61. Gnosticism gnosticism. It is not easy to define gnosticism since there were manyforms of the heresy. Some of its forms were obviously nonChristian http://www.credo.ndirect.co.uk/gnostic.html

Gnosticism It is not easy to define Gnosticism since there were many forms of the heresy . Some of its forms were obviously non-Christian but it was the apparently Christian forms that were the more dangerous for the Church because they were more subtle. Most of the Gnostic sects had Christ as their central figure but their teachings about him bore little resemblance to those of the Biblical Scriptures . The Gnostics had a body of "Scriptures" which looked, on the surface, similar to those of Christianity but which placed a far greater emphasis on mystical "knowledge". The word "Gnostic" comes from the Greek "Gnosis" which means "knowledge". Like many of the mystery religions of the time, they believed that salvation is through mystical knowledge which is only available to the initiated or the elect. Taking their ideas from the myths of Greece, Persia, India and Egypt, they divided people into three kinds. The Hylic - these people were simply subject to material things and went after their own lusts and were in hopeless bondage to Satan. The Psychic - these people had faith but were "soulish" and could not get beyond faith to the Spiritual.

62. Gnosticism den mandeiska religionen är så otvetydigt en form av gnosticism, att det tycksvara bortom något tvivel, att gnosticismen existerade oberoende av och http://www.katolik.nu/html/artcl_gnost.htm

Gnosticim En översättning av en artikel från Nätuppslagsverket  "The Catholic Encyclopedia" Läran om frälsning genom kunskap. Denna definition, baserad på ordets etymologi (gnosis Ett kollektivt namn för ett stort antal av högst varierande och panteistiskt- idealistiska sekter, som florerade från någon tid före den kristna tidsåldern ned till femte århundradet och som, under det de lånade fraseologi och några av lärosatserna från den tidens viktigaste religioner och speciellt från kristendomen, innehöll material som skulle innebära försämring av anden och hela universum skull bli en demoralisering av Gudomen, och de lärde att det yttersta målet för alla varelser skulle vara seger över materiens råhet och återvändande till föräldra- anden, vars återvändande de anser bli inledd och underlättad genom uppträdandet av någon gudasänd frälsare. Hur otillfredsställande denna definition än är tillåter knappast oklarheten, mångfalden och den vilda förvirringen i de gnostiska systemen någon annan. Många forskare skulle dessutom anse att varje försök att ge en allmän beskrivning på gnostiska sekter är bortkastat arbete. Ursprung i många fall nått bortom all måttlig forskning, tycks ändå i detta särskilda fall de slutsatser som gjordes av Anz vara sunda och tillförlitliga. Forskning i samma riktning fortsattes och upprättades i vidare skala av W.Bousset år 1907 och ledde till noggrant fastställda resultat. år 1898 gjordes försök av M.Friedländer att spåra gnosticismen i förkristen judendom. Hans uppfattning att den rabbinska termen Minnim

63. Gnosticism gnosticism, nos'tisizum Pronunciation Key. gnosticism , dualistic religiousand philosophical movement of the late Hellenistic and early Christian eras. http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/society/A0821080.html

Encyclopedia Gnosticism u m] Pronunciation Key Gnosticism , dualistic religious and philosophical movement of the late Hellenistic and early Christian eras. The term designates a wide assortment of sects, numerous by the 2d cent. A.D. ; they all promised salvation through an occult knowledge that they claimed was revealed to them alone. Scholars trace these salvation religions back to such diverse sources as Jewish mysticism, Hellenistic mystery cults, Iranian religious dualism (see Zoroastrianism ), and Babylonian and Egyptian mythology. The definition of gnosis [knowledge] as concern with the Eternal was already present in earlier Greek philosophy, although its connection with the later Gnostic movement is distant at best. Christian ideas were quickly incorporated into these syncretistic systems, and by the 2d cent. the largest of them, organized by Valentinus and Basilides , were a significant rival to Christianity. Much of early Christian doctrine was formulated in reaction to this movement. Until the discovery at Nag Hammadi in Egypt of key Manichaean (1930) and Coptic Gnostic (c.1945) papyri, knowledge of Gnosticism depended on Christian sources, notably St. Irenaeus, St. Hippolytus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria. Among principal Gnostic writings are the Valentinian documents Pistis-Sophia and the Gospel of Truth (perhaps by Valentinus himself). Important too is the literature of the

