05 chapter 2 - the meaning of gnosis and the extent of the gnostic movement

8/12/2019 05 Chapter 2 - The Meaning of Gnosis and the Extent of the Gnostic Movement

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Chapter 2. The Meaning of Gnosis and

the Extent of the Gnostic Movement

(a) SPIRITUAL CLIMATE OF THE ERA

At the beginning of the Christian era and progressivel

thro!gho!t the t"o follo"ing #ent!ries$ the eastern Mediterranean

"orld "as in profo!nd spirit!al fer%ent& The genesis of Christian'

it itself and the response to its %essage are eviden#e of this fer'

%ent$ b!t the do not stand alone& (ith regard to the environ%entin "hi#h Christianit originated$ the re#entl dis#overed )ead Sea

S#rolls have added po"erf!l s!pport to the vie"$ reasonabl #ertain

before$ that Palestine "as seething "ith es#hatologi#al *i&e&$ salva'

tional+ %ove%ents and that the e%ergen#e of the Christian se#t "as

anthing b!t an isolated in#ident& In the tho!ght of the %anifold

gnostic se#ts "hi#h soon began to spring !p ever"here in the "a,e

of the Christian e-pansion$ the spirit!al #risis of the age fo!nd its

boldest e-pression and$ as it "ere$ its e-tre%ist representation& The

abstr!seness of their spe#!lations$ in part intentionall provo#ative$does not di%inish b!t rather enhan#es their s%boli# representative'

ness for the tho!ght of an agitated period& .efore narro"ing do"n

o!r investigation to the parti#!lar pheno%enon of /nosti#is%$ "e

%!st briefl indi#ate the %ain feat!res that #hara#teri0e this #on'

te%porar tho!ght as a "hole&

First$ all the pheno%ena "hi#h "e noted in #onne#tion "ith

the 1oriental "ave1 are of a de#idedl religious nat!re2 and this$ as

"e have repeatedl stated$ is the pro%inent #hara#teristi# of the

se#ond phase of Hellenisti# #!lt!re in general Se#ond all these


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se#ond phase of Hellenisti# #!lt!re in general Se#ond all these

/7OSTIC LITERATURE4MAI7 TE7ETS$ S8M.OLIC LA7/UA/E

#onse3!entl an e-tre%e polari0ation of e-isten#e affe#ting not onl

%an b!t realit as a "hole9 the general religion of the period is a

dualistic transcendent religion of salvation.

(b) THE 7AME 1/7OSTICISM1

T!rning to /nosti#is% in parti#!lar$ "e as, "hat the na%e

%eans$ "here the %ove%ent originated$ and "hat literar eviden#e

it left& The name 1/nosti#is%$1 "hi#h has #o%e to serve as a #olle#'

tive heading for a %anifoldness of se#tarian do#trines appearing

"ithin and aro!nd Christianit d!ring its #riti#al first #ent!ries$ is

derived fro%gnosis , the /ree, "ord for 1,no"ledge&1 The e%pha'

sis on no!ledge as the %eans for the attain%ent of salvation$ or

even as the for% of salvation itself$ and the #lai% to the possession

of this ,no"ledge in one:s o"n arti#!late do#trine$ are #o%%on fea'

t!res of the n!%ero!s se#ts in "hi#h the gnosti# %ove%ent his'tori#all e-pressed itself& A#t!all there "ere onl a fe" gro!ps

"hose %e%bers e-pressl #alled the%selves /nosti#s$ 1the ;no"ing

ones12 b!t alread Irenae!s$ in the title of his "or,$ !sed the na%e

1gnosis1 *"ith the addition 1falsel so #alled1+ to #over all those

se#ts that shared "ith the% that e%phasis and #ertain other #hara#'

teristi#s& In this sense "e #an spea, of gnosti# s#hools$ se#ts$ and

#!lts$ of gnosti# "ritings and tea#hings$ of gnosti# %ths and spe#!'

