Gnostic Ideas Research Articles

For the western world, this idea developed into a religion that spawned many sects, some of which embraced an extreme dualistic belief that the material world should be shunned and the spiritual world should be embraced. Gnostic ideas influenced many ancient religions,[6] which teach that gnosis (variously interpreted as enlightenment, salvation, emancipation, or "oneness with God") may be reached by

For the western world, this idea developed into a religion that spawned many sects, some of which embraced an extreme dualistic belief that the material world should be shunned and the spiritual world should be embraced. Gnostic ideas influenced many ancient religions,[6] which teach that gnosis (variously interpreted as enlightenment, salvation, emancipation, or "oneness with God") may be reached by

Demiurge and Sophia in the world of Star Trek: gnostic ideas in the film «USS Callister»

The article analyzes the plan of expression and the plan of content of the American film USS Callister (2017) using the structural-semantic method. Four levels of analysis of signs in cinema are considered: three types signs that make up the characterological trait of a personality, referring to a character understood as an individuality, which in turn is a symbolic expression of a myth. In the film text USS Callister the gnostic images of the Demiurge and Sophia are created by means of cinematography, and such gnostic ideas as the hierarchy of the worlds, the abhorrence to flesh, souls life in the material world under the reign of the evil demiurge and the salvation-destruction of the world by Sophia, have been implemented into the plot. The film also refutes the gnostic idea that the God of the Old Testament is the evil demiurge of the gnostic cosmos via semantic mimicry. The film visualizes the gnostic mythology about two Sophias, earthly and heavenly, whose reunion marks the destruction of the material world and the humiliation of the Demiurge. The protagonist of the film a genius programmer Robert Daly, who has created еру the modding of Boundlessness on his PC, in which he has reconstructed the Callister starship. The crew has been created using the Daly co-workers DNA to create sentient digital clones of them. When Nanette Cole, a genius female programmer, who has been copied into the above-mentioned modding, she is able to get in touch with her celestial incarnation, execute a break plan and, as the result, the whole artificial world is destroyed together with the demiurge. The film recreates gnostic mythology for an audience thinking in terms of 20th century American culture, and more specifically in the famous sci-fi franchise Star Trek.

Simulation of Gnosis: Which Doors Do "Keys of Mary" Open (On the Basis On the Novel "Keys of Mary" by A. Kurkov, Yu. Vynnychuk)

Given article is the first study of the artistic features of the novel "Keys of Mary" since its publication. The article clarifies the difference between literary texts that attempt to provide answers to the philosophy of gnosis questions and those postmodern literature texts the authors of which use gnostic ideas to create the artistic world of the work while largely formalizing them. We consider it relevant to apply the concept of "gnosis simulation" for this group of works. The author argues that it was exactly the use of ideas and signs of this philosophical direction that made the basis for the plot and composition of "The Keys of Mary". "Simulation of gnosis" emphasizes the genre peculiarity of the novel defining it as a detective-adventure; it stimulates the reader's interest, because it serves as an intriguing factor. The work is modeled on the "cosmogony structure" principle: its bipolarity is manifested both in the division of characters and in the way the main conflict is resolved. Elements of gnosis, replicated at the subculture level, are successfully used to combine three storylines, three spatiotemporal dimensions. The focus point of the work is the image of the Maiden in her three novel incarnations (Maria, Aretha, Rina) – she is an eternally young savior of the mankind, whom the forces of evil hunt in all three of the "worlds". An interesting artistic discovery in the novel that draws reader attention is the plot of a lost historical chronicle about the knight Olgerd: in the narrative space of the work, it is perceived as a "supernova" that attracts the worlds of two time- distant plot orbits and creates a kind of insight on the last pages. Primarily, the authors of “The Keys of Mary” used the simulation of gnosis to model the plot, chronotope, and intrigue; but the values,​​ deeply reflected in the legends and artifacts associated with the life of the Virgin Mary, prompt readers' need for self-determination.

Deep Donkey and Dadirri: asking Creatura out to play

This article is based on the premise that we are currently awakening to the full systemic impact of the emerging global ecological crisis which is already having a devastating effect on the ecosystems of the earth and also a highly destructive impact on psychological well-being. The ecological crisis has coincided with the painful awakening to the social and environmental destruction that has resulted from the legacy of a colonial world view of nature and culture. These events now demand a radical and deep adaption of our view of nature and culture. It is becoming clear that we are facing not only an ecological break down and a narrative collapse, but also a breakdown in how to make sense of what we are facing. This article explores how systemic psychotherapy and Gregory Bateson’s work on the gnostic ideas of pleroma and creatura, can provide a framework to support the Decolonial Turn but also an EcoSystemic Return. This article uses the children’s game of Donkey and the Indigenous Australian practice of Dadirri to playfully explore how we might overcome Bateson’s notion of epistemological error when engaging with systemic practice, Indigenous nature practice and quantum physics. The article suggests an imaginary game of Deep Donkey to overcome the destructive legacy of Cartesian dualism at the core of western culture and to begin to open western imagination to an intra-subjective dialogue with nature. I suggest the game of Deep Donkey could a helpful practice in realigning western thinking with sophisticated and long subjugated Indigenous ecological and cultural wisdom.

