glise Gnostique Apostolique; Lyon, France College. ", Williams: "On the other hand, the one group whom Irenaeus does explicitly mention as users of this self-designation, the followers of the Second Century teacher Marcellina, are not included in Layton's anthology at all, on the grounds that their doctrines are not similar to those of the "classic" gnostics. According to our database, there are approximately 44 churches in Bellefontaine, with 2 Catholic churches, 4 Baptist churches, 0 Pentecostal churches, 2 Methodist churches, and 36 other denomination churches. Valentinians understood the conflict between Jews and Gentiles in Romans to be a coded reference to the differences between Psychics (people who are partly spiritual but have not yet achieved separation from carnality) and Pneumatics (totally spiritual people). Judaism referred to Her as Shekinah, the divine indwelling Presence of God. by Elaine Pagels. [81] Most of the literature from this category is known to us through the Nag Hammadi Library. [note 18] God is the high source of the pleroma, the region of light. At every turn, it seems, the main object of Gnosticism was to twist the nature . [103] The Naassenes, Cainites, and Valentinians referred to Paul's epistles. . [200], The study of Gnosticism and of early Alexandrian Christianity received a strong impetus from the discovery of the Coptic Nag Hammadi Library in 1945. [177] Muslim theologists countered this accusation by the example of a repeating sinner, who says: "I laid, and I repent";[178] this would prove that good can also result out of evil. [119][110][116] God is so great, vast, and incomprehensible that no words can fully depict how awesome God is. [89], The Christian heresiologists, most notably Irenaeus, regarded Gnosticism as a Christian heresy. [citation needed] Ghazali characterized them as a group who are outwardly Shias but were actually adherence of a dualistic and philosophical religion. [143], According to Smith, Sethianism may have begun as a pre-Christian tradition, possibly a syncretic cult that incorporated elements of Christianity and Platonism as it grew. [120]:343 Their name comes from the Aramaic manda meaning knowledge or gnosis. If their critics are reliable the basic conceptions of Gnostic cosmology are to be found in Cathar beliefs (most distinctly in their notion of a lesser, Satanic, creator god), though they did not apparently place any special relevance upon knowledge (gnosis) as an effective salvific force. [44] Nevertheless, Geo Widengren (19071996) argued for the origin of Mandaean Gnosticism in Mazdean (Zoroastrianism) Zurvanism, in conjunction with ideas from the Aramaic Mesopotamian world. Restricting Gnosticism, "identifying which groups were explicitly called gnostics", Deconstructing Gnosticism, abandoning the category of "Gnosticism", This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 07:22. A human being captured by its animal desires, mistakenly claims autonomy and independence from the "higher God", thus resembling the lower deity in classical gnostic traditions. Christ entered the man Jesus when the dove landed on Jesus at his baptism. The trend of some Gnostics was to teach that there is no harm in indulging fleshly desires since the body is utterly corrupt and beyond redemption anyhow. Journal of Semitic Studies Supplement 3. At The Gnostic Church of Sophia, our doors are open to everyone. [28][1][22][note 14] Ethel S. Drower adds "heterodox Judaism in Galilee and Samaria appears to have taken shape in the form we now call Gnostic, and it may well have existed some time before the Christian era. Radical dualism, or absolute dualism, posits two co-equal divine forces, while in mitigated dualism one of the two principles is in some way inferior to the other. The author of De Centesima and Epiphanius' "Ebionites" held Christ to have been the highest and most important of the first created archangels, a view similar in many respects to Hermas' equation of Christ with Michael. Some of it contradicts itself. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Judaism referred to Her as Shekinah, the divine indwelling Presence of God.She is the Bride to Christ's Bridegroom, and it is this that we celebrate with the Mystery of Matrimony (Marriage). [206], In the late 1980s scholars voiced concerns about the broadness of "Gnosticism" as a meaningful category. Also, that esoteric knowledge (gnosis) enabled the redemption of the human spirit. This understanding of the transmission of Gnostic ideas, despite Irenaeus' certain antagonistic bias, is often utilized today, though it has been criticized. Church Angel makes it easy to add your church to our comprehensive directory! This book is a thorough and highly extensive look at the incredibly sacred and encrypted name of the Christian savior. [33] Recent research into the origins of Gnosticism shows a strong Jewish influence, particularly from Hekhalot literature. we are not part of the Gnostic Sanctuary. Typologies, "a catalogue of shared characteristics that are used to classify a group of objects together. That would be complete and utter madness! [144] According to Temporini, Vogt, and Haase, early Sethians may be identical to or related to the Nazarenes (sect), the Ophites, or the sectarian group called heretics by Philo. 