Projects by Sarah Parkhouse
In late antique Egypt a number of gospel-like texts were in circulation that ecclesiastical autho... more In late antique Egypt a number of gospel-like texts were in circulation that ecclesiastical authorities prohibited Christians from reading. The manuscript evidence (primarily Coptic codices) shows that the prohibition was not wholly effective. This project asks: who was reading this literature, in what contexts, and what practices it validated and reinforced? Since practices are interlinked with locations, the project takes a spatial approach to determine how Coptic apocrypha interacted with the cultural and physical landscape of Egypt. The spatial foci are the discovery sites of gospel-like texts, especially Oxyrhynchus, and the monastic settlements and their surroundings in Upper Egypt. Using the concept of ‘lived religion’ to analyse practices in light of local reading contexts, the project offers a new paradigm for early Christian scholarship that has conventionally prioritized elite Greek and Latin authors. This paradigm will develop broader theoretical perspectives regarding religious diversity, practices and locality.
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Books by Sarah Parkhouse
Eschatology and the Saviour: The Gospel of Mary among Early Christian Dialogue Gospels, 2019
This book focuses on the 'Gospel of Mary' in the context of a broader analysis of early Christian... more This book focuses on the 'Gospel of Mary' in the context of a broader analysis of early Christian dialogue gospels - a popular literary genre used to present Jesus as conversing with select disciples and answering a series of questions on life, death and the cosmos at the conclusion of his earthly career. Jesus' teachings in these texts can vary greatly, from affirming the resurrection of the flesh to denying it completely. This book highlights the diversity of perspective within this genre, bringing together New Testament, 'gnostic' and (proto-)orthodox texts. Yet each text is based on the premise that it contains new or clarified teaching from the risen or glorified Lord, often in the form of a final revelation concerned with the disciples' eschatological salvation. This book offers a fresh and in-depth analysis of the 'Gospel of Mary' in the context of the dialogue gospel genre, concentrating on the narrative frame, the eschatological teachings, and the relationship between the two.
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Peer-Review Articles and Book Chapters by Sarah Parkhouse
Early Christianity, 2023
Within a diverse body of early Christian texts, the incarnational event is identified as a trigge... more Within a diverse body of early Christian texts, the incarnational event is identified as a trigger for major cosmic disturbance. As God became human, astral bodies abandoned their ceremonious circuits, inaugurating a new age. This paper examines the various presentations of this tradition in five texts dated to the long second century: Ignatius’s Star Hymn (Ign. Eph. 19), the Excerpts from Theodotus 69–78, the Protevangelium of James, the Trimorphic Protennoia, and the Second Treatise of the Great Seth. As the use of this motif transcends the constructed theological boundaries of (proto-)orthodox, Valentinian, and Sethian, this study utilizes a network approach to early Christian literature, calling into question the validity and usefulness of traditional labels and taxonomies in the field.
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Journal of Theological Studies, 2022
The first three books of the Pistis Sophia demonstrate an awareness of an emerging canon in a lat... more The first three books of the Pistis Sophia demonstrate an awareness of an emerging canon in a late third-century Egyptian textual community. The canonical boundary is revealed through the scriptural practices employed by the author: texts considered to be within the canon are cited and interpreted as authoritative literature, used to authenticate the teachings of Pist. Soph., whereas texts outside of the canon are open to substantial revision and woven into the narrative without a citation formula. This paper examines the author’s use of the Hebrew Bible, the Odes of Solomon, and the Gospels as canonical literature, and asks which other texts were in his literary repertoire, suggesting that the Apocryphon of John, the Gospel of Mary, and the Ascension of Isaiah were used as inspiration for composing the new narrative and dialogue.
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Religion in the Roman Empire, 2021
In Pistis Sophia books 1–3, Jesus tells his disciples that exclusive access to the highest heaven... more In Pistis Sophia books 1–3, Jesus tells his disciples that exclusive access to the highest heaven is given through the reception of certain mysteries, which must be received urgently, before the gates of heaven shut forever. In this lengthy and verbose Christian Egyptian text, over 75 types of mystery are named, but it is never explained what any of them involve. To understand the type of activity referred to here, we must turn to the Books of Jeu and the fourth book of Pist. Soph., which offer detailed instructions on mystery rituals. This article explores the tricky question of authorial intention regarding the use of Jesus inviting the reader to partake in mysteries, and deploys the model of the religious entrepreneur marketing the 'goods of salvation' in the competitive religious context of the Roman Empire. It will be argued that the author of Pist. Soph. aimed to create a small group religion centred around this text and attempted to sell his religion by offering the best access to the highest heaven, earlier than all others and at the expense of all others.
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T&T Clark Handbook of the Early Church, eds. Ilaria L.E. Ramelli, J.A. McGuckin, Piotr Ashwin-Siejkowski, 2021
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Harvard Theological Review, 2021
In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares himself to be the way to the Father; in the First Apocalyps... more In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares himself to be the way to the Father; in the First Apocalypse of James, Jesus explains exactly what this way entails. This article analyzes how 1 Apoc. Jas. uses the Johannine christological themes of identity, death and ascension and makes them applicable for human salvation. The identity of Jesus as a son of the Father, as opposed to the inhabitants of the world/cosmos, his autonomous death that conquers cosmic evils, and his immediate ascension and fleshly return are all Johannine motifs that are reformulated in 1 Apoc. Jas. Jesus reveals to James that he too is a son of the Father, and James must declare this identity during his postmortem journey through the celestial toll-collectors. He must not fear his impending stoning as, like other martyrdom literature, the martyr is immune to earthly concerns, and the real challenge lies in the cosmic sphere.