The Mystery of Cicada 3301: Constructing Gnosis in Cyberspace

Abstract This article examines the ways in which gnostic ideas of spiritual growth, enlightenment, and transcendence resonate with the “cyber-gnostic” ideology presented through the viral “Cicada 3301” internet mystery. The content of the mystery situates traditionally spiritual enlightenment in the libertarian concerns of freedom of information and privacy, and in the tiered cosmology of the “surface/deep/dark” web. Additionally, this article evaluates the potential for classifying the Cicada 3301 mystery and its surrounding community as an online form of religious expression. Ultimately, it is argued that the mystery offers an insight into how philosophical notions of identity and communication interface with spiritual notions of enlightenment and transcendence through the experience of cybertechnology.

ГНОСТИЧЕСКИЙ ХАРАКТЕР БОГОСЛОВИЯ В.И. ЛОПУХИНА

The purpose of the study is to determine the features and orientation of gnostic character of V.I. Lopu-khin's theology.In the article, the author reveals the problems of the gnosticism influence on V.I. Lopu-khin’s masonic doctrine about the inner church. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehen-sive analysis of V.I. Lopukhin’s works. As a result, the ecclesiological, soteriological and ethical aspects of the main works of the prominent Moscow Martinist, the author reveals a deep interconnection between Masonic and Gnostic ideas and indicates the peculiarities of the concept of “two churches” development in Russian religious and philosophical discourse of the late 19th – 20th centuries.

THEOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAMIC MYSTICISM AND GNOSTICISM

In this paper, the similarities between the Gnostic and Islamic mystic beliefs about “Knowledge” (Ma‘refat) will be considered. The aim is to answer the question of whether they share a common view of divine knowledge. For this purpose, first Gnosticism and its ideas will be clarified. Second, a brief history of Islamic Mysticism will be presented. Then, in light of the evolution path of such beliefs, the main principles of both cults about the Gnosis and Mysticism will be reconsidered. The methodology of this study is based on a comparative study, by analyzing Islamic mystical books and Gnostic texts. Through the study of mystical books, the traditions and beliefs of the early mystics, in this case, are stated, and some examples from the Gnostic books about the Gnosis and mystical knowledge are mentioned. The comparative study of these two religions revealed that they have many similarities in points of view to “knowledge”. Similarities between Islamic mysticism and Gnosticism are so much that some believe that the theory of divine knowledge in the minds of Muslim Sufis originates from Gnostic ideas. But this claim cannot be completely true and the Gnostic beliefs have only had influences on it.

The Corrupted “Wheel of Life”: An Essay on the Ouroboros

The focus of this article is a symbolic image often found in world mythology - a giant snake or a dragon biting its own tail. This image is usually denoted by the Greek word “ouroboros” ( οὐροβόρος ), which means literally “eating its own tail.” This essay is devoted to an interpretation of this symbol, which the author sees as leading to the much broader topic of human unfreedom and the forms that this unfreedom takes. The first section deals with the unique features of Gnosticism which have made it appealing in extremely varied times and situations. Theauthor’s reflections start from understanding the Gnostic worldview as an expression of apprehensiveness about the radical otherworldliness of the human spirit and its alienation from the universe. The second section deals with the symbolism of the ouroboros and its place in Gnostic conceptual schemes as a reference to the closed cycle of nature that enslaves the human spirit. The third section attempts to decipher layer by layer the Gnostic conceptions associated with the ouroboros. Various levels of interpretation are identified: literal, mythological-magical, psychological-ascetic and socio-political. In the fourth section, the author connects Gnostic ideas with Christianity by interpreting St. Paul’s Epistles, particularly his ideas concerning rulers and authorities. The place occupied by the ouroboros in the Christian universe is analyzed. The last section relies on the ideas of René Girard, Jacques Lacan and Alain Badiou to illustrate the manifestations of the ouroboros in different dimensions of human existence, both individual and collective, with special emphasis on human desire and its futile circlings.

