gnosticism - its origin, history and influence on christianity

8/16/2019 Gnosticism - Its Origin, History and Influence on Christianity

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Gnosticism

GNOSTICISM

Origin, History, and Influence on Christianity

Syed Waqas Hayder

Bab-ul-Ilm Research Foundation

(Pakistan & United States of America)


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IINNTTRROODDUUCCTTIIOONN

Gnosticism is the doctrine of salvation by esoteric knowledge.1

Etymologically, the word Gnosticism, which represents the Gnostic

worldview, is derived from Greek word gnosis meaning "knowledge." It

is, therefore, safe to say that Gnosticism is the 'worldview of salvific

knowledge.' Moreover, a gnostikos is the state of being "good at knowing"

according to the Gnostic doctrine. However, gnostikos was a generic

rendering adopted by Irenaeus to refer to all groups of 'heretics' in the

church who capitalized on the significance of gnosis for salvation.2 In

simple terms, knowledge is central to the Gnostic doctrine, which

emphasizes the fact that only knowing the spiritual reality grants salvation.

Interestingly, it is only one side of the picture, which is a literal

reading of the word, whereas the other side gives a broader portrayal of a

predominant version, characteristic of Gnostic systems of thought. Unlike

any other faith system, monotheistic or polytheistic, which places

emphasis upon the submission of soul and mind to the Supreme Being(s)

in order for the soul to attain its ultimate metaphysical status, union with

the infinite, Gnosticism puts salvation in the category of quasi-intuitive

knowledge of the mysteries of universe and beyond. Such a thing is

ceremonially guaranteed and finally achieved through magic formulas

1 Richard T. Wallis (editor), Neoplatonism and Gnosticism, Albany: StateUniversity of New York Press, 1992, p.15 2 Michael Allen Williams, Rethinking "Gnosticism", Princeton: PrincetonUniversity Press, 1996, p.37


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indicating intuitively enlightening knowledge. There is no role of faith and

works in the traditional sense of the word in the theology of Gnosticism.

Gnosticism technically consists of two key elements: (1) gnosis,

"secret/esoteric knowledge," and (2) dualism. This dualism immediately creates

the problem of contradiction that gnosis originally seeks to fix. The duality of

nature of soul and body, spirit and matter, metaphysics and physics, and so on is

central to the Gnostic worldview of creation, continuation, and ultimate

destination of everything 'trapped' into the prison of material existence, which is

a phantasia, "illusion."3 At this point, Gnostic doctrine appears to be an imitation

of the Hindu concept of saṃsāra, "the prison of existence," which is essentially

mā yā , "illusion." Therefore, it requires tapasyā , "spiritual meditation for self-

realization," and karma, "virtuous deeds," for earning mokśā, "salvation," from

the illusion of the universal prison.4 Since Hinduism is an ancient religion of

Indo-European roots, it would not be a stretch to conclude that Hinduism could

have wielded some influence on the flowing stream of Gnosticism -- or even

possibly originated it in the first place.

3 The Gnostic Handbook, San Francisco: Institute for Gnostic Studies, p. 564 Hinduism Glossary of Terms” (accessed on 9/18/2015,http://www.shaivam.org/unglossa.htm)


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OORRIIGGIINNSS OOFF GGNNOOSSTTIICCIISSMM

The beginnings of Gnosticism have long been a matter of debate and are

still largely a subject of research. The more these origins are studied, the farther

they seem to recede in the past.5 Previously, among the Christian scholars, it was

considered a heretic branch of Christianity. It was most certainly true in the post-

Crucifixion world with the ancient people who practiced it in the light of the New

Testament. Such seekers of gnosis thought it certainly was the true version of

Christianity. However, with the passage of time as there were more and more

discoveries of ancient literature, this understanding parted away and a new

understanding of Gnosticism being a system of faith in its own right came to

surface. The most well known of such discoveries was that of Nag Hammadi

library, which consisted of 13 Coptic Gnostic books (or fragments of books)

recovered from a place called Nag Hammadi in upper Egypt.6 The most famous

among these codices is the 'Gospel of Thomas,' which is called the 'wisdom

Gospel.'