lations$ even of gnosti# religion in general&

In follo"ing the e-a%ple of the an#ient a!thors "ho first e-'

tended the na%e beond the self'stling of a fe" gro!ps$ "e are not

obliged to stop "here their ,no"ledge or pole%i#al interest did

and %a treat the ter% as a #lass'#on#ept$ to be applied "hereverthe defining properties are present& Th!s the e-tent of the gnosti#

area #an be ta,en as narro"er or broader$ depending on the #ri'

terion e%ploed& The Ch!r#h Fathers #onsidered /nosti#is% as

essentiall a Christian heres and #onfined their reports and ref!ta'

tions to sste%s "hi#h either had spro!ted alread fro% the soil of

Christianit *e&g&$ the !dg%ent %!st be reserved pending the

translation of the vast bod of %aterial& 6So%e #onne#tion of /nos'

ti#is% "ith the beginnings of the #abbala has in an #ase to be as'

s!%ed$ "hatever the order of #a!se and effe#t& The violentl anti'

=e"ish bias of the %ore pro%inent gnosti# sste%s is b itself not

in#o%patible "ith =e"ish hereti#al origin at so%e distan#e& Inde'6See Chapt& 6?&

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Regarding the #ase %ade o!t for a preponderan#e of Helleni# infl!en#e$ %!#h depends on ho" the #r!#ial #on#ept of 1,no"ledge1 is to be !nderstood inthis #onte-t&

'd) THE 7ATURE OF /7OSTIC 1;7O(LE)/E11;no"ledge1 is b itself a p!rel for%al ter% and does not spe#if !hat is to be ,no"n2 neither does it spe#if the ps#hologi#al %anner and

s!b>e#tive signifi#an#e of possessing ,no"ledge or the "as in "hi#h it is a#3!ired& As for !hat the ,no"ledge is abo!t$ the asso#iations of theter% %ost fa%iliar to the #lassi#all trained reader point to rational ob>e#ts$ and a##ordingl to nat!ral reason as the organ for a#3!iring andpossessing ,no"ledge& In the gnosti# #onte-t$ ho"ever$ 1,no"ledge1 has an e%phati#all religio!s or s !pranat!ral %eaning and refers to ob>e# ts"hi#h "e no"adas sho!ld #all those of faith rather than of reason& 7o" altho!gh the relation bet"een faith and no!ledge ("istis andgnosis) be#a%e a %a>or iss!e in the Ch!r#h bet"een the gnosti# hereti#s and the orthodo-$ this "as not the %odern iss!e bet"een faith and reason"ith "hi#h "e are fa%iliar2 for the 1,no"ledge of the /nosti#s "ith "hi#h si%ple Christian faith "as #ontrasted "hether in praise or bla%e "asnot of the rational ,ind& Gnosis %eant pre'e%inentl ,no"ledge of God, and fro% "hat "e have said abo!t the radi#al trans#enden#e of the deitit follo"s that 1,no"ledge of /od1 is the ,no"ledge of so%ething nat!rall !n,no"able and therefore itself not a nat!ral #ondition& Its ob>e#tsin#l!de everthing tha t belongs to the divine real% of being$ na%el$ the order and histor of the !pper "orlds$ and "hat is to iss!e fro% it$na%el$ the salvation of %an& (ith ob>e#ts of this ,ind$ ,no"ledge as a %ental a#t is vastl different fro% the rational #ognition of philosoph& On theone hand it is #losel bo!nd !p "ith revelationar e-perien#e$ so that rece"tion of the tr!th either


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MEANING OF GNOSIS AND EXTENT OF GNOSTIC MOVEMENT

thro!gh sa#red and se#ret lore or thro!gh inner ill!%ination repla#es rational arg!%ent and theor *tho!gh this e-tra'rational basis %a then provides#ope for independent spe#!lation+2 on the other hand$ being #on#erned "ith the se#rets of salvation$ 1,no"ledge1 is not >!st theoreti#al infor%ationabo!t #ertain things b!t is itself$ as a %odifi#ation of the h!%an #ondition$ #harged "ith perfor%ing a f!n#tion in the bringing abo!t of salvation& Th!sgnosti# 1,no"ledge1 has an e%inentl pra#ti#al aspe#t& The !lti%ate 1ob>e#t1 of gnosis is /od9 its event in the so!l transfor%s the ,no"er hi%self b

