gnosticism

Gnosticism is a term used for a diverse set of ancient religious movements that arose in the first centuries CE. Central to many Gnostic systems is gnosis, a knowledge or insight believed to reveal the divine origin of humanity and the path to salvation. Gnostic thought typically envisions a sharp contrast between the spiritual realm, often seen as the истинe reality, and a flawed material world created by a lesser divine being or demiurge.

Historically, Gnosticism developed within Jewish and Christian milieus and drew on elements of Hellenistic philosophy. It flourished in the first two centuries CE, with later presence in various regions of the Mediterranean. Because it was not a single cohesive movement, scholars describe Gnosticism as a family of sects and schools, including groups such as the Sethians and Valentinians, among others. Much of what is known about Gnostic beliefs comes from early Christian writers who opposed them, as well as from primary Gnostic texts recovered in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945.

Key features often associated with Gnosticism include a dualistic cosmos, a belief that humanity contains a divine spark imprisoned in matter, and the claim that salvation comes through awakening to hidden knowledge rather than through faith alone or ritual. Some groups taught that Jesus acted as a revealer of gnosis, though interpretations of his nature and role varied.

Gnosticism influenced later religious and philosophical currents and remains a focus of scholarly study for its diversity and its critique of material existence. It is generally treated as a historical phenomenon of antiquity rather than as a single unified tradition.