Gnosticism

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 [noss-tiss-siz-zum]

Noun

a religious movement involving belief in intuitive spiritual knowledge

Gnostic nadj

---

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

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

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