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This paper presents an argument for the recovery of the doctrine of the resurrection of the flesh. I argue that the doctrine accords with creedal and doctrinal tradition (§2), as well as the scriptural witness about the goodness and destiny of human flesh (§3). I then outline what it means to say – minimally – that the flesh (or 'numerically the same body') will be raised (§4). In §5, I argue that the doctrine speaks to the unique predicament of human beings, namely, that our very being (our flesh) is the site and source of our greatest fear – the fear of death. By focusing its proffered hopes on the same flesh in which our deepest fears are located, the promise of resurrection is shown to be a 'peculiar treasure'. Finally, I suggest in §5a‐5c three practices by which the church can inculcate this hope in the face of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a few notable exceptions, the word "epinoia" has not been heard with a philosophical ear since the time of Epicurus and the Stoics. In addition to the scarce mentions it had received in philosophy, epinoia was strewn across the plays of Euripides and Aristophanes and, more so, across the canonical body of Christian theology, from Patristics—Origen, Cyril of Alexandria, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus the Confessor—to the late Byzantine period. Straddling the divide between the authorities of the nascent Church and those they suspected of heresy, it made a spectacular appearance in Gnostic texts (The Apocryphon of John), cryptically embodying the reconciliation of knowledge and life. On the margins of the Christian tradition, first-century CE controversial religious figures such as Simon Magus associated epinoia with the great goddess and the womb of existence, even as, three centuries later, Eunomius of Cyzicus—the theological arch-enemy of the Cappadocian Fathers, Basil and Gregory—deplored it for its hollowness and pure conventionality. In this paper, I argue that epinoia is the figure of anarchic intelligence in theology and philosophy alike. The anarchy of epinoia is its note of defiance: the escape from power it plots is the most serious challenge to power, the royal road to liberation from the oppressive unity of Being, Mind, or Concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this article is a symbolic image often found in world mythology – a giant snake or a dragon biting its own tail. This image is usually denoted by the Greek word “ouroboros” (οὐροβόρος), which means literally “eating its own tail.” This essay is devoted to an interpretation of this symbol, which the author sees as leading to the much broader topic of human unfreedom and the forms that this unfreedom takes. The first section deals with the unique features of Gnosticism which have made it appealing in extremely varied times and situations. Gnosticism will be the basis for my considerations about ouroboros. The author’s reflections start from understanding the Gnostic worldview as an expression of apprehensiveness about the radical otherworldliness of the human spirit and its alienation from the universe. The second section deals with the symbolism of the ouroboros and its place in Gnostic conceptual schemes as a reference to the closed cycle of nature that enslaves the human spirit. The third section attempts to decipher layer by layer the Gnostic conceptions associated with the ouroboros. Various levels of interpretation are identified: literal, mythological–magical, psychological-ascetic, and sociopolitical. In the fourth section, the author connects Gnostic ideas with Christianity by interpreting St. Paul’s Epistles, particularly his ideas concerning rulers and authorities. The place occupied by the ouroboros in the Christian universe is analyzed. The last section relies on the ideas of René Girard, Jacques Lacan, and Alain Badiou to illustrate the manifestations of the ouroboros in different dimensions of human existence, both individual and collective, with special emphasis on human desire and its futile circlings.

