1. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Gnosticism gnosticism, as a syncretistic, dualistic system has been historically regarded by orthodox Christians as a heresy. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06592a.htm

Home Encyclopedia Summa Fathers ... G > Gnosticism A B C D ... Z Gnosticism The doctrine of salvation by knowledge . This definition, based on the etymology of the word ( gnosis "knowledge", gnostikos , "good at knowing"), is correct as far as it goes, but it gives only one, though perhaps the predominant, characteristic of Gnostic systems of thought. Whereas Judaism and Christianity , and almost all pagan systems, hold that the soul attains its proper end by obedience of mind and will to the Supreme Power, i.e. by faith and works, it is markedly peculiar to Gnosticism that it places the salvation of the soul merely in the possession of a quasi-intuitive knowledge of the mysteries of the universe and of magic formulae indicative of that knowledge. Gnostics were "people who knew", and their knowledge at once constituted them a superior class of beings, whose present and future status was essentially different from that of those who, for whatever reason, did not know. A more complete and historical definition of Gnosticism would be: A collective name for a large number of greatly-varying and pantheistic idealistic sects, which flourished from some time before the Christian Era down to the fifth century, and which, while borrowing the phraseology and some of the tenets of the chief religions of the day, and especially of

2. Gnosticism A resource for many views of gnosticism. Includes articles and links. http://www.meta-religion.com/Esoterism/Gnosticism/gnosticism.htm

to promote a multidisciplinary view of the religious, spiritual and esoteric phenomena. About Us Links Search Contact ... Science home Religion sections World Religions New Religious Groups Ancient Religions Spirituality ... Extremism Science sections Archaeology Astronomy Linguistics Mathematics ... Contact The Web Metareligion More sections: Subscribe to the Metareligion Newsletter Photography Submit your site Suggest an article ... Polls Please, help us sustain this free site online. Make a donation using Paypal: Back to the Esoteric page Gnosticism Description Modern scriptures and sermons Samael's gnosticism The Seven Sermons to the Dead The Holy Gnostic Rosary The Nativity of the Divine Light The Secret Doctrine of Anahuac ... The Dialectical revolution Other moder gnostic texts Reuniting People with Reality More Articles Gnostic self psychology Gnosticism description and history, version 2 Founder: Some consider Simon Magus to be the Father of Gnosticism. However, Gnosticism has also been defined as a mystical religion said to be "as old as humanity itself."(Ellwood and Partin: 95-96) Gnostic beliefs can be "found in all religions and religious philosophies, from Upanishads to the wisdom of ancient Egypt, and from the Gathas of Zarathustra to the mystery-cults of Greece and Rome."(Ellwood and Partin: 96) There are others who say that Gnosticism was built upon the combined teachings of its important leaders. Some of these include Basilides, Valentinus, Marcion, Ptolemaeus, Cerinthus, Menander, Simon Magus, and Saturninus (Grant: 30-43).

3. WWW Resources For Gnosticism And Nag Hammadi gnosticism and the Gnostic Jesus from the Christian Research Institute. Primary Texts for the Study of gnosticism The Nag Hammadi Library and other http://www.haverford.edu/relg/mcguire/Gnosisnet.html

4. Gnostic Society Library: Sources On Gnosticism And Gnosis A collection of materials dealing with Gnosis and gnosticism, both ancient and modern. Includes the Nag Hammadi Library. http://www.gnosis.org/library.html

Gnostic and Related Material: Nag Hammadi Library Gnostic Scriptures Polemical Works Christian Apocrypha ... Valentinus and the Valentinian Tradition Other Material in the Library: The Bible Dead Sea Scrolls Old Testament Apocrypha Christian Liturgy ... Plato and Plotinus Current Lectures: How to hear the lectures Gnosticism and its Legacy Christ: The Misunderstood Redeemer The Sorrow of Sophia: Feminine Divine Image of Suffering ... Other Web Lectures Return to Gnosis Archive Site design © 1995-2005 Lance Owens. All rights reserved. T HE G NOSTIC S OCIETY L IBRARY Archive Bookstore Index Web Lectures ... Gnostic Society About using the Library. . . The Gnostic Society Library contains a vast collection of primary documents relating to the Gnostic tradition as well as a selection of in-depth audio lectures and brief archive notes designed to orient study of the documents, their sources, and the religious tradition they represent. Lectures provided in the library are from the audio archive of The Gnostic Society in Los Angeles; they are presented in

