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Gnosticism

Gnosticism. From gnosis = secret knowledge required for salvation Salvation = escape from the material world and becoming one with the True God Reincarnation Influence from Plato Adopted Christian ideas and symbols. Gnosticism.

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Gnosticism

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  1. Gnosticism From gnosis = secret knowledge required for salvation Salvation = escape from the material world and becoming one with the True God Reincarnation Influence from Plato Adopted Christian ideas and symbols

  2. Gnosticism The True God = The Monad (One), Pleroma (Fullness), Bythos (Depth), Proarche (Before the Beginning), etc. The False God = the Demiurge (from Plato’s Republic, Timaeus) = Yahweh of the O.T. The True God emmanated out less perfect beings, resulting in the Demiurge.

  3. Gnosticism The Demiurge and his archons rule this world. He believes he is the true God Concepts run from misguided, benevolent dictator to Satanic figure (called the Blind God, Foolish One, Angel of Death) Jesus came from the Pleroma to impart gnosis and save us from the Demiurge & his world

  4. Gnosticism Gnosticism is not an authentic strain of early Christianity • Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi, claimed to be the Jewish Messiah (extra-biblical sources) • Gnosticism was a preexisting Greek religion • Four Gospels completed before 100 A.D. • Gnostic Gospels all after 100 A.D.

  5. Gnosticism Beware of people claiming to have the secret teachings of (fill in the blank) Pseudoepigrapha = false writings Elaine Pagels, Robert Funk in the minority in thinking Thomas authentic Arguments for Thomas: No narrative framework, less polished, more similar to synoptics than John Thomas probably more like Book of Mormon - poor imitation of gospel sayings

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