Mar 19, 2025 · gnosticism, any of various related philosophical and religious movements prominent in the Greco-Roman world in the early Christian era, particularly the 2nd century. The designation gnosticism is a term of modern scholarship.

6 days ago · Gnosticism, from the Greek gnōstikos (one who has gnōsis, or “secret knowledge”), was an important movement in the early Christian centuries—especially the 2nd—that offered an alternative to emerging orthodox Christian teaching.

Mar 19, 2025 · However, these groups’ mythologies tended to differ thematically from Christianity in their characterization of God and in their focus. Christianity emphasizes the transcendence of one God and the salvation of all willing human beings from estrangement from God through the bodily death and resurrection of Jesus Christ , who is both fully ...

Male and female saviours (including Jesus) were sent from the world above to instruct humanity in the knowledge of the true God and humanity’s own divine nature. In general, Gnostics taught cosmological dualism, strict asceticism, repudiation of material creation as evil, docetism, and the existence of the divine spark in humans.

Gnosticism drew upon and in turn influenced many religions of the time, especially early Christianity. A characteristic Gnostic belief is that the material world is imperfect and thus inferior to the perfect spiritual realm.

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There are several legends about Saint Patrick. One legend says that he drove away all the snakes in Ireland. Another legend says that he used the three parts of a shamrock leaf to explain the idea of the Trinity. The Trinity refers to the Father, Son, …

With some 2 billion followers, Christianity is the world’s most widespread religion. Christianity is based on the life, death, and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The religion has three main branches—Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.

Mar 19, 2025 · What is gnosticism? How does gnosticism differ from Christianity? Does gnosticism predate Christianity?

Theodotus The Gnostic (flourished 2nd century ad) was a principal formulator of Eastern Gnosticism. This system of religious dualism (belief in rival deities of good and evil) had a doctrine of salvation by gnōsis, or esoteric knowledge.