64. You Will Be Re-directed To Borce's Occultism & Spirituality Site In A Second! A detailed essay on the history of gnosticism from its roots to the present. http://members.tripod.com/~aos/general/gnostic.html

HERE HERE

65. Gnosticism Ancient Egypt, Neoplatonism, gnosticism, Alchemy, Kabbalah, ChristianKabbalah, Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, Golden Dawn. gnosticism. gnosticism http://www.kheper.net/topics/Gnosticism/

Occultism Esotericism Gnosis and Mysticism Dualism ... Golden Dawn Gnosticism Gnosticism - a definition Gnosis - a definition The Sources of Gnosticism Gnosticism and Apocalyptic ... Hermetic Kabbalah The Big Picture This site is a member of WebRing. To browse visit Child Nodes Sibling Nodes Parent Nodes Topics ... Guestbook use of this material contact me content by M.Alan Kazlev most recent update 30 June 2001 Valentinus home page OverLIB javascript popup boxes freeware by Erik Bosrup

66. Want To Explore Gnosticism? Purchase New SourceBook Now - Just $24.95 An interactive PDF format CDROM explores traditions of gnosticism from the 4th to 15th centuries both in depth and as an overview. http://gnosistraditions.faithweb.com/

THE TRAIL OF GNOSIS SourceBook PDF/CD-ROM 186 pages "Boldly examines the eternal Gnostic question "Why Am I Here?" from diverse points of view."D.D. "An excellent and original contribution to this little known aspect of history! Its interactive PDF format is a bonus important gnostic information is just a click away!" C.P. The Trail of Gnosis brings fresh spiritual insight and a much needed overview into the traditions, influences and connections to Cathars, Bogomil, Paterenes, Mandaeans, Massalians, Paulicians, Manichaeans, and other Gnostic sects. The Trail of Gnosis explores the extraordinary depth and breadth of Gnosticism, investigating the historic and spiritual threads that connect Gnostic groups from China to France, from the 4th to 15th centuries. The Trail of Gnosis discloses secret Gnostic connections to the Knights Templar and Holy Grail. The Trail of Gnosis introduces the influences of The Kaballah/Cabala, Sufism and Taoism on the Gnostics of the Balkans and Western Europe. The Trail of Gnosis relates the profound impact of The Inquisition and The Albigensian Crusades on Catharism.

67. Gnosticism gnosticism. The term gnosticism is a modern one Gnosis (gnosticism)the esoteric religion. gnosticism in the academic and usual sense http://www.kheper.net/topics/Gnosticism/intro.htm

Home Topics Khepershop Guestbook ... New/Updates Introduction Origins Teachings Schools Influences ... Links Gnosticism The term "Gnosticism" is a modern one, although accurate in that it is derived from the Greek gnosis higher or spiritual or Intuitive or Divine knowledge , as opposed to episteme , which is knowledge in the more mundane sense. Gnosis in general Gnosis (Gnosticism) the esoteric religion Gnosis in general Although Gnosis is usually thought of as an aspect of "religion", it in fact differs from religion or "Faith" in one extremely important respect. With Religion , knowledge of higher things is not realised intuitively, but rather enforced as a body of knowledge - a dogma or revelation - imposed from without, e.g. Bible, Koran, Gita, etc. In the more extreme forms of religion, the so-called "fundamentalist" tendency, the believer is expected to accept this revelation without question. With Gnosis, one may indeed be inspired or stimulated by external teachings and revelations, but the essential knowledge comes from within. What this means basically is that there are as many Gnostic teachings as there are Gnostics, and vice-versa. A modern-day gnostic may be (and in fact usually is) a part of some tradition (Sufi, Kabbalistic, Tantric, Christian, etc), but he/she will always interpret that tradition in an individual way. If one could sum up the differences between "Western" materialism, religion, and Gnosticism and also "

68. Gnosticism And The Gnostic Jesus gnosticism And The Gnostic Jesus (an article from the ChristianResearch Journal, Fall 1990, page 8) by Douglas Groothuis. The http://www.wherry.com/~gbisaga/CRJ0040A.html