The main aim of this article, which is to express the essence of duʼa, starts with a question: what is duʼa, and doesn't it constitute a gap in the system of causality and rational structure of the creation of the world? A definition of the essence of duʼa and its dynamics is given through the presentation of the essential basis of the creation of the world according to some Quranic verses, as well as Islamic speculative Gnosticism according to which the world is based on desire and demand (talab). On this basis, the ontological status of duʼa and the fact that it does not contradict God's wisdom is underlined. The second part of the study is based on an interpretation of a Quranic verse according to which the reality of duʼa is made possible only thanks to God and through His creation of an innate divine human nature, which naturally searches its God and addresses its demands to Him. From this point of view, the special status of man in respect to all the other creatures who, through his supplications, is responsible of defining his ontological status in this world and the hereafter, is also presented

يذهب جمهور المسلمين إلى أن معانى القرآن الكريم وألفاظه وحى منزل من رب العالمين - عز وجل - على رسوله الكريم - صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم -، فوظيفة الرسول إنما هى إبلاغ القرآن الموحى به لفظا ومعنى، دون أن يزيد عليه أو ينتقص منه، وبالرغم من هذا فقد ذهبت طائفة أخرى من المسلمين إلى إعطاء الرسول دورا أكبر من مجرد إبلاغ هذا الوحى، حيث جعلت الوحى القرآنى المنزل على الرسول مقتصرا على المعانى وحدها دون الألفاظ، أما الصياغة اللفظية لهذه المعانى المنزلة على قلب الرسول فقد نسبوها للرسول نفسه، فالقرآن عندهم هو معان إلهية موحى بها، قام الرسول بصياغتها فى ألفاظ من عنده. إن الدعوى بأن القرآن الكريم هو معنى من الله، ولفظ من الرسول دعوى لها جذورها فى التراث الإسلامى، كما تتردد أصداؤها أيضا فى عدد غير قليل من الدراسات الإسلامية الحديثة. يرصد هذا البحث المصادر التأسيسية لهذه الدعوى، ويحلل دواعيها وأسبابها، ويناقش نتائجها ولوازمها من خلال مباحث أربعة الأول : المصدر الكلامى الثانى : المصدر الغنوصى الثالث : المصدر التفسيرى الرابع : المصدر الروائى Abstract The majority of Muslims believe that the meanings and words of the Noble Qur’an are revelations sent down from the Lord of the Worlds - the Almighty - to His Noble Messenger - may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family - so the Messenger’s job is to convey the revealed Qur’an in word and meaning, without adding to it or subtracting from it, and despite Another group of Muslims went to give the Messenger a greater role than just conveying this revelation, as they made the Qur’anic revelation revealed to the Messenger limited to meanings alone, not the words. As for the verbal formulation of these meanings revealed to the heart of the Messenger, they attributed it to the Messenger himself. For them, the Qur’an is divinely inspired meanings that the Messenger formulated in his own words. The claim that the Holy Qur’an is a meaning from God and a word from the Messenger is a claim that has its roots in the Islamic heritage, and its echoes also resonate in quite a few modern Islamic studies. This research monitors the foundational sources of this claim, analyzes its reasons and causes, and discusses its results and implications through four sections. The first: The theological source Second: The Gnostic source Third: The interpretive source Fourth: The narrative source

The main aim of this article, which is to express the essence of du'a, starts with a question: what is du'a, and doesn't it constitute a gap in the system of causality and rational structure of the creation of the world? A definition of the essence of du'a and its dynamics is given through the presentation of the essential basis of the creation of the world according to some Quranic verses, as well as Islamic speculative Gnosticism according to which the world is based on desire and demand (talab). On this basis, the ontological status of du'a and the fact that it does not contradict God's wisdom is underlined. The second part of the study is based on an interpretation of a Quranic verse according to which the reality of du'a is made possible only thanks to God and through His creation of an innate divine human nature, which naturally searches its God and addresses its demands to Him. From this point of view, the special status of man in respect to all the other creatures who, through his supplications, is responsible of defining his ontological status in this world and the hereafter, is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a comment by Priscillian (d. c. 385) in his Liber apologeticus that certain people erroneously applied to God the unusual Latin neologism, masculofemina. He contrasts their perspective with scriptural teaching about the Holy Spirit being poured out on both men and women. This raises two questions, namely, how Priscillian's comment relates to accusations he faced of encouraging dangerous intimacy between men and women and the source of his information about their teaching. This paper argues that the central thrust of Priscillian's teaching is around the notion that the spirit of prophecy was manifested in both sexes, but that he distinguished his teaching from that of Valentinian gnostics to defend his own orthodoxy. It argues that Priscillian acquired this teaching about God as masculofemina from the translation into Latin of the Aduersus haereses of Irenaeus of Lyons (d. c. 202). The term also occurs within the writing of Marius Victorinus (c. 359–61) in defense of Catholic Christianity. Priscillian drew on Irenaeus to defend the orthodoxy of his notion that the gift of prophecy was given to both men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The late modern person has a complicated relationship with the body: despite a contemporary “return to the body,” the