Gnosticism

Notes to “L’Apocalypse de Paul,”

by Michael Kaler

P. 707-724 in Écrits gnostiques: La bibliothèque de Nag Hammadi, Bibliothèque de la Pléaide series (Paris: Gallimard, 2007))

Pauline Powers and Authorities at Nag Hammadi

by Michael Kaler

Published in Archaeus 11-12:37-60 (2008)

This paper addresses the use in various Nag Hammadi texts of stereotypically Pauline language for the heavenly powers. This paper addresses the use in various Nag Hammadi texts of stereotypically Pauline language for the heavenly powers.

Those Sneaky Valentinians.

by Michael Kaler

Published in the volume, Colloque international, “L’Évangile selon Thomas et les textes de Nag Hammadi,” Québec, 29-31 mai, 2003, ed. by Louis Painchaud and Paul-Hubert Poirier (Québec/Louvain, Les Presses de l’Université Laval/Peeters) (2007), p. 231-250.

Jesus' Reincarnations Revisited in Jewish Christianity, Sethian Gnosticism, and Mani

by Dylan Burns

in Portraits of Jesus, ed. Susan Myers, WUNT 321 (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012), 371–92.

Viewing Bible as Literature through a Gnostic Lens: Allegory in Philip K. Dick’s The Divine Invasion

by Benjamin Winter

The Divine Invasion by Philip K. Dick is a literary puzzle composed of Judaic, Christian, and Gnostic source... more The Divine Invasion by Philip K. Dick is a literary puzzle composed of Judaic, Christian, and Gnostic source materials. It is important to conduct a literary analysis of The Divine Invasion because its allegorical plot provides a Gnostic exegesis of several major themes within the Christian Bible—specifically, that of Salvation. A pivotal concern in Christianity, and in most world religions, is bridging the gap between man and God. As a science fiction writer chiefly concerned with metaphysics, Dick sees a need to eliminate the traditional role of the church as a hierarchical agent of salvation. Instead, his work favors a contemporary, and often radical, focus on direct revelation. Although The Divine Invasion’s plotline contains many Biblical allusions, the characters in Dick’s “space epic” reach enlightenment only through gnosis, or knowledge of the fragmented Godhead as the cause of evil. Dick reinterprets Biblical doctrines on judgment and liberation by conceiving a futuristic world where characters symbolize the fulfillment of religious ideals. Thus, Yah (Judaic) sends Emmanuel (Christian) to fight the allegorical “final battle” depicted in St. John’s Revelation. But this mission is altered by the guidance of the fairy Zina (Gnostic), portrayed as the link to salvific wisdom in the earthly realm. Drawing on Biblical narrative structures, Dick effectively creates his own Old Testament in Chapters 1-5 and formulates his own prophecies of a final Messiah. As he carefully unfolds a complex, tripartite reality in which time and space are not static, Dick explores the role of the human psyche in the salvation of the living cosmos. In this paper, I utilize a methodology that traces many of Dick’s spiritual references to their sources, draws connections to specific Biblical passages, and integrates Gnostic texts from the Nag Hammadi codices. Through a formal literary analysis of Dick’s compelling novel, I conclude that the narrative structure of The Divine Invasion expands readings of apocalyptic Biblical Literature through a systematic, Gnostic vision of the end times.

Articles accessibles en ligne

by Pierre Cherix

au 20.03.2012

Bread of heaven or wines of light: Entheogenic legacies and esoteric cosmologies

by Alan Piper

Dannaway, F. R. Piper, A. Webster, P. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2006, Vol 38; Number 4, pages 493-504.

This is an article in two parts. The first part discusses current research in psychoactive preparations of ergot in... more This is an article in two parts. The first part discusses current research in psychoactive preparations of ergot in various religious systems with a particular emphasis on Persian, Greek, Jewish and Islamic sources. Certain poems, hadith, and scriptural writings suggest an entheogenic heritage to various ancient sects that exerted and received philosophical and ritual influences over large distances and over time. Particularly, some esoteric Shia and Sufi writings are highly suggestive of a "celestial botany" that employed psychoactive plants for initiatory and ritual purposes. The second part will address current research methods that render ergot alkaloids nontoxic and entheogenic, a most crucial part of the discussion in the absence of a modern bioassay. This is essential, as without a chemical reality to support that such a preparation of entheogenic ergot is possible, all ergot theories concerning mystery traditions would remain largely speculative.

