Gnosticism

Gnosticism is a collection of esoteric, mystical beliefs that emerged in the 1st-3rd centuries AD, syncretising Greek philosophical traditions, such as Platonism and Stoicism, with rudimentary Christianity and Middle Eastern religions. The Gnostic worldview is based on the idea that the material world is created by an inferior being, and that a higher, divine realm of light exists beyond the material world.

Gnosticism holds that an individual can attain gnosis (knowledge of the supreme, divine reality) through direct experience. Gnostics believe that material world is illusion, and that only the spiritual realm is real. The main belief of Gnosticism was the idea that the creation of the material world was a flaw or mistake, and that the material world is evil. The main goal of Gnosticism was to free the divine soul from the material body and return to the spiritual realm.

Gnosticism emerged in the 1st century AD, during a time of excitement about new religious and philosophical ideas. Gnosticism developed from a combination of Greek philosophical traditions, Jewish mysticism, and early Christianity. Gnostics believed that their message was the original understanding of Jesus’ teachings, which was lost or distorted by the emerging Orthodox Christianity. Gnostics believed that Jesus imparted a secret knowledge or “gnosis” to his apostles that gave them special insight into the nature of God and the universe.

The Gnostic text, the Gospel of Thomas, presents Jesus as a revealer of knowledge and not as a saviour. Jesus’ teachings in this text are characterised as a wisdom tradition or an esoteric knowledge that is transmitted from Jesus to his disciples. Gnostics believed that the material world was created by an inferior being, called the Demiurge, and that this Demiurge was the God of the Old Testament. Gnostics saw the Demiurge as inferior to the true, supreme God. The true God is the unknown, supreme God beyond the material world.

Gnosticism was a wide range of movements, and not a single religion. The common characteristics of Gnostic thought were:

• The material world is evil and a creation of an inferior being (Demiurge).
• The true, supreme God exists beyond the material world.
• In order to free the divine soul, one must attain gnosis (knowledge of the supreme, divine reality) through direct experience.
• Jesus is seen as a revealer of knowledge, and salvation is achieved through gnosis rather than faith or good works.

Although Gnosticism was popular in the 1st-3rd centuries AD, it was attacked by the emerging Orthodox Christianity. Gnostics were accused of heresy by Orthodox Christians, such as St. Irenaeus, who wrote extensively against Gnosticism. In the 4th century, Gnosticism was largely wiped out. The teachings of Gnosticism were hidden and destroyed by the Orthodox Church.

In 1945, a discovery in southern Egypt unearthed several papyrus codices (bound manuscripts) that proved to contain a library of Gnostic writings. The Nag Hammadi library, as it came to be known, had twelve complete codices and several fragments. The discovery included Gnostic texts that were previously unknown, such as the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Philip. These texts challenged traditional Christian beliefs and made Gnosticism more acceptable to modern scholars. The discovery of these texts led to a reevaluation of Gnosticism and its relationship to early Christianity.

Today, Gnosticism is a part of many modern esoteric traditions. There are contemporary Gnostic groups and churches that incorporate Gnostic beliefs and practices. Gnosticism also has an influence on modern spirituality and esoteric movements. The idea of gnosis, or direct spiritual knowledge, remains a central tenet of many esoteric traditions. The Gnostic view of the material world as illusion and the spiritual realm as real is also a common theme in many spiritual traditions.

Gnosticism is a complex and diverse set of beliefs that emerged in the 1st-3rd centuries AD. At its core, it asserts that the material world is evil and a creation of an inferior being (Demiurge), and that the true, supreme God exists beyond the material world. Gnostics believe that in order to free the divine soul, one must attain gnosis (knowledge of the supreme, divine reality) through direct experience rather than faith or good works. Although Gnosticism was attacked and wiped out by Orthodox Christianity, the discovery of Gnostic texts in 1945 led to a reevaluation of Gnosticism. Today, Gnosticism has an influence on many modern esoteric and spiritual movements.