10 Things Religious Pundits Need To Know About Gnosticism

[Guest guest]

10 Things Religious Pundits Need To Know About Gnosticism

 

- Saturday, April 22, 2006

 

 

" We don't need to take the Gospel of Judas / Thomas / Mary seriously, because

unlike Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, it wasn't written in the first century,

wasn't written by eyewitnesses and is not historically true. It was written by

an elitist world-hating sect called the Gnostics who were rejected by early

Christians as heretics. Gnostics preached that the flesh was evil, and salvation

was only available to a select few who had secret magical knowledge, or gnosis. "

 

- Every bible " expert " in the western world in the last three weeks.

 

I've read variations on this spiel at least twenty times this month. The problem

is that this summation of Gnosticism is entirely false, and in many cases known

by its proponents as false; this is bearing false witness.

 

 

1) Gnosticism is not a heretical sect of Christianity

 

Gnosticism is a distinct, pre-Christian religion. Its roots are in Alexandria in

Egypt, about 2200 years ago, where a " cafe-society " of Greek-speaking

and-educated Jews were syncretizing the myths of the ancient world with Judaism

and classical Greek philosophy.

 

These communities and their ideas greatly influenced Christianity as it later

emerged. As Christianity struggled in its first four centuries to distinguish

itself from the pagan world, it slowly began to reject some of these Gnostic

influences. But most of the people who still favoured these ideas considered

themselves devout Christians, not heretics.

 

Let us not forget that the most common topic in the New Testament - more common

than the power of love or redemption or the sacrifice of the cross or even the

divinity of Jesus - is that " other Christians are getting it wrong " . Paul

condemns James as a heretic. Jesus refers to Peter as " Satan " .

 

 

2) Gnosticism is a lot like Buddhism

 

Because of Gnosticism's insistence on personal responsibility and ethics, its

emphasis on singular prayer, the practice of compassion, detachment from

materialism and the striving for enlightenment, it has been called " the Buddhism

of the West " . The similarities between Gnosticism and Mahayana Buddhism are so

strong it has been speculated that there may have been ongoing contact between

the two religions.

 

 

3) The Gnostic Scriptures are, for the most part, contemporary with

Christian canon

 

None of the four canonical Gospels were written in the first century. Mark was

not written by Mark, nor Luke written by Luke. John was written in two distinct

phases, the first of which showed significant Gnostic elements, and the latter a

retraction and condemnation of those elements. These were based on first century

oral traditions which varied greatly from region to region, but did not exist in

written form until at least 100 years after the events they describe. Paul is

the only first century Christian writer we have, and much of his writings were

edited centuries later into the form we have today.

 

The Gospel of Thomas, for example, is contemporary with the later half of John,

and there is some evidence to support that John's later editors were familiar

with Thomas. The scriptural authors of the second century were reaching for

meaning, using their interpretation of what they had heard, their intuition,

their creativity, and their yearning for God.

 

 

4) Gnostics do not hate the physical world

 

Gnostic scripture frequently invokes favourably the beauty and power of the

natural world; the symbolism of pregnancy, midwifery, childbirth, newborns,

storms and ripe crops are frequently employed by Gnostic authors. Gnostics do

not view the flesh as evil, but rather as temporary when contrasted with the

immortality of the soul - a view shared by most if not all Christians.

 

What Gnostics reject is not the earth, but they system: the artificial world of

injustice, prejudice, institutionalization and materialism.

 

 

5) Gnostics do not repudiate salvation through Grace

 

The role of Grace, and of the Holy Spirit, is of paramount importance to the

Gnostics. Where Gnosticism differs from Christianity is that Gnosticism says

that " blind faith " does not grant salvation. To be saved from the forces of

deception and ignorance (maya in Buddhist parlance) one must attain

enlightenment: the direct experiential intimacy with God that is gnosis. This

experience is the birthright of every aware human person.

 

 

6) Gnosticism is not elitist

 

Do Christians distinguish between the saved and the unsaved? Is this elitism?

Gnostic teachings frequently reinforce the idea that liberation via gnosis is

available to everyone; that such distinction is a matter of reclaiming

birthright, of intent, choice, and effort. In fact, Gnostic theology tends to

support the idea of apokatastasis, of universal salvation.

 

 

7) Gnosticism is not Utopian.

 

There is nothing in Gnostic scripture to support the idea that Gnostics wish to

make " heaven on earth " from human efforts, and no connection whatsoever between

Gnosticism and the reshaping of society; neither from fascism nor socialism.

There is no " immanentizing the eschaton " in Gnosticism: Rather, this idea is the

hallmark of millennialist Christianity.

 

 

8) Most basic tenets of Gnosticism are supported by Christian scripture

 

In fact there is a litany of Christian saints who are blatantly Gnostic; St.

Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Hildegard of

Bingen and St. Joan of Arc all described in detail the integrity of their

experience of gnosis.

 

Paul says " The Kingdom of God is within you " which is probably the best single

summation of Gnostic theology. Jesus says " My kingdom is not of this world " (Jn

18:36).

 

 

9) Gnosticism serves as a bridge between world religions

 

Gnosticism stands at the crossroads of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,

representing a common ground. Historically Gnosticism influenced Judaism in the

development of Kabala, and Islam in the development of Sufism; it both

encouraged and challenged Christianity through its early centuries and

contributed profoundly to Christian theology and identity.

 

 

10) Gnostic churches are thriving

 

Gnostics across North America and Europe gather weekly for prayer and Eucharist

in forms very similar to orthodox liturgy. We derive inspiration from the Old

and New Testaments, and also from Nag Hammadi scripture such as The Gospel of

Thomas and The Thunder: Perfect Mind. A vital and growing Gnostic ekklesia is

serving in charities, missions and hospitals; writing, crafting, debating and

working in coffeehouses and dozens of parishes around the world. Most Gnostics

consider themselves Christian, their churches constituting the Body of Christ.

Other Gnostics gravitate to the symbolism and traditions of the Divine Feminine

in her aspect as Sophia ( " wisdom " ), the Shekhina ( " presence " ), and the Holy

Spirit.

 

Despite book-burnings, despite the Albigensian Crusade and the Inquisition,

despite schlock-populism, and despite inane castigations from self-appointed

pundits, we are still here; still praying, celebrating, exploring, and asking.

Still Knowing.

 

http://egina.blogspot.com/2006/04/10-things-religious-pundits-need-to.html

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

i have just realised that J.B. came to the rescue as to the meaning of

" immanentizing the eschaton " :

 

> A little note on this oft-misunderstood phrase: many people confuse

> it with the idea of " imminentizing " the eschaton. Imminent means

> " real soon " . Immanent means " everywhere " or " all-permeating " ,

> perhaps. The eschaton, as every good Chaote knows, is the End of

> Everything. " Immanentizing the eschaton " refers to the heretical

> idea that the eschaton is in fact a state of being, accessible at

> any time, rather than some chronological event. Of course, in the

> theological usage, it doesn't normally refer to magickal efforts to

> make apocalypse happen, as the Chaote's looser usage usually means.

>

> Hope this helps, as they say.

>

> --JB

>

> http://www.chaosmatrix.org/library/chaos/texts/ite.html

 

So, in reality, the Gnostics got called heretics because they said

that people could enter the state of being we call " being one with the

Divine " at any time. This is actually the truth. But they called it

" immanentizing the eschaton " and said that that was heresy. They were

wrong, of course. It was not heresy or 'hearsay'. It was the truth!

 

regards to all,

 

violet

 

 

 

, " Violet " <violetubb

wrote:

>

> 10 Things Religious Pundits Need To Know About Gnosticism

>

> - Saturday, April 22, 2006

>

>

> " We don't need to take the Gospel of Judas / Thomas / Mary

seriously, because unlike Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, it wasn't

written in the first century, wasn't written by eyewitnesses and is

not historically true. It was written by an elitist world-hating sect

called the Gnostics who were rejected by early Christians as heretics.

Gnostics preached that the flesh was evil, and salvation was only

available to a select few who had secret magical knowledge, or gnosis. "

>

> - Every bible " expert " in the western world in the last three weeks.

>

> I've read variations on this spiel at least twenty times this month.

The problem is that this summation of Gnosticism is entirely false,

and in many cases known by its proponents as false; this is bearing

false witness.

>

>

> 1) Gnosticism is not a heretical sect of Christianity

>

> Gnosticism is a distinct, pre-Christian religion. Its roots are in

Alexandria in Egypt, about 2200 years ago, where a " cafe-society " of

Greek-speaking and-educated Jews were syncretizing the myths of the

ancient world with Judaism and classical Greek philosophy.

>

> These communities and their ideas greatly influenced Christianity as

it later emerged. As Christianity struggled in its first four

centuries to distinguish itself from the pagan world, it slowly began

to reject some of these Gnostic influences. But most of the people who

still favoured these ideas considered themselves devout Christians,

not heretics.

>

> Let us not forget that the most common topic in the New Testament -

more common than the power of love or redemption or the sacrifice of

the cross or even the divinity of Jesus - is that " other Christians

are getting it wrong " . Paul condemns James as a heretic. Jesus refers

to Peter as " Satan " .

