Zlatko Pleše

Zlatko Pleše is a Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Religions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill), specializing in Early Christianity, Gnosticism, and Late Antiquity. He holds a PhD from Yale University (1996) and the University of Zagreb (1996), with additional degrees from both institutions. His research focuses on ancient philosophy, early Christian texts, Coptic literature, and Platonism.

Education:

• Ph.D., Classics, Yale University, 1996
• Ph.D., Philology/Philosophy/Theology, University of Zagreb, 1996
• M.Phil., Yale University, 1990
• M.A., University of Zagreb, 1989
• B.A., University of Zagreb, 1985

Research Interests:

• Early Christianity and Classical Culture
• Gnosticism and Hermetism
• Ancient Rhetoric and Hermeneutics
• Plutarch and Middle Platonism
• Coptic Language and Literature

Publications include critical editions of Coptic texts, studies on Gnostic cosmology, and collaborative works like *The Apocryphal Gospels* (2011). His recent work explores Platonism’s influence on Gnostic treatises and ancient hermeneutical practices. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bern (since 2018). Research highlights include editing the *Discourses of Apa Shenoute* and analyzing Gnostic dualism in classical contexts.