Gnosis
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"That the seeds of the Gnosis were originally of Indian growth, and carried westward by the influence of that vast Buddhist movement, which in the fifth century before our era had overspread all the East from Thibet to Ceylon, was hinted at by Matter, and became apparent to me on a very slight acquaintance with the fundamental doctrines of Indian theosophy. To shew this, the two systems in their two most perfected forms, that of Valentinus and that of the Nepaulese Buddhists, are briefly described and confronted; and throughout innumerable points of analogy will be found indicated."--The Gnostics and Their Remains (1864) by Charles William King |
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Gnosis (from one of the Greek words for knowledge, γνώσις) is the spiritual knowledge of a saint or mystically enlightened human being. In the cultures of the term (Byzantine and Hellenic) gnosis was a special knowledge or insight into the infinite, divine and uncreated in all and above all, rather than knowledge strictly into the finite, natural or material world which is called Epistemological knowledge. Gnosis is a transcendent as well as mature understanding. It indicates direct spiritual experiential knowledge and intuitive knowledge, rather than that from rational or reasoned thinking.
In the formation of early Christianity, various sectarian groups, labeled "gnostics" by their opponents, emphasised spiritual knowledge (gnosis) over faith (pistis) in the teachings of the established community of Christians. These sectarians considered the most essential part of the process of salvation to be this personal knowledge, in contrast to faith in ecclesiastical authority. These break away groups were branded heretics by the fathers of the early church due to teaching antinomianism. The knowledge of these sectarian groups is contested by Eastern Orthodox theology as knowledge devired from religio-philosophical systems rather than knowledge derived from revelation as insight (noesis) coming from faith.
As such the gnostic sects made a duality out of the difference between noesis (insight) and pistis (faith).
