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Agnosticm would be neither for nor against Gnosticism -- any more than they're for or against Aesop's Fables or Homer's The Odyssey or Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy! They're not going to *believe* in the ancient Gnostic mythology any more than they'll believe in the Greek or Hindu mythology.
Not all Gnostics were Christians, though many were. There were Jewish Gnostics that weren't Christian. Sri Aurobindo could certainly be called a Hindu Gnostic. The Trismegistic literature is a form of ancient Greek Gnosticism that was not Christian.
Dean Edwards has written one of the best summations of Gnosticism that I've seen.
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GNOSIS-OVERVIEW
c 1994 Dean Edwards
Gnosis comes from a Greek word meaning 'to know' in the sense of 'to be acquainted'. Gnosis in a more specific religious sense refers to the knowledge of God and the fullness of the true spiritual realms through direct personal experience. Similar terms are jnana (Sanskrit) and ma'rifat (Arabic). A gnostic is someone who has had such an experience or who has been initiated into a tradition which provides access to such personal revelations. (Please note that as a term 'jnana' should not be confused with jnana yoga, which as a system of yoga is also concerned with the study of knowledge rather than the topic of gnosis as in 'direct acquaintance or experience. The true or 'sat' jnana, while it can be discussed or written about, has its real value in direct experience.)
Gnosis is not simply a synonym for mysticism, paranormal, occult, metaphysics, esoteric or knowledge. It is a distinct category of mystical experience beyond the physical or psychic levels of being. (Psychic experiences, such as speaking in tongues, are not considered to be an experience of gnosis.)
A gnostic religious-philosophical movement flourished during the first several centuries of the current era. During the Second Century C.E., a series of systems of gnosis emerged in Alexandria and the ancient Mediterranean world. These systems, most of which were associated with early Christianity are usually referred to by historians of religion by the term "Gnosticism". When Gnosticism is used in this document, it is with that meaning in mind. 'Gnosis' and 'gnostic' retain their broader meanings.
Gnostic practices and ideas have long been present within many, if not most, religious and spiritual traditions. What occurred in the Second Century C.E. was the emergence of gnostic systems which focused on gnosis itself as the goal around which these early (classical) Gnostics formed their own approaches to spirituality.
There would seem to have always been traditions of secret knowledge within various religious systems. What is referred to here was the emergence of systems in which gnosis itself was the principal goal and experience. In these systems it was not just another thread in a larger tradition.
The effects of the presence of Gnosticism as a systematized religious and spiritual practice were felt throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa. These effects continue to be felt today. While much of the focus in gnostic studies has been with the early Christian forms of gnosis, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist, pagan and other forms are also present in the historical and contemporary record. An active academic debate about the origins of Gnosticism and gnosis is a major focus for many scholars. The discussion and study of gnosis as an approach to spirituality cannot be easily tied to any single religion.
Gnosis involves direct "knowledge" and experience of the sacred, rather than relying exclusively on faith, belief or study of sacred texts. The gnostic (Arabic: 'arif) draws upon this inner experience and knowledge to describe the origin and true nature of all things.
The world is often seen as a training ground or prison for Soul as it seeks spiritual liberation, a return to its true home in the Pleroma or realms of pure spirit beyond the physical and psychic regions of matter, emotion and the mind. The true nature of Soul is as a divine spark which originally issued forth from the fountain- head of God. Gnostic traditions often teach that only through the intercession of a messenger from the pure spiritual realms can the Soul become acquainted with God. The original Greek word 'gnosis', as noted above, meant knowledge in terms of being 'acquainted with'. The gnostic in any form is a 'friend of God'.
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