"Gnosticism And The Gnostic Jesus" (an article from the Christian Research Journal, Fall 1990, page 8) by Douglas Groothuis. The Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Research Journal is Elliot Miller. Popular opinion often comes from obscure sources. Many conceptions about Jesus now current and credible in New Age circles are rooted in a movement of spiritual protest which, until recently, was the concern only of the specialized scholar or the occultist. This ancient movement Gnosticism provides much of the form and color for the New Age portrait of Jesus as the illumined Illuminator: one who serves as a cosmic catalyst for others' awakening. Many essentially Gnostic notions received wide attention through the sagacious persona of the recently deceased Joseph Campbell in the television series and best-selling book, The Power of Myth. For example, in discussing the idea that "God was in Christ," Campbell affirmed that "the basic Gnostic and Buddhist idea is that that is true of you and me as well." Jesus is an enlightened example who "realized in himself that he and what he called the Father were one, and he lived out of that knowledge of the Christhood of his nature." According to Campbell, anyone can likewise live out his or her Christ nature. Gnosticism has come to mean just about anything. Calling someone a Gnostic can make the person either blush, beam, or fume. Whether used as an epithet for heresy or spiritual snobbery, or as a compliment for spiritual knowledge and

69. First Gnostic Church Community in Cypress, California. Introduction, services, gnostic reading list, and history of Christian gnosticism provided online. http://www.1gnostic.com/

Who We Are Location and Services Reading List History ... Gnostic Links please enable browser's Javascript to use the Hit Counter tool. Powered by

70. Gnosticism gnosticism. gnosticism, is a philosophical and religious movementprominent in the GrecoRoman world in the 2nd century AD. While http://www.crystalinks.com/gnosticism.html

GNOSTICISM Gnosticism, is a philosophical and religious movement prominent in the Greco-Roman world in the 2nd century AD. While Gnosticism drew from and influenced in turn many traditional religions, its effect was most clearly felt on nascent Christianity, in which it led to the formation of the canon, creed, and episcopal organization. The designation Gnosticism, derived from the Greek gnostikos (one who has gnosis, or "secret knowledge"), is a term of modern scholarship. Evidence for the Gnostic phenomenon, found in the Church Fathers who opposed Gnostic teachings (Irenaeus, c. 185; Hippolytus, c. 230; Epiphanius, c. 375) and in the Gnostic writings themselves, reveals a diversity in theology, ethics, and ritual that defies strict classification. Yet Gnostic sects appear to have shared an emphasis on the redemptive power of esoteric knowledge, acquired not by learning or empirical observation but by divine revelation. History.  The origins of the Gnostic world view have been sought by scholars in the dualism of Iranian religion, the allegorical Idealism of the Middle Platonic philosophers, and the apocalypticism of certain Jewish mystics. There are analogies also with Egyptian and Mesopotamian thought. It was only with the rise of Christianity, however, that Gnostic syncretism came to full expression.

71. The Gnostic Church Of St. Mary Magdalene Information on gnosticism, Mary Magdalene, and on the use of tarot in gnosticism. Provides also texts of the Mass of the Mother and apostolic succession line of the church. http://magdalene.wise1.com/

The Gnostic Church of St. Mary Magdalene Alternative Catholicism, Gnosticism, Templars, and The Holy Grail Gnostic Church of St. Mary Magdalene About The Magdalene Mass Of The Mother Apostolic Succession ... The Gnostic Tarot The Great Mother Recommended Church of the Magdalene About The Magdalene Mass Of The Mother Apostolic Succession ... The Gnostic Tarot The Great Mother william@MyGnosis.com OR christine@ MyGnosis .com Previous 5 ... Join This Site Sponsored by GoneFromMySight.com On-Line Memorials and Grief Counseling

72. Gnosis And Mysticism An introduction to the philosophies involved in gnosticism. http://hometown.aol.com/haheinz/gc2.htm

htmlAdWH('7003045', '120', '30'); htmlAdWH('7002114', '234', '60'); Main Create Edit Help Gnosis and Mysticism The Owl symbolizes our third or spiritual eye and is thus associated with inner knowledge. Please make a selection: Gnosis Ignorance Truth Witness ... I Am Return to Main Home Page Created 6-4-95 / Last Modified 4-14-96 Church of the Great Spirit / Atma Jyoti Rev. H. Heinz Ignorant Be still, meditate, focus on the inner light. Ask yourself: "Who am I?" Realize you are not the mind, body, or emotions. Your are Spirit. How can emotions effect you. You are the witness of these emotions. Nothing can disturb you.... "Ask why has this thought arisen? Whom does it concern? Who am I?" Meditation creates a vortex of stillness which harmony and love can descend. The source of all life is love itself. Both you and Spirit are Love. Through your own direct experience in meditation, you can know Spirit as truth, knowledge, and bliss (SAT, CHIT, and ANANDA). "I am the way, the truth, and the light." "Be still and know that I am God". Lead me from darkness to light, from unreality to reality, from death to immortality! Jai Bagwan. Victory to the Soul.

