Gnosis refers to a knowledge that is essential to free oneself from the "evil" material world and bodily existence. Gnostics believe humans err because they are ignorant, unlike the Christian belief that man is sinful by nature. Gnostics will receive salvation when they gain knowledge or gnosis. The knowledge must be of their inner self or soul. It is similar to the Hindu definition of meditation.
There is Gnosticism in Sufism, Hebrew kaballah as well as Vajrayana Bhuddism.
Some of the basic beliefs of Gnosticism are as follows:
Between this world and the "God" imcomphrensible to thought, the "primal cause" there is a irreconcilable antagonism.
The "self" the "I" of the gnostic, his "spirit" or soul, is unalterably divine.
This "I" however has fallen into this world, has been imprisoned and anaesthesized by it, and cannot free itself from it.
Only a divine call" from the world of light loosens the bonds of captivity.
Another unique aspect of the Gnostic belief system is their view of the creation of the world. They believe that the true God has a feminine side, Sophia, the spirit side of "God". Sophia wanted to give birth to a being like herself. She proceeded without permission of God. The result was imperfect and she was ashamed of it, so she hid it in a cloud away from all the other immortals. The child was called the Demiurge. He was born with "some" power (from the spirit) and used it to create the physical world. This trapped (the spirit in matter). The view of the imperfections of creation are similar to those in hebrew scripture, just as the creator is incompetent.
The gnostics taught that the demiurge was Yehovah from the old testament. The Christ on the other hand, came from God and the holy "spirit". It should be noted that the gnostics overstood the Christ to mean a body of people, not just one man.
The man called Christ taught the Gnostics the secred knowledge(gnosis) which he did not teach to the church. This belief created animosity between the church and the gnostics. Also, contrary to Christian teachings about Christ being born of the Virgin Mary. The Gnostics believe that Christ entered Mary's body via sexual intercourse between Mary and Joseph.
Gnostics had several other beliefs that dismayed early Christians. They scorned bishops, priest and deacons, however, they let women hold leadership and liturgical positions. Many Gnostics would not make the sign of the Cross, because to them the "suffering" of christ was no actual event but a condition of "mankind"
They also did not recognize the significance of baptism in water. They believe that they are an elect group and that they will gain salvation by gnosis, and everyone else will be annihilated.
The Gnostics also have a different view of the makeup of the world, Aeons or worlds "or distinct spiritual entities", which all together make up the pleroma, or fullness. The pleroma is above the cosmos, and is the "spiritual Divine Reality. The True God's realm. This is the place a gnostic hopes to return to via salvation.
There is Gnosticism in Sufism, Hebrew kaballah as well as Vajrayana Bhuddism.
Some of the basic beliefs of Gnosticism are as follows:
Between this world and the "God" imcomphrensible to thought, the "primal cause" there is a irreconcilable antagonism.
The "self" the "I" of the gnostic, his "spirit" or soul, is unalterably divine.
This "I" however has fallen into this world, has been imprisoned and anaesthesized by it, and cannot free itself from it.
Only a divine call" from the world of light loosens the bonds of captivity.
Another unique aspect of the Gnostic belief system is their view of the creation of the world. They believe that the true God has a feminine side, Sophia, the spirit side of "God". Sophia wanted to give birth to a being like herself. She proceeded without permission of God. The result was imperfect and she was ashamed of it, so she hid it in a cloud away from all the other immortals. The child was called the Demiurge. He was born with "some" power (from the spirit) and used it to create the physical world. This trapped (the spirit in matter). The view of the imperfections of creation are similar to those in hebrew scripture, just as the creator is incompetent.
The gnostics taught that the demiurge was Yehovah from the old testament. The Christ on the other hand, came from God and the holy "spirit". It should be noted that the gnostics overstood the Christ to mean a body of people, not just one man.
The man called Christ taught the Gnostics the secred knowledge(gnosis) which he did not teach to the church. This belief created animosity between the church and the gnostics. Also, contrary to Christian teachings about Christ being born of the Virgin Mary. The Gnostics believe that Christ entered Mary's body via sexual intercourse between Mary and Joseph.
Gnostics had several other beliefs that dismayed early Christians. They scorned bishops, priest and deacons, however, they let women hold leadership and liturgical positions. Many Gnostics would not make the sign of the Cross, because to them the "suffering" of christ was no actual event but a condition of "mankind"
They also did not recognize the significance of baptism in water. They believe that they are an elect group and that they will gain salvation by gnosis, and everyone else will be annihilated.
The Gnostics also have a different view of the makeup of the world, Aeons or worlds "or distinct spiritual entities", which all together make up the pleroma, or fullness. The pleroma is above the cosmos, and is the "spiritual Divine Reality. The True God's realm. This is the place a gnostic hopes to return to via salvation.