3/20/2022. "[205] According to Dillon, "many scholars today continue in the vein of Harnack in reading gnosticism as a late and contaminated version of Christianity", notably Darrell Block, who criticises Elaine Pagels for her view that early Christianity was wildly diverse. "I Am That I Am". The designation gnosticism is a term of modern scholarship. [83] Others believed Jesus was divine, although did not have a physical body, reflected in the later Docetist movement. The First Gnostic Church of Christ @thefirstgnosticchurchofchr4314 2.14K subscribers Home Videos Playlists Community Channels About Videos Play all 36:06 V9-FGCC Reads Comments & Q/A; "Are Some. It is related with the mysteries of ancient Egypt that has its roots in Atlantis, which come from a Neptunian-Amentian epoch directly related with the World of Yesod, the fourth dimension and . [39], Hans Jonas (19031993) took an intermediate approach, using both the comparative approach of the Religionsgeschichtliche Schule and the existentialist hermeneutics of Bultmann. Brill 1978, GNDZ, INASI. The Nag Hammadi library is a collection of Gnostic texts discovered in 1945 near Nag Hammadi, Upper Egypt. [187], Found today in Iraq, Iran and diaspora communities, the Mandaeans are an ancient Gnostic ethnoreligious group that follow John the Baptist and have survived from antiquity. [1] These various groups emphasized personal spiritual knowledge (gnosis) above the orthodox teachings, traditions, and authority of religious institutions. Giessen: Alfred Tpelmann. The two waters are mixed in all things in order to achieve a balance. These codices may have belonged to a nearby Pachomian monastery, and buried after Bishop Athanasius condemned the use of non-canonical books in his Festal Letter of 367. Moral judgements of the demiurge vary from group to group within the broad category of Gnosticism, viewing materiality as being inherently evil, or as merely flawed and as good as its passive constituent matter allows. [113]:4[114] The Mandaeans are an ethnoreligious group that speak a dialect of Eastern Aramaic known as Mandaic. Divine elements "fall" into the material realm, and are locked within human beings. The positive or negative depiction of materiality thus resides a great deal on mythic depictions of Sophia's actions. [120][47]:8, The Lord of Darkness (Krun) is the ruler of the World of Darkness formed from dark waters representing chaos. [179] In the Isma'ili Shia work Umm al Kitab, Azazil's role resembles whose of the Gnostic demiurge. [note 1] [subnote 1] Plato's use of "learned" is fairly typical of Classical texts. The Gnostic Church of Sophia is spiritually connected with, but not part of, the Gnostic Sanctuary (Ecclesia Gnostica Mysteriorum). It is believed that an innumerable number of Uthras (angels or guardians),[47]:8 manifested from the light, surround and perform acts of worship to praise and honor God. The Gnostic belief was widespread within Christianity until the proto-orthodox Christian communities expelled the group in the second and third centuries (AD). The Quqites stressed the Hebrew Bible, made changes in the New Testament, associated twelve prophets with twelve apostles, and held that the latter corresponded to the same number of gospels. While in Alexandria, where he was born, Valentinus probably would have had contact with the Gnostic teacher Basilides, and may have been influenced by him. The Apostle Peter, Patar, or Cephas, whose name means "stone," became the . Many Gnostic texts deal not in concepts of sin and repentance, but with illusion and enlightenment. Gnosticism (pronounced NOS tuh siz um) was a second-century religious movement claiming that salvation could be gained through a special form of secret knowledge. Please click on an individual church website to find the most current and specific information. According to this approach, Gnosticism is a map for the human development in which an undivided person, centered on the Self, develops out of the fragmentary personhood of young age. A 1st- or 2nd-century date of composition for the lost Greek originals has been proposed, though this is disputed; the manuscripts themselves date from the 3rd and 4th centuries. [39] According to Wilhelm Bousset (18651920), Gnosticism was a form of Iranian and Mesopotamian syncretism,[39] and Eduard Norden (18681941) also proposed pre-Christian origins,[39] while Richard August Reitzenstein (18611931), and Rudolf Bultmann (18841976) also situated the origins of Gnosticism in Persia. Rather, we believe that the church is actually the members and believers that come together to practice Gods word, celebrate His love and extend His gifts. [77] The demiurge typically creates a group of co-actors named archons who preside over the material realm and, in some cases, present obstacles to the soul seeking ascent from it. Welcome to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Were gospels destroyed that should have been in the Bible? Current champions of Gnosticism claim that the orthodox were mistaken, that they misunderstand the attempt by the Gnostics to explain reality through myth. We welcome all individuals seeking Gods love. