Some religions and sects mostly in the few hundred years before and after jesus are said to be gnostic or practice gnosticism. Gnosticism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Pdf from ancient gnostics to modern scholars issues in. The current academic term gnosticism mainly in english or gnosis pdf. It was the basic philosophy of the roman empire and took many forms. This delightful study gives clear voice to the essential message of gnosticism. All of the gnostic texts date from the 2nd century ad onwards.
The christian gnostics provided the challenge to the christian orthodoxy of the early. The decisive turn to gnosticism lay in the fact that man recognized his real self, his soul, as a part of the god man. Modern gnosticism gnosticism is experiencing something of a revival, despite its status within church history as a vanquished christian heresy. Gnosticism from the greek word gnosis, meaning knowledge is the term given to a philosophical movement that flourished between the second century bce and the fourth century ce. The general history of the gnostics gnostic warrior. Further investigation will show the relationship of gnosticism to the cabala, as well as that of both to magic in general. History of study the problem of the origin of gnosticism has been approached in western culture with methods and results that are sometimes in clear disagreement. Their heretical teachings varied from group to group and cant be pinned down with specificity, but common gnostic beliefs.
Little is known about most of these sects, and they are remembered through the critiques of church heresiologists, and through surviving documents. The ancient egyptians, phoenicians, persians, greeks, romans, indians, celts, vikings, europeans, muslims and even the catholic churches of rome and greece play huge roles in. It is the teaching based on the idea of gnosis a koine greek word meaning secret knowledge, or knowledge of transcendence arrived at by way of internal, intuitive means. Rumors obscured the circumstances of this findperhaps because the discovery was accidental, and its sale on the black market illegal. A few facts about gnosticism gnosis means knowledge and gnostic one who has this knowledge. We at the gnostic apostolic church have felt for many years that there is a great need for a study of the principles on which the gnostic tradition is built. Gnosticism began as an anticosmic and nihilistic vision expounded upon by recent scholars including carl jung and hans jonas. The origins of gnosticism are obscure and still disputed. I would still recommend hans jonas the gnostic religion or kurt rudolphs gnosis.
A brief introduction to gnostic texts i will never forget walking into the office of a faculty member at st marys the divinity school of the university of st andrews to find him reading the nag hammadi documents. Gnosticism, and the persianiranian culminating in mani and manichaeism. In this brief volume, filoramo examines the fragmentary history of gnosticism and its adherents. However many gnostic teachings live on among new agers, existentialists, and bible critics. We believe that the desire to know divine lawsthat is natural, universal, and spiritual lawswill eventually supplant the need just to believe in god or the divine. As the first and most dangerous heresy to the church, this philosophy was condemned by the established theologians during. Scholarship overview on gnosticism and early jewish. Gnosticism, which gets its name from the greek word gnosis knowledge was a religious movement beginning, possibly, before the time of christ and extending into the first few centuries of the christian era. Gnosticism, any of various related philosophical and religious movements prominent in the grecoroman world in the early christian era, particularly the 2nd century the designation gnosticism is a term of modern scholarship. I had just been reading some of these documents in the library which led me to exclaim, ugh, you are reading. For years even the identity of the discoverer remained. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext.
Gnosticism unmasked christian history christianity today. The protoorthodox christian groups called gnostics a heresy of. An increased focus on apostolic succession, so important to irenaeus arguments. There are two problems finding out a lot about believers in gnosticism. Cristoph markschies opens his primer on gnosticism with this caveat. The general names of the gnostics and gnosticism was used to encapsulate a worldwide movement of various schools and secret mystery religions that were both inside and outside of the religious fold during the grecoegyptian ptolemaic and seleucidae syrian empires that included all of greece, egypt and syria, to the time of the romans, and early. A brief introduction to gnostic texts church history 101.
A few gnostic scholars have gone so far as to assert that these recently discovered writings are. The current academic term gnosticism mainly in english or gnosis of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. It seems fairly clear that elements of hellenistic philosophy and oriental religions as well as ideas derived from judaism and christianity mingled together and formed the gnostic systems. History of gnosticism the influence of gnostic ideas led to the rise of such movements as theosophy and rosicrucianism. In the early centuries of the christian age, gnosticism struggled with orthodoxy for the very soul of the faith. Gnosticisms defeat was decisiveso much so that we know the school primarily through the writings of irenaeus and other critics.
The nature and history of gnosticism for an introduction to gnostic belief over this book. In the gnosticism of the second century three elements must be observed, the speculative and philosophical, the ritualistic and mystical, and the practical and ascetic harnack, l. Gnosticism consisted of many syncretistic belief systems which combined elements taken from asian, babylonian, egyptian, greek and syrian pagan religions, from. Gnosticism and the gnostic jesus part one in a two. Gnosticism was the real enemy of christianity as a heresy and still is.
Tlhere is no usage of this term gnosis on which there is consensus in every respect and which is accepted everywhere. The label gnosticism is a fuzzy one, describing diverse sects and ideas in the ancient world. The nag hammadi library is discuss in context and the import of the gnostic texts is put in perspective by this work. This is basic gnosticism the soul is ascending th rough the heavenly realms, being stopped. A few gnostic scholars have gone so far as to assert that these recently discovered writings are the authentic history of jesus instead of the new testament. This chart summarizes those elements within various gnostic groups that the majority of christians. Gnosticism is a heresy which is made up of a diverse set of beliefs. Introduction from the gnostic gospels by elaine pagels in december 1945 an arab peasant made an astonishing archeological discovery in upper egypt. Apr 28, 2010 the founder of christian gnosticism was valentinus, who was born in carthage about 100 a. The true story of the gnostics is one of the most beautiful, and tragic epics of all time. Some of the worlds most famous people in history play leading actors in this tale of knowledge, conquest and global domination. The founder of christian gnosticism was valentinus, who was born in carthage about 100 a.