73. The New Gnosticism The New gnosticism. by Michael S. Horton. In orthodox Christianity, graceredeems this world; in gnosticism, it redeems the self from nature. http://capo.org/premise/95/august/p950705.html

PREMISE / Volume II, Number 7 / August 27, 1995 / Page 5 The New Gnosticism by Michael S. Horton Michael Horton is the Editor in Chief of Modern Reformation, a superb magazine available from CURE, 2221 East Winston Road Suite K, Anaheim, CA 92806. The article is used with permission from the July/August 1995 issue of Modern Reformation. We do not have to look very far to see the influence of this movement on 19-century Protestantism. The revivalistic evangelicals wanted to escape from this world by a personal experience of being born again, and successive experiences: A second blessing or a rededication would revive the soul in its flight toward Deity and full surrender. Doctrine was considered an encumbrance, as were creeds, liturgies and sacraments, and the anti-intellectual strain of Gnosticism reared its ugly head. In orthodox Christianity, grace redeems this world; in Gnosticism, it redeems the self from nature. Grace did not save nature, but provided a way of escape. At the same time, "the liberals," according to Philip Lee, "made ample room for nature on their stage by moving grace into the wings. There remained in both camps a gnostic separation of Creation from Redemption" (p. 93). In spite of their rivalry, fundamentalism and liberalism "both essentially proclaim a Christ who does not redeem," but merely reveals, according to Lee (p. 107). All of these writers point to the breakdown in the Reformation's orthodox stance in both conservative and liberal camps as opening the door to Transcendentalism and, finally, to the current orientation. Beyond the liberal-evangelical split, Wade Clark Roof now says we cannot discern any real differences between New Age and evangelical spirituality on a number of counts. This new Gnosticism "celebrates experience rather than doctrine; the personal rather than the institutional; the mythic and dreamlike over the cognitive; people's religion over official religion; soft, caring images of deity over hard, impersonal images; the feminine and the androgynous over the masculine" (Roof, p. 132). Although Roof does not make the point, these are clearly the tenets of ancient Gnosticism.

74. Welcome To The Gnostic Friends Network Encyclopedia Of Gnostic Myth & History Information on the Older Testament and Newer Testament as understood by gnosticism. Includes art gallery, bookstore, news, and links. http://www.enemies.com/index2.html

Home OLDER TESTAMENT I. Pre-Creation II. The God Fraud III. Archons of Eden IV. Just Say Noah! NEWER TESTAMENT I. Jesus the Menace II. The Gnostic Meme III. Empire of Evil IV. The End is Here SHOPPING Art Gallery Bookstore Movie Reviews DEPARTMENTS About Us Mailbag HOTLINKS antiwar.com davidicke.com lewrockwell.com luckymojo.com ... propagandamatrix.com Gnosticism is an ancient form of alternative Christianity which competed with the Catholic Church for the first 350 years of Christian history. You've probably never heard of it, because the Church wiped it out as soon as Roman persecution ended, and the gnostic scriptures were not included in the "Bible." They were instead buried in a jar in the Egyptian desert, where they remained hidden until 1945. Ironically, many scholars now believe that Jesus himself was probably gnostic! OLDER TESTAMENT: Part I Part II Part III Part IV The gnostics taught that God was a mad scientist named "Yaldabaoth" who had been created by accident and built the earth as a prison for pre-existent human souls. He cloned Adam, raped Eve, and kicked them both out of Paradise when Christ came in the form of a serpent to liberate them. Yaldabaoth sent a "Flood" to wipe humanity's memory out; some humans were saved by angels from the dimension above "heaven" who told them what had happened. Yaldabaoth struck back by sending his demons to rape the earth women, smashing the tower of Babel, inventing money and selecting many false prophets.

