41. Overview Of Gnosticism While gnosticism and Zoroastrianism are not really monotheistic, their infiltration of In my opinion and others, without the influence of gnosticism, http://www.sullivan-county.com/id2/gnosticism.htm

Overview of Gnosticism By Lewis Loflin In AD 1209 , the entire population of the Albigens was slaughtered at the order of Pope Innocent III. The Albigens, in the south of France, was then the most populous, the most technically, socially, and economically advanced part of Europe. Its population was largely Gnostics and Arian Christians, and were a sanctuary for Jews who were persecuted almost everywhere else in Europe. All of these groups had a high percentage of literacy and read the Bible, which was prohibited by the Vatican. Innocent III was seeking to put a stop to the "Gnostic heresy", but found it to be entrenched throughout Europe, so he followed the "Cathar Crusade" with the creation of the Inquisition, resulting in countless millions of people being slowly and brutally tortured to death over the next 500 years for even the mere suspicion of being witches. Innocent also reinstated a prohibition against the owning or reading of Bibles by anyone other than clergy, under penalty of death. Gnosticism usually refers to an esoteric cult of divine knowledge (a synthesis of Christianity, Judaism, Greek philosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the mystery cults of the Mediterranean), which flourished during the 2nd and 3rd centuries and was a rival to, and influence on, early Christianity. The medieval French Cathar heresy and the modern Mandean sect (in southern Iraq) descend from Gnosticism.

42. Ordo Hermetica Dominus Nox - Traditonal Satanism Hermetics Thelema Chaos And Mod Teaching the paths of Satanism, gnosticism, Hermetics, Chaos Magick, Thelema and Cthonic Rites. Online memberships welcomed. http://www.dominusnox.bravepages.com

FREE WEB HOSTING domain registration hosting Live Chat cheap web hosting ... notebook computer OBEY - Naught But SELF, HONOR - Naught But SELF, DESIRE - Naught But MAGICK, NEGATE - All But TRUTH The Law Is For All, Magick Is For All http://magick.4allonline.com Home Temple Satanism Hermetics Chaos Magick Kabbalah History of Magick Typhonian Magick Black Magick Vampirism Gnosticism Egyptian Magick Demonology Witchcraft Cthonic Rites Tarot Reincarnation Ritual Magick OHDN Blog FAQs Contact Please Log In Username: Password: Gnosis is the key to wisdom and understanding. Interested in becoming a member of the Ordo Hermetica Dominus Nox? Click Here Powered by Bravenet Make this page your start page Add this page to your favorites We have teamed up with Doktor Snake author of the famous Doktor Snake's Voodoo Spellbook. Well known expert contributor on esoteric matters to The Guardian and Financial Times newspapers and Maxim Magazine. Check out his website here Visit our partner site Read my guestbook!

43. Gnosticism - Ancient And Modern gnosticism is a philosophical and religious movement which started in gnosticism consisted of many syncretistic belief systems which combined elements http://www.sullivan-county.com/nf0/nov_2000/gnostic2.htm

Gnosticism - Ancient and Modern Summary Gnosticism is a philosophical and religious movement which started in pre-Christian times. The term is derived from the Greek word gnosis which means "knowledge". It is pronounced with a silent "G" (NO-sis). Gnostics claimed to have secret knowledge about God, mankind 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 its: novel beliefs about Gods, the Bible and the world which differed from those of other Christian groups tolerance of different religious beliefs within and outside of Gnosticism lack of discrimination against women The movement and its literature were essentially wiped out by the end of the 5th century CE by heresy hunters from mainline Christianity. Its beliefs are currently experiencing a rebirth throughout the world. The counter-cult movement and some other Christian ministries disseminate a great deal of misinformation about the movement History Gnosticism consisted of many syncretistic belief systems which combined elements taken from Asian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek and Syrian pagan religions, from astrology, and from Judaism and Christianity. They constituted one of the three main branches of early Christianity: the other two being: the remnants of the Jewish Christian sect which was created by Jesus' disciples, and the churches started by St. Paul, that were eventually to grow and develop into "mainline" Christianity by the end of the third century.