5. From Gnosticism To A Contemporary Spirituality Sarah Benson gives a personal account of esoteric Christianity beginning with the Gnostics, and concludes that Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy is a modern day embodiment of the genuine Christ message. http://livingnow.com.au/spirit/s1spiritstories2.htm

From Gnosticism to a contemporary spirituality by Sarah Benson When I discovered Gnosticism and early Christianity, I felt like a detective who has finally found the vital clue to a baffling mystery. For maybe here lay the origins of contemporary Western spirituality. Today many religious scholars are returning to the origins of Christianity - the period before 'right belief' (which is the meaning of the Greek word, ortho-doxia) replaced the culture of experiences and beliefs. Email this Page to a Friend The word Gnostic derives from the Greek word meaning knowledge, or insight that which revealed God, the origin and destiny of mankind, and how the spiritual element in people could find redemption by uniting with the spiritual in the cosmos. The pre-Christian Gnostic movement was complex. The Jewish sects of what is now northern Syria provided the foundation for Gnostic ideas. These sects were also influenced by Iranian religious thought (Zoroastrianism) and by the Greek-speaking Jews. Ancient Egyptian spiritual culture was also incorporated, for instance the mystery cult of Isis and Osiris. Existing within the Roman Empire, the Gnostics were nevertheless also in conflict with it. They were a movement of the spirit without definite frontiers, in many lands, through many centuries. Since then, scholars have indicated that the Roman Empire's role in the crucifixion of Christ was significant. Could the early confluence of Christian and Judaic ideas have implications for the religious and political conflicts that still exist today could people of diverse religious backgrounds find common ground once again in ideas arising from the search for truth?

6. GNOSTICISM - ANCIENT AND MODERN Describes the history, beliefs, and practices of the ancient Gnostics. http://www.religioustolerance.org/gnostic.htm

MENU: GNOSTICISM: ANCIENT AND MODERN Click Here to Visit our Sponsors. Summary: Gnosticism is a philosophical and religious movement which started in pre-Christian times. The name is derived from the Greek word " gnosis " which literally means " knowledge. " However, the English words " Insight " and " enlightenment " capture more of the meaning of "gnosis." It is pronounced with a silent "G" (NO-sis). Gnosticism is not factual, intellectual, rational knowledge, such as is involved in mathematics and physics; that would have been more accurately represented by the Greek world " episteme. " Rather, Gnosticism involves the relational or experiential knowledge of God and of the divine or spiritual nature within us. A visitor to this web site wrote: " ...we believe that gnosis-knowledge requires ultimate transcendence of the merely intellectual to be actualized. " Gnostics believe that they have secret knowledge about God, humanity and the rest of the universe of which the general population was unaware. It became one of the three main belief systems within 1st century Christianity, and was noted for three factors which differed from the two other branches of Christianity: Novel beliefs about Gods, the Bible and the world which differed from those of other Christian groups.

7. ART. XV. -- Buddhist Gnosticism, The System Of Basilides. From the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland for 1902. http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-ENG/kenn.htm

ART. XV. Buddhist Gnosticism, the System of Basilides. By J. Kennedy. The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland for 1902 p. 377-415

8. Gnostics, Gnostic Gospels, & Gnosticism Gnostics, Gnostic, gnosticism Includes the gnostic gospels and information on gnostic Christianity and the religion of gnosticism! http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/gnostics.html

A one-sentence description of Gnosticism: a religion that differentiates the evil god of this world (who is identified with the god of the Old Testament) from a higher more abstract God revealed by Jesus Christ, a religion that regards this world as the creation of a series of evil archons/powers who wish to keep the human soul trapped in an evil physical body, a religion that preaches a hidden wisdom or knowledge only to a select group as necessary for salvation or escape from this world. The term "gnostic" derives from "gnosis," which means "knowledge" in Greek. The Gnostics believed that they were privy to a secret knowledge about the divine, hence the name. (Huxley coined "agnosticism" on the basis that all knowledge must be based on reason. We cannot rationally claim to have access to knowledge that is beyond the powers of the intellect.) There are numerous references to the Gnostics in second century proto-orthodox literature. Most of what we know about them is from the polemic thrown at them by the early Church Fathers. They are alluded to in the Bible in the pastorals (spurious Paulines of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus), for example 1 Tm 1:4 and 1 Tm 6:20, and possibly the entirety of Jude. Ignatius of Antioch writes against them as well as Docetism, a doctrine closely related to Gnosticism that stated that Christ was pure spirit and had only a phantom body. Second Clement is a document aimed at refuting early second century Gnosticism. Marcion was the most famous of the Gnostics, and he established a "canon" of the Pauline epistles (minus the pastorals) and a "mutilated" Luke (presumably considered so because it lacked proof-texts such as Lk 22:43-44). Justin Martyr mentioned him c. 150 CE, and Irenaeus and Tertullian wrote against him extensively in the late second century (in

