Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation: A Manual for Recovering Gnostics

Item No. 9781955890342

by Robin Phillips

Though it’s often too subtle to see, much of modern Christianity has fallen prey to the ancient Gnostic heresy which taught that the material world has no lasting spiritual value. Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation diagnoses the problem, takes us through its history, and helps us discover "the purposefulness of the material world, the goodness of the human body, and the eschatological hope of a transformed universe." But this is not just a book about heresy. Rather, through the author’s exploration of his own spiritual biography, you’ll also see how incipient Gnosticism can show up in our lives, and you’ll learn how to recover from your own Gnostic tendencies through the spiritual practices of Orthodox Christianity.

Praise for Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation

"Drawing important distinctions between contemporary Western thought and the actual views found in the Bible, Phillips artfully combines historical explanations with real-world examples while demonstrating that the affirming, holistic, and balanced beliefs of the early Church have been preserved in Orthodox theology and spirituality." -Dr. Jeannie Constantinou, host of Search the Scriptures Live on Ancient Faith Radio and author of Thinking Orthodox and The Crucifixion of the King of Glory, both published by Ancient Faith Publishing

"It’s likely we are all recovering Gnostics, given the widespread belief that the world of matter is inherently opposed to the things of the spirit. Robin Phillips’s book is an excellent guide to extricating oneself from that confusion, and for coming to see that all of creation is charged with God’s presence." -Khouria Frederica Mathewes-Green, author

"Robin Phillips’s work makes a valuable and timely contribution to understanding the goodness of God’s creation and particularly mankind. He offers a corrector to the modern and ancient misunderstandings of fallen creation and the place of the body in salvation history. Phillips’s presentation is clear and accessible to all readers. May this work be blessed by God and may all who use it be edified." -Bishop John, Antiochian Orthodox Bishop of Worcester and New England

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About the Author: Robin Phillips has a master’s degree in historical theology from King’s College London and a master’s degree in library science through the University of Oklahoma. He is a managing editor and contributor for Touchstone and Salvo. His work has been featured in a variety of publications, including the Colson Centre, World magazine, Sky News, and the Mars Hill Audio Journal. He is the author of Gratitude in Life's Trenches: How to Experience the Good Life Even When Everything Is Going Wrong (Ancient Faith, 2020), and is a contributor to Pain, Suffering and Resilience: Orthodox Christian Perspectives (Sebastian Press, 2018) and Finding the Golden Key: Essays Towards a Recovery of the Sacramental Imagination (Eighth Day Press, 2023). He has been featured as a guest on radio and television and invited to give presentations and seminars at universities throughout the world. In addition to his popular writings, Phillips also publishes in peer-reviewed journals, where he has contributed to scholarship on a range of subjects.

Author: Robin Phillips

Paperback: 400 pages

Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 inches

Publisher: Ancient Faith Publishing