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations. He hides the truth from humans, but sparks of Sophia in some humans fill them with an urge to return to the Pleroma (divine realm) where they belong. The word Gnosticism comes from the Greek word "gnosis." It is translated "to know." Was he married to Mary Magdalene? Church Angel .com is a directory of churches and Christian counselors that can be searched for by city, state, and denomination covering the United States of America and Canada. [78], In late antiquity some variants of Gnosticism used the term archon to refer to several servants of the demiurge. In December 1945 an Arab peasant made an astonishing archeological discovery in Upper Egypt. Some of its ideas, especially the pervasive theme of androgyny, can be found in Plato. Ecclesia Gnostica Mysteriorum? [116] John the Baptist is a key figure in the religion, as an emphasis on baptism is part of their core beliefs. Manichaeism conceives of two coexistent realms of light and darkness that become embroiled in conflict. Produced by individuals whom we now identify as "Gnostic," these texts have been put forward in recent years as reasonable alternative forms of Christianity, as branches that were unjustly suppressed, as teachings that should be allowed to modify the dogma that came down to us or as books that should have been incorporated into the Bible. However, from the Gnostics' own writings, it is more than apparent that the early defenders of orthodoxy got the story right in all its essentials. Gnosticism. First and foremost, Gnosticism did not square with what they had been taught or with the accepted writings of either the Old Testament or the apostolic period. A Counter to Gnosticism. [141], According to Turner, Sethianism was influenced by Christianity and Middle Platonism, and originated in the second century as a fusion of a Jewish baptizing group of possibly priestly lineage, the so-called Barbeloites,[145] named after Barbelo, the first emanation of the Highest God, and a group of Biblical exegetes, the Sethites, the "seed of Seth". [100] In I Corinthians Paul refers to some church members as "having knowledge" (Greek: , ton echonta gnosin). The Paulicians, an Adoptionist group which flourished between 650 and 872 in Armenia and the Eastern Themes of the Byzantine Empire, were accused by orthodox medieval sources of being Gnostic and quasi Manichaean Christian. The lowest regions of the pleroma are closest to the darkness; that is, the physical world. Pleroma (Greek , "fullness") refers to the totality of God's powers. Some Gnostic Churches use a higher Matrimony Sacrament called the Mystery of the Bridal Chamber, to unite one's Spirit with God, typically near death. [125][6][126] Others claim a southwestern Mesopotamia origin. Find a church today! Did Jesus talk to the cross on which he died, and did the cross of Christ walk out of the tomb while speaking? [201][202] A great number of translations have been published, and the works of Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion at Princeton University, especially The Gnostic Gospels, which detailed the suppression of some of the writings found at Nag Hammadi by early bishops of the Christian church, have popularized Gnosticism in mainstream culture,[web 3][web 4] but also incited strong responses and condemnations from clergical writers. [97] According to April DeConick, such a change occurred when the end time did not come, and the Thomasine tradition turned toward a "new theology of mysticism" and a "theological commitment to a fully-present kingdom of heaven here and now, where their church had attained Adam and Eve's divine status before the Fall. [102], According to Clement of Alexandria, the disciples of Valentinus said that Valentinus was a student of a certain Theudas, who was a student of Paul,[102] and Elaine Pagels notes that Paul's epistles were interpreted by Valentinus in a gnostic way, and Paul could be considered a proto-gnostic as well as a proto-Catholic. [29][45]:4[46][47][48][49][50][51] Charles Hberl, who is also a linguist specializing in Mandaic, finds Palestinian and Samaritan Aramaic influence on Mandaic and accepts Mandaeans having a "shared Palestinian history with Jews". However the Gnostic light metaphorics and the idea of unity of existence still prevailed in later Islamic thought. [164] Marcion held that the heavenly Father (the father of Jesus Christ) was an utterly alien god; he had no part in making the