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.

Gnostic sects

(Note: It is a matter of controversy if these sects had a real succession of ideas or communion with each other, or if they more or less coincidentally had the same basic doctrine.)

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First, the gnostic sects are often divided into an eastern, or Persian school, and a Syrian-Egyptic school. The Persian school has a more definitive division between light and darkness, whereas the Syrian-Egyptic school is more platonist in character. The latter is the one usually associated with Gnosticism, and the one known to include several Christian elements. A group referred to as the Ophites fall in between both of these strains.

Related Topics:
Platonist - Christian - Ophites

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• Persian Gnostics
• Mandaeanism which still exists today, but is non-Christian in character.
• Manichaeism which was an entire religion on its own, but is now extinct.
• Syrian-Egyptic Gnostics
• Sethians, who produced many texts.
• Cerinthus
• Simon Magus and Marcion of Sinope both had Gnostic tendencies, but they were not completely Gnostics. They both developed a big apprenticeship. Simon Magus' pupil Menander could also be included.
• The Valentinians under Valentinius, better known as Valentinus (c. 100 - c. 153), developed most of the complex cosmology of Gnosticism. Valentinus was, for a time, the most successful Christian-Gnostic thinker.
• The Basilidians
• The Ophites (so-named because they worshipped the serpent of Genesis as the bestower of knowledge).
• The Cainites (who worshipped Cain, as well as Esau, Korah, and the Sodomites, and believed that indulgence in sin was the key to salvation because since the body is evil, one must defile it.)
• The Carpocratians
• The Borborites
• The Bogomils
• The Cathars (Cathari, Albigenses or Albigensians).