Outside Christianity, there are many other faith systems that bear

identical or similar ideas as Gnosticism. Gnosticism does not confine itself to the

'salvation' Gospel of the New Testament, but transcends -- even predates -- the

'Kingdom of Heaven' doctrine of Christianity. For instance, it is often suggested

that Platonism is the origin of Gnosticism, which renders it as an independent

philosophical religion. However, it is difficult to ascertain the veracity of such aclaim, because history unveils the Orphic and Pythagorean 'enthusiasm' orgies

5 Catholic Encyclopedia, "Gnosticism" (Retrieved on 5/11/2016:http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06592a.htm)6 For more details, see Andrew K. Helmbold, The Nag Hammadi Gnostic Textsand the Bible, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1967


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that predate Plato. Such 'mystery cults' dealt in the prototype doctrines of what

was to become Gnosticism afterwards.7

Gnosticism is not altogether absent from other Semitic religions. Jewish

Kabbalah, for instance, is a fine extra-Christian example of Gnostic ideas, which

is an esoteric method, discipline, and school of thought that originated in

Judaism. The Kabbalah is also a myth-construct, which is framed quite similar to

the hierarchy of Gnostic myth. The Book of Baruch illustrates a Jewish version

of Gnosticism with 'Greco-Roman allusions.'8 Moreover, Islamic Sufism is yet

another form of gnosis, which seeks to attain communion with the divine through

special form of personal epiphany, an esoteric revelation called 'Irfaan.9 It is an

esoteric as well as mysterious path that violates the theological paradigm of the

Qur'an in order to remain consistent with the Gnostic position of the centrality of

'monistic salvation' through 'special knowledge.' On the other hand, however,

Islamic Sufism too sought to find its origin in the Islamic Scripture quite

identically to the current of Christian Gnosticism that endeavored to put its origin

in the New Testament text.

Zoroastrian religion is also proposed as one of the potential origins of

Gnosticism. The reason why such a thing is often projected is that the religion of

Zoroaster also emphasized the significance of 'duality' and 'paradox.' Wisdom --

i.e. Sophia of Gnosticism -- is the most significant attribute of God in

Zoroastrianism and he is known with his personal name as Ahura Mazda, "the

Wise Being."

7 John Turner, Nag Hammadi, Gnosticism and Early Christianity, Peabody, MA:Hendrickson Publishers, 1986, p. 598 Willis Barnstone, Marvin Meyer (editors), The Gnostic Bible, London:Shambhala, 2003, p.69 Qamar al-Huda, Striving for Divine Union, London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003,p.73


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HHIISSTTOORRYY OOFF GGNNOOSSTTIICCIISSMM

Historically, no group of Christians has ever been branded as 'Gnostic'

the way we understand the term and group ancient Gnostic cults all together

under one category. This is primarily due to some kind of commonality they all

bear in their features of respective belief system -- emphasis upon 'esoteric' and

'knowledge.' Our look into the past now clearly demarcates the fundamental

differences between Christianity and Gnosticism, whereas our attitude towards

Gnostic religions is exclusive and monolithic, which is historically synchronistic.It must not be forgotten, however, that Gnosticism was never a homogeneous

phenomenon with only one version of spiritual enlightenment.

Gnosticism is originally a system of 'dualism,' which attempts to

understand the problem of two opposing forces in the universe, the good and evil,

form and content, soul and body, and space and matter etc. Its most sublime

expression is found in late Platonism. For instance, there is:

a. Tension between good and evil

b. Tension between flesh and spirit/natural and supernatural/physics and

metaphysics

c. The creator God, Demiurge, is an evil god and is no omnipotent nor

perfect as he mistakenly thinks in his self-perception

In Christian Gnosticism, which was a later development of second

century, Gnostics identified Demiurge with the creator God of Genesis, Yahweh,

the God of the Jews. Therefore, to the Gnostics, Yahweh is the creator of evil,

hence not the ultimate eternal and all-powerful God. On the other hand, Christ is

the 'Messenger of Light,' and the Gnostic deliverer who has saved human beings

from the physical world through his teaching of mysteries and sources of esoteric


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knowledge rather than crucifixion and sacrificial death.10 Christ is, like the

Christian New Testament teachings, the son of the otherworldly True God who

has come to 'reunite the Gnostic with himself.'11

Marcion (85-160 AD c) was the first Christian figure of note who came

up with the Gnostic ideas and developed them into an esoteric system of faith,

purportedly, consistent with Pauline teachings. Marcion did not believe in the

God of the Old Testament as the one true God and declared him an equivalent of

Demiurge, the 'half creator.' Marcion, therefore, called the true God as ' Bythos'

because he is deep in the universe, farthest of all spiritual and metaphysical

beings. He carved out his own Scripture of 11 books and rejected most of the

current New Testament in addition to rejecting the Old Testament altogether.

However, Marcion was not a Gnostic in the true sense, for he laid more

emphasis upon the need of faith over gnosis. But his treatment of the Old

Testament nevertheless fits within Gnostic parameters perfectly well.