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Telling the Christian Story Differently: Counter-Narratives from Nag Hammadi and Beyond (Bloomsbury, 2020), 2020
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Connecting Gospels: Beyond the Canonical/Non-Canonical Divide, OUP, 2018
The theme of eschatology is not usually identified by exegetes as particularly emphasized in the ... more The theme of eschatology is not usually identified by exegetes as particularly emphasized in the Gospel of Mary, though it should be. The two primary teachings, the dialogue between the Saviour and his disciples and Mary’s recollection of her vision, are predominantly eschatological in nature, the former being concerned with the earthly realm and the latter the heavenly. The earthly realm is the created cosmos made of ‘matter’, destined for dissolution owing to its inherent instability, whereas the heavenly is the home of the ‘Soul’, the goal of its perilous post-mortem journey past hostile spiritual powers that seek to bar its way. Despite obvious differences with the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24 and parallels, there are multiple points of convergence with the eschatological teachings within the canonical gospels. Starting from the Gospel of Mary, this chapter explores connections between eschatological thinking on both sides of the canonical boundary.
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Journal of Coptic Studies, 2017
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New Testament Studies, 2017
Mary, Thecla, Perpetua and Felicitas are often seen as female exempla both in the early Christian... more Mary, Thecla, Perpetua and Felicitas are often seen as female exempla both in the early Christian world and in their modern reception. They are considered model teachers, martyrs and apostles, and counter-cultural as they surpass the normative gender hierarchy. Yet, the texts that tell their stories are not so clear-cut. In characterising their protagonists, they repeatedly place them in sexualized or subordinate roles – they are condescended to, distrusted and exhibited. In the end, the women are favoured by the divine but hold little power over their male peers. Even as these texts appear to challenge the patriarchal society from which they stem, they reinscribe it.
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Edited Volumes by Sarah Parkhouse
This volume examines the 'counter-narratives' of the core Christian story, proposed by texts from... more This volume examines the 'counter-narratives' of the core Christian story, proposed by texts from Nag Hammadi and elsewhere. A noteworthy body of highly respected scholars examine material that is sometimes difficult and often overlooked, contributing to the ongoing effort to integrate Nag Hammadi and related literature into the mainstream of New Testament and early Christian studies. By retracing the major elements of the Christian story in sequence, they are able to discuss how and why each aspect was disputed on inner-Christian grounds, and to reflect on the different accounts of Christian identity underlying these disputes.
Together the essays in this book address a central issue: towards the end of the second century, Irenaeus could claim that the overwhelming majority of Christians throughout the world were agreed on a version of the core Christian story which is still recognisable today. Yet, as Irenaeus concedes and as the Nag Hammadi texts have confirmed, there were many who wished to tell the core Christian story differently. Those who criticized and rejected the standard story did so not because they were adherents of another religion, 'Gnosticism', but because they were Christians who believed that the standard account was wrong at point after point. Ranging from the Gospels of Judas and Mary to Galatians and Ptolemy's Letter to Flora, this volume provides a fascinating analysis of how the Christian story as we know it today developed against counter-readings from other early Christian traditions.
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Connecting Gospels: Beyond the Canonical/Non-Canonical Divide, 2018
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Book Reviews by Sarah Parkhouse
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Projects by Sarah Parkhouse
Books by Sarah Parkhouse
Peer-Review Articles and Book Chapters by Sarah Parkhouse
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Edited Volumes by Sarah Parkhouse
Together the essays in this book address a central issue: towards the end of the second century, Irenaeus could claim that the overwhelming majority of Christians throughout the world were agreed on a version of the core Christian story which is still recognisable today. Yet, as Irenaeus concedes and as the Nag Hammadi texts have confirmed, there were many who wished to tell the core Christian story differently. Those who criticized and rejected the standard story did so not because they were adherents of another religion, 'Gnosticism', but because they were Christians who believed that the standard account was wrong at point after point. Ranging from the Gospels of Judas and Mary to Galatians and Ptolemy's Letter to Flora, this volume provides a fascinating analysis of how the Christian story as we know it today developed against counter-readings from other early Christian traditions.
Book Reviews by Sarah Parkhouse
If you cannot access this paper and would like a copy, please email me.
Together the essays in this book address a central issue: towards the end of the second century, Irenaeus could claim that the overwhelming majority of Christians throughout the world were agreed on a version of the core Christian story which is still recognisable today. Yet, as Irenaeus concedes and as the Nag Hammadi texts have confirmed, there were many who wished to tell the core Christian story differently. Those who criticized and rejected the standard story did so not because they were adherents of another religion, 'Gnosticism', but because they were Christians who believed that the standard account was wrong at point after point. Ranging from the Gospels of Judas and Mary to Galatians and Ptolemy's Letter to Flora, this volume provides a fascinating analysis of how the Christian story as we know it today developed against counter-readings from other early Christian traditions.