body is still conceived as a project which the person must advance and revise in order to both express and shape their sense of self‐identity. For all people this project is destined to failure at some point, and it has a range of concerning implications along the way. In thrall to the prevailing cultural ideologies that idolize projection, progress, and proficiency, our approach to the body is more likely to be characterized by manipulation and striving than the divine affirmation that “it is good” (Gen 1). This dynamic underlies the modern epidemic of ill health, eating disorders, disordered eating, “obesity,” and body‐shaming. Contemporary Christians are poorly insulated from the perils of a culture that is simultaneously body‐obsessed and body‐denying. A barely perceptible Gnosticism undergirds much of the popular theology of the body in practice, and the church has done little to address these ills, instead becoming mired in other body issues centered around sexuality and reproduction. The church has even absorbed the aims of the “wellness” industry and diet culture, sprinkling them Christianese and Christian celebrity endorsements. What can a biblical Christian thought and practice offer as a remedy? Ultimately, the human person need not strive to establish his or her identity, instead it is held secure in Christ. Both beauty and health, theologically defined, emerge from the integration of self and body, and the participation of the whole person in the divine life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been an increasing appreciation of Manichaeans' capability for certain optimistic expressions about the created cosmos, in spite of their reputation for obsessing about the evil agents of darkness. This present study reviews some of the supporting evidence and explores possible implications for day-to-day life experience among Manichaeans. In spite of a cosmology conveying an ostensibly very dark worldview, could a Manichaean ever have enjoyed life in this world? The second part of the essay turns to implications for mythologies such as those represented among Nag Hammadi tractates and some related cosmologies. In spite of some similarities in mythology, Manichaean tradition is often distinguished from these other cosmologies as a tradition with greater potential for reconciling the role of dark forces in the cosmogony with rather ordinary social and even political life. This essay questions why the same must be denied the authors and ancient fans of cosmogonies like those among Nag Hammadi writings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Mani in his Epistula Fundamenti , many stories have been told about Adam and Eve, but only his version is correct and leads to salvation. This article first explores various Jewish and Christian narratives and ideas about the first humans with which Mani likely engaged. It then shows how he radicalized Gnostic accounts to proclaim the fundamental role of violent, demonic sexuality in the creation of Adam and Eve, as a counter-strategy to prevent the release of trapped light, in support of his strongly anti-reproductive ethic. Finally, it analyzes Mani's story of the first human generations as an implicit critique of Zoroastrian anthropogonic narratives which provided an etiology for next-of-kin marriage. Mani's dialogue with these different traditions situates him at the Roman-Sasanian frontier, engaging with Jewish and Christian teachings, as well as Iranian ones, and resisting simplistic genealogies, whether heresiological or scholarly. Indeed, Mani functions as an interpreter (hermeneutes) between Mediterranean and Iranian cultures: Manichaean doctrine and practice do not represent a final flowering of Gnosticism, nor a fundamentally Iranian system, but a new movement that weaves Christian, Gnostic, Zoroastrian, and other traditions in complex and unexpected ways, combining his foundational critique of sexual reproduction with a hopeful call for struggle against the darkness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A passage from Ps.-Basil of Caesarea's ep. 366 contains verbatim parallels with a quotation of Valentinus given in Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.7.59.3. These parallels have rarely been recognized by scholars. Völker and Markschies have argued that Ps.-Basil was excerpting from Clement, but this paper argues that Ps.-Basil was independent of Clement and was likely Clement's source. Overlooked evidence includes (i) the coherence of the parallel passages in the context of ep. 366 and their relative incoherence in the context of Strom. 3.7.59.3; (ii) Valentinian theology that is found throughout ep. 366, including the notions of spiritual bodies and Charis as God's protological consort; (iii) grammatical errors in Clement that are not present in Ps.-Basil; and (iv) further textual evidence suggesting that ep. 366 has the original version of the passage. A plausible explanation of the evidence, this paper will argue, is that ep. 366 comes from the pen of Valentinus himself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Love is a keystone in Franz Rosenzweig's philosophy, which reaffirmed Judaism's emphasis on vital, relational love. What "love" exactly means, however, is controversial. In the Christian context, love is often denoted by Agape—which implies (1) that "God is Love", (2) that love is universal, impartial, and rather endorses the sinner; and (3) that humans should practice and emulate such love. The ultimate expression of Agape is the commandment to love one's enemy, which is rooted in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:44). This essay considers Rosenzweig's understanding of Agape, at the implicit level (since the coining by Anders Nygren of Christian love as "Agape" became widespread only