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Discovered in Egypt in 1945 as part of the Nag Hammadi Library, the Gospel of Thomas was long considered irrelevant to the study of Jesus' teachings. Stevan Davies' influential The Gospel of Thomas and Christian Wisdom overturned this view, and enabled the Gospel of Thomas to be taken seriously as a source for the earliest Christianity. This Bardic Press edition brings a classic work of accessible scholarshp back into print. A entirely new forty page introduction discusses recent developments in scholarship, looks at Thomas' independence from the New Testament gospels, discusses the role of Mary Magdalene in the Gospel Thomas, and offers a variety of valuable insights. A fascinating additional essay speculates that Thomas may have been used as an oracle text in a similar way to the I Ching.

Alastair ('Lala') Ashford-Brown was born in 1953 in the heart of rural Wiltshire. He attended Marlborough College, one of England's top schools, from which he was expelled for cutting down the school bells celebrated by Poet Laureate John Betjeman. After a brief period as a shepherd on Exmoor where he had his heart broken for the first time, Lala set out to seek solace on the roads of Europe where he wandered for nearly twenty years in the pursuit of meaning and the magic he felt to have vanished from life and above all to find romance and adventure, both of which he found along with much despair. He travelled with the Gypsies and lived with them in their great encampment in the Pyrenees. He drank, he fell in love, he lived on his wits and broke the law and was imprisoned in his beloved Greece, where he started to write his story: Hedges, Ditches and Dreams (Tales from the Flames of Youth). The poems in this volume are those he wrung from his blood over the years.

Alastair Ashford-Brown (Lala) grew up in Wiltshire on the edge of Salisbury Plain and attended the prestigious public school Marlborough College, from which he was expelled for cutting the rope of the school bell, after which his real schooling began as he set off on the road to seek romance and adventure.Hedges Ditches and Dreams recounts some of these adventures: how he learnt to survive on his wits, his meeting with Gypsies in the vineyards of France and his subsequent departure with them to live in their great encampment in the Pyrenees, clinging on to the outside of a train from Paris to Lisbon in pursuit of the lady of his dreams, shipwreck on the Baltic, imprisonment in a Greek jail, and encounters with some of the picaresque characters he met on his way. It tells the compelling story of a turbulent youth, of drunken escapades and passionate love affairs, evoking a Europe of traditional rural life and Bohemian cities in a world which has now largely disappeared.Alastair Ashford-Brown is the author of Hedges, Ditches and Dreams and two books of poetry: Songs of Sorrow and Joy and Nets in the Wind.

The secret book of the cunning man of Denbighshire, a Welsh magical notebook from the 1830s, was published in part in the 1970s but is now lost. Andrew Phillip Smith reconstructs and translates the notebook. The cunning man, or dyn hysbys, straddled two worlds, providing magical services to his community, preserving traditional charms and magical techniques yet eager to discover other techniques or spells that were coming to light.Smith digs into a lost world of first-hand accounts and folklore in which Welsh magicians had a particular command over fairies, and were regularly sought out for charms against malign witchcraft. Chapters provide a mass of information on the wise women and fraudulent rogues of Denbighshire, the relationship between magicians and fairies in tradition and folktale and the methods of unwitching cattle, and a possible author for this lost notebook.'... both a worthwhile addition to scholarship and an easy introduction for the newcomer.'Dr Ronald Hutton, Professor of History Bristol university, author of The Triumph of the Moon, The Witch, Queens of the Wild'This is a remarkable book that offers in-depth insight into the secret world of the Welsh Dyn Hysbys. . . a fascinating study of magic and folklore in Wales that will surely become a classic of its time.' Kristoffer Hughes, Head of the Anglesey Druid Order, author of Cerridwen & The Book of Druidry.'Anyone with an interest in magic, folklore, or even Welsh history in general will find something in this book, read it and revel in the magic of Wales' traditional folk magical culture.' Mhara Starling, author of Welsh Witchcraft: A Guide to the Spirits, Lore, and Magic of Wales'... a thoroughly enjoyable, as well as illuminating, read.' David Conway, author of Magic: An Occult Primer'In this work Andrew Phillip Smith lifts the veil to reveal a lost Secret Book, a veritable Cunning Man's cornucopia.'David Rankine, author of The Grimoire Encyclopaedia

