Gnosticism Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Syrian-Egyptian Gnosticism === Syrian-Egyptian Gnosticism includes [[Sethianism]], [[Valentinianism]], [[Basilideans]], [[Acts of Thomas|Thomasine]] traditions, and [[Ophites|Serpent Gnostics]], as well as a number of other minor groups and writers.{{sfn|Magris|2005|pp=3517–3519}} Hermeticism is also a western Gnostic tradition,{{sfn|Magris|2005|p=3519}} though it differs in some respects from these other groups.<ref name="Hoeller"/> The Syrian–Egyptian school derives much of its outlook from Platonist influences. It depicts creation in a series of [[Emanationism|emanations]] from a primal monadic source, finally resulting in the creation of the material universe. These schools tend to view evil in terms of matter that is markedly inferior to goodness and lacking spiritual insight and goodness rather than as an equal force. Many of these movements used texts related to Christianity, with some identifying themselves as specifically Christian, though quite different from the [[Eastern Christianity|Orthodox]] or [[Roman Catholic]] forms. [[Jesus]] and several of his apostles, such as [[Thomas the Apostle]], claimed as the founder of the Thomasine form of Gnosticism, figure in many Gnostic texts. [[Mary Magdalene]] is respected as a Gnostic leader, and is considered superior to the [[twelve apostles]] by some gnostic texts, such as the [[Gospel of Mary]]. [[John the Evangelist]] is claimed as a Gnostic by some Gnostic interpreters,<ref>[[Elaine Pagels]], ''The Johannine Gospel'' in Gnostic Exegesis. Heracleon's Commentary on John. Nashville, Tennessee: SBL Monograph Series 17, 1973</ref> as is even [[Paul of Tarsus|St. Paul]].{{sfn|Pagels|1975}} Most of the literature from this category is known to us through the Nag Hammadi Library. ==== Sethite-Barbeloite ==== {{Main|Sethianism}} Sethianism was one of the main currents of Gnosticism during the 2nd to 3rd centuries, and the prototype of Gnosticism as condemned by Irenaeus.{{sfn|Quispel|2005|p=3510}} Sethianism attributed its ''gnosis'' to [[Seth]], third son of [[Adam and Eve]] and ''[[Norea]]'', wife of [[Noah]], who also plays a role in [[Mandeanism]] and [[Manicheanism]]. Their main text is the ''Apocryphon of John'', which does not contain Christian elements,{{sfn|Quispel|2005|p=3510}} and is an amalgam of two earlier myths.{{sfn|Magris|2005|p=3517}} Earlier texts such as [[Apocalypse of Adam]] show signs of being pre-Christian and focus on Seth, third son of Adam and Eve.{{sfn|Temporini|Vogt|Haase|1983}} Later Sethian texts continue to interact with Platonism. Sethian texts such as [[Zostrianos]] and [[Allogenes]] draw on the imagery of older Sethian texts, but use "a large fund of philosophical conceptuality derived from contemporary Platonism, (that is, late middle Platonism) with no traces of Christian content."{{sfn|Turner|1986|p=59}}{{refn|group=note|The doctrine of the "triple-powered one" found in the text Allogenes, as discovered in the Nag Hammadi Library, is "the same doctrine as found in the anonymous [[Parmenides]] commentary (Fragment XIV) ascribed by Hadot to Porphyry [...] and is also found in [[Plotinus]]' [[Ennead]] 6.7, 17, 13–26."{{sfn|Turner|1986|p=59}}}} According to [[John D. Turner]], German and American scholarship views Sethianism as "a distinctly inner-Jewish, albeit syncretistic and heterodox, phenomenon", while British and French scholarship tends to see Sethianism as "a form of heterodox Christian speculation".{{sfn|Turner|2001|p=257}} Roelof van{{nbsp}}den{{nbsp}}Broek notes that "Sethianism" may never have been a separate religious movement, and that the term refers rather to a set of mythological themes which occur in various texts.{{sfn|Broek|2013|p=28}} According to Smith, Sethianism may have begun as a pre-Christian tradition, possibly a [[syncretic]] cult that incorporated elements of Christianity and Platonism as it grew.{{sfn|Smith|2004}} According to [[Hildegard Temporini-Gräfin Vitzthum|Temporini]], Vogt, and Haase, early Sethians may be identical to or related to the [[Nazarenes (sect)|Nazarenes]], the [[Ophites]], or the sectarian group called [[Heresy|heretics]] by [[Philo]].{{sfn|Temporini|Vogt|Haase|1983}} According to Turner, Sethianism was influenced by [[Christianity]] and [[Middle Platonism]], and originated in the second century as a fusion of a Jewish baptizing group of possibly priestly lineage, the so-called ''Barbeloites'',{{sfn|Turner|2001|pp=257–258}} named after [[Barbelo]], the first emanation of the Highest God, and a group of Biblical exegetes, the ''Sethites'', the "seed of [[Seth]]".