Gnosticism

Gnosticism is a blanket term for various mystical initiatory religions and sects, which were most prominent in the first few centuries CE. It is also applied to modern revivals of these sects and, sometimes, by analogy to all religious movements based on secret knowledge gnosis, thus leading to confusion.

Background

The elements of gnosticism are pre-Christian. Some scholars believe that that orthodox Christianity and its canonical texts do not predate the Gnostic movement, but grew up alongside it, out of some of the same sources. Other scholars contend that Gnosticism emerged in the late first and early second centuries C.E., after the key beliefs and writings of orthodox Christianity were already well-established. The negative reaction of Christian leaders to the writings of Cerinthus and Valentinius would seem to support this understanding of the emergence of Gnosticism.

Related Topics:
Pre-Christian - Christianity - Cerinthus - Valentinius

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Many Gnostic sects were made up of Christians who embraced mystical theories of the nature of Jesus or the Christ which was increasingly at variance with the teachings of orthodox Christian faith as it developed. For example, Gnostics generally taught docetism, the belief that Jesus did not have a physical body, but rather his apparent physical body was an illusion, and hence his crucifixion was not bodily.

Related Topics:
Jesus - Christ - Docetism

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There is really no universal symbol for the variant Gnostic movements, whether ancient or modern.

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