Miguel Conner interviews the most prominent writers and scholars on Gnosticism: Tobias Churton - Nicola Denzey-Lewis - Richard Smoley - Gary Lachman - Stephan Hoeller - David Brakke - Robert Price - Eric G. Wilson - Nathaniel Deutsch - Sean Martin - Erik Davis - Daniel C. Matt - Willis Barnstone - Ismo Dunderberg

The sixth issue of The Gnostic. Interviews with Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi, Gary Lachman and Gerard Russell. Articles by Sean Martin, Bill Darlison, Andrea Frank, Jeremy Puma, Jeffrey S. Kupperman, Sarane Alexandrian, Tobias Churton, Stevan Davies, Steven Dee, Jeremy Puma, Scott Stanley Smith and more.

Stevan Davies argues that the historical Jesus of Nazareth had little to do with the initial foundation and spread of Christianity, rejecting the standard views that the Christian movement was initiated by the teachings of Jesus, or by stories that Jesus had been seen alive after his death. It was Jesus' experience of Holy Spirit possession, and then the Holy Spirit possession experiences of Jews and Gentiles throughout the Roman empire, that gave rise to the Christian religion. In addition to the entire text of Jesus the Healer this book contains important new essays on the Pentecostal origins of Christianity, and the apocryphal Odes of Solomon as evidence of a pre-Christianity. Praise for Jesus the Healer: "Stevan Davies offers a fascinating reading of the Gospels that takes serious account of their description of Jesus as a spirit-filled exorcist and healer." Elaine Pagels, Princeton University, author of The Gnostic Gospels "The Jesus-quest has spawned a number of seminal studies of late, but none more brilliant, surprising, and engaging than this one. Purely on the basis of secular anthropology and psychology, Davies makes a persuasive case for Jesus as a Spirit-possessed healer and exorcist . . . The work is a tour de force that opens a whole new vista on Jesus and the forces he unleashed." Walter Wink, Auburn Theological Seminary "Jesus emerges not only as a healer and exorcist of demon-possessed sufferers, but as one who is, at times, himself spirit-possessed. The resulting picture brings Jesus and his people into a world of healers and prophets, sufferers and followers consistent with what we know of colonial peasant societies." Erika Bourguignon, Ohio State University, author of Religion, Altered States of Consciousness, and Social Change "What about Stevan Davies's recent hypothesis that Jesus was an ecstatic healer who taught others how to meet God in ecstasy? Jesus himself spoke Johannine-like when in ecstasy and synoptic-like when not in ecstasy. That explains both these traditions as equally primitive and also explains that wide swath of Spirit-possessed trance in the primitive church." John Dominic Crossan, author of Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography and The Historical Jesus. Stevan L. Davies is Professor of Religious Studies at Misericordia University and the author of several books on early Christianity, including Revolt of the Widows, The Gospel of Thomas and Christian Wisdom, The Gospel of Thomas: Annotated & Explained, and The Secret Book of John: the Gnostic Gospel Annotated & Explained.

Stevan Davies argues that the historical Jesus of Nazareth had little to do with the initial foundation and spread of Christianity, rejecting the standard views that the Christian movement was initiated by the teachings of Jesus, or by stories that Jesus had been seen alive after his death. It was Jesus' experience of Holy Spirit possession, and then the Holy Spirit possession experiences of Jews and Gentiles throughout the Roman empire, that gave rise to the Christian religion. In addition to the entire text of Jesus the Healer this book contains important new essays on the Pentecostal origins of Christianity, and the apocryphal Odes of Solomon as evidence of a pre-Christianity. Praise for Jesus the Healer: "Stevan Davies offers a fascinating reading of the Gospels that takes serious account of their description of Jesus as a spirit-filled exorcist and healer." Elaine Pagels, Princeton University, author of The Gnostic Gospels "The Jesus-quest has spawned a number of seminal studies of late, but none more brilliant, surprising, and engaging than this one. Purely on the basis of secular anthropology and psychology, Davies makes a persuasive case for Jesus as a Spirit-possessed healer and exorcist . . . The work is a tour de force that opens a whole new vista on Jesus and the forces he unleashed." Walter Wink, Auburn Theological Seminary "Jesus emerges not only as a healer and exorcist of demon-possessed sufferers, but as one who is, at times, himself spirit-possessed. The resulting picture brings Jesus and his people into a world of healers and prophets, sufferers and followers consistent with what we know of colonial peasant societies." Erika Bourguignon, Ohio State University, author of Religion, Altered States of Consciousness, and Social Change "What about Stevan Davies's recent hypothesis that Jesus was an ecstatic healer who taught others how to meet God in ecstasy? Jesus himself spoke Johannine-like when in ecstasy and synoptic-like when not in ecstasy. That explains both these traditions as equally primitive and also explains that wide swath of Spirit-possessed trance in the primitive church." John Dominic Crossan, author of Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography and The Historical Jesus. Stevan L. Davies is Professor of Religious Studies at Misericordia University and the author of several books on early Christianity, including Revolt of the Widows, The Gospel of Thomas and Christian Wisdom, The Gospel of Thomas: Annotated & Explained, and The Secret Book of John: the Gnostic Gospel Annotated & Explained.