{{sfn|Turner|2001|p=258}} At the end of the second century, Sethianism grew apart from the developing Christian orthodoxy, which rejected the [[Docetism|Docetic]] view of the Sethians on Christ.{{sfn|Turner|2001|p=259}} In the early third century, Sethianism was fully rejected by Christian heresiologists, as Sethianism shifted toward the contemplative practices of Platonism while losing interest in their primal origins.{{sfn|Turner|2001|pp=259–260}} In the late third century, Sethianism was attacked by neo-Platonists like [[Plotinus]], and Sethianism became alienated from Platonism. In the early to mid-fourth century, Sethianism fragmented into various sectarian Gnostic groups such as the [[Archontics]], Audians, [[Borborites]], and Phibionites, and perhaps [[Stratiotici]], and Secundians.{{sfn|Turner|2001|p=260}}{{sfn|Turner|1986|p=59}} Some of these groups existed into the Middle Ages.{{sfn|Turner|2001|p=260}} ==== Valentinianism ==== {{Main|Valentinianism}} Valentinianism was named after its founder [[Valentinus (Gnostic)|Valentinus]] ({{Circa|100|180}}), who was a candidate for [[bishop]] of Rome but started his own group when another was chosen.<ref>''Adversus Valentinianos'' 4.</ref> Valentinianism flourished after mid-second century. The school was popular, spreading to Northwest Africa and Egypt, and through to Asia Minor and Syria in the east,{{sfn|Green|1985|p=244}} and Valentinus is specifically named as ''gnostikos'' by Irenaeus. It was an intellectually vibrant tradition,{{sfn|Markschies|2003|p=94}} with an elaborate and philosophically "dense" form of Gnosticism. Valentinus' students elaborated on his teachings and materials, and several varieties of their central myth are known. Valentinian Gnosticism may have been monistic rather than dualistic.{{refn|group=note|Quotes:<br>* Elaine Pagels: "Valentinian gnosticism [...] differs essentially from dualism";{{sfn|Pagels|1979|p={{page needed|date=January 2024}}}}<br>* Schoedel: "a standard element in the interpretation of Valentinianism and similar forms of Gnosticism is the recognition that they are fundamentally monistic".<ref name="schoedel">{{cite book | last =Schoedel | first=William | title= "Gnostic Monism and the Gospel of Truth" in ''The Rediscovery of Gnosticism, Vol.1: The School of Valentinus'', (ed.) Bentley Layton | publisher=E.J. Brill | location=Leiden | year=1980}}</ref>}} In the Valentinian myths, the creation of a flawed materiality is not due to any moral failing on the part of the Demiurge, but due to the fact that he is less perfect than the superior entities from which he emanated.<ref name="val_mon">{{cite web | title = Valentinian Monism | publisher = The Gnostic Society Library | url = http://www.gnosis.org/library/valentinus/Valentinian_Monism.htm | access-date = 2009-02-12}}</ref> Valentinians treat physical reality with less contempt than other Gnostic groups, and conceive of materiality not as a separate substance from the divine, but as attributable to an ''error of perception'' which becomes symbolized mythopoetically as the act of material creation.<ref name="val_mon" /> The followers of Valentinus attempted to systematically decode the Epistles, claiming that most Christians made the mistake of reading the Epistles literally rather than allegorically. Valentinians understood the conflict between ''Jews'' and ''Gentiles'' in [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] to be a coded reference to the differences between ''Psychics'' (people who are partly spiritual but have not yet achieved separation from carnality) and ''[[Pneumatic (Gnosticism)|Pneumatics]]'' (totally spiritual people). The Valentinians argued that such codes were intrinsic in gnosticism, secrecy being important to ensuring proper progression to true inner understanding.