[176] According to Williams, the conceptual foundations on which the category of Gnosticism rests are the remains of the agenda of the heresiologists. [76] This theme was further developed by Elaine Pagels,[77] who argues that "the proto-orthodox church found itself in debates with gnostic Christians that helped them to stabilize their own beliefs. [47] This creature is concealed outside the pleroma;[47] in isolation, and thinking itself alone, it creates materiality and a host of co-actors, referred to as archons. Proponents of the view that Paul was actually a gnostic, such as Elaine Pagels, view the reference in Colossians as a term that has to be interpreted in a gnostic sense. Reconstructions were attempted from the records of the heresiologists, but these were necessarily coloured by the motivation behind the source accounts. The influence of Manicheanism was attacked by imperial elects and polemical writings, but the religion remained prevalent until the 6th century, and still exerted influence in the emergence of the Paulicians, Bogomils and Cathari in the Middle Ages, until it was ultimately stamped out by the Catholic Church. In many Gnostic systems, God is known as the Monad, the One. Gospel of Thomas (versions found in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt in 1898, and again in the Nag Hammadi Library) 3. Part of the The Nag Hammadi Library (Nag Hammadi Scriptures) collection. The gnostic too, would prefer death if it cannot obtain this precious nourishment. J. Horn and Ernest Anton Lewald proposed Persian and Zoroastrian origins, while Jacques … Three periods can be discerned in the development of Gnosticism:[68], During the first period, three types of tradition developed:[68]. [86] The Naassenes, Cainites, and Valentinians referred to Paul's epistles. In 240–41, Mani travelled to the Indo-Greek Kingdom of the Sakhas in modern-day Afghanistan, where he studied Hinduism and its various extant philosophies. [136] In the Isma'ili Shia work Umm al Kitab, Azazil's role resembles whose of the Gnostic demiurge. These writings had an antagonistic bias towards gnostic teachings, and were incomplete. Jewish Gnosticism with a focus on Sophia was active by 90 AD. [33] Ugo Bianchi, who organised the Congress of Messina of 1966 on the origins of Gnosticism, also argued for Orphic and Platonic origins. [170], According to Ioan Culianu, gnosis is made possible through universal operations of the mind, which can be arrived at "anytime, anywhere". "[81] According to DeConick, John may show a bifurcation of the idea of the Jewish God into Jesus' Father in Heaven and the Jews' father, "the Father of the Devil" (most translations say "of [your] father the Devil"), which may have developed into the gnostic idea of the Monad and the Demiurge. Complete ancient text and explanatory material. [25] Gnostics borrowed significant ideas and terms from Platonism,[34] using Greek philosophical concepts throughout their text, including such concepts as hypostasis (reality, existence), ousia (essence, substance, being), and demiurge (creator God). René Guénon founded the gnostic review, La Gnose in 1909, before moving to a more Perennialist position, and founding his Traditionalist School. The Cathars (Cathari, Albigenses or Albigensians) were also accused by their enemies of the traits of Gnosticism; though whether or not the Cathari possessed direct historical influence from ancient Gnosticism is disputed. To one degree or another, the Gnostic Gospels reflect these teachings. [note 2], By the Hellenistic period, it began also to be associated with Greco-Roman mysteries, becoming synonymous with the Greek term musterion. Jump to navigation Jump to search. The Gnostic Gospels: Are they the real history of Jesus? 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