after Rosenzweig's death). This essay opens by contextualizing Rosenzweig within political theology, in particular vis-à-vis Schmitt. Secondly, it considers Rosenzweig's approach to Agape in the sense of divine love, and in the sense of the love of enemy. Concerning divine love, Rosenzweig criticized theological Agapism ('God is love') which equates God with love, and hence makes love into a dogma or noun, rather than an action or verb, thus depriving divinity's personal loving agency. Concerning the agapic love of enemy, Rosenzweig discredits its Christian version (for being imperialistic), and advocates its Jewish version of accepting divine judgement. His surprising advocacy of the love of enemies may result from Rosenzweig's opposition to Gnosticism, which excludes the 'good God' from involvement in the physical world. The essay's conclusion reflects on the role of Agape and its pragmatist versions in the post-secular world of the 21st century and conveys Rosenzweig's pragmatist contribution in this regard, of recognizing the significance of worldliness and togetherness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The confrontation between Greek philosophy and the Biblical heritage has led to a wealth of different currents, varying from Christian and Jewish neo-Platonism to religious convictions that proclaim a complete rupture between creation and the highest hidden god. Although this rupture has its roots in a Platonic concept of a demiurge who as a lower divinity is supposed to be responsible for creation, in Gnosticism this chasm has been deepened to become no less than an abhorrence for embodied "material" existence, together with sheer contempt for the demiurge who is described as jealous, foolish and blind. Freeing the divine element/spark from the imprisonment in matter, an imprisonment concocted by this jealous demiurge, is the general aim of many Gnostic tracts. In the Hypostasis of the Archons, wisdom from above, surprisingly often gendered as female, but not as embodied, serves as a redeemer figure, named Sophia. This has led to an exegesis of revolt in which Eve becomes the source of this higher Wisdom, strengthened by the serpent of the Biblical story of Paradise, who likewise symbolizes this higher Wisdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the history of Ukrainian sociology, the legacy of Mykhailo Drahomanov (1841-1895) is primarily analyzed in terms of his socio-political writings or early methodological ones. However, when considering Drahomanov’s long-term and internationally recognized contribution to social sciences and humanities, it is his works at the intersection of folklore studies and social anthropology that are much less often in the focus of sociologists’ attention. An important component of these works was Drahomanov’s prolonged interest in dualistic heresies and the views on social reality as divided between truth and falsehood, transmitted by them. This interest, which guided the scholar’s research interests for twenty years, had far-reaching consequences for the politicization of the Ukrainian national movement at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Th e author argues that Drahomanov’s folklore and social-anthropological writings, which attracted the attention of researchers of Gnosticism and dualism like C.-G. Jung, as well as contemporary anthropologists, led him to the conviction that the traditional Ukrainian folk worldview tends towards a dualistic, Bogomil-Manichaean, origin-based perspective on the world. He used this conviction for political purposes, and the younger generation of activists of the Ukrainian national movement, who gave rise to radicals, socialist revolutionaries, and social democrats, widely exploited this socio-anthropological discovery for their own political agitation. Th e conclusions of the study lay the groundwork for further movement in several possible directions: research of the leftwing press to identify specific strategies for the application of the dualistic myth in propaganda, providing a more general historical-cultural context for contemporary studies of populism in Ukraine, as well as a general revaluation of different components in Drahomanov’s legacy in the contemporary history of Ukrainian sociology [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fundamental principles of constitutional law are outlined concisely, though they are reinterpreted in this work through the philosophical lens of Sufism. While these principles are traditionally embedded in constitutional texts, they are reconceptualised here based on Sufi thought. Key concepts such as popular sovereignty, limitations on power, accountability of the governing bodies, separation and independence of powers, power equilibrium, central authority supremacy, transparency in governance, adherence to legal norms, and the mechanisms of checks and balances are critically examined. This study investigates the theoretical underpinnings of constitutional law from the theosophical and mystical perspectives of Islamic Sufism. By introducing ten foundational principles, the research aims to establish a robust framework for formulating and enhancing constitutional systems. Comparative analyses with Gnostic traditions from other religions could provide further insights. These principles offer valuable perspectives for academic discourse and have practical implications for advancing constitutional law and its reinterpretation. The inherent subtlety, sincerity, and ethical depth of Islamic Sufism provide a compelling perspective that may intrigue legal scholars and researchers. Despite its richness, the Sufi viewpoint still needs to be explored within public law studies. This paper introduces a novel and intellectually stimulating domain, inviting further scholarly inquiry.