{{refn|group=note|Irenaeus describes how the [[Valentinians]] claim to find evidence in [[Ephesians]] for their characteristic belief in the existence of the [[Aeon (Gnosticism)|Æons]] as supernatural beings: "Paul also, they affirm, very clearly and frequently names these Æons, and even goes so far as to preserve their order, when he says, "To all the generations of the Æons of the Æon." (Ephesians 3:21) Nay, we ourselves, when at the giving of thanks we pronounce the words, 'To Æons of Æons' (for ever and ever), do set forth these Æons. And, in fine, wherever the words Æon or Æons occur, they at once refer them to these beings." ''[[On the Detection and Overthrow of Knowledge Falsely So Called]]'' Book 1. Ch.3}} According to [[Bentley Layton]] "Classical Gnosticism" and "The School of Thomas" antedated and influenced the development of Valentinus, whom Layton called "the great [Gnostic] reformer" and "the focal point" of Gnostic development. While in Alexandria, where he was born, Valentinus probably would have had contact with the Gnostic teacher [[Basilides]], and may have been influenced by him.{{sfn|Layton|1987}} Simone Petrement, while arguing for a Christian origin of Gnosticism, places Valentinus after Basilides, but before the Sethians. According to Petrement, Valentinus represented a moderation of the anti-Judaism of the earlier Hellenized teachers; the demiurge, widely regarded as a mythological depiction of the Old Testament God of the Hebrews (i.e. [[Jehova]]), is depicted as more ignorant than evil.<ref>Simone Petrement, ''A Separate God''</ref> ==== Basilideans ==== {{Main|Basilideans}} The Basilidians or Basilideans were founded by [[Basilides]] of [[Alexandria]] in the second century. Basilides claimed to have been taught his doctrines by Glaucus, a disciple of [[Saint Peter|St. Peter]], but could also have been a pupil of Menander.<ref name="Eusebius4-7">{{Cite book |last=Schaff |first=Philip |url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Nicene_and_Post-Nicene_Fathers:_Series_II/Volume_I/Church_History_of_Eusebius/Book_IV/Chapter_7 |title=Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume I/Church History of Eusebius/Book IV |display-authors=et al}}</ref> Basilidianism survived until the end of the 4th{{nbsp}}century as [[Epiphanius of Salamis|Epiphanius]] knew of Basilidians living in the [[Nile]] Delta. It was, however, almost exclusively limited to [[Egypt]], though according to [[Sulpicius Severus]] it seems to have found an entrance into [[Spain]] through a certain Mark from [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]]. [[St. Jerome]] states that the [[Priscillianists]] were infected with it. ==== Thomasine traditions ==== The ''Thomasine Traditions'' refers to a group of texts which are attributed to the apostle Thomas.<ref>Jon Ma. Asgeirsson, April D. DeConick and Risto Uro (editors), [http://www.brill.com/thomasine-traditions-antiquity ''Thomasine Traditions in Antiquity. The Social and Cultural World of the Gospel of Thomas''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306035254/http://www.brill.com/thomasine-traditions-antiquity |date=2017-03-06 }}, Brill.</ref>{{refn|group=note|The texts commonly attributed to the Thomasine Traditions are: * ''[[The Hymn of the Pearl]]'', or, the ''[[Hymn of the Pearl|Hymn of Jude Thomas the Apostle in the Country of Indians]]'' * ''The [[Gospel of Thomas]]'' * ''The [[Infancy Gospel of Thomas]]'' * ''The [[Acts of Thomas]]'' * ''[[Book of Thomas the Contender|The Book of Thomas: The Contender Writing to the Perfect]]'' * ''The [[Psalms of Thomas]]'' * ''The [[Apocalypse of Thomas]]''}} Karen L. King notes that "Thomasine Gnosticism" as a separate category is being criticised, and may "not stand the test of scholarly scrutiny".{{sfn|King|2003|p=162}} ==== Marcion ==== [[Marcion of Sinope|Marcion]] was a Church leader from [[Sinop, Turkey|Sinope]] (a city on the south shore of the Black Sea in present-day Turkey), who preached in Rome around 150{{nbsp}}CE,{{sfn|Magris|2005|p=3518}} but was expelled and started his own congregation, which spread throughout the Mediterranean. He rejected the Old Testament, and followed a limited Christian canon, which included only a redacted version of Luke, and ten edited letters of Paul.{{sfn|Perkins|2005|p=3530}} Some scholars do not consider him to be a gnostic,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gnosis.org/library/marcion/Harnack.html|title=Adolf Von Harnack: Marcion|website=gnosis.org}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|name="EB"|[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]: "In Marcion's own view, therefore, the founding of his church{{snd}}to which he was first driven by opposition – amounts to a reformation of [[Christendom]] through a return to the gospel of Christ and to Paul; nothing was to be accepted beyond that. This of itself shows that it is a mistake to reckon Marcion among the Gnostics. A [[Dualistic cosmology|dualist]] he certainly was, but he was not a Gnostic".