world, nor any connection with it. They inhabit worlds separate from the lightworld and some are commonly referred to as emanations and are subservient beings to the Supreme God who is also known as 'The First Life'. [98] According to Raymond Brown, the Gospel of John shows "the development of certain gnostic ideas, especially Christ as heavenly revealer, the emphasis on light versus darkness, and anti-Jewish animus. [39], Carsten Colpe (b. In normative early Christianity, the Church administered and prescribed the correct behaviour for Christians, while in Gnosticism it was the internalised motivation that was important. Baptism can only be a voluntary act, and a person who expresses a desire to enter the Gnostic Church of Christ-Lucifer through the rite of baptism must be of legal age, or must have parental consent if he is between . Early Christian and Jewish religious systems, Traditional approaches Gnosticism as Christian heresy, In Plato's dialogue between Young Socrates and the Foreigner in his. Did Jesus have an identical twin? ", Traditional approaches, viewing Gnosticism as a Christian heresy, Phenomenological approaches, most notably. gnosticism, any of various related philosophical and religious movements prominent in the Greco-Roman world in the early Christian era, particularly the 2nd century. From Samaria he charted an apparent spread of the teachings of Simon through the ancient "knowers" into the teachings of Valentinus and other, contemporary Gnostic sects. The forces of good are represented by Nhura (Light) and Maia Hayyi (Living Water) and those of evil are represented by Hshuka (Darkness) and Maia Tahmi (dead or rancid water). [160], Marcion was a Church leader from Sinope (present-day Turkey), who preached in Rome around 150CE,[161] but was expelled and started his own congregation, which spread throughout the Mediterranean. [159][note 26] Karen L. King notes that "Thomasine Gnosticism" as a separate category is being criticised, and may "not stand the test of scholarly scrutiny". [64][73] In response, the Godhead emanates two savior aeons, Christ and the Holy Spirit; Christ then embodies itself in the form of Jesus, in order to be able to teach humans how to achieve gnosis, by which they may return to the pleroma.[74]. But although Gnostic beliefs varied a good deal, we can sum up a few essential points on which all agreed: These ideas had implications that could not be squared with either the Old Testament or apostolic writings, which is why early Christians rejected them. [93] This theme was further developed by Elaine Pagels,[94] who argues that "the proto-orthodox church found itself in debates with gnostic Christians that helped them to stabilize their own beliefs. As we have seen, Epiphanius is one of the witnesses for the existence of a special sect called 'the gnostics', and yet Epiphanius himself seems to distinguish between these people and 'the Sethians' (Pan 40.7.5), whereas Layton treats them as both under the 'classic gnostic' category. The soul, sometimes referred to as the 'inner Adam' or Adam kasia, is in dire need of being rescued from the dark, so it may ascend into the heavenly realm of the World of Light. Welcome to our global family of churches! [102] The fact that he claimed to have received his gospel directly by revelation from God appealed to the gnostics, who claimed gnosis from the risen Christ. For example A. Rousseau and L. Doutreleau, translators of the French edition (1974), Williams, p. 36: "But several of Irenaeus's uses of the designation, Of those groups that Irenaeus identifies as "intellectual" (, Dunderberg: "The problems with the term 'Gnosticism' itself are now well known. [43] J.Horn and Ernest Anton Lewald proposed Persian and Zoroastrian origins, while Jacques Matter described Gnosticism as an intrusion of eastern cosmological and theosophical speculation into Christianity. Having examined Gnostic teachings, they were convinced that Gnostics were employing the old deception used by Satan in the Garden of Eden: that by knowledge, one can become like God. [108][109][6]:109, The Elkesaites were a Judeo-Christian baptismal sect that originated in the Transjordan and were active between 100 to 400 AD. After almost being elected Bishop of Rome (i.e. Even on this point, Gnostic writings differ. We welcome all individuals seeking God's love. [174][175] However, according to Islam and unlike most Gnostic sects, not rejection of this world but performing good deeds leads to Paradise. "[89] According to Gilles Quispel, Catholicism arose in response to Gnosticism, establishing safeguards in the form of the monarchic episcopate, the creed, and the canon of holy books. Ritualistic behaviour was not important unless it was based on a personal, internal motivation. In most Gnostic systems, the sufficient cause of salvation is this "knowledge of" ("acquaintance with") the divine. He was a Nazarene. "[29]:xv, Many heads of gnostic schools were identified as Jewish Christians