According to the simulation hypothesis, our universe is almost certainly a simulation created by posthuman programmers. Although the hypothesis has become an object of fascination and debate, little attention has been paid to its implications for religion and naturalism. An often-overlooked aspect of the hypothesis is Nick Bostrom's suggestion that 'the posthumans running our simulation are themselves simulated beings,' and so on. This feature of his hypothesis has striking parallels with the cosmogonies of Gnosticism, Mormonism, and Neoplatonism. These parallels demonstrate that the hypothesis raises challenges for naturalists by moving the boundary line between religion and naturalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Victorio Hosle called Hans Jonas "the last German philosopher." Jonas' Memoirs connect changing philosophical priorities with devastating life events. The shock of learning of his former mentor, Heidegger's, affiliation to National Socialism, his exile from Germany and his mother's death in Auschwitz, made the conceptual universe of German Idealism, Husserl and Heidegger, seem nihilistic and akin to a Gnostic denigration of worldliness. The brutal wartime realities exposed a callous removal from nature and any meaningful humanism. After soldiering in the war with "Maccabean rage," he subsequently created his philosophical biology of organism, one which respected the corporeal, metabolic basis of life. His consequent innovations in Environmental and Medical Ethics had an enormous impact on the German scholarly world. Jonas retained a lifelong attachment to German culture and "saved" German philosophy by making critical amendments. Later in life he wrote in German, spent a sabbatical year in Germany, received the medal of honor from the Federal Republic of Germany and honorary doctorates from several German universities. The "German" Jonas brought a respect for ontology and nature to a philosophy that was prone to sterile abstractions. The life-affirming "Jewish" Jonas restored an ethical mandate for responsibility for the future of the planet and humankind to a bereft ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article first briefly overviews the most important books of the highly voluminous oeuvre of the Canadian literary critic Northrop Frye (1912-1991). They are the monograph on William Blake from 1947, Fearful Symmetry; then his most relevant book, Anatomy of Criticism from 1957, and three books about the Bible and literature: The Great Code (1982), Words with Power (1990) and The Double Vision (1991). They are first used to indicate the basis of Frye's thought (imaginational epistemology based on W. Blake); second, to indicate the central place of the kerygma in Frye's books on the Bible and literature; and third, to state what the kerygma actually is for Frye. Finally, a warning is given to the directiveness and the Gnosticism of Frye's interpretation of the kerygma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the eve of the tercentenary of Kant’s birth, just as it was a hundred years ago, Kantianism is simultaneously on the receiving end of the blows of history and attacks by rival philosophical parties, both progressivist and reactionary. The radical wings of both parties perceive modernity as a depressing, nauseating period which must be broken with by moving toward the past or toward the future. One of the most original and profound diagnoses of this attitude was offered by Hans Jonas, who discerned in radical doctrines of a hundred years ago a similarity with the gnosticism of antiquity. Jonas’s diagnosis has not lost its relevance. That is why the central question addressed in this study is as follows: what prescription does the Kantian programme offer for modernity’s “gnostic dizziness?” I maintain that Kant’s critical turn is still an effective strategy by means of which to compensate for the sudden stresses and “gnostic impulses” provoked by the modern worldview revolution, bringing back an “orientation in thinking” which reorients the world process and individual activity. The imperative to always see and respect humanity in a particular individual warns against the “category mistake” committed by modern radicals who ascribe agency (subjectivity) to non-­human abstractions which cannot possess this property. In theory, Kant grounds the view that humanity should resign itself to the fact of its perspective being limited and local. Kantian practical philosophy provides the traveler with a map of regulative ideas and a “moral compass”, along with an explanation of disruptive factors, offering a working explanation of the situation and its possible outcomes. Kant’s “Copernican revolution” brings human beings back into focus and imagination to order, allowing for the hope that new challenges will be successfully met.

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The article focuses on St. Irenaeus of Lyon's designation as the Doctor unitatis (Doctor of Unity) by Pope Francis highlighting Irenaeus's role as a theological bridge between Eastern and Western Christianity. Topics include Irenaeus's contribution to the birth of Christian theology, his radical dedication to the fullness and systematic wholeness of the faith in countering Gnosticism, and a specific exploration of Irenaeus's reflections on the Eucharist.