}} but his teachings clearly resemble some Gnostic teachings.{{sfn|Magris|2005|p=3518}} He preached a radical difference between the God of the Old Testament, the [[Demiurge]], the "evil creator of the material universe", and the highest God, the "loving, spiritual God who is the father of Jesus", who had sent Jesus to the earth to free mankind from the tyranny of the Jewish Law.{{sfn|Magris|2005|p=3518}}{{sfn|Valantasis|2006|p={{page needed|date=January 2024}}}} Like the Gnostics, Marcion argued that Jesus was essentially a divine spirit appearing to men in the shape of a human form, and not someone in a true physical body.<ref name="Harnack">{{Cite book |last=Harnack |first=Adolf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aL3BSQAACAAJ |title=Marcion: The Gospel of the Alien God |date=2007-12-01 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-55635-703-9 |language=en |translator-last=Steely |translator-first=John E. |translator-last2=Bierma |translator-first2=Lyle D.}}</ref> Marcion held that the heavenly Father (the father of Jesus Christ) was an utterly alien god; he had no part in making the world, nor any connection with it.<ref name="Harnack"/> ==== Hermeticism ==== [[Hermeticism]] is closely related to Gnosticism, but its orientation is more positive.{{sfn|Magris|2005|p=3519}}<ref name="Hoeller">Stephan A. Hoeller, [http://www.gnosis.org/hermes.htm ''On the Trail of the Winged God. Hermes and Hermeticism Throughout the Ages''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126020349/http://www.gnosis.org/hermes.htm |date=2009-11-26 }}</ref>{{Clarify|date=June 2022}} ==== Other Gnostic groups ==== * Serpent Gnostics. The [[Naassenes]], [[Ophites]] and the Serpentarians gave prominence to snake symbolism, and snake handling played a role in their ceremonies.{{sfn|Magris|2005|p=3518}} * [[Cerinthus]] (c. 100), the founder of a school with gnostic elements. Like a Gnostic, Cerinthus depicted Christ as a heavenly spirit separate from the man Jesus, and he cited the demiurge as creating the material world. Unlike the Gnostics, Cerinthus taught Christians to observe the Jewish law; his demiurge was holy, not lowly; and he taught the Second Coming. His gnosis was a secret teaching attributed to an apostle. Some scholars believe that the First Epistle of John was written as a response to Cerinthus.<ref name="gonzález">González, Justo L. (1970). ''A History of Christian Thought, Vol. I''. Abingdon. pp. 132–133</ref> * The [[Cainites]] are so-named since Hippolytus of Rome claims that they worshiped [[Cain]], as well as [[Esau]], [[Korah]], and the [[Sodom and Gomorrah|Sodomites]]. There is little evidence concerning the nature of this group. Hippolytus claims that they believed that indulgence in sin was the key to salvation because since the body is evil, one must defile it through immoral activity (see [[libertinism]]). The name Cainite is used as the name of a religious movement, and not in the usual Biblical sense of people descended from Cain.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cainite {{!}} Gnostic sect {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cainites |website=www.britannica.com |access-date=21 February 2023 |language=en}}</ref> * The [[Carpocratians]], a [[libertine]] sect following only the [[Gospel of the Hebrews|Gospel according to the Hebrews]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Benko |first1=Stephen |title=The Libertine Gnostic Sect of the Phibionites According to Epiphanius |journal=Vigiliae Christianae |date=1967 |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=103–119 |doi=10.2307/1582042|jstor=1582042 }}</ref> * The school of [[Justin (gnostic)|Justin]], which combined gnostic elements with the [[ancient Greek religion]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=van den Broek |first1=Roelof |title=Gospel Tradition and Salvation in Justin the Gnostic |journal=Vigiliae Christianae |date=2003 |volume=57 |issue=4 |pages=363–388 |doi=10.1163/157007203772064568 |jstor=1584560}}</ref> * The [[Borborites]], a libertine Gnostic [[sect]], said to be descended from the [[Nicolaism|Nicolaitans]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Van Den Broek|first1=Roelof|title=Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism|date=2006|publisher=Brill|location=Boston|isbn=978-90-04-15231-1|page=194}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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