44. Editura Herald - Bine Ati Venit! Oferă cărţi de spiritualitate, gnosticism, religie, ezoterism, tantrism, sufism, zen, budism, numerologie, kabbala, masonerie, meditaţie, yoga, filosofie indiană, astrologie, feng shui, creştinism şi opere filocalice. Comenzi online! http://www.edituraherald.ro/start.asp

LOGIN / INSCRIERE E-mail Parola utilizator Ai uitat parola? Esti un utilizator nou? Click pentru inregistrare. NAVIGARE Noutati Index carti Carti (A..Z) Index autori ... Cautare avansata INFO Despre Editura "Herald" Targuri si evenimente Contactati-ne Distribuitori ... Termene si conditii MESAJ: Bine ati venit pe site-ul Editurii HERALD ! Aparitii recente la Editura "HERALD" " Manuscrisele de la Marea Moarta " de ***(Manuscrisele de la Marea Moarta) Titlu: Manuscrisele de la Marea Moarta Autor/Traducator: ***(Manuscrisele de la Marea Moarta) Colectie: MANUSCRIS An aparitie: Cod catalog: Pret: 27 Lei " Istoria Zenului " de KAITEN NUKARIYA Titlu: Istoria Zenului Autor/Traducator: KAITEN NUKARIYA Colectie: CULTURA SI CIVILIZATIE An aparitie: Cod catalog: Pret: 21 Lei " Marea Triada " de RENE GUENON Titlu: Marea Triada Autor/Traducator: RENE GUENON Colectie: LOGOS An aparitie: Cod catalog: Pret: 18 Lei " Lauda Zazenului " de HAKUIN EKAKU Titlu: Lauda Zazenului Autor/Traducator: HAKUIN EKAKU Colectie: ZEN An aparitie: Cod catalog: Pret: 15 Lei " Metafizica si Cosmologie orientala " de RENE GUENON

45. Gnosticism Unlike its Roman competitor, gnosticism was by no means a monolithic and The Roman church denounced gnosticism as heresy on the premise that it denied http://www.rotten.com/library/religion/gnosticism/

rotten Library Religion Gnosticism There's a popular misconception that early Christianity was a unified group under the Church of Rome and the banner of Peter as "Pope Peter I". How do such misconceptions arise? We can never know for sure, but we'll just have to do with the Church of Rome's centuries of persecution and extermination of heretics, massive and efficient book-burning campaigns and an active attempt to rewrite history. In reality, there was a different version of Christianity available on every street corner through the first few centuries after the death of Jesus Christ . Among these, the Gnostics were in many ways the most radical and the most influential. Unlike its Roman competitor, Gnosticism was by no means a monolithic and inviolable set of beliefs. The root of the word "gnostic" is the Greek term "gnosis," which means "knowledge." The Gnostics believed they were the owners of secret information about how things really are. The actual content of that information dramatically differed based on who you asked. The Gnostic tradition actually predates Christianity by at least a century. During the period just before and after the birth of Christ, Judaism had become severely fragmented, and various sects competed for popular and theological support. Much of this activity was driven by the Roman Empire's conquest of Jerusalem around 60 B.C., which sent many Jews into paroxysms of

46. OMCE An international non profit fraternal organization for the study of metaphysics, mysticism, gnosticism, 17th Century Rosicrucianism and Rosicrucian history. http://www.omcesite.org/

The OMCE is an international non-profit fraternal organisation. The Order, which studies such subjects as metaphysics, mysticism, gnosticism, Rosicrucianism and Rosicrucian history, expresses itself using the oral, ancient, western esoteric tradition. The OMCE also promotes projects consecrated to the spiritual upliftment of humankind and of the individuals wishing to participate. Português document.write(doClock("Y0")); Home Page About the OMCE Around the World Reading List ... Contact Us

47. Gnosticism gnosticism, what is it and why is it wrong? gnosticism traces its roots back just after the beginning of the Christian Church. http://www.carm.org/heresy/gnosticism.htm

C HRISTIAN A R ESEARCH M INISTRY www.carm.org HOME PAGE Gnosticism Gnosticism traces its roots back just after the beginning of the Christian Church. Some researchers state that evidence of its existence even predates Christianity. Whichever the case, the error of gnosticism had affected the culture and church of the time and possibly even a earned a mention in 1 John 4 The word "gnosticism" comes from the Greek word "gnosis" which means "knowledge." There were many groups that were Gnostic and it isn't possible to easily describe the nuances of each variant of Gnostic doctrines. However, generally speaking, Gnosticism taught that salvation is achieved through special knowledge (gnosis). This knowledge usually dealt with the individual's relationship to the transcendent Being. A more detailed Gnostic theology is as follows. The unknowable God was far too pure and perfect to have anything to do with the material universe which was considered evil. Therefore, God generated lesser divinities, or emenations . One of these emanations, Wisdom desired to know the unknowable God. Out of this erring desire the