In this study, I examine Susan Taubes's criticism of Heidegger's Seinsdenken that pivots around her contention that he absolutized the nothingness of being in a manner that is analogous to but yet significantly different than the role assigned to the Godhead on the part of many mystical visionaries. The common denominator is in Heidegger's insistence on being to the neglect of fully engaging with the rhythms of life. As a consequence, there is no purchase on the chaotic, which falls outside the purview of what can be signified, and in the absence of the unsignifiable, there can be no signification. Every attempt to reconstruct the broken world into a totality contains the flaw of an ontological untruth. The effort at totalization is not only the methodological weakness of tragedy and mysticism, but it is also the nihilistic basis of the role accorded to the nothingness of being in Heidegger's Seinsdenken. The erroneous nature of the world is not denied by Susan, but she struggled to uphold the ontological untruth that what is most wrong in our existence is what is most precious. The paradoxical retrieval of the truth of this untruth affords the poetic soul the opportunity to confront the limit by breaking it, an infringement of boundary that is redolent equally with the enduring transience of love and the transient endurance of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A text entitled "The Hymn of Judas Thomas the Apostle in the country of the Indians" in the apocryphal "The Acts of Thomas" has long been noticeable for the study of Gnosticism. This text, which has a content independent of the general narrative of the book in which it appears, has been discussed for its hymn-like structure and content that recalls many characteristic features of Gnosticism. Various scholars are of the opinion that this hymn carries a burden of meaning in the context of Christian theology and doctrine of salvation, even though it is independent of the general theme of the book in which it appears. On the other hand, many scholars of Gnosticism believe that this hymn is an important text reflecting early Gnosticism. Various opinions have been put forward regarding the origin of the text, which is called “the Hymn of the Pearl" or “the Hymn of the Soul" based on its content, the cultural world to which it belongs, and the characteristics of the themes in its content. This study will examine the text, generally known as the "the Hymn of the Pearl", with reference to the question of whether Gnostic dualism, one of the characteristic features of Gnosticism exists, and will draw attention to its parallelism with the Gnostic doctrines in the Mandaean literature. The main thesis of this study is that the Hymn of the Pearl of which main theme is the salvation of the pearl, that is captive in the world of darkness, is a text within early Christian Gnosticism based on Gnostic dualism and the doctrine of salvation.

With a few notable exceptions, the word “epinoia” has not been heard with a philosophical ear since the time of Epicurus and the Stoics. In addition to the scarce mentions it had received in philosophy, epinoia was strewn across the plays of Euripides and Aristophanes and, more so, across the canonical body of Christian theology, from Patristics—Origen, Cyril of Alexandria, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus the Confessor—to the late Byzantine period. Straddling the divide between the authorities of the nascent Church and those they suspected of heresy, it made a spectacular appearance in Gnostic texts (The Apocryphon of John), cryptically embodying the reconciliation of knowledge and life. On the margins of the Christian tradition, first-century CE controversial religious figures such as Simon Magus associated epinoia with the great goddess and the womb of existence, even as, three centuries later, Eunomius of Cyzicus—the theological arch-enemy of the Cappadocian Fathers, Basil and Gregory—deplored it for its hollowness and pure conventionality. In this paper, I argue that epinoia is the figure of anarchic intelligence in theology and philosophy alike. The anarchy of epinoia is its note of defiance: the escape from power it plots is the most serious challenge to power, the royal road to liberation from the oppressive unity of Being, Mind, or Concept.

This paper examines a comment by Priscillian (d. c. 385) in his Liber apologeticus that certain people erroneously applied to God the unusual Latin neologism, masculofemina. He contrasts their perspective with scriptural teaching about the Holy Spirit being poured out on both men and women. This raises two questions, namely, how Priscillian’s comment relates to accusations he faced of encouraging dangerous intimacy between men and women and the source of his information about their teaching. This paper argues that the central thrust of Priscillian’s teaching is around the notion that the spirit of prophecy was manifested in both sexes, but that he distinguished his teaching from that of Valentinian gnostics to defend his own orthodoxy. It argues that Priscillian acquired this teaching about God as masculofemina from the translation into Latin of the Aduersus haereses of Irenaeus of Lyons (d. c. 202). The term also occurs within the writing of Marius Victorinus (c. 359–61) in defense of Catholic Christianity. Priscillian drew on Irenaeus to defend the orthodoxy of his notion that the gift of prophecy was given to both men and women.

