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Acknowledgements This book has been a long time coming and would not have arrived at all without the help of many people and institutions. I would like first of all to thank Louis Painchaud, who originally interested me in the Apocalypse of Paul and who provided inspiration, support, and assistance while I was working on it. And my initiation into the study of gnosticism would have been much less enjoyable without the warmth and erudition of all the “Gnostics ” gathered at Université Laval in the Bibliothèque copte de Nag Hammadi project. In addition, it gives me pleasure to acknowledge such Laval-associated friends, collaborators, and debating partners as Marie-Pierre Bussières, Tuomas Rasimus, Tim Pettipiece, Jennifer Wees, Jesper Hydahl, Steve Johnston, and Serge Cazelais. The annual meetings of the Nordic Nag Hammai and Gnosticism Network, with their stimulating debates and arguments, always refreshed my enthusiasm for this work, so I owe thanks as well to Einar Thomassen, Antti Marjanen, Ismo Dunderberg, Nils Arne Pedersen, René Falkenberg, Tilde Bak, Tage Petersen, Gert Bos, Espen Svendsen, Nanna Olsen, Sara Thejls, Jorgen Magnusson, Christian Bull, and Hugo Lundhaug, among others. Though her tastes in esoterica run more to UFOs than to archontic powers, Kathryn Denning was nonetheless always willing to provide both encouragement and detailed advice about the intricacies of the academic life. Financial support while preparing this book was generously provided by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada postdoctoral fellowship. I would also like to thank the members of the Department of Religious Studies at McMaster University for their warm welcome, as well as my research adviser, Annette Yoshiko Reed. vii For musical, spiritual, and other sorts of support and inspiration, I would especially like to thank John and Hilary Kaler, Michael Rosenthal, Keith Denning, Geoff Marshall, Scott Good, Andrew Staniland, Fred Spek, Benjamin and Kristen Mueller-Heaslip, Hugh Oliver, Marco di Felice, Athanasia Pallas, Michael Wickware, Conny Nowe, Rachel Melas, Dave Clark, Ken, Pat, Chris and Joel Banks, Nichol Robertson, Shawn Keough, Jennie Jones, the Tranzac, the AIM-Toronto crew, the Foolish Things, Govermint Deth, Future Bakery, and of course Jelly, Gussie, and Madeleine. This book is dedicated, with love, to Wendy Banks. viii acknowledgements ...

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