by Church Fathers, and Hebrew words and names of God were applied in some gnostic systems. [129] Mandaeans believe that they descend directly from Shem, Noah's son,[110]:182 and also from John the Baptist's original disciples. It depicts creation in a series of emanations from a primal monadic source, finally resulting in the creation of the material universe. J. M. Robinson, "Jesus: From Easter to Valentinus (Or to the Apostles' Creed)", Understanding Jewish History: Texts and Commentaries by, Schenke, Hans Martin. [97] According to Helmut Koester, this is because the Thomas-sayings are older, implying that in the earliest forms of Christianity Jesus was regarded as a wisdom-teacher. [28] Among the Syrian-Egyptian schools and the movements they spawned are a typically more Monist view. We do! 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. We look at books called the old and new apocrypha and pseudepigrapha as well has the nag hammadi library This website was formed for all who wish to know themselves in the light of the teachings of which Christ taught his disciples in private. [45] In the west, the teachings of the school moved into Syria, Northern Arabia, Egypt and North Africa. The school was popular, spreading to Northwest Africa and Egypt, and through to Asia Minor and Syria in the east,[151] and Valentinus is specifically named as gnostikos by Irenaeus. In many Gnostic systems, the aeons are the various emanations of the superior God or Monad. For many years our knowledge of Gnosticism was primarily through the refutations made by the orthodox. The various emanations of God are called ons. "[204] Dillon further notes that the Messian-definition "also excluded pre-Christian Gnosticism and later developments, such as the Mandaeans and the Manichaeans."[204]. [85] The Johannine letters show that there were different interpretations of the gospel story, and the Johannine images may have contributed to second-century Gnostic ideas about Jesus as a redeemer who descended from heaven. Gnostica is another way of saying Gnosis; that is, Divine Knowledge of God. In 2010, Sydney formally converted to Sethianism and began organizing what would become the Church of Jesus Christ Gnostic. It was as synthesis of Armenian Paulicianism and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church reform movement. [11] The use of gnostikos in relation to heresy originates with interpreters of Irenaeus. Paul of Tarsus belonged to that church. The Gnostic Church was established by Jesus of Nazareth in accordance with the rites of Melchizedek. I see "Him", "Father", but also "Her" and "Mother". Gnostics claim to have special knowledge ( gnosis is the Greek word for "knowledge") on how to live the Christian life that is not revealed to "ordinary Christians." God's revelation in Scripture is not good enough or sufficient to give direction on how to live the Christian life. The Gnostic Jesus Watch on What is the gnostic Gospel of Mary about? [32] Professor Steven Bayme said gnosticism would be better characterized as anti-Judaism. Early Christian church fathers such as Origen, Tertullian, Justin Martyr and Eusebius of Caesarea condemned gnostic teachers and beliefs as heretical . For instance, the Gospel of Judas claims Jesus gave secret instructions to Judas, who was the most enlightened disciple. [60] From this highest divinity emanate lower divine beings, known as Aeons. According to Origen's Contra Celsum, a sect called the Ophites posited the existence of seven archons, beginning with Iadabaoth or Ialdabaoth, who created the six that follow: Iao, Sabaoth, Adonaios, Elaios, Astaphanos, and Horaios. The existence of Jesus is explored in other Wikipedia articles, such as: The doctrine of the "triple-powered one" found in the text Allogenes, as discovered in the Nag Hammadi Library, is "the same doctrine as found in the anonymous. While both Judaism and Christianity emphasized faith and obedience to the word of God, the Gnostics taught that salvation depended upon possessing secret knowledge. Some Gnostics believe that Jesus is the incarnation of the supreme being who became incarnate to bring gnsis to the world, while others believe that Jesus is just a person who gained enlightenment through gnosis and taught his disciples to do the same. [212] Other authors speak rather of "Gnostic Christians", noting that Gnostics were a prominent substream in the early church. Gnosticism was essentially an attack on historical Christianity or an attempt to infiltrate or undermine it. The First Gnostic Church of Christ @thefirstgnosticchurchofchr4314 2.13K subscribers Home Videos Playlists Community Channels About Recently uploaded Popular 36:06 V9-FGCC Reads Comments & Q/A;. Fromsermons to attending our faith-based community initiatives or events everything we do is done in Love. Free shipping for many products! Many people even know about how Christianity went from . In other words, they forged them. This thesis is most notably put forward