Gnosticism is a term used to describe a variety of religious ideas and systems that emerged in the early Christian era around the 1st to 2nd century AD. While it is primarily associated with certain Christian sects, Gnosticism also draws on elements from a range of traditions including Jewish, Christian, Greek, and Eastern religions. It emphasizes esoteric knowledge, or gnosis, as the path to divine enlightenment and ultimate spiritual salvation. ### Key Concepts of Gnosticism 1. **Gnosis**: Central to Gnosticism is the concept of "gnosis" (a Greek word for knowledge). This refers to a special, mystical or esoteric insight into the divine nature and the true, hidden reality of how the world works. Gnostics believe that this knowledge is not accessible to everyone but can be understood only by the initiated. 2. **Dualism**: Gnosticism is inherently dualistic, often portraying existence as a struggle between good and evil, or more specifically, between spirit and matter. The material world is considered a flawed or evil creation, often attributed to a lesser divine being or a demiurge. This demiurge is sometimes identified with the God of the Old Testament, contrasted with a higher, more transcendent God revealed in Gnostic teachings. 3. **Cosmology**: Gnostic cosmology generally involves complex narratives about the origins of the divine realm and the fall of certain divine beings (aeons) which result in the creation of the material world. This creation traps sparks of divinity (human souls) within the physical and material realm. 4. **Soteriology**: Salvation in Gnosticism involves the return of these divine sparks to the transcendent realm, facilitated by acquiring gnosis. This knowledge allows individuals to transcend the material conditions of existence and return to a state of spiritual unity with the divine. 5. **Jesus and Other Figures**: In [[Gnostic Christianity]], Jesus is often seen as a revealer of knowledge rather than a savior through crucifixion. He teaches the secret knowledge needed to escape the material world. Other religious and mythological figures from various traditions also appear in Gnostic texts, reinterpreted as emissaries of the true divine or as figures who reveal divine secrets. ### Historical Context and Legacy - **Diversity**: Gnosticism is not a single unified religion but rather a label for a wide range of beliefs and practices. Texts such as those found in the Nag Hammadi library in Egypt reveal a rich diversity of Gnostic scriptures, which include gospels, apocalypses, and mystical treatises that offer different insights into Gnostic theology. - **Persecution and Decline**: Gnostic groups were often persecuted by orthodox Christian authorities who viewed their beliefs as heretical. By the late ancient period, most Gnostic sects were either suppressed or absorbed into emerging Christian orthodoxy. - **Influence**: Despite its decline as a distinct religious movement, Gnostic ideas have continued to influence Western esoteric traditions, modern spiritual movements, and psychological theories, particularly those of Carl Jung, who used Gnostic concepts to develop his ideas of the collective unconscious and individuation. Gnosticism, with its emphasis on hidden knowledge and the spiritual unreality of the material world, offers a starkly different perspective on salvation and the divine compared to mainstream religious traditions, highlighting the diverse ways in which humans have sought understanding and salvation throughout history. # References ```dataview Table title as Title, authors as Authors where contains(subject, "Gnosticism") or contains(subject, "gnosticism") or contains(subject, "Gnostic") sort title, authors, modified ```