The Marriage Debate and 1 Corinthians 7: The Use of Paul in Patristic and Reformation Controversies Over Marriage and Celibacy

by David D. M. King

Master of Arts Thesis, Iliff School of Theology, 2011

Exploring the use of 1 Corinthians 7 debates over marriage and celibacy by Clement of Alexandria and his gnostic... more Exploring the use of 1 Corinthians 7 debates over marriage and celibacy by Clement of Alexandria and his gnostic opponents, John Calvin, and the Council of Trent.

La natura antignostica della filosofia secondo Plotino

by Giovanni Catapano

in Fondazione Centro Studi filosofici di Gallarate, Ritorno della gnosi?, a cura di I. Tolomio, Padova: Gregoriana («Studi filosofici», 38), 2002, ISBN 88-7706-181-2, pp. 79-91

Il saggio studia il concetto di filosofia contenuto nel trattato «Contro gli gnostici» di Plotino (205-270 d.C.), con... more Il saggio studia il concetto di filosofia contenuto nel trattato «Contro gli gnostici» di Plotino (205-270 d.C.), con l'obiettivo di mostrare che tale concetto agisce come un criterio di giudizio non trascurabile nelle critiche di Plotino allo gnosticismo e viene caratterizzato anzitutto in termini etici. Nel saggio si sostiene inoltre che la riflessione sulla natura e sulle condizioni del filosofare ha un ruolo da giocare anche oggi nella valutazione filosofica della gnosi.

Сергей Калугин и беззащитный Господь. Гностицизм в русском роке

by Ekaterina Dais

Русский журнал, 31.01.2012

An article about gnosticism in russian rock culture (in Russian). An article about gnosticism in russian rock culture (in Russian).

„Von der Selbstvergöttlichung zum Übermenschentum. Stationen im Gestaltwandel des Gnostizismus“

by Luca Di Blasi

in: V. Hösle, P. Koslowski, G. Kruip, R. Schenk (Hg.): Jahrbuch für Philosophie des Forschungsinstituts für Philosophie Hannover, Band 12, Wien (Passagen) 2001, S. 13-23.

Die gnostische Tradition schwankt zwischen einer Aufwertung des Selbst in orthodoxen Gnosen, seiner Vergöttlichung in... more Die gnostische Tradition schwankt zwischen einer Aufwertung des Selbst in orthodoxen Gnosen, seiner Vergöttlichung in Hochformen des Gnostizismus und einer Selbstvergöttlichung in seinen manischen Radikalformen. In der Moderne wiederholt sich die spätantike und mittelalterliche gnostizistische Grundstruktur unter anderen Bedingungen: Statt einer (sich in platonischen Bahnen bewegenden) Vergöttlichung wird jetzt mit neuen Formen der Selbststeigerung laboriert, in denen der Begriff des Übermenschen eine besondere Bedeutung gewinnt. Anhand einiger Beispiele  soll der gnostizistische Zusammenhang zwischen einer spätantiken Selbstvergöttlichung und einem modernistischen Übermenschentum aufgezeigt werden.

Piercing the Veil of Language: How to Achieve Intuitive Knowledge in Meditative Reading, Part II

by Bill Trusiewicz

Piercing the Veil of Language: How to Achieve Intuitive Knowledge in Meditative Reading, Part II, is the second of two articles published in "Starlight" the newsletter of the Sophia Foundation of North America, Spring 2009, Vol. 9, No. 1

This second of two articles appearing in The Sophia Foundation of North America newsletter, "Starlight"... more This second of two articles appearing in The Sophia Foundation of North America newsletter, "Starlight" seeks to lead the reader on an inner path of knowledge, beyond the pale of ordinary analytical and discursive thinking, to an experience of the spirit behind words, sometimes called the "thing in itself." The author takes the reader on a journey into the "poetry" of language, in which one is confronted with a complexity and depth that is unfathomable compared to everyday "reality," and, if we are equal to it--challenges us to achieve a higher perception--an intuitive knowledge.

Piercing the Veil of Language: How to Achieve Intuitive Knowledge in Meditative Reading

by Bill Trusiewicz

Part I of a two-part article published in "Starlight," the Sophia Foundation of North America newsletter, vol. 8, No 2, Fall 2008

Piercing the Veil of Language: How to Achieve Intuitive Knowledge in Meditative Reading, Part I, is the first of two... more Piercing the Veil of Language: How to Achieve Intuitive Knowledge in Meditative Reading, Part I, is the first of two articles, in which a groundwork is laid upon which intuitive knowledge may be achieved.

Two prerequisites are discussed: a courage to face ambiguity, paradoxes and the like; and the ability to make a distinction between merely abstract ideas, what often masquerades as higher perception, and the "real thing."

Following this, eight suggestions are offered towards understanding what meditative reading involves.