75. Gnosticism. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001 2001. gnosticism. The influence of gnosticism on the later development of the Jewishkabbalah and heterodox Islamic sects such as the Ismailis is much debated. http://www.bartleby.com/65/gn/Gnostici.html

Select Search All Bartleby.com All Reference Columbia Encyclopedia World History Encyclopedia World Factbook Columbia Gazetteer American Heritage Coll. Dictionary Roget's Thesauri Roget's II: Thesaurus Roget's Int'l Thesaurus Quotations Bartlett's Quotations Columbia Quotations Simpson's Quotations English Usage Modern Usage American English Fowler's King's English Strunk's Style Mencken's Language Cambridge History The King James Bible Oxford Shakespeare Gray's Anatomy Farmer's Cookbook Post's Etiquette Bulfinch's Mythology Frazer's Golden Bough All Verse Anthologies Dickinson, E. Eliot, T.S. Frost, R. Hopkins, G.M. Keats, J. Lawrence, D.H. Masters, E.L. Sandburg, C. Sassoon, S. Whitman, W. Wordsworth, W. Yeats, W.B. All Nonfiction Harvard Classics American Essays Einstein's Relativity Grant, U.S. Roosevelt, T. Wells's History Presidential Inaugurals All Fiction Shelf of Fiction Ghost Stories Short Stories Shaw, G.B. Stein, G. Stevenson, R.L. Wells, H.G. Reference Columbia Encyclopedia PREVIOUS NEXT ... BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Gnosticism (n s z m) ( KEY ) , dualistic religious and philosophical movement of the late Hellenistic and early Christian eras. The term designates a wide assortment of sects, numerous by the 2d cent.

76. Christian Gnosticism - Apocrypha For The Royal Christ A personal homepage on Christian gnosticism and the secret teachings of the Gnostic Jesus Christ on finding and entering the Kingdom of Heaven. http://hometown.aol.com/willpae/index.html

htmlAdWH('7003227', '120', '30'); htmlAdWH('7002232', '234', '60'); Main Create Edit Help Apocrypha for the Royal Christ Modern Holy Scriptures In Acts 1:3, the Holy Bible states that Jesus taught his followers and Apostles through Spiritual "Gnosis" after he was crucified and resurrected. "On these occasions He talked to them about the Kingdom of God." That Sacred and Christian Gnostic teaching was then recorded as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Therefore, building upon the Foundation of those Gnostic Scriptures, this body of Spiritual Knowledge further sustains, strengthens, and elaborates on Christian Theology in the Truest Sense. Nothing in this interpretation of Gnosticism entitled Apocrypha for the Royal Christ contradicts anything in the Holy Bible. It merely serves to invite and refine those predestined for the Kingdom of Christ! The use of the word "Gnosis" in the orthodox Christian context has come to imply outright "heresy," but on this Website, truly, Gnosticism implies living the life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ in the deepest sense of "knowing" and having intimacy with the Most High Spirit of Truth and Love!

77. Gnosticism. To quote Larry Norman 'Is it safe?'. Where does gnosticism fit into this, you ask?Well, what is gnosticism? This is where gnosticism creeps into our minds.. http://members.tripod.com/~Shido/ASCRP032.html

ASCRPWHLE Sometimes it is just too difficult to think. We want to be simple-minded. We want to be told what to do. And sometimes we will give our lives to people who are bold enough to appear as though they really know what we should be doing. This is an interesting fatigue we indulge in from time to time. And, as I too share into it, I cannot exactly point fingers. But, it is important to us that the condition is clearly identified as the hazard it is. Take care when you are suffering from this type of fatigue. Watch out for the promises you make, the people you elect, and the contracts you sign. Honest people can honestly be hung. To quote Larry Norman: 'Is it safe?' Where does Gnosticism fit into this, you ask? Well, what is Gnosticism? First, let's look at how gnosis is defined: hidden, deep, secret (or mystical), spiritual knowledge, or the knowing of.. Gnostics are people claiming this knowledge as their own private property. There are gnostics, and then there are Gnostics. The former include anyone who believe they have found the Answer. Scientists, to my knowledge, are not in this group publicly. Physicists are still looking for a key to the General Unification Theory that will yield the Answer. However, in theory, every private citizen could be a gnostic. We call people who 'think' they know the Answer: philosophers. Yet, a clear distinction exists. 'Think' is not 'know.' Gnosticism moves one step deeper into the madness, in that it represents a collection of persons each claiming to share in this knowledge. When enough people claim something is true, the statement, or statements they make appear to be true.

