The aim of the translation is to provide an English text that is both scholarly and accessible. The referencing system resembles the familiar biblical chapters and verses; sections are provided with titles that identify their key theme and bring to light the structure of a work often regarded as diffuse and repetitive.

At the heart of the Safavid political order lay its inner circle, a group of devoted followers whose unwavering loyalty to their leader exemplified the ideal form of submission – lifelong, devotional, and absolute. This chapter examines the political center of the Safavid Empire, focusing on the decision-making organ of the regime. Through sociolinguistic analysis, the chapter highlights how the term muqarrab – meaning “he who is brought near” – became a key descriptor for those who had attained proximity to the Sufi king, the focal point of both spiritual and temporal power. Muqarrab, derived from qurba, one of the psychological states (ahvāl) sought by their disciples, signified nearness to the divine in Sufism. Adapted to Safavid political theology, it described the relationship between powerful officials and the king, framing their submission as a sacred bond. This concept served the Safavid order’s political needs by signifying the officials’ journey to attain proximity to the Sufi king, thus inscribing mystical meaning into their sociopolitical ties.

Chapter 3 reveals how the Secret Book of John uses John’s apostolic authority and continues the story of the apostle John (who is probably thought of as the beloved disciple). It discusses how the Secret Book serves as a kind of prequel to John’s prologue and how the Acts of John gives a good sense for the apostle John as a literary character in the late second century.

As the Gospel of Truth is read on its own terms, and not through the lens of Irenaeus’s hostility, points of contact come to light with other early gospel literature. The most extensive parallels are with Johannine theology, but echoes of the Gospel of Matthew are also perceptible along with thematic links to the Gospel of Thomas.

The Notes on the Text and Translation focus on key issues important for understanding the Secret Book of John (especially in Codex III), which could not be addressed in the preceding chapters.

By tracing the origin and evolution of the Safavid order, the book offers fresh insights into how religious and sociopolitical forces merged to create a powerful Shiʿi empire. Iran remains the only Shiʿi nation in the world today. Ideal for readers interested in Middle Eastern history, religious studies, and political thought, Mantle of the Sufi Kings is essential for anyone seeking to understand the complex roots of Iran’s identity.

The Gospel of Truth is an early Christian homily in which an anonymous and independent-minded teacher communicates his understanding of the core Christian message to his own immediate circle and a wider audience elsewhere. For this author, the gospel is the good news that in the person of Jesus, the divine Father has made himself known to his elect, calling them out of a nightmare-like existence in ignorance and illusion into the knowledge of himself. In this volume, Francis Watson provides a new and accessible translation of this text, along with a thorough analysis of it, both in its own terms and in its reception by later readers. He argues that its closest affinities lie with New Testament texts such as the Gospel of John and the Pauline letters. Watson also demonstrates how the Gospel of Truth is a work of literary quality and theological originality and why it deserves the attention of all students and scholars of early Christianity.

Chapter 6 shows how Irenaeus’ summary in Against Heresies 1.29.1–4 goes back to an earlier document (the Barbelo treatise), and not the Secret Book of John specifically. It shows how the Secret Book is different from the Barbelo treatise, and presents a theory of how the Secret Book emerged in both its shorter and longer versions.

For the Safavid community, the figure of Imam ʿAli, Islam’s archetypal disciple, was central to their spiritual and political identity. The narrative surrounding the Prophet Muhammad’s death, particularly the gathering at his deathbed, became a crucial source of inspiration for the Safavids’ belief in Imam ʿAli’s sanctity and leadership. By the late fifteenth century, the Safavid branch of Sheikh Junayd’s line claimed direct descent from ʿAli, deepening their followers’ sense of spiritual connection to him.