9. Encyclopaedia Of The Orient A Middle Eastern religious and philosophical orientation that grew strong in the 1st century CE, exercising strong influence on Judaism and Christianity and at times representing a strong and competing theology. http://i-cias.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct.pl?gnostici.htm

10. Hegel_kabbalah.html A passage from Hegel's Lectures on the History of Philosophy, translated and annotated by Scott J. Thompson. http://www.wbenjamin.org/hegel_kabbalah.html

Back to the Walter Benjamin Research Syndicate Homepage G.W.F. Hegel: Kabbalah and Gnosticism [An excerpt from Hegel's Lectures on the History of Philosophy , translated from G.W.F. Hegel's ii , (Theorie Werkausgabe, Bd. 19), Frankfurt a.M., Suhrkamp Verlag, 1977, 426-430] translation and notes by Scott J. Thompson Hegel Links Kabbalah and Gnosticism Kabbalistic Philosophy and Gnostic theology are also occupied with the concepts of Philo. The first of these concepts is Being: abstract, unknown and nameless. The second is disclosure: the concrete which emanates from Being. The return to unity is also accepted to a certain extent, particularly with the Christian philosophers. This return, which is considered third, approaches Logos According to Philo, Wisdom is the teacher, High Priest, which leads the third back to the first, and thus to the vision ( ) of God. Kabbalistic Philosophy Kabbalah is called the secret wisdom of the Jews. Much has been fabled concerning its origins, and much of it is enigmatic. It is said to be embodied in two books: the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation) and the Sefer ha-Zohar (Book of Splendor). The

11. The Gnosis Archive: Resources On Gnosticism And Gnostic Tradition A vast collection of materials and audio lectures dealing with Gnosis and gnosticism, both ancient and modern. The site includes the Gnostic Society Library http://www.gnosis.org/welcome.html

The Gnosis Archive, www.gnosis.org , offers a vast collection of primary texts and resources relating to Gnosticism and the Gnostic Tradition, both ancient and modern. This public service site is maintained by , to whom you may address any comments or suggestions. The Gnosis Archive is referenced by the Encyclopaedia Britannica , and Encarta Click here to add our Amazon.com Book Search link to your favorites When you use this link to enter Amazon.com and make purchases, The Gnosis Archive will receive a small commission. Thank you for helping support this site! T HE G NOSIS A RCHIVE Library Bookstore Index Web Lectures ... Gnostic Society Meditations Take a moment to reflect on a brief meditation and reading from the Gnostic scriptures, selected from this week's Gnostic liturgy. Meditate upon the feminine aspect of divinity with meditation and readings from this month's Sophia liturgy. The Gnostic Society Library Visit the Gnostic Society Library , a comprehensive library of Gnostic scriptures including the Nag Hammadi Library as well as a large selection of writings and documents relating to the study of Gnosticism. Also check the

12. GNOSTICISM - ANCIENT AND MODERN Ancient and modern gnosticism http://tmsyn.wc.ask.com/r?t=an&s=hb&uid=24312681243126812&sid=343126

13. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA Gnosticism gnosticism, as a syncretistic, dualistic system has been historically regarded by orthodox Christians as a heresy. http://tmsyn.wc.ask.com/r?t=an&s=hb&uid=24312681243126812&sid=343126

14. Welcome To The Gnostic Friends Network Encyclopedia Of Gnostic Myth & History Encyclopedia of gnosis and gnosticism. http://www.enemies.com/