As a result of this line of thinking, god does not have any contact with the created order, christ as our savior could not have a true body. As of september 1990, it sported a circulation of 11,000. In ancient greek and christian gnosticism the two selves are known as the eidelon. It is they who are joining hands with us today to bridge over.
One primary principle that ran through this philosophy was that matter of the material world was essentially evil. Oct 09, 2015 gnosticism, on the other hand, simply cannot endorse that positive vision of the creationthe basic issue is clear. In the course of establishing apostolic christianity upon historical foundations, there was such a reversal. Gnosticism gnosticism from the greek gnosis, knowledge designates a broad variety of religious teachings that were rife in the hellenized near east of the first centuries ce and purported to offer knowledge of the otherwise hidden truth of total reality as the indispensable key to mans salvation. The teaching of gnosticism questioned andor contradicted the teaching of the church on some of the fundamental truths of scripture. However, this book is an excellent opportunity to view gnosticism in its wider context, as part of a. Effects of the common heresy bruce schweigerdt california state university sacramento, california judeochristian theology has been plagued throughout its history by heresy concerning, among many things, the doctrine of god and of human nature. Gnosticism, any of various related philosophical and religious movements prominent in the grecoroman world in the early christian era, particularly the 2nd century. Like new agers, gnostics used christian terminology and symbols, but placed them in an alien religious context that gutted the essential teachings of christ. These various groups emphasised personal spiritual knowledge over orthodox teachings, traditions, and ecclesiastical authority.
Gnosticism as an organized movement acknowledging its source all but died. It can be seen in many forms and using many symbol systems. The revival of interest in the gospel of thomas by the jesus seminar is a case in point. Though i have titled this study jesus and the gnostic gospels, none of the writings that i will discuss use the word gnostic.
It was the babylonian mani 215276 who introduced dualistic vedic, buddhist and zoroastrian elements into gnostic christianity. This table of contents is linked to each chapter, just click a heading and go. Gnosticism and the gnostic jesus part one in a twopart. However, this book is an excellent opportunity to view gnosticism in its wider context, as part of a fermenting history of ideas and influences. They were written in coptic and belonged to a library in a monastery. It was first used by the english poet and philosopher of religion henry more 161487, who applied it to the religious groups referred to in ancient sources as. Gnosticism was similar in some ways to the modern new age movement. Gnosticism, on the other hand, simply cannot endorse that positive vision of the creationthe basic issue is clear. Nov 07, 20 gnosticisms defeat was decisiveso much so that we know the school primarily through the writings of irenaeus and other critics. In later centuries, up through the modern age, the gnos. The above title seeks to underscore some important facts which have propelled this ancient work to relative prominence in the public mind. The above title seeks to underscore some important facts which have propelled this ancient work to.
Accordingly, it is important to realise the difference between the representational letter and the thing that is represented, between the essence and the form. Pdf this paper discusses recent archeological and historical findings. The designation gnosticism is a term of modern scholarship. The gnostic handbook is one application, one representational system for the ancient gnosis. Gnosticism after gnosis, the greek word for knowledge or insight is the name given to a loosely organized religious and philosophical movement that flourished in the first and second centuries ce. Many church fathers thought gnosticism was founded by simon magus, the samaritan.
In the history of the churcha history that stephen jay gould would clearly prefer to leave behindno heresy has proved more stubbornly resilient than gnosticism. While gnosticism thus relies on personal religious experience as its primary authority, early christian gnostics did adopt their own. Gnosticism gnosticism is associated with a wide variety of sects that flourished during the late roman empire, in a wide arc that extended from rome, through egypt and the middle east, to persia. The recent discovery and current interest in the gospel of thomas have elicited considerable popular and scholarly attention, a phenomenon which shows no indication of coming to an end. The reaction of the church to the christian gnosticism of the 2nd and 3rd centuries led to the formation of both the biblical canon, and the confession of faith produced at the first council of nicea in 325. The sole surviving remnant is in southwestern iran. The exact origin s of this school of thought cannot be traced, although it is possible to locate influences or sources as far back. Most of the schools or sects in question were ostensibly christian by the time our earliest. It seems fairly clear that elements of hellenistic philosophy and oriental religions as well as ideas derived from judaism and christianity mingled together and formed the gnostic systems with its few characteristic features that appeared during the. Gnosticism also influenced the esotericists of the 20th century, the analytical psychology of carl gustav jung, and the modern new age movement. Gnosticism, church unity and the nicene creed gnosticism derived from the greek word gnosis.
Christianity and gnosticism in the history of religions, studia theologia, 55, 2001. The magazine gnosis, which bills itself as a journal of western inner traditions, began publication in 1985 with a circulation of 2,500. The problem with that statement is that the history of the gnostics wasnt written after the church was victorious. Gnosticism consisted of many syncretistic belief systems which combined elements taken from asian, babylonian, egyptian, greek and syrian pagan religions, from astrology, and from judaism and christianity. Pdf nowadays, the category of gnosticism has become very ambiguous and. This revelation brought by christ manifests the true knowledge of the father and the gnostics, while the law and the prophets mamfest the derniurge. This is because these religions believe that there is a special, hidden knowledge that only a few people may have. It was first used by the english poet and philosopher of religion henry more 161487, who applied it to the. Gnosticism is a modern category used for defining a set of secondand thirdcentury c.