Nikolai de Stjernvall was always close to his "dear father," G.I. Gurdjieff, butespecially so during the few months between 1937 and 1938 when he served as hisfather's attendant and collected such rich experiences. As the only person wholived with Gurdjieff to ever write about him, Nikolai's account is invaluable for providing an intimate and human perspective of his subject unavailable elsewhere.Supplementing his memoirs are two texts by Elizaveta de Stjernvall, his mother,including her account of her trek with Gurdjieff 's entourage across the Caucasus evading the Russian Revolution, and Adele Kafian's account of caring for Katherine Mansfield at Gurdjieff 's Institute during her final days. Nikolai's frankness, Elizaveta's devotion, and Adele's compassion are all faithfully maintained in the translation of Paul Beekman Taylor, Nikolai's boyhood friend who also lived at the Prieuré in his youth.

The fifth issue of The Gnostic. Interviews with Gary Lachman on Hermes Trismegistus, Patrick Harpur on the soul, and Nicholas Baker-Brian on the Manichaeans. Sean Martin on David Lindsay's A Voyage to Arcturus, Jeffrey Kupperman on the Neoplatonic roots of Hermeticism, Dean Wilson on the links between Enochian magic and Gnosticism, and a brilliant article by Stevan Davies on the Odes of Solomon and the origins of Christianity. Sorita D'Este on the Great Rite. The theology of Nick Cave. The bright side of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. Scott Finch's Gnostic comic, short fiction, a Cathar travelogue, reviews and more!

The fourth issue of The Gnostic: A Journal of Gnosticism, Western Esotericism and Spirituality. Alan Moore's Fossil Angels, an investigation into the contemporary occult scene. Interviews with Stephan Hoeller and Miguel Conner. Anthony Peake on the Quantum Pleroma. Sean Martin tells a Gnostic sci-fi tale. Robert M.Price on the Gnostic Gospel of John. Bill Darlison on the zodiac in the Gospel of Mark. Gnostic influences on Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. The plight of the Mandaeans. The gematria of Marcus the Magician. The Gospel of Thomas, a translation and Fourth Way interpretation. Gnostic politics. John Cowper Powys. The complete text of the Gnosis of the Light--a book within a magazine! Egyptian cat mummies and more. And we review enough books to fill a whole shelf. Cover and interior illustrations by Laurence Caruana.

For several years, Miguel Conner has engaged the most prominent writers and scholars on Gnosticism and early Christianity on Aeon Byte Gnostic Radio. These interviews with 13 leading scholars represent one of the best ways to get to know ancient Gnosticism, the movement that has inspired Dan Brown, Philip Pullman, Philip K. Dick and The Matrix movies. Read what the best minds have to say about the Gnostic sects, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Judas, Mary Magdalene, heresy, the origins of Gnosticism, and the original teachings of Jesus. Elaine Pagels * Marvin Meyer * Bart Ehrman * Bruce Chilton * Stevan Davies * David Fideler * Birger Pearson * John Turner * Einar Thomassen * Jason BeDuhn * Karen King * Jane Schaberg * April DeConick "Gets at the Gnostics as they were, not as many people today would like them to be."Bruce Chilton, author of The Way of Jesus and Rabbi Paul"Aeon Byte is one of the most exciting and far-seeing programs in the world of Webcasting."Richard Smoley, author of Forbidden Faith, The Dice Game of Shiva, and Inner Christianity"A great help to all who possess an interest in and/or devotion to the Gnostic tradition. Warmly recommended!"Stephan Hoeller, author of Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing and Jung and the Lost Gospels"An invaluable resource for those interested in the history and continuing relevance of Gnosticism." Sean Martin, author of The Gnostics: The First Christian Heretics, The Cathars, and The Knights Templar"Sophia and her aeonic friends should be delighted."Marvin Meyer, author of The Gospel of Thomas: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus, The Gospels of Mary"You are holding in your hands a Gnostic gem, a book that contains the rich wisdom of thirteen world-renowned scholars who study Gnosticism and the classical world."April D. DeConick, author of The Thirteenth Apostle

