Library

Trimorphic Protennoia

The Trimorphic Protennoia (Three Forms of First Thought) is a Sethian Gnostic text presenting the revelation of the divine First Thought in three forms.|||Coptic text in Nag Hammadi Codex XIII.|||Composed in the 3rd century CE.|||Not canonical in any tradition. Sethian Gnostic in orientation.|||Presents the revelation of the divine First Thought (Protennoia) in three forms, with close parallels to the Prologue of the Gospel of John. Important for understanding the relationship between Gnosticism and the Johannine tradition.|||Robinson, J. M., ed. The Nag Hammadi Library in English. Harper & Row, 1988.|||Turner, J. D. " Trimorphic Protennoia." In The Nag Hammadi Library in English.|||Poirier, P.-H. La Pensée première à la triple forme. Peeters, 2006.|||Trimorphic Protennoia — Gnostic Society|https://gnosis.org/naghamm/trimorphic.html|Full translation with introduction.;; Early Christian Writings — Trimorphic Protennoia|https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/trimorphic.html|Indexed text and scholarly resources.|||" I am the Thought of the Father, the Protennoia, the first thought of the All." — Trimorphic Protennoia (paraphrase)

Collection: Gnostic Literature Canon: varies

Canon Status

Not canonical in any tradition. Sethian Gnostic in orientation.

Date & Provenance

Composed in the 3rd century CE.

Language & Manuscripts

Coptic text in Nag Hammadi Codex XIII.

Why It Matters for Study

Presents the revelation of the divine First Thought (Protennoia) in three forms, with close parallels to the Prologue of the Gospel of John. Important for understanding the relationship between Gnosticism and the Johannine tradition.

" I am the Thought of the Father, the Protennoia, the first thought of the All." — Trimorphic Protennoia (paraphrase)

Read the Text & External Resources

Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.

External links open in a new tab. Sources are chosen for public-domain or open-access availability; always verify edition and translation when citing in academic work.

Further Reading

Robinson, J. M., ed. The Nag Hammadi Library in English. Harper & Row, 1988.
Turner, J. D. " Trimorphic Protennoia." In The Nag Hammadi Library in English.
Poirier, P.-H. La Pensée première à la triple forme. Peeters, 2006.