A Tale of Light and Darkness: Martin Buber’s Gnostic Canon and the Birth of Theopolitics

The current article revisits the tenuous relationship between Martin Buber’s conception of divine rule on earth (theopolitics) with Carl Schmitt’s famous notion of political theology, by underscoring their shared, though diametrically opposed interest in Gnostic ideas. Based on a reading of Buber’s heretofore unpublished lectures on Judaism and Christianity, the study outlines the nexus between the German tradition of scientific research, religious ideology and political visions, in order to show that Buber’s treatment of Gnosticism in the lectures is belied by an implicit critique of Schmitt’s dualistic distinction between friend and foe that legitimizes the subversion of liberal democracy. The Gnostic canon that Buber identifies in certain parts of the New Testament is shown to be based on the very same scientific research that fed Schmitt’s fascination with Gnostic teachings.

Warkocz. Transgresje Leśmiana

Zawarte w tym artykule interpretacje dotyczą motywu warkocza, który pojawia się w różnych formach gatunkowych pisarstwa Bolesława Leśmiana. Część pierwsza wprowadza w jego najważniejsze znaczenia symboliczne: wyjątkowej wartości – odpowiadającej mowie wiązanej, sztuce poetyckiej – a jednocześnie transgresji i zespolenia pozoru z prawdą. Wątki te rozwijane są w kolejnym podrozdziale, uzasadniającym twierdzenie, że za pośrednictwem przedstawień warkocza Leśmian ironicznie ukazuje paradoksalność bytu, jako splotu fantazji z realnością. Myśl poety zostaje w tej partii objaśniona koncepcją farmakonu Jacques’a Derridy. Następna część artykułu prezentuje Leśmianowskie istoty transgresywne – kobiety z warkoczami i same warkocze, obrazujące, że symbolizowana przez nie poezja stanowi wartość, która jest przemianą, „pieśnią bez słów”, naruszaniem granic i połączeniem sprzeczności. Zestawienie tych wątków z ideami gnostyckimi, kontynuowane w dalszym wyodrębnionym fragmencie, nakłada się na ukazanie powiązań twórczości Leśmiana z formułą ironii romantycznej, szczególnie w ujęciu Friedricha Schlegla. Parabazie, autoironicznym tropom i wyobrażeniu „bezsłownej melodii” poświęcone są końcowe interpretacje, zmierzające do wniosku, że warkocz jest w dziełach Leśmiana figurą niewyrażalnej tajemnicy bytu, a zarazem symbolizuje poezję, ironię i fantazję.

“Prisoners of the Earth, come out”: Links and Parallels between William Burroughs’s Writing and Gnostic Thought

William Burroughs’s works are rarely read in relation to any religious context. I would like to present a correspondence between the vision that emerges from his Nova Trilogy and some of the most popular Gnostic ideas. In the cut-up trilogy, mankind is left alone, trapped in a hostile cosmos ruled by antihuman forces. Through the manipulation of words and images, Demiurge-like agents spread their control over an illusory reality. Like Gnostics, Burroughs envisions the physical world, and also the body, as a prison to the transcendent spirit. To him, one way of escape is through cut-ups. The writer shows that by breaking away from arbitrary notions and a routine mode of thinking, one can attain gnosis — saving knowledge. Burroughs creates his own mythology which, like Gnostic teachings, promotes the ideas of self-knowledge, internal transformation and transcendence.

Dialogue in the Library: Jorge Luis Borges’s “The Circular Ruins” and His Re-reading of Gnostic Myths

Abstract Taking Jorge Luis Borges’s short story “The Circular Ruins” as a starting point, the current article assesses the presence of gnostic ideas in the work of the Argentinian author. After pondering the context and sources for Borges’s knowledge of gnosticism, and providing an overview of different Borgesian short stories that include gnostic motifs, it focuses on an analysis of several central notions in “The Circular Ruins.” A comparison between ancient and modern interpretations serves to evaluate the new meaning that gnostic motifs acquire in the literary framework created by the Argentinian writer. It concludes that Borges’s reception and re-elaboration of gnostic thought helps him both to express some of his central philosophical preoccupations and to update these ancient myths, making them accessible for modern readers.

나그함마디 문서가 영지주의 사상과 신약성서 연구에 주는 의미와 도전

나그함마디 문서가 영지주의 사상과 신약성서 연구에 주는 의미와 도전

A Critical Analysis of the Concept of “Gnosticism” in Polish Literary Studies

Abstract In Polish literary-historical criticism, the concept of Gnosticism has been used most frequently as a hermeneutical category that makes it possible to understand better the oeuvre of authors from Central and Eastern Europe. Polish scholars have successfully identified (neo)gnostic ideas present in the works of Jerzy Hulewicz, Tadeusz Miciński, and Franz Kafka. By referring to the works of Hans Jonas, Kurt Rudolph, and Jerzy Prokopiuk, many of them, unfortunately, have reproduced stereotypes on Gnosticism. In light of more recent studies on Gnosticism, the conclusions of their inquiries have become problematic. The main goal of this paper, therefore, is to highlight the most common errors present in the examination of Polish literary scholars from the perspective of Gnostic studies, as well as the inaccuracies in their methodology that stem from outdated scholarly materials.

