Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preliminary Material / Francis E. Williams -- Introduction / Francis E. Williams -- Abbreviations and Short Titles / Francis E. Williams -- Policies / Francis E. Williams -- Text and Translation / Francis E. Williams -- Commentary / Francis E. Williams -- Hippolytus, Refutatio Omnium Haeresium 6.9.3-18.7 (HSim) and 5.9.5-6 (HRef Naas) / Francis E. Williams -- Other Notices of the Simonians and Their Teaching / Francis E. Williams -- The Authenticity of Hippolytus' Simonian Sources / Francis E. Williams -- HSim as a Simonian Source / Francis E. Williams -- Cherix's (1982) Perception of the Organization of GrP / Francis E. Williams -- Non-Sahidic Linguistic Features of Our "Non-Christian" and "Christian Instructions" / Francis E. Williams -- Analogs of the Simonian Ennoia in Other Literatures / Francis E. Williams -- "Power" or "Great Power" as a Divine Title / Francis E. Williams -- Samaritan Use of the Term, "Our Power" / Francis E. Williams -- Works Consulted / Francis E. Williams -- Index of Citations / Francis E. Williams -- Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies / Francis E. Williams.

This book is a new edition and translation of the Nag Hammadi tractate, The Concept of Our Great Power , with introduction and commentary. It suggests that the tractate is composite, and that its basis was a non-Christian Gnostic apocalyptic work whose background may have been Samaritan, and which emanated from a breakaway Simonian group who, unlike other Simonians, believed in celibacy. The tractate later received Christian additions. The last of these may refer to the career of Julian the Apostate. This is a fresh approach to the interpretation of this puzzling tractate.

Description based on print version record.