>

>

> 2) Gnosticism is a lot like Buddhism

>

> Because of Gnosticism's insistence on personal responsibility and

ethics, its emphasis on singular prayer, the practice of compassion,

detachment from materialism and the striving for enlightenment, it has

been called " the Buddhism of the West " . The similarities between

Gnosticism and Mahayana Buddhism are so strong it has been speculated

that there may have been ongoing contact between the two religions.

>

>

> 3) The Gnostic Scriptures are, for the most part, contemporary with

> Christian canon

>

> None of the four canonical Gospels were written in the first

century. Mark was not written by Mark, nor Luke written by Luke. John

was written in two distinct phases, the first of which showed

significant Gnostic elements, and the latter a retraction and

condemnation of those elements. These were based on first century oral

traditions which varied greatly from region to region, but did not

exist in written form until at least 100 years after the events they

describe. Paul is the only first century Christian writer we have, and

much of his writings were edited centuries later into the form we have

today.

>

> The Gospel of Thomas, for example, is contemporary with the later

half of John, and there is some evidence to support that John's later

editors were familiar with Thomas. The scriptural authors of the

second century were reaching for meaning, using their interpretation

of what they had heard, their intuition, their creativity, and their

yearning for God.

>

>

> 4) Gnostics do not hate the physical world

>

> Gnostic scripture frequently invokes favourably the beauty and power

of the natural world; the symbolism of pregnancy, midwifery,

childbirth, newborns, storms and ripe crops are frequently employed by

Gnostic authors. Gnostics do not view the flesh as evil, but rather as

temporary when contrasted with the immortality of the soul - a view

shared by most if not all Christians.

>

> What Gnostics reject is not the earth, but they system: the

artificial world of injustice, prejudice, institutionalization and

materialism.

>

>

> 5) Gnostics do not repudiate salvation through Grace

>

> The role of Grace, and of the Holy Spirit, is of paramount

importance to the Gnostics. Where Gnosticism differs from Christianity

is that Gnosticism says that " blind faith " does not grant salvation.

To be saved from the forces of deception and ignorance (maya in

Buddhist parlance) one must attain enlightenment: the direct

experiential intimacy with God that is gnosis. This experience is the

birthright of every aware human person.

>

>

> 6) Gnosticism is not elitist

>

> Do Christians distinguish between the saved and the unsaved? Is this

elitism? Gnostic teachings frequently reinforce the idea that

liberation via gnosis is available to everyone; that such distinction

is a matter of reclaiming birthright, of intent, choice, and effort.

In fact, Gnostic theology tends to support the idea of apokatastasis,

of universal salvation.

>

>

> 7) Gnosticism is not Utopian.

>

> There is nothing in Gnostic scripture to support the idea that

Gnostics wish to make " heaven on earth " from human efforts, and no

connection whatsoever between Gnosticism and the reshaping of society;

neither from fascism nor socialism. There is no " immanentizing the

eschaton " in Gnosticism: Rather, this idea is the hallmark of

millennialist Christianity.

>

>

> 8) Most basic tenets of Gnosticism are supported by Christian scripture

>

> In fact there is a litany of Christian saints who are blatantly

Gnostic; St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the

Cross, St. Hildegard of Bingen and St. Joan of Arc all described in

detail the integrity of their experience of gnosis.

>

> Paul says " The Kingdom of God is within you " which is probably the

best single summation of Gnostic theology. Jesus says " My kingdom is

not of this world " (Jn 18:36).

>

>

> 9) Gnosticism serves as a bridge between world religions

>

> Gnosticism stands at the crossroads of Judaism, Christianity, and

Islam, representing a common ground. Historically Gnosticism

influenced Judaism in the development of Kabala, and Islam in the

development of Sufism; it both encouraged and challenged Christianity

through its early centuries and contributed profoundly to Christian

theology and identity.

>

>

> 10) Gnostic churches are thriving

>

> Gnostics across North America and Europe gather weekly for prayer

and Eucharist in forms very similar to orthodox liturgy. We derive

inspiration from the Old and New Testaments, and also from Nag Hammadi

scripture such as The Gospel of Thomas and The Thunder: Perfect Mind.

A vital and growing Gnostic ekklesia is serving in charities, missions

and hospitals; writing, crafting, debating and working in coffeehouses

and dozens of parishes around the world. Most Gnostics consider

themselves Christian, their churches constituting the Body of Christ.

Other Gnostics gravitate to the symbolism and traditions of the Divine

Feminine in her aspect as Sophia ( " wisdom " ), the Shekhina

( " presence " ), and the Holy Spirit.

>

> Despite book-burnings, despite the Albigensian Crusade and the

Inquisition, despite schlock-populism, and despite inane castigations

from self-appointed pundits, we are still here; still praying,

celebrating, exploring, and asking. Still Knowing.

>

>

http://egina.blogspot.com/2006/04/10-things-religious-pundits-need-to.html

>