Furthermore, he was not even the first person to introduce Gnosticism to

Christians. Simon Magus of Samaria is hypothetically believed to occupy this

position of the follower of Gnostic ideas and his name even finds place in the

New Testament (cf. Acts 8:4-25). He was a magician, who, according to the

Gnostic codex of the Acts of Peter, even combated Peter in an open miracle-

working contest in Rome.12 This grants an insight into the world of Apostles,

when Gnostics, such as Simon Magus, enjoyed privileged status in the society --

Simon was called the 'great power of God' (Acts 8:10). Therefore, Simon could

not have been the first person to mandate such esoteric doctrines as Gnosticism

10 The Gnosis Archive, "The Gnostic Worldview: A Brief Summary of Gnosticism,"(Retrieved on 5/12/2016 -- http://gnosis.org/gnintro.htm)11 Giovanni Filoramo, A History of Gnosticism, trans. by Anthony Alcock, Oxford:Basil Blackwell, 1990, p106.12 Christine M. Thomas, Acts of Peter, Gospel Literature, and the Ancient Novel,New York: Oxford University Press, 2003, pp.35-36


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within Christian world. There were indeed roots of this system deeper within the

culture predating even the Roman Empire.

On the other hand, yet another inference can help us make a case to the

contrary, namely Simon's Gnostic portrayal is only found in the Gnostic

literature, whereas the Simon of the Book of Acts is only a great 'sorcerer' who

ends up believing in Christ and is baptized by Philip. This is, nevertheless, an

early picture of Simon, whereas his later life was quite an antithesis to that

according to the testimony of church fathers. He mentored a person named

Menander who rose to heights around the turn of the first century and pioneered

sub-traditions within the discipline of Christian Gnosticism. He influenced two

prominent figures, Saturninus and Basilides, who taught in Antioch and Asia

Minor during second century AD. Saturninus came up with the expression

'unknown Father' for calling upon God in imitation of Christ. This continued

influence of Simon gave rise to a new sect which Iranaeus referred to in his

writings as "the Simonians."13 Cerinthus was yet another Gnostic leader who

was contemporary to Polycarp in Asia Minor.

The most renowned Christian-Gnostic teacher of early centuries was

Valentinus who was based in Alexandria. Valentinus was a contemporary of

Marcion, who taught in Rome. He developed a Christian-Gnostic ogdoadic

system of cosmology, which was heavily criticized by Christian apologists.

Origen wrote polemics against those heretics of the Valentinian school referring

them on one occasion as 'some' who 'call themselves as gnostics.'14 Mani was yet

another, and probably the most influential teacher of Gnosticism, also called

'Iranian Prophet' and 'Messenger of Light,' who lived in the second half of the

third century. He founded Manichaeism, which was a dualistic belief that life

13 Michael Allen Williams, Rethinking "Gnosticism", Princeton: PrincetonUniversity Press, 1996, p.3614 Contra Celsum 5:61 in Michael, Rethinking, p.41


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was a cosmic conflict between the forces of light and darkness. In this sense, it

closely resembled Zoroastrianism. Mani also believed that a fallen soul would be

trapped in evil and could only make it to the light by the way of spirit rather than

flesh. It is interesting that even the great Christian thinker Augustine was

influenced by the teachings of Manichaeism, which caused him to convert to this

form of Gnosticism for a short period of time. Nestorianism is yet another branch

of Gnosticism that was established by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Nestorius,

in fifth century. This doctrine upheld a subtle disunion between the two natures

of Christ, which brands this sect as dyophysites. They were not pure Gnostics;

instead, they were Christian Gnostics who believed Jesus did not die on cross because the divine Christ forsake the human Jesus.


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GGNNOOSSTTIICC HHIIEERRAARRCCHHYY OOFF DDIIVVIINNEESS AANNDD HHUUMMAANNSS

The Gnostic God is a 'whole Other' deity. He is not the creator ofthe universe because he is too transcendent to fashion a broken universe.

Demiurge is a debased deity, who created universe with all its flaws. The

transcendent true God lives in his own non-material, anti-cosmic realm

called Pleroma, "Fullness." Whereas, on the other hand, the material

universe represents 'emptiness.' From Pleroma two aeons emanate and

fall; they are male Anthropos and female Sophia. Sophia gives birth to

Demiurge, who in turn mistakenly presumes that he is all-powerful and

can therefore imitate the perfect order of Pleroma in his creation. He fails

miserably to do so, nevertheless.

