Quotes About Gnostic texts

There are many other beings that you will discover in the Gnostic Galaxy if you choose to delve more deeply into Gnosticism. For instance, there is Barbelo, who speaks of Herself in the Trimorphic Protennoia. While She appears in certain Gnostic texts such as The Three Steles of Seth and the above Trimorphic Protennoia, Barbelo is a very complex being, often portrayed as androgynous.

Elaine Pagels, in Beyond Belief, emphasizes the centrality of such insight and creative thinking in gnostic texts by discussing the role of epinoia, which may be translated "insight," "afterthought," "creativity," or the like, in the Secret Book of John.

Other gnostic texts, particularly Valentinian texts, incorporate significant references to the crucifixion of Jesus and reiterate more familiar Christological and soteriological formulations, but they often interpret the crucifixion in a more symbolic fashion. In these texts the emphasis is not upon a doctrine of atonement through the death of Jesus on the cross, and there is no sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the world.