. This is a full introduction to Gnosticism. the first half of the book looks at the ancient Gnostics, their writings, practices, their spiritual psychology, their variety, origins and demise. Then I follow the Gnostic legacy, taking in the Manichaeans and Mandaeans, the Cathars and, Bogomils and Paulicians, Gnostic-ish movements in other religions, and the modern revival of interest in gnosticism. The book is published by Watkins/Duncan Baird and will come out in October. http://www.dbponline.co.uk/book_preview.asp?b_id=577

I've also just completed a dictionary of Gnosticism, (as I like to call it, but it will probably be called A Guidebook to Gnosticism) for Quest. This is the first comprehensive dictionary of Gnosticism, and it provides a thorough guide to Gnostic terms and also covers most of the related movements and concepts. It's the sort of book that I wished that I had access to when I began to study the Gnostics. I'll still have some work to do once I receive feedback from my editor, Richard Smoley, and it will be out spring 2009.

I'm also editing and publishing a new magazine The Gnostic (I told you that I had been busy), a journal of Gnosticism and Esotericism which will be out in the next few weeks. The first issue is going to be massive and brilliant, and a lot of talented people, both famous and unknown, have contributed to it. More soon...