Gnosticism: The History and Legacy of the Mysterious Ancient Religion

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents “This knowledge is not something that can be put into words like other sciences; but after long-continued intercourse between teacher and pupil, in joint pursuit of the subject, suddenly, like light flashing forth when a fire is kindled, it is born in the soul and straightway nourishes itself.” - Plato Gnosticism is one of the great mysteries in the history of Western religion. At its core is an ancient Greek word, gnōsis, a word prominent in the writings of Plato which refers to a deep personal knowledge or understanding that often transcends the physical world. The Gnostics painted a picture of a fallen, broken world in which physicality was a product of a lesser deity. This deity was created in defiance of the One and in order to trap humans and blind them to the truths of their predicament and divine origins. By acquiring insight, or gnōsis, in this secret nature of the world, humans might escape their prison. Only through knowledge can people be set free. As that makes clear, Gnosticism as a belief system is difficult to define since it is not a well-organized or uniform doctrine like Christianity or Judaism, but at one time there was some synchronization with Christianity that nurtured both movements. As a religion and philosophy, Gnosticism flourished alongside Christianity, and it is not easy to say which one came first, but it is certain that both movements influenced each other. To paraphrase John Dominic Crossan, it is unclear whether Gnosticism was a Christian heresy, a Jewish heresy, or an original religion that powerfully merged with both. Gnosticism borrowed elements from Christians, just as the whole of Christianity took a certain Gnostic flavor, to the point that some books of the New Testament, especially the Gospel of John, could easily pass as a proto-Gnostic document. At the risk of oversimplifying, Gnosticism was the belief that the souls are divine sparks imprisoned in imperfect physical bodies, due to the machinations of a lesser and evil god who created the world. This evil god is identified with the creator of the Genesis and the Hebrew Bible. The material world and the body are prisons separated from the divine realm, from which humans must escape through the ascent of various levels. This is possible through the acquisition of secret knowledge reserved for the elect. This special revelation or gnosis (knowledge) was supposedly disclosed by Jesus to his dearest disciples, and it can be found in the Gnostic books, deliberately written in cryptic language. The acquisition of the secrets necessary for the salvation of the soul in many cases implied a radical asceticism and corporal sacrifice. Due to such classical roots, it would be easy to conclude that Gnosticism is an ancient philosophy, and a cursory glance might categorize it as simply a way of understanding the world and promoting investigation. However, the term is most often used to describe not a philosophy but a religion, and not just any religion, but a branch of one of the most resilient and influential traditions in Christianity. So what exactly is Gnosticism, and why does it remain such a source of confusion, captivation, and charisma for modern scholarship and culture alike? These answers are complex, and indicative of how the many turnings of the last two millennia have unexpectedly unearthed some answers while burying others even deeper. The History and Legacy of the Mysterious Ancient Religion looks at the different origins that shaped Gnosticism, what Gnostics believed and practiced, and the influence they had on other religions.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Theology

55 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2019

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[C.J. Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to Gnosticism.

I thought this was a detailed and great beginning point to studying Gnosticism. Touching on the beginning of Gnostic thoughts and ideologies. I definitely recommend this to seekers of the truth.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another good short introduction to Gnosticism.

The interesting thing is that books of the New Testament that are considered valid are those which were determined not to be influenced by Gnosticism which has a totally different theology. However, in the early church many of those books were read and know and alluded to in other writings including those by Christian theologians. After the New Testament was decided upon, the books which didn't make the Canon were destroyed and largely forgotten about until 1945 when copies of some of the forgotten books were unearthed in Egypt. Most of these priceless documents were saved, except for the ones that were burnt in a fire to cook the evening meal by the finder's mother.

These text really change the perception of the first 4 centuries of Christianity and the ideas they contain come back again and again in modern forms. I recognised some 'kooky' ideas that I had heard a modern theologian talk about that I now realise had come from Gnosticism but I don't remember him mentioning that that was their origin.

I feel that this is going to be the start of another rabbit hole..

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot about this form of religion from this well presented thesis. I had not known that it was full of mysticism, myths, and arcane rituals, nor that it espoused a kind of reincarnation. Yes, the codices were found at Nag Hammadi in 1945, and the sect was vilified in the early centuries, and most known early literature is from their contemporaries rather than their own writings. Makes me want to snoop around to find out when they actually disappeared!

[Rob Sedgwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet

The gnostics are not an easy topic to write about as there are so many gaps and what we do know is alien to the modern mind. This covers the basics although I don't feel much the wiser for reading it!

[Ruth M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illuminating

I could not "put it down", so to speak. Deals with a very complex subject with clarity and simplicity. Definitely piqued my interest in learning more about this stream of early "Christian(?)" philosophy.

[robert shook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting account of Gnostic mythology

I knew the basic outline of Gnostic teaching for my previous studies. This concise account while concise hones in on an excellent description of the mythology gnostics developed

[Glen R. Renfrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I have a number of books on Gnostics and their writings but this is a concice presentation. A very good read.

[Matt Veilleux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful intro that was succinct.

[Florence🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and concise introduction into a difficult subject, a good starting point to jump off of.

[Anjalica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting timeline