48. The Gnostic Jesus Attempts to reinterpret Jesus based on the site author's understanding of ancient gnosticism. http://members.tripod.com/cryskernan/gnostic_jesus.htm

setAdGroup('67.18.104.18'); var cm_role = "live" var cm_host = "tripod.lycos.com" var cm_taxid = "/memberembedded" Search: Lycos Tripod TV, Movie News Share This Page Report Abuse Edit your Site ... Next The Gnostic Jesus by the Institute for Gnostic Studies Introduction To fully understand the Gnostic view of Jesus involves a radical reappraisal of how we see Christianity and Judaism. For the Gnostic, Gnosis is not the knowledge of the masses, but a secret wisdom - a comprehension only available to those who know . It is esoteric and results from a direct experience of the divine - exoteric Christianity is at best, its outer core or form, at worst, it’s corruption. The major stimulus for the rebirth of the Gnostic worldview was the discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts, these texts discovered in 1945 comprise a veritable library of esoteric wisdom, it comprised some fifty two texts in either part or whole. Their importance cannot be underplayed, for example, Elaine Pagels in the Gnostic Gospels states “ Now for the first time we have the opportunity to find out about the earliest Christian heresy, for the first time the heretics can speak for themselves”. The importance of these Gnostic texts is that they educate us regarding the teachings of the early Gnostics and from these we can re-construct what could probably be considered as “the first form of Christianity”. It seems from available evidence likely that the modern forms of Judaism and Christianity are the heresies that developed from this early Gnosis, rather than the other way around. When we begin to consider this paradigm, then the find at Nag Hammadi becomes of prime importance.

49. The Gnostic World View: A Brief Summary Of Gnosticism gnosticism IS THE TEACHING based on Gnosis, the knowledge of transcendence arrived at Although gnosticism thus rests on personal religious experience, http://www.webcom.com/~gnosis/gnintro.htm

The Gnostic World View: A Brief Summary of Gnosticism GNOSTICISM IS THE TEACHING In the following summary, we will attempt to encapsulate in prose what the Gnostic myths express in their distinctively poetic and imaginative language. The Cosmos All religious traditions acknowledge that the world is imperfect. Where they differ is in the explanations which they offer to account for this imperfection and in what they suggest might be done about it. Gnostics have their own perhaps quite startling view of these matters: they hold that the world is flawed because it was created in a flawed manner. Like Buddhism, Gnosticism begins with the fundamental recognition that earthly life is filled with suffering. In order to nourish themselves, all forms of life consume each other, thereby visiting pain, fear, and death upon one another (even herbivorous animals live by destroying the life of plants). In addition, so-called natural catastrophes earthquakes, floods, fires, drought, volcanic eruptions bring further suffering and death in their wake. Human beings, with their complex physiology and psychology, are aware not only of these painful features of earthly existence. They also suffer from the frequent recognition that they are strangers living in a world that is flawed and absurd. Deity The Gnostic God concept is more subtle than that of most religions. In its way, it unites and reconciles the recognitions of Monotheism and Polytheism, as well as of Theism, Deism and Pantheism.

50. Oxyrhynchus Papyri Project Information, background, texts and images of Greek papyri important for the study of early Christianity and gnosticism. http://www.papyrology.ox.ac.uk/

POxy: Oxyrhynchus Online Oxyrhynchus City The Papyri Publications Events ... Glossary Welcome to POxy A guide and online database for the Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Recent imaging developments Oxyrhynchus: A City and its Texts : online exhibition

51. Gnosticism. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05 gnosticism. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 200105. http://www.bartleby.com/65/gn/Gnostici.html

