Gnosticism etymology

Etymology

The term "Gnosticism" is derived from the Greek word γνῶσις (gnōsis), meaning "knowledge" or "insight." The term was first used by the Neoplatonic philosopher Plotinus in the 3rd century CE to refer to a particular type of spiritual knowledge based on direct experience of the divine.

Meaning

Gnosticism is a collective term for a variety of religious and philosophical movements that flourished in the early centuries of Christianity. Gnostics believed that true salvation came not from faith in Jesus Christ, but from the acquisition of secret knowledge (gnōsis) that revealed the hidden truths about God, the creation, and the human soul.

Origin

Gnosticism emerged in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE in the Hellenistic world, particularly in Egypt, Syria, and Asia Minor. It drew on elements from various religious traditions, including Platonism, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism.

Key Beliefs

Gnostic beliefs varied widely, but they typically shared the following core elements:

• Dualism: The world is divided into two realms, the material and the spiritual. The material world is created by a lesser deity, the Demiurge, and is inherently evil.
• The Fall: Humans have fallen from a state of original perfection due to the influence of the Demiurge.
• Alien God: The Old Testament God is not the true God but a false deity or the Demiurge.
• The Spark: Humans possess a divine spark or seed that connects them to the true God.
• Gnosis: Salvation is achieved through the acquisition of secret knowledge (gnōsis) that reveals the true nature of the universe and the path to redemption.
• Asceticism: Many Gnostics believed that the material world was inherently evil and practiced asceticism, abstaining from physical pleasures and desires.

Relationship to Christianity

Gnosticism challenged the orthodoxy of early Christianity, which emphasized salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Many Gnostic groups were considered heretical by the Church and were condemned as such. However, some Gnostic ideas, such as the emphasis on spiritual knowledge and the dualistic worldview, influenced later Christian theology and mysticism.

Gnosticism relate terms

• gnostic

  Etymology The word gnostic is derived from the Ancient Greek word gnōstikos which m

• agnostic

  Etymology From Ancient Greek ἀ a without γνῶσις gnōsis knowledge

• heresy

  Etymology The word heresy is derived from the Old French hérésie which in turn co

• cinema

  Etymology The word cinema is derived from the Greek word kinēma κίνημα mea

• osmosis

  Etymology Greek ὠσμός ōsmós meaning pushing thrusting impulse Meaning

• scarlet

  Etymology Middle English scarlet from Old French escarlate from Late Latin scarlatum

• vampire

  Etymology The term vampire derives from the following languages French vampire

• fate

  Etymology The word fate comes from the Latin word fatum which means prophecy or d

• conservative

  Etymology Late Middle English in the sense disposed to preserve existing institutio

• hail

  Etymology The word hail comes from the Proto Germanic root hagul meaning hailstone