Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,728,605,669 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

Gnosticism

   Also found in: Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
Gnos·ti·cism  (nst-szm)
n.
The doctrines of certain pre-Christian pagan, Jewish, and early Christian sects that valued the revealed knowledge of God and of the origin and end of the human race as a means to attain redemption for the spiritual element in humans and that distinguished the Demiurge from the unknowable Divine Being.

Gnosticism [ˈnɒstɪˌsɪzəm]
n
(Non-Christian Religions / Other Non-Christian Religions) a religious movement characterized by a belief in gnosis, through which the spiritual element in man could be released from its bondage in matter: regarded as a heresy by the Christian Church

Gnosticism
the beliefs and practices of pre-Christian and early Christian sects, condemned by the church, especially the conviction that matter is evil and that knowledge is more important than faith, and the practice of esoteric mysticism. — Gnostic, n., adj.
See also: Mysticism
the beliefs and practices of pre-Christian and early Christian sects, condemned by the church, especially the conviction that matter is evil and that knowledge is more important than faith, and the practice of esoteric mysticism. Cf. Cainism, Manichaeism, Valentinianism. — Gnostic, n., adj.
See also: Heresy
the doctrines of any of various dualistic sects among the Jews and the early Christians who claimed possession of superior spiritual knowledge, explained the creation of the world in an emanational manner, and condemned matter as evil. — Gnostic, n., adj.
See also: Philosophy
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.Gnosticism - a religious orientation advocating gnosis as the way to release a person's spiritual element; considered heresy by Christian churches
heresy, unorthodoxy - a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets of a religion
theological doctrine - the doctrine of a religious group
Mandaeanism, Mandeanism - a Gnostic religion originating the 2nd and 3rd centuries that believes John the Baptist was the Messiah and that incorporates Jewish and Christian elements into a framework of dualistic beliefs
aeon, eon - (Gnosticism) a divine power or nature emanating from the Supreme Being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe
Translations
gnosticism [ˈnɒstɪˌsɪzəm] Ngnosticismo m


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
In addition to appreciating a good story, some listeners may be enticed into further study of these "lost gospels," Gnosticism, and the history of the early Christian church.
Though generous in his praise of creative thought in Russian Orthodoxy, he inevitably discomfited traditionalists who saw him as a "victim of his time" who harbored, from his early Marxist days, anti-clerical sentiments, an excessive anthropocentric propensity to glorify human powers of creativity, a romantic inclination to blur the lines between flawed human nature and divine perfection, and an idiosyncratic tendency to hold views akin to Gnosticism.
Many of these works were greatly influenced by what is today called Gnosticism, a term encompassing complex and varied theological and philosophical systems that involved secret or special knowledge (gnosis in Greek).
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.