78. Gnosis/Gnosticism All rights are available. Gnosis/gnosticism. By Kathy Fisher. gnosticism isa religious or philosophical world view based on having achieved gnosis. http://members.tripod.com/cryskernan/Gnosticism.htm

This article was accepted for publication in Eye on the Web internet magazine before it ceased publication in 8/98. All rights are available. Gnosis/Gnosticism By Kathy Fisher If you ever have a feeling that there's something wrong with the human experience (why does bad stuff happen to good people?), you are sensing what Gnosticism believes. Far from the common belief that the world and mankind was created by a good and kind God, Gnosis contends that the world and everything in it was created by a blundering God at best, a downright evil one at worst. Further, Gnosis believes that it is our mission to liberate ourselves from the grip of the material world before we can return to heaven, the land of our origin. DEFINITION Gnosis (small "g," silent) is a generic term with Greek origins meaning intuitive knowledge of spiritual mysteries, or more simply "to know." It's an internal spiritual certainty grounded in personal experience rather than faith. Gnosticism is a religious or philosophical world view based on having achieved gnosis. The term "Gnosis" (capital "G") is often used for both internal individual experience as well as external religious community and shared perceptions of the world. PHILOSOPHY Gnosticism has many myths to explain the world and human existence. In general, Gnostics believe the world and everything in it are flawed because they were created in the image of an imperfect intermediate being between us and God. Gnosticism claims parts of the original true God, the source of good, thus became the opposite, evil. Hence the nature of human beings, like all the universe, is a duality (good & evil, light & dark, yin & yang). Recognizing this dual nature earned Gnosticism the label of "dualism."

79. Gnosticism gnosticism, by Alan Maben. This is from the January/February 1994 Issueof Modern Reformation, Heresy. gnosticism. By Alan Maben. http://www.modernreformation.org/mr94/janfeb/mr9401gnosticism.html

Gnosticism By Alan Maben Like the ancient Gnostics faced by the early church, society today has adopted an escapist, anti-materialistic, anti-intellectual, anti-institutional, anti-sacramental spirituality. This is as true for non-Christians, with New York business executives attending New Age seminars taught by Stanford instructors. Both the past and the future are perceived as irrelevant intrusions into the present moment of what Schaeffer called "personal peace and affluence." People want to escape reality and create their own. This tendency has been evident both in the secular, Greek strain of Western history (Platonism, Neoplatonism, etc.) and in the religious adaptations of that strain (mysticism, much of monasticism, and the abundance of taboos designed to keep believers from the world). The early name for this mixture of Christianity and pagan, anti-material mysticism was "Gnosticism." According to Marylin Ferguson, a New Age guru, Gnosticism is the fountain of contemporary mysticism. What on earth could Fundamentalism and the New Age movement have in common? There have been many New Age conspiracy theories floating about, trying to implicate nearly everyone. Isn't this stepping over the line of sanity just a bit? Not really. Let me explain.

80. Religious Movements Homepage: Gnosticism This gnosticism page is your gateway to accessing Webbased and printresources about gnosticism. As part of the New gnosticism. http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/gnosticism.html

Gnosticism Group Profile History Beliefs Links ... Bibliography I. Group Profile Name: Gnosticism Founder: Some consider Simon Magus to be the Father of Gnosticism. However, Gnosticism has also been defined as a mystical religion said to be "as old as humanity itself."(Ellwood and Partin: 95-96) Gnostic beliefs can be "found in all religions and religious philosophies, from Upanishads to the wisdom of ancient Egypt, and from the Gathas of Zarathustra to the mystery-cults of Greece and Rome."(Ellwood and Partin: 96) There are others who say that Gnosticism was built upon the combined teachings of its important leaders. Some of these include Basilides, Valentinus, Marcion, Ptolemaeus, Cerinthus, Menander, Simon Magus, and Saturninus (Grant: 30-43). What is Gnosticism: As noted, Gnosticism has been defined as a mystical religion (Ellwood and Partin: 96). It is a mixing of rites and myths from a variety of religious traditions, combining Occultism, Oriental Mysticism, astrology, magic, elements from Jewish tradition, Christian views of redemption, and even aspects of Plato's doctrine that man is not at home in the bodily realm (McManners: 26). Despite the fact that many Gnostic systems vary, they all have in common "a world view shaped by Hellenism and Neoplatism" and "esoteric Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and the ancient heritages of Egypt and Mesopotamia."(Ellwood and Partin: 92) One can directly trace some of the individual aspects of Gnosticism to their roots. Their beliefs in the resurrection of the dead and dualism come from Iranian-Zoroastrian religious ideas (Rudolph: 282). Their communities are organized like the Hellenistic Mystery religions (Rudolph: 285). Orphism and Greek background influenced the Gnostic belief that the soul suffers in this world and it is fate that man should have to endure it. In turn, living a righteous life leads to salvation (Rudolph: 286).

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