La cristologia peculiare della Pistis Sophia tra cristologie gnostiche e «Grande Chiesa»

This article investigates the Christology of the Pistis Sophia, a composite Gnostic writing datable between the third and early fourth centuries, showing both its soteriological implications and its peculiarities compared to other Gnostic christological doctrines. The text of the Pistis Sophia should be investigated by paying attention to its complex compositional history and some internal «discrepancies»: while in the first three books salvation depends primarily on the possession of the «mysteries», in the fourth book a pivotal section thematizes the significance of Jesus’ coming into the world – that is, the coming of the «Savior» in a material body – and seems to attribute to his (real) death a salvific and atoning significance. After an introduction to the writing as a whole and to the Codex Askewianus, this article examines the main christological and soteriological passages, also analyzing them in parallel with other Gnostic texts (especially Valentinian ones) and with the doctrine that was becoming established in the so-called «Great Church» during the third century.