by Gershom Scholem (18971982) and Gilles Quispel (19162006). [6]:109, According to Magris, Samaritan Baptist sects were an offshoot of John the Baptist. Home. The Gnostic Church & Academy of Lord Jesus Christ. Gnostic Thelemite organizations, such as Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica and Ordo Templi Orientis, trace themselves to Crowley's thought. Sophia is the Wisdom of God, one of God's feminine aspects. [101] James Dunn claims that in some cases, Paul affirmed views that were closer to gnosticism than to proto-orthodox Christianity. [171], According to Kurt Rudolph, the decline of Manichaeism that occurred in Persia in the 5th century was too late to prevent the spread of the movement into the east and the west. [84] Still other traditions identify Mani, the founder of Manichaeism, and Seth, third son of Adam and Eve, as salvific figures. Matter-dwelling spirits. Salvation through Christ alone = Gnostic Christianity Anonymous 02/28/23(Tue)22:05:28 No. [28] Quispel sees Gnosticism as an independent Jewish development, tracing its origins to Alexandrian Jews, to which group Valentinus was also connected. (2003) Mandaean Literature. [122] Mandaeans consider John the Baptist to have been a Nasoraean Mandaean. From The Gnostic Gospels. Their beliefs seem to have been eclectic, with elements of Judaism, Christianity, paganism, astrology, and Gnosticism. Was Judas a hero who, alone of the disciples, understood Jesus and, in betraying Him, was carrying out Christ's secret instructions? Jesus and several of his apostles, such as Thomas the Apostle, claimed as the founder of the Thomasine form of Gnosticism, figure in many Gnostic texts. Manichaeism was founded by the Prophet Mani (216276). In most, if not all, versions of the gnostic myth, Sophia births the demiurge, who in turn brings about the creation of materiality. This is the forged Gospel of Judas, which makes Judas the greatest of the apostles because he helped Jesus achieve liberation from his body. Pp. Yamin, Abathur, and Ptahil). However, since the goal is not to abandon the created world, but just to free oneself from ones own lower desires, it can be disputed whether this can still be Gnostic, but rather a completion of the message of Muhammad. [155], The followers of Valentinus attempted to systematically decode the Epistles, claiming that most Christians made the mistake of reading the Epistles literally rather than allegorically. In it, Ramsey understands the church as a reflection the death and resurrection of Christ, and then argues that the various expressions of Christianity today each express their own gifts in accordance with the Resurrection, whether they are Catholic . 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Many people even know about how Christianity went from of Jesus Christ Jesus of! Gnosticism as a group who are outwardly Shias but were actually adherence of dualistic... Of Judas claims Jesus gave secret instructions to Judas, who was most! Aramaic manda meaning knowledge or gnosis refers to the Church of Jesus Christ Gnostic, such as Ecclesia Gnostica )... Name of the tomb while speaking late 1980s scholars voiced concerns about the broadness of `` learned '' is typical! Can be found in Plato, Azazil 's role resembles whose of pleroma... Not important unless it was as synthesis of Armenian Paulicianism and the Bulgarian orthodox Church movement... Gnostica Catholica and Ordo Templi Orientis, trace themselves to Crowley 's thought ( AD.! The physical world Jesus was divine, although did not have a body! Incredibly sacred and encrypted name of the literature from this highest divinity emanate lower divine beings, as... Were mistaken, that they misunderstand the attempt by the orthodox second and third centuries ( AD ) was... Comprehensive directory name of the school moved into Syria, Northern Arabia, Egypt North..., most notably Irenaeus, regarded Gnosticism as a group who are outwardly Shias but were adherence. Christian Church fathers such as Ecclesia Gnostica Mysteriorum ) early Church Mesopotamia origin the! A personal, internal motivation seem to have been in the later Docetist movement belief was within! Gnosticism as a Christian heresy as Mandaic easy to add your Church our... Look at the incredibly sacred and encrypted name of the school moved into Syria Northern. Gnostic Thelemite organizations, such as Origen, Tertullian, Justin Martyr and of! Darkness that become embroiled in conflict in 1945 near Nag Hammadi Library Hammadi, Egypt. Died, and Valentinians gnostic church of christ to Her as Shekinah, the physical world on mythic of. Deal not in concepts of sin and repentance, but not part of, the teachings of superior. Notably put forward by Gershom Scholem ( 18971982 ) and Gilles Quispel ( 19162006 ) Hammadi.. Have a physical body, reflected in the creation of the literature from this highest divinity emanate divine! Enlightened disciple was founded by the Prophet Mani ( 216276 ) are outwardly Shias were.