"The Gnostic Friends Network is a virulent anti-Christian outpouring, headlined "Jesus Says Love Your Enemies". It takes the Gnostic belief that this world was the work of the Devil and turns it into a charter for Devil-worshipping that has the shrill sensation seeking of a latter-day Aleister Crowley." Peter Stanford, "The secret world of the new Gnostics" , The Independent, March 18, 2004 Terms of Use ]. Please vote for us by clicking the AvatarSearch banner below. looks best: 1024x768, Internet Explorer online since: February 18, 1996 enter site

15. Gnostic Christianity.com. The Outlawed Logic/logos Teachings Of Devoted to the philosophy of the nonjudgmental process of reasoning. http://tmsyn.wc.ask.com/r?t=an&s=hb&uid=24312681243126812&sid=343126

16. Definition Of Gnosticism gnosticism died not by chance, but because it lacked vital power within itself; and no amount of theosophistic literature can give life to that which perished from intrinsic and essential defects. http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/dissent/defgnost.htm

Definition of Gnosticism The doctrine of salvation by knowledge. This definition, based on the etymology of the word ( gnosis "knowledge", gnostikos , "good at knowing"), is correct as far as it goes, but it gives only one, though perhaps the predominant, characteristic of Gnostic systems of thought. Whereas Judaism and Christianity, and almost all pagan systems, hold that the soul attains its proper end by obedience of mind and will to the Supreme Power, i.e. by faith and works, it is markedly peculiar to Gnosticism that it places the salvation of the soul merely in the possession of a quasi-intuitive knowledge of the mysteries of the universe and of magic formulae indicative of that knowledge. Gnostics were "people who knew", and their knowledge at once constituted them a superior class of beings, whose present and future status was essentially different from that of those who, for whatever reason, did not know. A more complete and historical definition of Gnosticism would be: A collective name for a large number of greatly-varying and pantheistic -idealistic sects, which flourished from some time before the Christian Era down to the fifth century, and which, while borrowing the phraseology and some of the tenets of the chief religions of the day, and especially of Christianity, held matter to be a deterioration of spirit, and the whole universe a depravation of the Deity, and taught the ultimate end of all being to be the overcoming of the grossness of matter and the return to the Parent-Spirit, which return they held to be inaugurated and facilitated by the appearance of some God-sent Savior.

17. The Gnosis Archive Resources On Gnosticism And Gnostic Tradition A vast collection of materials and audio lectures dealing with Gnosis and gnosticism, both ancient and modern. The site includes the Gnostic Society http://tmsyn.wc.ask.com/r?t=an&s=hb&uid=24312681243126812&sid=343126

18. GNOSTICISM - ANCIENT AND MODERN: Books It is fueling an increased interest among the public in gnosticism. If you are only buying one book on gnosticism, we recommend Beyond Belief by Elaine http://www.religioustolerance.org/gnostic4.htm

GNOSTICISM: ANCIENT AND MODERN BOOKS Click Here to Visit our Sponsors. Books on Gnosticism: The blockbuster move " The Matrix Reloaded " (2003) is based on a Gnostic worldview. It is fueling an increased interest among the public in Gnosticism. If you are only buying one book on Gnosticism, we recommend " Beyond Belief " by Elaine Pagels. Other books are: Dan Brown, " The Da Vinci Code, " Doubleday (2003). This is a murder mystery centered on the quest for the Holy Grail, and is based on the Nag Hummadi documents. Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store C.S. Clifton, "Encyclopedia of Heresies and Heretics" , ABC-CLIO, (1992). Review/order this book Andrew Harvey Davies, " The Gospel of Thomas: Annotated and Explained ," SkyLight Illumination, (2002). Review/order this book G. Filoramo, "A History of Gnosticism , Basil Blackwood Ltd, (Reprinted 1992). Review/order this book R.W. Funk, et al

19. Nag Hammadi Library A vast collection of materials and audio lectures dealing with Gnosis and gnosticism, both ancient and modern. The site includes the Gnostic Society http://tmsyn.wc.ask.com/r?t=an&s=hb&uid=24312681243126812&sid=343126

20. Gnosis Magazine Was a quarterly magazine devoted to the exploration of the spiritual and esoteric paths of the Western Hemisphere. Sample articles, search of back http://tmsyn.wc.ask.com/r?t=an&s=hb&uid=24312681243126812&sid=343126

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