A text entitled "The Hymn of Judas Thomas the Apostle in the country of the Indians" in the apocryphal "The Acts of Thomas" has long been noticeable for the study of Gnosticism. This text, which has a content independent of the general narrative of the book in which it appears, has been discussed for its hymn-like structure and content that recalls many characteristic features of Gnosticism. Various scholars are of the opinion that this hymn carries a burden of meaning in the context of Christian theology and doctrine of salvation, even though it is independent of the general theme of the book in which it appears. On the other hand, many scholars of Gnosticism believe that this hymn is an important text reflecting early Gnosticism. Various opinions have been put forward regarding the origin of the text, called "The Hymn of the Pearl" or "The Hymn of the Soul", based on its content, the cultural world to which it belongs, and the characteristics of the themes in its content. This study will examine the text, generally known as "The Hymn of the Pearl", with reference to the question of whether Gnostic dualism, one of the characteristic features of Gnosticism exists, and will draw attention to its parallelism with the Gnostic doctrines in the Mandaean literature. The main thesis of this study is that the Hymn of the Pearl, the main theme of which is the salvation of the pearl that is captive in the world of darkness, is a text within early Christian Gnosticism based on Gnostic dualism and the doctrine of salvation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents Eric Voegelin's legal-philosophical thought in the context of his efforts to reflect on the transcendent dimension of being. According to Voegelin, the law provides a prospect for a symbolic expression of one's attunement to the transcendent. The experience with transcendence empowers man to discern the normative Ought and to create its representative model in the form of legalpolitical order. At the heart of this concept is the premise of the transformative conversion of the human soul, leading to insight into the true order of being. Finally, the paper reflects on Voegelin's unique interpretation of the relationship between law and Gnosticism, defined by the rejection of transcendent reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines one of the most important approaches to the language of religion, namely the approach that considers this kind of language to be symbolic. Here, we discuss two theories in this study: the symbolism adopted by the Christian theologian Paul Tillich as a general theory of the language of religion, and the symbolism of the Sufis and Gnostics. However, we have identified several structural and methodological problems in both theories, such as the generalization of Tillich's symbolism to most of the sacred texts and considering them as unreal, and the reduction of religious issues to symbolic expressions intended to refer to the «ultimate concern,» which cannot be scientifically and historically criticized. As for the symbolism of the Sufis and Gnostics, although it differs significantly from Tillich's theory by acknowledging the cognitive and realistic nature of religious issues, it also suffers from explicit violations of the literal meanings of religious texts, and it relies on unreliable revelations (mukashafat) and other problems. Hence, we have tried in this study to review the theoretical foundations on which these two theories rely, their applied examples, and the comparison between them according to the descriptive approach in reviewing the theories and their applications, and the analytical approach in evaluation and criticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay examines the historical role of an important yet largely forgotten work, namely, Hans Jonas's 1934 Gnosticism and the Spirit of Late Antiquity, Part 1: Mythological Gnosticism , the major project of his early philosophical career. The essay suggests that this early work should be understood not only as a preliminary stage of a debate that will reach fruition later, but as it addresses some of the fundamental problems in nineteenth-century German thought, namely the problem of dualism. More specifically, the essay suggests seeing Jonas's early work as part of the history of German thought as it depicts a transition from German Romanticism to Existentialism, making innovative use of two of the most salient terms of nineteenth-century German philosophy, the "symbol" and the "myth." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper seeks to evaluate the ecclesiology of St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, particularly as it relates to his defense of orthodoxy against false teaching in his five-volume work, Against Heresies. Irenaeus employs sound reason and biblical theology in his battle against Valentinus, Marcion, and other heretics. But Irenaeus also shows himself to be not only a theologian but also a devoted churchman. In all five books, his teaching on the church plays a significant role in exposing and refuting the false Gnostic teaching of his day. This paper will argue that Irenaeus employed his ecclesiology to distinguish between Gnosticism and the apostolic teaching in Against Heresies. He did this in two ways. First, he argued for the doctrinal identity of the church. The true church is built on apostolic teaching, and any deviation from that teaching results in a false church. Second, he argued that the church’s “ecclesiastical constitution,” both in her presbyters and her members, embodied the apostles’ teaching. In all this, the church preserved the truth entrusted to her by Christ and his apostles.

