Gnosticism

Sources of Gnosticism

Sources from church fathers and Greek philosophers eg Celsus

Gnostics took ideas from both, so they are depicted poorly

Few scrolls discovered at Nag Hammedi, so we do not know how accurate these depictions are

Belief on God

Greek influence:

Unknowable and supreme, and creation came from an inferior being

Salvation

3 groups:

• Pneumatics (possessed divine spark)

• Psychics (Below Pneumatics but recieved some salvation)

• Materials (no divine spark)

To be saved, one needed ‘secret knowledge’ from a ‘secret apostle’

The church did not have this knowledge, and could not be saved

View of X

Docetic view

Saw as bringer of knowledge

Lifestyles

Dependant on which school: Some had lax views as they had ‘divine spark’, others practised ascetism like X

Teachers

Simon Magus: From Acts, believed God descended into him to rescue Ennoia from Helen’s body

Menander: Believed path to wisdom was through magic

Valentinius: Much of Bible was allegorical, world been created by a lesser being (demiurge) and left divine sparks.

Basilides: Hierarchy of angels (Yahweh one of them) that ruled earth. X came to rescue earth from rule of angels

Marcion: 2 Gods

Cerinthus: X came to live in Jesus at his baptism, before leaving at his resurrection