Archangel Michael: How Can We Know Him? Part I

by Bill Trusiewicz

An article featured on the front page of anthroposophy.org, the website of the Anthroposophical Society in America, published on October 6, 2011 and which remains in the section entitled Articles.

On the one hand we might think it presumptuous to recommend a conscious relationship with such an exalted being as an... more On the one hand we might think it presumptuous to recommend a conscious relationship with such an exalted being as an Archangel as the title suggests. But on the other hand our own thoughts are something with which we are intimately familiar, and the fact that the being who has been called The Fiery Thought King of the Universe weaves in and out of our thought-world might make a relationship with him not quite so difficult to imagine. As is often the case, once we begin to explore something new and start to gather concepts or inner pictures connected to it, we discover facts with which we already have a certain familiarity, and are thus able to find a certain “foothold” on our new path of exploration. So the natural thing would be to investigate some of the facts that spiritual science presents us with concerning the being we usually call Archangel Michael in an effort to begin, or to further, our conscious connection with him. My intention in writing this article is not to be comprehensive, dealing in depth with the multitude of aspects that might be noted in connection with the being of Michael (that would take many books), but to explore just a few salient points, each in a series of articles on the subject, in a lively manner that may stimulate us to a fresh awareness and further exploration. I expect much of this to be familiar to those who are students of spiritual science, and I offer it simply as a reflection aimed to stimulate and enliven our thinking.

The Role of Spirituality in Gnosticism

by Gabrielle Wood, Ph.D.

Journal of Dharma, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 73-86, January-March 2011

While scholars have analyzed the history and persecution of the Gnostics, Gnosticism’s steady re-emergence into modern... more While scholars have analyzed the history and persecution of the Gnostics, Gnosticism’s steady re-emergence into modern times is largely unknown. This paper seeks to expand our academic understanding of Gnosticism by exploring the role of spiritual experience in the Gnostic path, drawing from scholarly research and from the writings and teachings of modern Gnostics. Internationally revered mystic teacher, Belzebuub, explains that Gnosis “is the wisdom from within. It’s an inner knowledge, and there are techniques we can use to find it.” This article highlights that Gnostics use these techniques to have spiritual experiences and ultimately to achieve spiritual transformation.

Трагедия космогонической объективации в валентинианстве и в русской религиозной философии / Tragedy of the cosmogonic objectivation in the Valentinianism and in the Russian religious philosophy (In Russian)

by Aleksey Kamenskikh

Published in: Россия и Гнозис. Материалы конференции (Москва, ВГБИЛ, 21-22 апреля 2003 г.). М.: Рудомино, 2004. С. 122 - 129.

Letters from Luxor - in the footsteps of Howard Carter

by Maria Nilsson

Series of articles especially written for and published by South African Shemu; documenting and discussing ancient remains preserved in the Theban Mountains' south-western valleys, initially explored by Howard Carter in 1916.

Letter 1: more Letter 1: http://thesiriusproject-sp.blogspot.com/2012/03/letters-from-luxor-and-egyptian-society.html

Letter 2:http://thesiriusproject-sp.blogspot.com/2012/04/letters-from-luxor-shemu.html

Letter 3 etc to follow soon

Elio Jucci - Terreno, Psichico, Pmeumatico nel cap 15 della prima epistola ai Corinzi

by Elio Jucci

Elio Jucci, “Terreno, Psichico, Pneumatico  nel Capitolo 15  della Prima Epistola ai Corinzi”, in HenochV, 1983,  323-341

