- Author
- Not stated
- Published
- Last edited 29 September 2026
- Kind
- Encyclopedia article
- Original
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thunder,_Perfect_Mind
- Subject
- Fiction and literature
What it is
Wikipedia is written by volunteer editors, and the page names no single author. The article covers a Coptic text of paradoxical divine speech. Sections cover summary, structure and style, parallels and media.
What it says
- The article says this Coptic poem was found in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945.
- The article gives its age as first or second century to about 350 CE.
- The article says some scholars, such as MacRae and Taussig, argue against calling it Gnostic.
- The article describes a riddling monologue of paradoxes, spoken by a seemingly feminine voice.
- The article reports parallels in Mandaean scripture and in the Coptic Manichean Psalms of Thomas.
- The article lists uses in media, including 1992 albums and a 2005 fragrance film.
What evidence it gives
The article cites scholarly books and papers, with quotations from some. Examples are Layton, Poirier, Halvgaard and Säve-Söderbergh. It reports a few contested readings as the views of named scholars.
Interests and limits
Wikipedia articles change as editors revise them, and this is one version. The article's citations were not checked against the originals. The article is a summary, not an argument. The poem's own text is not given in full.