The Gospel of Philip: Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the Gnosis of Sacred Union
The Gnostic Gospel of Philip, discovered in 1947 at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, is best known for a verse that portrays Jesus kissing Mary Magdalene on the lips. Although this is the most visual image in that gospel, the underlying message, about the sacredness of the marital union, was also controversial in early Christianity, as it established closer links to Judaism and the belief in a space of holiness that can occur in the physical act of love. Leloup, who has also written on the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, here translates Philip's gospel from the Coptic (Joseph Rowe translates Leloup's French into English) and offers a rather brief analysis of the text (he promises more in a future book). Still, what he does cover--ways to look at conception, birth, and the relationship between man, woman, and God--is well thought out and understandable to the lay reader. Most of the book is taken up with actual translation and visuals of the Coptic original from which Leloup worked.Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved