Nag Hammadi Library Poem Analysis

1689 Words4 Pages

Kayla Adams
Professor Zimmerle
PHIL 4431 22D
1 April 2014
The Nag Hammadi Library: The Feminine Deific and Spiritual Principle
In the Nag Hammadi Library, there are a multitude of texts that revolve around various themes that are present in religion. The texts that have been chosen for analysis are The Thunder: Perfect Mind, The Thought of Norea, The Sophia of Jesus Christ, and Exegesis of the Soul. A parallel that can be drawn between each of these texts are their references to the feminine presence as one that is deific in nature and the spiritual principles that this presence conveys. Each of these texts share similarities and are significant in different ways in regards to the message being delivered and understood, and how they are interpreted.
In the first selected text, The Thunder: Perfect Mind, there is only one character. This individual only refers to himself or herself as “she” and they are described as anything and everything. This person is everything; whether it contradicts itself or not, and is everywhere. This oxymoronic nature is shown when she states, “For I am knowledge and ignorance. I am shame and boldness.“ This is an indication that the presence is one that is spiritual since only an individual that is goddess-like has the potential to be able to something of that nature. The text is written in poem format and the text flows due to the repetitive nature. Many of the lines of the poem begin with the words “I am” and by constantly going back to this phrase, this is an indication of power and that this being is everywhere and sees everything, both the good and the bad. The text begins as the woman describing herself generally as coming from the power, and as it progresses she indicates all other places that ...

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...rney this indicates strength in female presence.
Inclusively, though some of the events that take place in the four texts were scarring, the overall message taken away was positive in nature. Each of the messages portrayed were done through some sort of female presence, whether it was physical or spiritual. The stories revolved around unification or distinguishing teachings and were very effective in their array of messages. The Thunder: Perfect Mind’s message was in women being described as everything and the importance of unification, The Thought of Norea with women being heavenly and being able to be made whole again through the help of divine intervening, The Sophia of Jesus Christ using the name of a woman for wisdom to indicate the importance of the infinity of the universe and finally Exegesis of the Soul using a woman to indicate the sanctity of marriage.

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