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This important book should be essential reading in research on pseudo-Pauline letters, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Nag Hammadi writings, among others. It is a wonderfully fresh break-through on the development of heresy 'black-lists' even prior to Irenaeus, and one that challenges received wisdom about Irenaeus's own innovations. With Smith's remarkably economic analysis, some historically significant but famously inconvenient loose pieces in Irenaeus's use of the term 'gnostic' now fall into place. --Michael A. Williams, author of Rethinking Gnosticism : An Argument for Dismantling aDubious Category This excellent new study traces the origins of early Christian boundary drawing over against those considered 'heretics.' Smith breaks new ground in delineating what made Christian accounts of heresies, from pseudo-Pauline epistles to texts written in the fourth century, distinct from ancient inventories of varied opinions among the philosophers. Smith's argument that, in early Christian usage, 'school' belongs to the heresy-hunters' toolbox and thus does not say much about the opposed groups' social outlook is carefully crafted and merits serious attention. This book is a must for all those interested in ancient intellectuals, early Christian polemics and the roots of Christian identity formation. --Ismo Dunderberg, author of Beyond Gnosticism: Myth, Lifestyle and Society in the School of Valentinus

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"Geoffrey Smith is Nease Fellow and Lecturer, Department of Religious Studies, The University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include the apostle Paul, Gospels, New Testament textual criticism, papyrology and manuscript studies, patristics, Valentinianism, and ""orthodoxy"" and ""heresy"" in early Christianity."

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