%a,ing hi% a parta,er in the divine e-isten#e *"hi#h %eans %ore than assi%ilating hi% to the divine essen#e+& Th!s in the %ore radi#al sste%s li,ethe e#t of ,no"ledge is the !niversal$ and the #ognitive relation is 1opti#al$1 i&e&$an analog!e of the vis!al relation to ob>e#tive for% that re%ains !naffe#ted b the relation& /nosti# 1,no"ledge1 is abo!t the parti#!lar *for thetrans#endent deit is still a parti#!lar+$ and the relation of ,no"ing is %!t!al$ i&e&$ a being ,no"n at the sa%e ti%e$ and involving a#tive self'div!lgen#e on the part of the 1,no"n&1 There$ the %ind is 1infor%ed1 "ith the for%s it beholds and "hile it beholds *thin,s+ the%9 here$ the s!b>e#tis 1transfor%ed1 *fro% 1so!l1 to 1spirit1+ b the !nion "ith a realit that in tr!th is itself the s!pre%e s!b>e#t in the sit!ation and stri#tl spea,ing neveran ob>e#t at all&

These fe" preli%inar re%ar,s are s!ffi#ient to deli%itate the gnosti# tpe of 1,no"ledge1 fro% the idea of rational theor in ter%s of "hi#h /ree,philosoph had developed the #on#ept& 8et the s!ggestions of the ter% 1,no"ledge1 as s!#h$ reinfor#ed b the fa#t that /nosti#is% prod!#ed real thin,ers"ho !nfolded the #ontents of the se#ret 1,no"ledge1 in elaborate do#trinal sste%s and !sed abstra#t #on#epts$ often "ith philosophi#al ante#edents$ in

their e-position$ have favored a strong tenden# a%ong theologians and historians to e-plain /nosti#is% b the i%pa#t of the /ree, ideal of ,no"ledgeon the ne" religio!s for#es "hi#h #a%e to the


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5B GNOSTIC LITERATUREMAI7 TENETS, SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE MEA7I7/ OF /7OSIS AND EXTENT OF GNOSTIC MOVEMENT 37

fore at that ti%e$ and %ore espe#iall on the infan# of Christian

tho!ght& The gen!ine theoreti#al aspirations revealed in the higher

tpe of gnosti# spe#!lation$ bearing o!t as it see%ed the testi%on

of the earl Ch!r#h Fathers$ led Adolf von Harna#, to his fa%o!s

for%!lation that /nosti#is% "as 1the a#!te Helleni0ation of Chris'

tianit$1 "hile the slo"er and %ore %eas!red evol!tion of orthodo-

theolog "as to be regarded as its 1#hroni# Helleni0ation&1 The

%edi#al analog "as not %eant to designate Helleni0ation as s!#h

as a disease2 b!t the 1a#!te1 stage "hi#h provo,ed the rea#tion of

the health for#es in the organis% of the Ch!r#h "as !nderstoodas the hast and therefore disr!ptive anti#ipation of the sa%e pro#'

ess that in its %ore #a!tio!s and less spe#ta#!lar for% led to the

in#orporation of those aspe#ts of the /ree, heritage fro% "hi#h

Christian tho!ght #o!ld tr!l benefit& Perspi#a#io!s as this diagno'

sis is$ as a definition of /nosti#is% it falls short in both the ter%s

that %a,e !p the for%!la$ 1Helleni0ation1 and 1Christianit&1 It

treats /nosti#is% as a solel Christian pheno%enon$ "hereas s!b'

se3!ent resear#h has established its "ider range2 and it gives "a to

the Helleni# appearan#e of gnosti# #on#ept!ali0ation and of the

#on#ept ofgnosis itself$ "hi#h in fa#t onl thinl disg!ises a hetero'

geneo!s spirit!al s!bstan#e& It is the gen!ineness$ i&e&$ the !nderiva'

tive nat!re$ of this s!bstan#e that defeats all atte%pts at derivationthat #on#ern %ore than the o!ter shell of e-pression& Abo!t the idea

of 1,no"ledge$1 the great "at#h"ord of the %ove%ent$ it %!st be

e%phasi0ed that its ob>e#tifi#ation in arti#!late sste%s of tho!ght

#on#erning /od and the !niverse "as an a!tono%o!s a#hieve%ent

of this s!bstan#e$ not its s!b>e#tion to a borro"ed s#he%e of theor&

The #o%bination of the pra#ti#al$ salvational #on#ept of ,no"ledge

"ith its theoreti#al satisfa#tion in 3!asi'rational sste%s of tho!ght

4the rationali0ation of the s!pranat!ra l4"as tpi#al of the higher

for%s of /nosti#is% and gave rise to a ,ind of spe#!lation previ'

