The Origin and the Doctrines of Gnosticism

Subject Areas : Christianity

محبوبه هادی نا ¹ (ندارد)

Received: 2009-06-25 Accepted : 2009-09-01 Published : 2009-03-21

Keywords: gnosis, duality, Knowledge, fall, Salvation,

Abstract :

Gnosis (γνῶσις) is a Greek word which literally means 'knowledge', buttechnically and specifically refers to 'spiritual or esoteric knowledge of,or insight into the Divine'. Gnosticism is a common title assigned to avariety of Gnostic sects that flourished during the 2nd century AD,especially in Egypt and Alexandria, and lasted for several centuriesthereafter. Gnosticism had major impact on the formation of mystical,cosmological and theological doctrines of Judaeo-Christian traditionand later, as some scholars believe, on the Islamic mysticism.The most prominent characteristic of the most Gnostic sects was thefirm belief in an essential duality throughout the multiple states ofbeing and universal existence, both macrocosmic and microcosmic.Various speculations made on the specific dualities, such as light anddarkness, spirit and matter, good and evil etc., which are found in themajority of the Gnostic onto-cosmological doctrines, were in factestablished on the basis of the above mentioned essential duality.Regarding the fact that different religious and esoteric trends inGreek, Persian, Aramaic, Egyptian and Jewish traditions could betraced back to the doctrines of various Gnostic sects, it would not besurprising that there are various perspectives on the origin(s) andnature(s) of Gnostic sects and that the issue has always been a matter ofcontroversy among the scholars. However, many scholars believe thatthe Persian influences on the dualistic feature of Gnosticism is clearlyevident.The present study tries to at investigate these variety of perspectivesand surveys Gnostic doctrines on the Divine, man and the Universe.