Cet article  vise à souligner la spécificité paulinienne de 1 Cor. 15,44-49, en démontrant que la polemique de... more Cet article  vise à souligner la spécificité paulinienne de 1 Cor. 15,44-49, en démontrant que la polemique de Paul plange ses racines dans le contexte plus général de sa pensée.
La comprension de 1 Cor. 15,44-49 doit se fonder sur Gen 2,7 (Dieu modela l'homme avec la glaise du sol et il ensouffla dans ses narines une haleine de vie et l'homme devint une âme vivante"), car la péricope de Paul est un midrash de ce passage de la Genèse.
Le discours de Paul étant bien structuré et lié à son contexte, il n'est pas possible de songer ni à des glosses inserées par des adversaires ni à une glosse psicologique de Paul lui mème, qui emprunterait le language de ses adversaires. En effet, Paul pourrait bien avoir employé les mots de ses adversaires de Corinthe, mais en renversant leur argumentation. Ce n'est plus le spirituel qui est auparavant, mais le psichique.
Selon Paul, il y a, d'un côté, le premier homme "â me vivante", (v. 45/Gen. v 7c) et terrestre (v. 47/Gen. v. 7a) et de l'autre coté il y a le second  (au sense de "dernier") homme qui est esprit vivifiant (v. 45 /Gen 7c), homme céleste (v. 47). L'argumentation de Paul marche sur la double voie de l'opposition et du développement.  On ne peut interpreter ce passage par la première ou par la seconde clé seulement. C'est un raisonnement complexe qui se balance entre ces deux voies. "Terrestre" et "céleste" sont en meme temps deux  états de l'homme opposés l'un à l'autre, mais aussi dérivés l'un de l'autre. Et la continuation est restauration de l'individu au delà de la mort.
L'opposition "homme-Dieux" du texte biblique devient dans Paul l'opposition "premier homme - deuxième homme", le deuxième homme étant le Christ (vv. 22 et 45); " Le premier homme devint une âme vivante, mais le dernier Adam devint un esprit vivifiant, c'est  à dire capable de donner la vie" (cf. Rom. 15,12-19).
Ces paroles de Paul montrent l'existance à Corinthe d'un mouvement, de quelque façon. gnostique; toutefois, si pour les gnostiques le passage de l'état  psichique et terrestre à l'état pneumatique n'était pas possible, pour Paul le premier n'était que la nature même de l'homme qui n'avait pas encore reçu l'esprit vivifiant du Christ et qui par  cet esprit pouvait atteindre au deuxième état.
Toutefois, cet état nouveau n'est pas une conquête individuelle, car si l'on peut affirmer que le Christ, l'esprit du Christ, est dans les chrétiens, Il est bien vrai aussie que seulement dans le Christ, dans le corps du Christ les chrétiens atteignent le salut.
Dans 1 Cor. on trouve la tripartition gnostique de "terrestyre, psychique, spirituel", mais la pensée de Paul reste bipolaire,  étant le "terrestre" ou le "charnel" identifié avec le "psychique" (cf. 2,6 et 3,1).
Les deux termes "psychique" et  "spirituel" ne se reférent pas seulement aux deux états de la vie humaine que Paul envisage, celui qui précéde et celui qui suit la mort, mais ils peuvent aussi signifier deux façons de vivre, l'une opposéè à l'autre: "L'homme psychique n'accueille pas ce qui est de l'esprit de Dieu: c'est folie pour lui, car il ne peut le connaître, car c'est  seulement par l'esprit qu'on peut en juger" (1 Cor. 2,14-3,3).

Forsaking the Original: Multiformity of Memory and the Cry of Dereliction in Textual History (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34)

by Amy Pfeister

As presented at the 2011 Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting: Performance Criticism of Biblical and Other Ancient Texts Session (Nov. 21)

The charts which served as a handout are included as an appendix

Entre ésoterisme chrétien, Franc-maçonnerie et Eglise gnostique : les enjeux du martinisme en Belgique dans les années soixante

by Olivier Santamaria

Conférence prononcée le 9/11/2011 à l'Université Lille 3 : séminaire "l'Eglise et la Société"

Après avoir donné quelques clés méthodologiques relative à l'étude de l'ésotérisme chrétien, l'article rappelle les... more Après avoir donné quelques clés méthodologiques relative à l'étude de l'ésotérisme chrétien, l'article rappelle les circonstances de l'apparition du martinisme, et en particulier de l'Ordre Martiniste de Papus, puis de l'Eglise gnostique universelle de Jules Doisnel, et montre les proximités de ces milieux entre eux, avec la Franc-maçonnerie occultiste et avec certains milieux spirites.

L'étude se concentre ensuite sur la situation du martinisme dans les années 1960, dans le contexte de la réunion des martinistes dans l'Ordre Martiniste dit de Paris sous la direction de Philippe Encausse (1962). La signature en 1968 du traité d'alliance entre cet Ordre martiniste, auquel s'étaient ralliés les martinistes belges, et l'Eglise gnostique apostolique de Robert Ambelain (partiellement héritée de Doisnel) causa le trouble en Belgique entre martinistes de l'Eglise gnostique et martinistes de l'Eglise Catholique Libérale. Ces derniers, par la création de l'Ordre martiniste de Belgique (Brahy, Warnon, etc) puis de l'OM des Pays Bas, signèrent la rupture avec les fidèles de l'Eglise gnostique. Cette rupture a donné lieu à de nouvelles structures, notamment l'Ordre Martiniste des Chevaliers du Christ (Armand Toussaint) en lien avec l'Eglise rosicrucienne apostolique. L'article tente de présenter de cette histoire complexe un tableau cohérent.

L'article termine par quelques réflexions sur l'importance des filiations dans ces milieux maçonnico-martinistes et gnostiques en tentant d'en montrer les mécanismes et les raisons.