To Know Through Touch
Sacramental Wisdom and Erotic Holiness in the Gospel of Philip
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/diakrisis.2025.8Keywords:
Gospel of Philip, Valentinian theology, Erotic holiness, Sacramental metaphor, Epistemic embodiment, Cognitive linguisticsAbstract
This article explores the conceptual metaphor of intimacy as epistemic access in the Gospel of Philip, where erotic union functions as a sacramental pathway to divine knowledge. Drawing on cognitive linguistics and Gnostic theology, the study examines how metaphors of touch, fusion, and bodily presence encode a form of “wisdom through embodiment.” The Gospel of Philip frames holiness not as moral purity or ascetic withdrawal, but as a relational mode of knowing—one that privileges proximity, vulnerability, and shared essence. The metaphorical structure of phrases such as “the bridal chamber” and “those who unite will receive light” suggests a mystical epistemology grounded in physicality and mutual recognition. By analysing these metaphors through the lens of Conceptual Metaphor Theory and sacramental phenomenology, the article argues that Gnostic holiness is not merely esoteric but deeply experiential. This reframing challenges dualistic readings of Gnostic texts and opens a dialogue between ancient mystical traditions and contemporary theories of embodied cognition. Ultimately, the study contributes to a broader understanding of how metaphors of intimacy can function as vehicles of theological insight, positioning erotic union as a site of wisdom and sanctification.
References
Bell, Catherine. Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.
DeConick, April D. The Original Gospel of Thomas in Translation: With a Commentary and New English Translation of the Complete Gospel. London: T&T Clark, 2006.
Fauconnier, Gilles, and Mark Turner. The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and the Mind’s Hidden Complexities. New York: Basic Books, 2002.
Jonas, Hans. The Gnostic Religion: The Message of the Alien God and the Beginnings of Christianity. Boston: Beacon Press, 2001.
Johnson, Mark. The Body in the Mind: The Bodily Basis of Meaning, Imagination, and Reason. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.
———. The Meaning of the Body: Aesthetics of Human Understanding. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007.
King, Karen L. What Is Gnosticism? Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003.
Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980.
———. Philosophy in the Flesh: The Embodied Mind and Its Challenge to Western Thought. New York: Basic Books, 1999.
Layton, Bentley. The Gnostic Scriptures: A New Translation with Annotations and Introductions. New York: Doubleday, 1987.
Pagels, Elaine. The Gnostic Gospels. New York: Vintage Books, 1979.
———. The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1975.
Petersen, Silke. “Marriages, Unions, and Bridal Chambers in the Gospel of Philip.” In Women and Gender in Early Christian Texts, edited by Stephen J. Davis, 125–140. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2013.
Schenke, Hans-Martin. Das Philippus-Evangelium aus dem Codex II von Nag Hammadi. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1987.
Strathearn, Gaye. “The Valentinian Bridal Chamber in the Gospel of Philip.” Studies in the Bible and Antiquity 1 (2009): 71–90.
Thomassen, Einar. The Spiritual Seed: The Church of the “Valentinians”. Leiden: Brill, 2006.
Williams, Michael Allen. Rethinking “Gnosticism”: An Argument for Dismantling a Dubious Category. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Zacharias Kotzé (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