Select Search All Bartleby.com All Reference Columbia Encyclopedia World History Encyclopedia Cultural Literacy World Factbook Columbia Gazetteer American Heritage Coll. Dictionary Roget's Thesauri Roget's II: Thesaurus Roget's Int'l Thesaurus Quotations Bartlett's Quotations Columbia Quotations Simpson's Quotations Respectfully Quoted English Usage Modern Usage American English Fowler's King's English Strunk's Style Mencken's Language Cambridge History The King James Bible Oxford Shakespeare Gray's Anatomy Farmer's Cookbook Post's Etiquette Bulfinch's Mythology Frazer's Golden Bough All Verse Anthologies Dickinson, E. Eliot, T.S. Frost, R. Hopkins, G.M. Keats, J. Lawrence, D.H. Masters, E.L. Sandburg, C. Sassoon, S. Whitman, W. Wordsworth, W. Yeats, W.B. All Nonfiction Harvard Classics American Essays Einstein's Relativity Grant, U.S. Roosevelt, T. Wells's History Presidential Inaugurals All Fiction Shelf of Fiction Ghost Stories Short Stories Shaw, G.B. Stein, G. Stevenson, R.L. Wells, H.G. Reference Columbia Encyclopedia PREVIOUS NEXT ... BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Gnosticism (n s z m) ( KEY ) , dualistic religious and philosophical movement of the late Hellenistic and early Christian eras. The term designates a wide assortment of sects, numerous by the 2d cent.

52. “Perversions Of The Gospel” By Louis Berkhof An article, primarily on gnosticism, taken from his book History of Christian Doctrine. http://www.the-highway.com/articleMar01.html

Article of the Month Louis Berkhof I n the second century the Christian religion as a new force in the world, revealing itself in the organization of the Church, had to engage in a struggle for existence. It had to guard against dangers from without and from within, had to justify its existence, and had to maintain the purity of doctrine in the face of subtle error. The very existence of the Church was threatened by State persecutions. The first persecutions were entirely Jewish, due to the fact that the Church was largely limited to Palestine, and that the Roman Government for some time considered the followers of Christ as a Jewish sect and therefore regarded their religion as a religio licita. I. JEWISH PERVERSIONS There were three groups of Jewish Christians which revealed a Judaistic tendency. Traces of them are found even in the New Testament. [a] The Nazarenes.

53. Gnostic Gnosticism Is the world a dangerous illusion? Is God insane?gnosticism is purported by some to be the original Christianity, by others the greatest heresy. http://altreligion.about.com/cs/gnostic/

zJs=10 zJs=11 zJs=12 zJs=13 zc(5,'jsc',zJs,9999999,'') About Alternative Religions Alternative Religions Essentials ... Help zau(256,140,140,'el','http://z.about.com/0/ip/417/C.htm','');w(xb+xb+' ');zau(256,140,140,'von','http://z.about.com/0/ip/496/6.htm','');w(xb+xb); FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Alternative Religions newsletter! See Online Courses Search Alternative Religions Gnostic Guide picks Is the world a dangerous illusion? Gnosticism Some Christians believe that Jesus came to save mankind- from God! The Gnostic Society Library Best of the Net One of the best sites on Gnosticism on the internet. Huge archive of texts, lectures, essays, and more, all searchable. The Uncomplicated Gnostic Brief descriptions of all of the major Gnostic sects. The Pearl A good explanation of modern Gnostic beliefs, along with essays and scriptures. Order of Nazorean Essenes A modern initiatory Gnostic Order and spiritual school. The Genesis factor How creation myths affect everyday thinking, and the Gnostic interpretation of Genesis. Assembly of good Christians Modern Cathar Church, dating to 1749. Lots of interesting information and resources on catharismn in general.

54. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Hegesippus Secondcentury writer, opposed Marcionism and gnosticism. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07194a.htm