o!sl !n,no"n b!t never after"ards to disappear fro% religio!s

tho!ght&

8et Harna#,:s half'tr!th refle#ts a fa#t "hi#h is al%ost as inte'gral to the destin of the ne" oriental "isdo% as its original s!b'

stan#e9 the fa#t #alled b Spengler 1pse!do%orphosis1 to "hi#h "e

have all!ded before& If a different #rstalline s!bstan#e happens to

fill the hollo" left in a geologi#al laer b #rstals that have dis'

integrated$ it is for#ed b the %old to ta,e on a #rstal for% not its

o"n and "itho!t #he%i#al analsis "ill %islead the observer into

ta,ing it for a #rstal of the original ,ind& S!#h a for%ation is

#alled in %ineralog a 1pse!do%orphosis&1 (ith the inspired in'

t!ition that disting!ished hi%$ a%ate!r as he "as in the field$

Spengler dis#erned a si%ilar sit!ation in the period !nder vie" and

arg!ed that the re#ognition of it %!st govern the !nderstanding of

all its !tteran#es& A##ording to hi%$ disintegrating /ree, tho!ght is

the older #rstal of the si%ile$ Eastern tho!ght the ne" s!bstan#e

for#ed into its %old& Leaving aside the "ider histori#al vista "ithin"hi#h Spengler pla#es his observation$ it is a brilliant #ontrib!tion

to the diagnosis of a histori#al sit!ation and if !sed "ith dis#ri%ina'

tion #an greatl help o!r !nderstanding&

(e) SUR


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MEANING OF GNOSIS AND EXTENT OF GNOSTIC M OVEMENT

ti#e$ silen#e "as there #onsidered the %ore effe#tive "a of dealing "ith heres&

@& Finall$ the bran#h of*slamic literat!re that deals "ith the variet of religions$ late as it is$ #ontains val!able a##o!nts$ espe#iall of the Mani#haean religion b!talso of so%e %ore obs#!re gnosti# se#ts "hose "ritings had s!rvived into the Isla%i# period&

In lang!age these se#ondar so!r#es are /ree,$ Latin$ Hebre"$ Sria#$ and Arabi#&

&rimar or 1irect ources

These for the %ost part have #o%e to light onl sin#e the nineteenth #ent!r and are #onstantl being added to thro!gh fort!nate ar#haeologi#al finds& Thefollo"ing en!%eration is independent of order of origin and dis#over&

6& Of inesti%able val!e for the ,no"ledge of /nosti#is% o!t

side the Christian orbit are the sa#red boo,s of theMandaeans, ase#t "hi#h s!rvives in a fe" re%nants in the region of the lo"erE!phrates *the %odern Ira3+$ no less violentl anti'Christian thananti'=e"ish$ b!t in#l!ding a%ong its prophets =ohn the .aptist inopposition to and at the e-pense of Christ& This is the onl instan#eof the #ontin!ed e-isten#e of a gnosti# religion to the present da&The na%e is derived fro% the Ara%ai# manda, 1,no"ledge$1 sothat 1Mandaeans1 %eans literall 1/nosti#s&1 Their s#ript!res$ "ritten in an Ara%ai# diale#t #losel related to that of the Tal%!d$%a,e !p the largest #orp!s4"ith the possible e-#eption of the ne-tgro!p4of original gnosti# "ritings in o!r possession& It in#l!des%thologi#al and do#trinal treatises$ rit!al and %oral tea#hing$lit!rg$ and #olle#tions of h%ns and psal%s$ these last #ontainingso%e profo!ndl %oving religio!s poetr&

?& A #onstantl gro"ing gro!p of so!r#es is #onstit!ted b theChristian #o"tic-gnostic "ritings$ %ostl of the


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40 GNOSTIC LITERATUREMAIN TENETS, SYMBOLIC LANGUAGEMEANING OF GNOSIS AND EXTENT OF GNOSTIC MOVEMENT 6

the Copti#'gnosti# "ritings in o!r possession$ s!#h as the &istiso"hia and theoos of $eu, represented a rather lo" and degen'erate level of gnosti# tho!ght$ belonging to the de#lining stage ofthe Sophia spe#!lation& .!t latel *abo!t 6@+ a sensational find at