The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles were among the most popular extracanonical writings of the second century. The Acts of John, Peter, Paul, Andrew, Thomas and Xanthippe tell stories of the legendary wanderings, preaching and miracles of the apostles. Besides talking beasts, extravagant healings and moral discourses, the Apocryphal Acts reserve an important place for stories about women. Each of the Acts describes a woman who converts to Christianity, leaves her husband for the sake of the church and then lives in sexual abstinence. Davies argues that such women were known as "'Widows', a group which could at times include both wid¬ows and virgins; widows were sexually continent, often dependent upon the church for financial support, often of advanced age, expected to pray constantly, and resolved to remain faithful to Christ. Such a group of women would have had a collective identity, even a semi-clerical status." He shows that these texts featured sexually continent Christian women in their narratives and they they are likely to have been authored by Christian women. By analyzing the social world behind the apocryphal Acts, Davies reveals the way in which Christian women in early centuries sometimes sought to have equal standing with men by rejecting their traditional roles as wives and mothers. In addition to surveying the roles of women in ancient Christianity.Revolt of the Widows emphasizes the magical world view that dominated in ancient times both among Christians and pagans, In an extensive new afterword Davies tackles the canonical Acts of the Apostles and provides convincing evidence that the author-traditionally identified as Luke-was a woman, a "mother of the church." "opens up whole new vistas on the self-understanding of women in the early church." - Carolyn Osiek, Catholic Biblical Quarterly "provocative . . . deserves to be taken seriously as another attempt, in turn, to take seriously those voices which have been muted by an aristocratic scholarly establishment for these many centuries." - Devon Wiens, Journal of Biblical Literature "Davies perceptively notes how the apocryphal Acts represent males as ethically dangerous, liable to temptation, and confused about their faith-the very tendencies most patristic writers ascribed to women." Elizabeth Clark, Church History

The first issue of a tri-annual journal on Gnosticism in all its forms. Featuring interviews with Alan Moore and Sethian Gnostic expert John Turner; a comkplete translation of the Gospel of Judas; Tim Freke on The Gospel of the Second Coming; articles on William Burroughs, Philip K.Dick, the Alternative Judas, Gnosticism and Magic; columns, book reviews and more.

The great fourteenth-century Persian poet Hafiz is noted for his mystical love poems. The poetry of Hafiz has reached new heights of popularity in the West, yet his poems have been translatred into European languages for over two hundred years. Hafiz is not a poet to be captured in a single translation. This modernised edition of McCarthy's elegant prose translation gives us a direct Hafiz, full of clear imagery and personal poetry.

Jesus (Peace be upon him) and the disciples with him passed by the carcase of a dog. The disciples said, "What a stench this dog makes!" Then he (Blessing and peace be upon him!) said, "How white are its teeth!"A man said to Jesus, son of Mary (Blessing and peace be upon him!), "Give me some advice." He replied, "Consider where your bread comes from."The Messiah (God bless him and grant him peace!) said, "The world is a bridge, so pass over it and do not inhabit it.Stories and sayings of Jesus are found throughout the Muslim tradition, in the Qur'an, in the writings of the Sufis and in the works of the great Islamic philosophers. James Robson's classic collection of these shows us the Islamic version of Jesus, a humble wanderer who was willing to learn from anyone, and who passed on his understanding to his disciples using pithy aphorisms and teaching situations.James Robson was Professor of Arabic at Glasgow university. Andrew Phillip Smith (foreword) is the author of The Lost Sayings of Jesus: Annotated & Explained, The Gospel of Philip: Annotated & Explained, and The Gospel of Thomas: A New Version Based On the Inner Meaning.

Hafiz of Shiraz was one of the very greatest Persian poets. The poetry of Hafiz is erotic yet spiritual, both sensual and symbolic, full of images of wine and the tavern, of the Beloved, of nightingales and roses. Bardic Press is proud to announce a new edition of Richard Le Gallienne's moving and poetic translations of Hafiz.