Gnosticism - An Introduction
Gnosticism
is a term that comes from the Greek word for "knowledge," gnosis,
referring to the inner, hidden knowledge or transcendental understanding
of God gained experientially. Gnosticism is a mixed and diverse body of
thought. Though the origins seem to have been in pagan and Jewish (perhaps
Kabbalistic) sects before the coming of Jesus Christ, Gnosticism generally
refers to the teachings of those Christians in the first century A.D.
who were not members of the orthodox Christian churches. By the second
and third centuries A.D., Gnosticism had grown into numerous scattered
groups, which generally fell into two main schools - the Basilideans and
the Valentinians, both of which were considered heretics by the orthodox
Church authorities.
Until recently, all that was generally known of Gnosticism was recorded by
the critics of the time (e.g., Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Tertullian, Origen,
and Plotinus). However, in 1945 "Apocryphal Documents," which
are believed to contain the scriptural basis for Gnostic beliefs, were
discovered at  Nag Hammadi in Egypt. These Gnostic gospels include The
Apocryphon of James; the Gospel of Truth; the Gospel of Thomas (Jesus'
brother); the Gospel of Philip; the Exegesis of the Soul; the Origin of
the World; the Dialogues of the Savior; the Apocalypse of Paul; the Acts
of Peter and the Twelve Apostles; and the Gospel of Mary (Magdalene),
as well as many others. These Coptic texts profess and document the teachings
of Adam and of Jesus Christ and the disciples (among others) and explain
many of the esoteric or "hidden" teachings of Judaism and Christianity.
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