7ag'Ha%%adi *Chenobos,ion+ in Upper Egpt has bro!ght tolight a "hole librar of a gnosti# #o%%!nit$ #ontaining in Copti#translation fro% the /ree, hitherto !n,no"n "ritings of "hat %a

be ter%ed the 1#lassi#al1 phase of gnosti# literat!re9 a%ong the%one of the %a>or boo,s of the oed&+

5& Also in the Copti# lang!age is the librar of Manichaeanpapri dis#overed in Egpt in 65G$ the editing of "hi#h is still inprogress& )ating ba#, to the fo!rth #ent!r A&)&$ the ver badlpreserved #odi#es$ esti%ated at abo!t 5@GG pages$ have so far ieldedone of Mani:s o"n boo,s$ ,no"n before b title and$ li,e all his"ritings$ believed irretrievabl lost9 thee"halaia, i&e&$ 1Chapters12a *theD+&salm-oo3 of the earl Mani#haean #o%%!nit2 also

part of a #olle#tion of%omilies *ser%ons+ fro% the first generationafter Mani& .arring the )ead Sea S#rolls$ this find is easil thegreatest event for the histor of religion "hi#h ar#haeolog has

provided "ithin this generation& Li,e the Mandaean #orp!s$ theCopti# Mani#haean #orp!s #ontains do#trinal as "ell as poeti# %a'

terial& In this #ase the translation is pres!%abl fro% the Sria#$tho!gh the interposition of a /ree, translation #annot be r!led o!t&

& Another gro!p of original$ tho!gh later$ so!r#es for theMani#haean religion$ this ti%e in its Eastern for%$ is the so'#alledT!rfan frag%ents in Persian and T!r,ish$ fo!nd in e-plorationsat the oasis of T!rfan in Chinese T!r,estan at the beginning ofthis #ent!r2 to "hi#h %!st be added t"o Chinese te-ts also fo!ndin T!r,estan$ a h%n s#roll and a treatise 3!oted b the na%e ofits dis#overer and editor Pelliot& These do#!%ents4also not et

edited in f!ll4are eviden#e of the flo"ering of a gnosti# religionso far a"a as #entral Asia&

@& Longest ,no"n to (estern s#holars has been the #orp!s of/ree, "ritings attrib!ted to%ermes Trismegistus and often 3!otedas&oimandres, "hi#h stri#tl spea,ing is the na%e of the firsttreatise onl& The e-tant #orp!s$ first p!blished in the si-teenth#ent!r$ is the re%nant of an Egptian Hellenisti# literat!re ofrevelation$ #alled 1Her%eti#1 be#a!se of the sn#retisti# identifi#a'tion of the Egptian god Thoth "ith the /ree, Her%es& A n!%

ber of referen#es and 3!otations in late #lassi#al "riters$ both paganand Christian$ add to the so!r#es for Her%eti# tho!ght& Thisliterat!re$ not as a "hole b!t in #ertain portions$ refle#ts gnosti#

spirit& The sa%e goes for the #losel related alchemistic literat!reand so%e of the /ree, and Copti# magical "a"ri, "hi#h sho" anad%i-t!re of gnosti# ideas& The Her%eti#&oimandres treatiseitself$ in spite of so%e signs of =e"ish infl!en#e$ is to be regardedas a pri%e do#!%ent of independent pagan /nosti#is%&

B& There is$ finall$ gnosti# %aterial in so%e of the 7e" Testa%ent"ocr"ha, li,e the A#ts of Tho%as and the Odes of Solo%on4in both these #ases in the shape of poe%s "hi#h are a%ongthe finest e-pressions of gnosti# senti%ent and belief&

In ter%s of lang!age$ these original so!r#es are /ree,$ Copti#$Ara%ai#$ Persian$ T!r,ish$ and Chinese& *The ter% 1original1does not here e-#l!de an#ient translations$ li,e the T!r,ish andChinese and %ost of the Copti# do#!%ents&+

This s!rve gives so%e idea of the "ide geographi#al andling!isti# range of gnosti# so!r#es and the great variet of gnosti#gro!ps& A##ordingl "e #an spea, of the gnosti# do#trine onl as


