Curious Christian

Reflections on culture, nature, and spirituality from a Christian perspective

What do Gnostics do?

Published by

Matt Stone

2006-03-16

Gnostics, it seems to me, are not very concerned with the actual achievement of Gnosis itself. The library, the internet and coffee shops are humming with Gnosticism as a topic of hobby study, ‘academic’ research and also as a vessel for the venting of dissatisfaction with existing religious approaches.

However, it is the view of this Gnostic that we are coming dangerously close to creating a new orthodoxy devoid of modern experience and revelation and dominated by opinion also devoid of experience.

There are hugh ironies in here which Shaun explores.

If
we stop at the Sacraments and an exoteric understanding of the Rites of
the Ecclesia and thus a de facto expression that these things alone
will lead to Gnosis, then all we have done is exchanged Grace for
Gnosis in terms of traditional sacramentology. We run the dangerous
risk of presenting a tradition that apes entirely the orthodox
expression that we repeatedly say to ourselves ‘is not enough’. We swap
Father for ‘Unknown Father’, Logos for Son, Satan for the Demiurge,
Heaven for Pleroma and all we have is fringe Christianity that hasn’t
really left the backyard of orthodoxy, all while claiming to have /
threatening to, ‘run away’.

Yet in the end he fails to escape them. His proposed proscription is:

Hesychasm – The Eastern Orthodox method of contemplative prayer- which combines mantra, posture, and breathing (orthodox christian)

Shamatha/Zazen – Meditation designed to still the mind, and build concentration and awareness (Buddhist)

Centering Prayer – Christian contemplative prayer- having elements in common with the above techniques (orthodox christian)

Assumption of ‘Godforms’ – Ritual technique and practice
designed to not only invoke the qualities of the Divine under numerous
forms but also self-identification with the same towards developing and
manifesting those same qualities.

The
irony being that two of these methods originated within Orthodox
Christianity and the other two within Buddhism and NeoPaganism. None
are essentially Gnostic.

Tags Gnostic

3 responses to “What do Gnostics do?”

Sophia Sadek

2006-03-18

Your closing line, “None are essentially Gnostic”, brings up an interesting point. What exactly is the essence of “Gnostic” in your frame of reference?
From what I know of Buddhism, it is a form of gnosticism. Neopaganism leans heavily on the literary output of gnostic practitioners. Many of the Orthodox Fathers were originally educated in one sect of gnostic practice or another, before converting to orthodoxy.
Perhaps there is an essence you have overlooked.

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Matt Stone

2006-03-23

Gnosticism is a well defined religious path in its own right.
From Wikipedia:
“Gnosticism is a historical term for various mystical initiatory religions, sects and knowledge schools which were most active in the first few centuries of the Christian/Common Era, around the Mediterranean and extending into central Asia.”
“It should be noted that the term ‘Gnosticism’ and the adjectival form ‘Gnostic’ are also applied to modern revivals of these groups and, sometimes, its inappropriate extension to include any and all religious movements incorporating a doctrine of secret or special, initiatory knowledge (e.g. Scientology, which has next to nothing else in common with Gnosticism) can lead to categorical confusion; this has recently led to the usefulness of the term being called into question.”
To call Buddhism “a form of Gnosticism” is a species of this category confusion.

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Sun Warrior

2006-12-01

Wisdom versus spiritual ‘knowledge’ is an essay in itself. Gnosticism is a species of the civilized mind, a cousin of theology, as both try to negotiate wisdom, which cannot be controlled in the category of knowledge.
I think its both the motivation behind it and the lack of awareness of the nature and purposes of wisdom that gets it into trouble. I always sniff the ‘pride of Church’ behind Gnostic writings, though so much of it is true spiritually, just like Christianity. But in the end its meaning, which is merely the structure of consciousness, such an amorphous, temporary thing. Knowledge tries to make it solid like matter.
Buddhism is a qualitatively different spiritual reality.
Buddhism simply discards the meaning we’re born into. It is a wonderful freedom, and instructive when we have to re-enter the meaning/Creation that we are invited to experience.

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