Home Encyclopedia Summa Fathers ... H > St. Hegesippus A B C D ... Z St. Hegesippus (Roman Martyrology, 7 April). A writer of the second century, known to us almost exclusively from Eusebius , who tells us that he wrote in five books in the simplest style the true tradition of the Apostolic preaching. His work was entitled hypomnemata (Memoirs), and was written against the new heresies of the Gnostics and of Marcion. He appealed principally to tradition as embodied in the teaching which had been handed down in the Churches through the succession of bishops. St. Jerome was wrong in supposing him to have composed a history. He was clearly an orthodox Catholic and not a "Judaeo-Christian" , though Eusebius says he showed that he was a convert from Judaism, for he quoted from the Hebrew, he was acquainted with the Gospel according to the Hebrews and with a Syriac Gospel, and he also cited unwritten traditions of the Jews. He seems to have belonged to some part of the East, possibly Palestine. He went on a journey to Corinth and Rome, in the course of which he met many bishops, and he heard from all the same doctrine. He says: "And the Church of the Corinthians remained in the true word until Primus was bishop in Corinth; I made their acquaintance in my journey to Rome, and remained with the Corinthians many days, in which we were refreshed with the true word. And when I was in Rome, I made a succession up to Anicetus, whose deacon was Eleutherus. And in each succession and in each city all is according to the ordinances of the law and the Prophets and the Lord" (Euseb., IV, 22).

55. Historical Gnosticism At Alternative Religions Historical accounts of gnosticism its origins, the violent persecutions, and more. http://altreligion.about.com/od/scripturestexts/

zJs=10 zJs=11 zJs=12 zJs=13 zc(5,'jsc',zJs,9999999,'') About Alternative Religions Gnosticism Historical Gnosticism Alternative Religions Essentials Image Galleries Religious Symbols ... Help zau(256,140,140,'el','http://z.about.com/0/ip/417/C.htm','');w(xb+xb+' ');zau(256,140,140,'von','http://z.about.com/0/ip/496/6.htm','');w(xb+xb); FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Alternative Religions newsletter! See Online Courses Search Alternative Religions Historical Gnosticism Historical accounts of Gnosticism- its origins, the violent persecutions, and more. Alphabetical Recent Gnosticism: Ancient and Modern Jay Kinney on Gnostic history and the Gnostic revival. Antinomian Antics Explores the notion of Taboo as gnosis and gives and overview of Antimonian sects through history. The Solar Origin of Dualism Solar themes in Cathar belief. Apollonius the Nazarene Theorizes that Jesus was invented as a competitor to Apollonius, a first century itinerant preacher and reputed miracle worker. Links to Philostrate's biography of Apollonius. History of the Heretics A complete collection of notorious Christian heretics.

56. Gnosticism, Philosophy, Religion Hundreds of Topics of the Bible. Click here to see great pictures of the Bible, Israel, the Holy Land and the people, places, things and topics of the Bible http://www.mustardseed.net/html/body_tognosticism.html

Gnosticism and the Gnostic Jesus by Douglas Groothuis from the Christian Research Journal, Fall 1990, page 8. The Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Research Journal is Elliot Miller. Popular opinion often comes from obscure sources. Many conceptions about Jesus now current and credible in New Age circles are rooted in a movement of spiritual protest which, until recently, was the concern only of the specialized scholar or the occultist. This ancient movement Gnosticism provides much of the form and color for the New Age portrait of Jesus as the illumined Illuminator: one who serves as a cosmic catalyst for others' awakening. Many essentially Gnostic notions received wide attention through the sagacious persona of the recently deceased Joseph Campbell in the television series and best-selling book, The Power of Myth. For example, in discussing the idea that "God was in Christ," Campbell affirmed that "the basic Gnostic and Buddhist idea is that that is true of you and me as well." Jesus is an enlightened example who "realized in himself that he and what he called the Father were one, and he lived out of that knowledge of the Christhood of his nature." According to Campbell, anyone can likewise live out his or her Christ nature.[1]

57. Welcome To Esoterica: The Journal A peerreviewed academic journal devoted to the transdisciplinary study of Western esotericism Western esoteric traditions including alchemy, astrology, gnosticism, gnosis, magic, mysticism, Rosicrucianism, and secret societies, and their ramifications in art history, history, literature, and politics. http://www.esoteric.msu.edu/

ENTER ESOTERICA Volume VII Image from: Salomon Trismosin, Splendor Solis A peer-reviewed academic journal devoted to the transdisciplinary study of Western esotericism: Western esoteric traditions including alchemy, astrology, Gnosticism, gnosis, magic, mysticism, Rosicrucianism, and secret societies, and their ramifications in art history, history, literature, and politics. Mailing Address: Esoterica: The Journal 235 Bessey Hall, ATL Dept. Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 USA studies@esoteric.msu.edu Primary Sponsor: College of Arts and Letters Michigan State University http://www.esoteric.msu.edu Esoterica ISSN: 1534-1224