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GNOSTIC LITERATUREMAIN TENETS, SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE

an abstra#tion& The leading /nosti#s displaed prono!n#ed intelle#t!al individ!alis%$ and the %thologi#al i%agination of the "hole %ove%ent "asin#essantl fertile& 7on'#onfor%is% "as al%ost a prin#iple of the gnosti# %ind and "as #losel #onne#ted "ith the do#trine of the sovereign 1spirit1 as aso!r#e of dire#t ,no"ledge and ill!%ination& Alread Irenae!s (dv. %aer. I& 6& 6+ observed that 1Ever da ever one of the% invents so%ething ne"&1The great sste% b!ilders li,e Ptole%ae!s$ .asilides$ Mani ere#ted ingenio!s and elaborate spe#!lative str!#t!res "hi#h are original #reations of individ!al%inds et at the sa%e ti%e variations and develop%ents of #ertain %ain the%es shared b all9 these together for% "hat "e %a #all the si%pler 1basi# %th&1On a less intelle#t!al level$ the sa%e basi# #ontent is #onveed in fables$ e-hortations$ pra#ti#al instr!#tions *%oral and %agi#al+$ h%ns$ and praers& In orderto help the reader to see the !nit of the "hole field before entering into the detailed treat%ent$ "e shall o!tline this 1basi# %th1 that #an be abstra#tedfro% the #onf!sing variet of the a#t!al %aterial&

*f+ A.STRACT OF MAI7 /7OSTIC TE7ETS

Theolog

The #ardinal feat!re of gnosti# tho!ght is the radi#al d!alis% that governs the relation of /od and "orld$ and #orrespondingl that of %an and "orld&The deit is absol!tel trans%!ndane$ its nat!re alien to that of the !niverse$ "hi#h it neither #reated nor governs and to "hi#h it is the #o%pleteantithesis9 to the divine real% of light$ self'#ontained and re%ote$ the #os%os is opposed as the real% of dar,ness& The "orld is the "or, of lo"l

po"ers "hi#h tho!gh the %a %ediatel be des#ended fro% Hi% do not ,no" the tr!e /od and obstr!#t the ,no"ledge of Hi% in the #os%os over"hi#h the r!le& The genesis of these lo"er po"ers$ the Ar#hons *r!lers+$ and in general that of all the orders of being o!tside /od$ in#l!ding the "orlditself$ is a %ain the%e of gnosti# spe#!lation$ of "hi#h "e shall give e-a%ples later& The trans#endent /od Hi%self is hidden fro% all #reat!res and is!n,no"able b nat!ral #on#epts& ;no"ledge of Hi% re3!ires s!pranat!ral

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MEANING OF GNOSIS AND EXTENT OF GNOSTIC MOVEMENT

revelation and ill!%ination and even then #an hardl be e-pressed other"ise than in negative ter%s&

#osmolog

The !niverse$ the do%ain of the Ar#hons$ is li,e a vast prison "hose inner%ost d!ngeon is the earth$ the s#ene of %an:s life& Aro!nd and above it the#os%i# spheres are ranged li,e #on#entri# en#losing shells& Most fre3!entl there are the seven spheres of the planets s!rro!nded b the eighth$ that of thefi-ed stars& There "as$ ho"ever$ a tenden# to %!ltipl the str!#t!res and %a,e the s#he%e %ore and %ore e-tensive9 .asilides #o!nted no fe"er than 5B@1heavens&1 The religio!s signifi#an#e of this #os%i# ar#hite#t!re lies in the idea that everthing "hi#h intervenes bet"een here and the beond serves toseparate %an fro% /od$ not %erel b spatial distan#e b!t thro!gh a#tive de%oni# for#e& Th!s the vast'ness and %!ltipli#it of the #os%i# sste%e-press the degree to "hi#h %an is re%oved fro% /od&

