Gnosticism and paganism and our culture
Though Gnostic thought is radically dualistic in affirming opposition between spirit and matter, regarding the entire material universe as both an illusion and the work of an evil and inferior divine being, yet the individual Gnostic sees no opposition between himself and God, no ontological Creator-creature distinction. The Gnostic is made of the same spiritual stuff as the great “Father of the Totalities” or “the All.” Gnosticism is often described as “dualism on a monistic background.”
Monistic pantheism is not just an interesting theological option among many religious options out there. It is the essence of religious pagan worship of nature, which is finally at the heart of modern interfaith movements. The church father Hippolytus (A.D. 170-236) made that connection long ago. He documented that the Gnostics of his day were interfaith practitioners who sought “the wisdom of the pagans.” He noted that “Christian” Gnostics attended the ceremonies of the Isis worshipping mystery cults in order to understand “the universal mystery.” Isis was the Magna Mater, the Great Mother, the spiritual soul of nature.
Here is where you get to full-blown, radical Gnosticism. One of the original, surviving Gnostic texts confirms the testimony of Hippolytus. The Gnostic goddess Sophia declares: “I am the one who image is great in Egypt.” Isis, the pagan Egyptian goddess of wisdom and magic, is the “one who is great in Egypt.” Who is Isis? She is “the still point of the turning world” who proclaims: “I am Nature, the Universal Mother; … single manifestation of all gods and goddess am I.” Even as the postmodern Derrida eliminated the opposites, it is of great interest to note that the supreme goal of paganism through the ages is the joining of the opposites – good-evil, male-female, Creator-creature. This is also true of Gnosticism. The Gnostics called god “the Father of the Totalities,” who joins all opposites. God, often revealed in female form as Sophia, as the goddess, states: “I am androgynous. I am both Mother and Father since I copulate with myself.”
The juxtaposition of contradictory notions also seeks to express the divine mystery, which is found in pagan texts of all kinds. The reason is that here is fundamental rejection in all forms of paganism of the Creator-creature distinction, and thus the rejection of all significant distinctions within the creation. To the Gnostic, the physical creation is an error by a foolish god, Jehovah.
Just how radical is ancient Gnosticism?
Consistently, in all the Gnostic texts, the false god who leads believers astray is the Creator God of the Bible. He is called a blind fool and a joke because he thinks that, as Creator, he is the true and living God (which He IS!) – he says “I am the Lord, and there is no other (Isa. 45:18). But the Gnostic believes that the “Father of the All” is above the Creator. In addition, the Gnostic believes that Sophia is the “Mother of the Universe.” More than that, Gnosticism accuses Yahweh of being a devil, the great demon who rules over the lowest part of the underworld. In Gnostic texts, Zoe, daughter of Sopia says of Yahweh, “I shackled him and threw him down into Hell, under the abyss.”
The Gnostic texts were not taken out of the Bible they were obviously never included for good reason.
Before we move on:
- What examples does the article give of opposites being joined in Gnosticism and paganism? Do you see any attempts to join opposites in the culture around you?
- Who is the devil in Gnosticism? What does he not know? What ultimately happens to him?