58. The Secret Knowledge The designation gnosticism, derived from the Greek gnostikos (one who has gnosis, Thus, a principal feature of gnosticism was the transmission to one http://www.mystae.com/restricted/streams/gnosis/secret.html

The Secret Knowledge Enmity Between Flesh and Spirit (1) The Mysterious Divine "The designation Gnosticism, derived from the Greek gnostikos (one who has gnosis, or "secret knowledge"), is a term of modern scholarship. Evidence for the Gnostic phenomenon, found in the Church Fathers who opposed Gnostic teachings (Irenaeus, c. 185; Hippolytus, c. 230; Epiphanius, c. 375) and in the Gnostic writings themselves, reveals a diversity in theology, ethics, and ritual that defies strict classification. Yet Gnostic sects appear to have shared an emphasis on the redemptive power of esoteric knowledge, acquired not by learning or empirical observation but by divine revelation." Encyclopaedia Britannica "There were Gnostics in Greco-Roman academies, the [middle] Platonists , before Christ was born (ie, Figulus, Eudorus of Alexandria, Thrasyllus). These are the Pythagorizing Platonists who, before Plotinus, held that Knowledge can be perfected when it communes with the Divine, the mysterious Divine. Cicero speaks of Figulus (45 BC), the spiritual one, who was a contemporary of Apollonius of Tyana , the miracle worker and spiritualist mystic, and also a Pythagorean ."

59. Simon Magus Some information on Simon Magus, the first of the great Gnostic teachers. http://www.kheper.net/topics/Gnosticism/Simon_Magus.htm

Home Topics Khepershop Guestbook ... Links Simon Magus The earliest Gnostic who is known to us (chiefly through heresiological accounts) was a certain Simon Magus, of first century Samaria. Now part of Turkey, but then called "Asia", Samaria was a hotbed of religious ferment (or "heresy"), and Simon was only one of the charismatic leaders preaching and gathering followers at the time. In other words, he was what would nowadays be called a "Guru". Fellow "Gurus" included Jesus "of Nazareth" (actually the town of Nazareth did not yet exist at this time - see Donovan Joyce, The Jesus Scroll , pp.26-31 [1972, Ferret Books, Melbourne] and Appolonius of Tyre. A Simon is also mentioned (in a rather poor light) in the Acts of the bible, but contrary to the claims of the heresiologists there is no proof this was the same person. Anyway, the Gnostic Simon claimed that he was an incarnation of God ; a common enough " Guru-ist " claim, then [Hans Jonas, The Gnostic Religion , p.104] as well as now. But he also claimed that he had incarnated in human form in order to rescue the fallen Divine "Thought", who had been trapped by the angels and archangels of this world, and forced to reincarnate through successive female bodies (in Greek, the word "thought" (ennoia) is female), such as Helen of Troy, and was now in the body of a prostitute called Helena. It was for her sake that the Father had taken on human form (Simon), and in redeeming her (as she is the archetype of the divine Spirit that had fallen into the darkness of this world and Forgotten its true nature) he also makes possible the redemption of all his followers as well.

60. Journal Of Religion & Film: Wake Up! Gnosticism And Buddhism In The Matrix By Fr This article explores the film s pervasive allusions to gnosticism and Buddhism, The language of gnosticism and the film are even similar dreaming vs. http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/gnostic.htm

Journal of Religion and Film Wake up! Gnosticism and Buddhism in The Matrix By Frances Flannery-Dailey , Hendrix College and Rachel Wagner , The University of Iowa Vol. 5, No. 2, October 2001 Wake up! Gnosticism and Buddhism in The Matrix By Frances Flannery-Dailey, Hendrix College and Rachel Wagner, The University of Iowa Abstract The Wachowski brothers' 1999 hit release The Matrix draws on multiple religious traditions to establish its complex worldview. Two of the most prominent are Gnostic Christianity and Buddhism, which, like the film, pose humanity's fundamental problem and its solution in terms of ignorance and enlightenment. Because of ignorance, people mistake the "material" world for something real, but they may "wake up" from this dream with help from a guide who teaches them their true nature. This article explores the film's pervasive allusions to Gnosticism and Buddhism, which in turn opens up the question of the film's overarching message and ultimate view of reality.

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