The Trimorphic Protennoia (NHC XIII,1) And The Johannine Prologue: A Reconsideration

The comparison of the structure of the Trimorphic Protennoia with that of the final hymn of the long version of the Secret Book of John reveals a structure that is at once simple and complex; simple in terms of the tripartite organisation of the text into three parts related to the triple manifestation of Protennoia, and complex, in that it frequently reformulates and develops the original text in such a way as to disrupt the overall balance achieved in the original. It was the "stupendous parallels" observed between the Johannine prologue and the third discourse of the Protennoia which first attracted the attention of scholars, as well as the conclusion drawn from those parallels, namely, that "both texts interpret each other, but it seems at first glance that the light falls more from Protennoia onto the Johannine prologue than the reverse". Keywords: Johannine Prologue; Secret Book of John ; Trimorphic Protennoia