{"product_id":"simon-of-samaria-and-the-simonians-contours-of-an-early-christian-movement-paperback","title":"Simon of Samaria and the Simonians: Contours of an Early Christian Movement - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eM. David Litwa\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWho were the Simonians? Beginning in the mid-second century CE, heresiologists depicted them as licentious followers of the first \"gnostic,\" a supposedly Samarian self-deifier called Simon, who was thought to practice \"magic\" and became known as the father of all heresies. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLitwa examines the Simonians in their own literature and in the literature used to refute and describe them. He begins with Simonian primary sources, namely \u003ci\u003eThe Declaration of Great Power\u003c\/i\u003e (embedded in the anonymous \u003ci\u003eRefutation of All Heresies\u003c\/i\u003e) and \u003ci\u003eThe Concept of Our Great Power\u003c\/i\u003e (Nag Hammadi codex VI,4). Litwa argues that both are early second-century products of Simonian authors writing in Alexandria or Egypt. Litwa then moves on to examine the heresiological sources related to the Simonians (Justin, the book of Acts, Irenaeus, the author of the Refutation of All Heresies, Pseudo-Tertullian, Epiphanius, and Filaster). He shows how closely connected Justin's report is to the portrait of Simon in Acts, and offers an extensive exegesis and analysis of Simonian theology and practice based on the reports of Irenaeus and the Refutator. Finally, Litwa examines Simonianism in novelistic sources, namely the \u003ci\u003eActs of Peter\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003ePseudo-Clementines\u003c\/i\u003e. By the time these sources were written, Simon had become the father of all heresies. Accordingly, virtually any heresy could be attributed to Simon. As a result-despite their alluring portraits of Simon-these sources are mostly unusable for the historical study of the Simonian Christian movement. Litwa concludes with a historical profile of the Simonian movement in the second and third centuries. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe book features appendices which contain Litwa's own translations of primary Simonian texts.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eM. David Litwa \u003c\/b\u003eis Abstractor for New Testament Abstracts at the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 224\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.48 x 9.21 x 6.14 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 18, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42709724201056,"sku":"9780567712998","price":93.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0598\/1922\/9280\/files\/IudwwL7tlT9780567712998.webp?v=1775962237","url":"https:\/\/bijoucc.myshopify.com\/products\/simon-of-samaria-and-the-simonians-contours-of-an-early-christian-movement-paperback","provider":"CARIBBEAN CONNECT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}