The spheres are the seats of the Ar#hons$ espe#iall of the 1Seven$1 that is$ of the planetar gods borro"ed fro% the .ablonian pantheon& It issignifi#ant that these are no" often #alled b Old Testa%ent na%es for /od *Iao$ Sabaoth$ Adonai$ Elohi%$ El Shaddai+$ "hi#h fro% being snon%sfor the one and s!pre%e /od are b this transposition t!rned into proper na%es of inferior de%oni# beings4an e-a%ple of the pe>orative reval!ation to"hi#h /nosti#is% s!b>e#ted an#ient traditions in general and =e"ish tradition in parti#!lar& The Ar#hons #olle#tivel r!le over the "orld$ and ea#hindivid!all in his sphere is a "arder of the #os%i# prison& Their tranni#al "orld'r!le is #alled heimarmene, !niversal Fate$ a #on#ept ta,en over fro%astrolog b!t no" tinged "ith the gnosti# anti'#os%i# spirit& In its phsi#al aspe#t this r!le is the la" of nat!re2 in its ps#hi#al aspe#t$ "hi#h in#l!des forinstan#e the instit!tion and enfor#e%ent of the Mosai# La"$ it ai%s at the enslave%ent of %an& As g!ardian of his sphere$ ea#h Ar#hon bars the passage tothe so!ls that see, to as#end after death$ in order to prevent their es#ape fro% the "orld and their ret!rn to /od& The Ar#hons are also the #reators ofthe "orld$ e-#ept "here this role is reserved for their leader$ "ho then has the na%e of demi-


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GNO6TIC LITERATUREMAIN TENETS, SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE MEANING OF GNOSIS AND EXTENT OF GNOSTIC MOVEMENT 47

of gathering in *a##ording to so%e sste%s+$ the #os%os$ deprived

of its ele%ents of light$ "ill #o%e to an end&

Moralit

In this life the "neumatics, as the possessors of gnosis #alled

the%selves$ are et apart fro% the great %ass of %an,ind& The

i%%ediate ill!%ination not onl %a,es the individ!al sovereign in

the sphere of ,no"ledge *hen#e the li%itless variet of gnosti#

do#trines+ b!t also deter%ines the sphere of a#tion& /enerall

spea,ing$ the pne!%ati# %oralit is deter%ined b hostilit to"ard

the "orld and #onte%pt for all %!ndane ties& Fro% this prin#iple$

ho"ever$ t"o #ontrar #on#l!sions #o!ld be dra"n$ and both fo!nd

their e-tre%e representatives9 the as#eti# and the libertine& Thefor%er ded!#es fro% the possession of gnosis the obligation to avoid

f!rther #onta%ination b the "orld and therefore to red!#e #onta#t

"ith it to a %ini%!%2 the latter derives fro% the sa%e possession

the privilege of absol!te freedo%& (e shall deal later "ith the

#o%ple- theor of gnosti# libertinis%& In this preli%inar a##o!nt

a fe" re%ar,s %!st s!ffi#e& The la" of 1Tho! shalt1 and 1Tho!

shalt not1 pro%!lgated b the Creator is >!st one %ore for% of the

1#os%i#1 trann& The san#tions atta#hing to its transgression #an

affe#t onl the bod and the ps#he& As the pne!%ati# is free fro%

the heimarmene, so he is free fro% the o,e of the %oral la"& To

hi% all things are per%itted$ sin#e the pne!%a is 1saved in its

nat!re1 and #an be neither s!llied b a#tions nor frightened b the

threat of ar#honti# retrib!tion& The pne!%ati# freedo%$ ho"ever$

is a %atter of %ore than %ere indifferent per%ission9 thro!gh in'

tentional violation of the de%i!rgi#al nor%s the pne!%ati# th"arts

the design of the Ar#hons and parado-i#all #ontrib!tes to the

"or, of salvation& This antino%ian libertinis% e-hibits %ore for#e'

f!ll than the as#eti# version the nihilistic ele%ent #ontained in

gnosti# a#os%is%&

Even the reader !nfa%iliar "ith the s!b>e#t "ill reali0e fro%

the foregoing abstra#t that$ "hatever heights of #on#ept!ali0ation

gnosti# theor attained to in individ!al thin,ers$ there is an in'

dissol!ble %thologi#al #ore to gnosti# tho!ght as s!#h& Far re%ote

fro% the rarefied at%osphere of philosophi#al reasoning$ it %oves in the

denser

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In the

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so%e of

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elaborations of this basi# #ontent into spe#!lative sste%s of

tho!ght&

05 chapter 2 - the meaning of gnosis and the extent of the gnostic movement

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