Gnosticism: Difference between revisions

This is a sect that grew out of Gnostic beliefs in France. There are two major theories as to where they came from--the first is that Gnosticism spread into France very early on, the second being it was brought back by Crusader knights who were influenced by Sufism and other Holy Land mystical faiths. Either way, Catharism became very influential in southern France and amassed a fair amount of wealth, castles, and prestige. This development eventually came to challenge the Catholic Church, who felt threatened by the purity and poverty vows that many Cathars took. For those who were bugged by how the Catholics didn't burn other similar monasteries and condemn [[Word of God|Jesus]]' encouragement of such, remember in those days the Catholic Church was exceedingly corrupt and irrational, and the Cathar ascetics were making them look rather bad. So, the usual campaign of book burning and priest killing was embarked upon with the usual devastating consequences.

 

* [[Above Good and Evil]] : The difference between the side is more defined as Chaos (Monad and Eons) Order (Demiurge and Archons)! The Chaotic side is [[Chaotic Good]] (Valentinianism) or [[Chaotic Neutral]](several sects). The Orderly side is [[Lawful Evil]] (most sects) or [[Lawful Neutral]] (as in Valentinianism).

** To quote the Gnostic Gospel of Philip:

* [[Unreliable Narrator]]: Heresiologists. The finds at Nag Hammadi showed they got a lot of the cosmology right (though they went out of their way to make it sound stupid).

 

Many recent works, especially those of a [[Post Modern|postmodernist]] and [[Existentialism|existentialist]] bent, reflect Gnostic influences (whether unconsciously or intentional). Characteristic, though not always, of the Gnostic worldview are vast (and often contradictory) cosmologies, uncertainty, unreliable narrators, and the value of personal interpretation. Protagonists slowly come to the realization that the world is not quite what it seems--they are privy to secret, inside information about reality. Due to the reliance on personal revelation implicit in Gnosticism, it is not surprising when multiple narratives tell the same story without quite lining up. Reason is presented as but one tool that humans can use to understand the world, but logical reasoning is not the whole truth. Examples may range from containing some elements/influences to outright endorsement/promotion. These include:

 

== [[Anime]] and Manga ==