The Influence of Ancient Gnostic ideas on Christology in the Gnostic texts of the New Testament

The Influence of Ancient Gnostic ideas on Christology in the Gnostic texts of the New Testament

The Gnostic Influence on Moby-Dick

Herman Melville’s masterpiece titled Moby-Dick explores in its themes and characterizations many aspects of various religions. Gnosticism, in fact, plays a crucial role in many of Melville’s works; specifically, he was fascinated with how Gnostic principles could explain the existence of evil in the world. Melville first came into contact with Gnosticism through Bayle’s and Norton’s writings, which led to his incorporation of Gnostic thinking and allusions in Moby-Dick. Examination of the influences of Bayle and Norton on Melville’s thought and discussion of Gnostic ideas and their expression in particular in the characterization of Ahab in Moby-Dick reveal the influence of Gnoticism on Melville and the cruciality of that influence in Moby-Dick.

Contemporary reception of gnosis in Poland: Jerzy Prokopiuk and the quest for spirituality

While discussing gnosis in contemporary Polish culture, it is impossible to overlook the figure of Jerzy Prokopiuk (born 1931). But Prokopiuk’s body of work should not be judged solely on the merit of his prolific publishing and popularising activity, as one should also take into consideration his spiritual, intellectual and gnostic explorations, as well as how they contributed to the historical reception of gnostic ideas in Poland. This is why this paper will seek to present Prokopiuk’s views on the essence of God, the nature of the world, and the human phenomenon.

Cain as the Scion of Satan: The Evolution of a Gnostic Myth in theZohar

The relationship between kabbalistic thought and ancient gnostic ideas has been debated by numerous scholars. Early on, Gershom Scholem argued that the rise of kabbalah represents the “reappearance, in the heart of Judaism, of thegnostic tradition.” In his wake, Isaiah Tishby has posited that the concept of thesĕfirot“emerge[d] and develop[ed] from a historico-literary contact with the remnants of Gnosticism, which were preserved over a period of many generations in certain Jewish circles, until they found their way to the early Kabbalists.” Joseph Dan, on the other hand, maintains that “historical connections” must not be confused with “phenomenological similarities.” There is no evidence for the existence of the former, in his opinion; all that may be claimed is a typological correspondence between gnostic ideas and medieval Jewish kabbalistic mysticism. Moshe Idel likewise claims that some early Jewish motifs penetrated gnostic texts at the same time they continued to flourish within Jewish circles until they finally found form in medieval kabbalah. Yehuda Liebes has adopted a corresponding view, although he makes fruitful exegetical use of the relationship and parallels between various gnostic and Jewish sources. The issue thus remains firmly on the academic agenda.

Coin-Operated Doors and God

In this paper, I use classic scholarship on Gnosticism, as well as Dick's later works and Exegesis, to highlight the many Gnostic elements in Ubik. These include the lower realm of half-life, the battle between benevolent force interceding from outside and malevolent one controlling the realm from within, the strange forms of the Manifestations of Runciter, and the nature of Ubik itself. I show how Dick forged new worldview—postmodern Gnosticism—by calling attention to his medium and, unlike classic Gnosticism, never fully trusting any definite resolution of his perennial question, What is real? This discussion also sheds surprising light on how Dick reflected on his own work as he reread his earlier books after his religious experiences of 1974. His shock at how well Ubik in particular had anticipated Gnostic ideas and his own epiphanies led him to entertain the possibility that it was a form of scripture, hidden from the malicious rulers of this world and even from himself.

Wczesna poezja Wata i Miłosza – w kręgu myśli i symboliki gnostyckiej

Summary The interwar verse of Aleksander Wat and Czesław Miłosz provides us with ample proof that both poets came to share a pessimism about the future course of European civilization. That belief led them both to develop a sympathy with the political left and, at the same time, an interest in religion. The shift to the left, however, was arrested as soon it became clear to them that this worldview offered no solution to the problem of evil in the world. Nor were they satisfied with the traditional answer to the question unde malum? that could be found in European culture rooted in its Catholic heritage. Having reached that point both poets turned to Gnosticism, a system of thought to which the problem of metaphysical evil is absolutely central. It is that philosophy and its rich symbolism that supplied them with a number of motifs to express their vision of the decline and fall of civilization. The article traces and analyzes the Gnostic ideas, motifs, images and symbols that express and give shape to the pessimistic vision of both Wat and Miłosz. It also argues that their ‘iconoclastic’ attitude which manifests itself among others in polemical reinterpretations of Old Testament texts is a consequence of their fascination with the Gnostic worldview.