What is the difference between Christian Mysticism and Christian Gnosticism? What do
I want to know because I've been a mystic for a long time and a gnostic told me It's the same thing. And please, if anyone comes on here that claims to be a Christian and says something on the lines as "there is no such thing as Christian ______".
Well, I'm going to report you. You're not God, and you're only human, so there is no point in telling me what does exists and what doesn't exist. We act by faith alone and you can't control what is unseen. I stand for my beliefs and I am asking you a question. I had this problem last night, so I want it to be known. I did not receive any answers, only opinions insulting all sides.
Also I wanted to know if there are any more "rules" I should know according to Christian Gnosticism, besides don't eat pork and keep your head covered.
No KL, I'm asking for the facts. NOT the opinions.
I don't know Lisa.. Lil.. and thank you Miguel
...Again, FACTS!!!! NOT OPINIONS. I do NOT care about your opinions and what you disagree with, and what you don't. I didn't ask that. I asked,
what is the difference between the two? Are you capable of reading the question and answering it correctly?
Gnosticism might be considered a form of mysticism, but not all mystics are Gnostic. Mysticism seems to mean anything and everything these days (the word has been used by everyone from New Age practitioners to traditional ascetics), so you would need to define it more clearly.
However, I want to say that there is no such thing as Christian Gnosticism; it's been opposed to the Christian message from the start (denying many central doctrines, including variously the physical resurrection of Jesus; the creation of the universe by God; the existence of the one God and none other; salvation by grace, not knowledge; etc.).
I'm not sure what this 'new age' teaching is you're talking about but I would like to comment....
The Gnostic Bibles (Bible comes from the Greek word Biblio which means 'book') were written approximately 300 years after the death of Jesus. They were discounted as writings by people that didn't know him at all. Maybe they heard stories of him handed down and wrote down their thoughts, but they were discredited for a simple reason... they did not know Jesus.
The original followers of Jesus were referred to as 'the Way'. They adopted the word Christ-i-ans because the word means people that are trying to be LIKE Christ.
They were not Jesusians. Jesus was a common name like Joshua. The word 'Christ' is the Greek form of the Jewish word Messiah... it has a definite meaning.... it means deliverer, Savior, anointed, lord.... So we are not following just a guy.... we are following a man we acknowledge as being much more than just a man. The same man who loves us so much that he washes our feet....
Just so you know: threatening people is a reportable offense according to yahoo's rules of conduct.
Christian Mysticism centers around spirituality, while Christian Gnosticism refers to knowledge. Neither is mainstream Christianity, and only certain sects require not eating pork or covering ones head.
It's not quite the same. Mysticism is the attempt to experience supernatural realities without necessarily understanding them. The goal of Gnosticism is specific, supernatural knowledge. Similar methods may be employed, but the expectations are different. It's something like the difference between living with someone and learning how to imitate someone.
Of course, the problem with Gnosticism is that one can't objectively verify supernatural "knowledge", so one is tempted to align ones "wisdom" with what other Gnostics have "learned". The most common teachings of Gnosticism are that worldly, fleshly things and acts are false, while spiritual, ascetic things are true. So things like sex, heavy foods and generally enjoying corporeal life are evil. This stems from the mythology about the Demiurge, the false "god" who created the material world, in opposition to the true, spiritual God and his emissaries, Jesus and Sophia, who model and promote "transcendence" above the desires and pleasures of carnal life. Attempts at this "transcendence" can resemble meditation and contemplation, but the motivation is essentially selfish, and the guiding myths are assumptions based on a biased interpretation of Jewish scriptures.
On the other hand, a mystic properly has no preconceptions about how God operates, and simply attempts to humbly suppress his own thoughts in the presence of whatever he experiences. A mystic does not attempt to acquire or comprehend a mystery, only to immerse himself in it.
What is the difference between Christian Mysticism and Christian Gnosticism? What do
