The Teachings of Silvanus (NHC VII,4) and the Education of the Christian Mind

This paper examines the Teachings of Silvanus (NHC VII,4) as a specific exhortation to the attainment of wisdom by the Christian disciple. It discusses the significance of the ethical proposal to the mind, virtue, and freedom. Next, it highlights the principle values of the inner life as advocated by the document. Finally, the paper shows the extension of ethics in the sphere of spirituality and mysticism. This examination pays special attention to the Alexandrian theological legacy, which includes some notions borrowed from Jewish wisdom literature, Philo, Christian Scriptures, and two philosophical traditions: Roman Stoicism and Middle Platonism. The paper shows how the text’s rhetoric and pedagogy, although combining various philosophical and Scriptural sources, creatively constructed a unique Christian model of self-transformation suggested by the Teachings of Silvanus.