In the Gnostic cosmology, God and universe are two antitypes,

which do not associate with one another. Unlike the Greek integrity of

God and universe, which they always referred to as 'God and universe,' the

Gnostic system always puts emphasis upon the distinction as 'God or

universe.' There are other realms in a descending order between the

Pleroma, where the Godhead resides, and our world. These realms arefilled with other beings that emanated from the Pleroma. Such emanations

consist of several Aeons. Moreover, there are also other beings of lower

order called Archons.15 Archons are the cosmic rulers, often identified

with the living planets, who are responsible for keeping man imprisoned in

matter and blind him in ignorance, so that he cannot make it to the

ultimate Spirit through gnosis. This role of theirs is the part of the

demiurgical illusion. It is also believed in one form of Gnosticism that

seven Archons have fashioned man in their own image, which issynonymous with the Genesis account where Yahweh fashions man in his

own image.16 Aeons, on the other hand, represent 'immortals' or 'angels'

who emanated from the realm of the 'Other,' the Godhead.17 They

15 Jacques Lacarriere, The Gnostics, London: Peter Owen Limited, 1977, p.4816 Michael, Rethinking, p.11917 Jacques, Gnostics, p.13


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represent order and the hierarchy of Gnostic theology as well as

cosmology. The 'half creator,' Demiurge, is a debased entity residing far

below these immortal Aeons, who reside the realm below the a-cosmic

realm of the True God. There is no agreement on the number of Aeons indifferent forms of Gnosticism.

Gnosticism does not subscribe to the Greek cyclical view of Time.

Similarly, it also rejects the unilinear Christian view of Time. According to

Gnosticism, Time is the creation of Demiurge, which he can spread out

into seasons, cycles, ages, and stages.

Human nature has an element often referred to as 'divine spark' in

the form of 'soul.' Those human beings that attain salvation through

knowledge and spiritual elevation are called pneumatics. But those who

remain attached to the material world and do not recognize the

essentialness of the spirit and knowledge are called hyletics. Interestingly

enough, not all humans are either pneumatics or hyletics, but there is yet a

third category of humans, the psychics, who believe in the Demiurge

mistakenly as the only true God of universe, which hampers their access to

the spiritual world beyond this creator.18 Such human beings, according to

the Gnostics, as hyletics and psychics are disillusioned and doomed to be

trapped within the systems of material existence for ever.

18 Jacques, Gnostics, pp.52-53


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CCOONNCCLLUUSSIIOONN

In conclusion, if nothing else, at least one thing can be stated withcertainty that Gnosticism is not a homogeneous phenomenon and therefore

no single doctrine can be placed under the term 'Gnosticism' with absolute

assurance -- except for emphasis upon gnosis. In fact, there are many

Gnosticisms, which make it rather hard to simplify the subject and give it

a wholesome treatment. If one particular thing is asserted as having

Gnostic origin or bearing, it is quite likely that the same thing does not

qualify to be a Gnostic feature in a different form of Gnosticism. It is why,

therefore, the general tenor of this research demonstrates a balance in the

portrayal of Gnosticism without leaning too much into one direction or the

other. Gnosticism is treated as an independent religion enfranchised into

many forms rather than a branch or form of Gnosticism being the

mainstay.

What we must not, however, forget in our present quest is the fact

that Gnosticism is not exclusively of Christian origin. Every religion

shares the overly spiritual ideas of Gnosticism in some way, shape orform. In fact, every religious movement is threaded with and through the

core ideas of Gnosticism that give off a threshold for 'Monism, asceticism,

mysticism,' and 'self-mortification' versions of spirituality to flourish and

water the socio-religious life of man.


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Bibliography

Al-Huda, Qamar, Striving for Divine Union, London: RoutledgeCurzon,

2003.

Anonymous, The Gnostic Handbook, San Francisco: Institute for

Gnostic Studies.

Filoramo, Giovanni, A History of Gnosticism, trans. by Anthony Alcock,

Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1990.

Helmbold, Andrew K., The Nag Hammadi Gnostic Texts and the Bible,

Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1967.

Lacarriere, Jacques, The Gnostics, London: Peter Owen Limited, 1977.

Meyer, Marvin (editors), The Gnostic Bible, London: Shambhala, 2003.

Thomas, Christine M., Acts of Peter, Gospel Literature, and the Ancient

Novel, New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Turner, John, Nag Hammadi, Gnosticism and Early Christianity ,

Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1986.

Williams, Michael Allen, Rethinking "Gnosticism", Princeton: Princeton

University Press, 1996.

Wallis, Richard T. (editor), Neoplatonism and Gnosticism, Albany: StateUniversity of New York Press, 1992.

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