The confrontation between Greek philosophy and the Biblical heritage has led to a wealth of different currents, varying from Christian and Jewish neo-Platonism to religious convictions that proclaim a complete rupture between creation and the highest hidden god. Although this rupture has its roots in a Platonic concept of a demiurge who as a lower divinity is supposed to be responsible for creation, in Gnosticism this chasm has been deepened to become no less than an abhorrence for embodied “material” existence, together with sheer contempt for the demiurge who is described as jealous, foolish and blind. Freeing the divine element/spark from the imprisonment in matter, an imprisonment concocted by this jealous demiurge, is the general aim of many Gnostic tracts. In the Hypostasis of the Archons, wisdom from above, surprisingly often gendered as female, but not as embodied, serves as a redeemer figure, named Sophia. This has led to an exegesis of revolt in which Eve becomes the source of this higher Wisdom, strengthened by the serpent of the Biblical story of Paradise, who likewise symbolizes this higher Wisdom.

The question that Jesus addresses to the disciples in Matt 16:13, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”, is probably one of the most important and meaningful questions in Holy Scripture. Christ’s concern about people’s perspectives of His person and mission is not a mere psychologically motivated curiosity. He was aware of the importance of a correct understanding of theological issues, that function as a premise and model influencing one’s Christological, soteriological, and axiological conception. Johannine Prologue is one of the most condensed Christological hymns in the Bible, being an example of an ancient apostolic creed. A deeper understanding of the Johannine Prologue cannot also ignore the ideological background in which it was composed, this aspect being important in order to understand its purpose and the way the hymn was used over time in dialogue with different philosophical paradigms.

The article attempts to present Eric Voegelin's legal-philosophical thought in the context of his lifelong efforts to reconstruct the character of human knowledge through a return to the transcendent dimension of being. In Voegelin's interpretation, this goal is not limited to personal contemplation but can also serve as a stimulus for social transformation. According to Voegelin, the law may be a path to such advancement, as it provides a prospect for a symbolic expression of one's attunement to the transcendent. Moreover, the experience with transcendence supposedly leads to the ability to discern the normative Ought and to create the representative model of experienced order in the form of actual legal-political order. At the heart of this concept is the premise of the transformative conversion of man, enabling insight into the true order of being. Finally, the paper also reflects Voegelin's unique interpretation of the relationship between law and Gnosticism, defined by the rejection of transcendent reality.

This article analyzes the utilization of the concept "Gnosticism" in a form of Satanism that has come to be known as "Chaos Gnosticism," or "Gnostic Satanism." The topic of the study is the Swedish expression of this phenomenon attached to Current 218 and the Temple of Black Light, previously named the Misanthropic Luciferian Order (MLO). The group is known as one of the more radical and violent forms of Satanism. The aim here is to show how MLO relates to ancient Gnostic myths and how the particular and at times sinister worldview of MLO is legitimized by the use of Gnosticism. We also argue that the way the concept "Gnosticism" is understood within the group is reminiscent of the way it is constructed in certain scholarly circles. This brings to attention the relationship between modern academic publications and the construction of new religious movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the work "IRENEO DE LYON. Against the Heresies I" and highlights its importance in the doctrinal formation of the Christian faith. The work addresses the struggle against heresies in the early centuries of the Church and recovers the work of Saint Paul. The author, Saint Irenaeus, denounces the arguments of the heresies, especially the school of Valentinus. The text also mentions the importance of preserving the faith transmitted by the Church and exposes the origins of Gnostic doctrines. Additionally, it mentions the current relevance of Gnosticism and the resurgence of interest in Thomistic thought. [Extracted from the article]

The book "Professor of Apocalypse. The Many Lives of Jacob Taubes" written by Jerry Z. Muller is a meticulous biography of Professor Jacob Taubes, a prominent professor specializing in apocalypse, messianism, Gnosticism, and nihilism. Although he was not considered a "great thinker," his ideas developed outside the academic sphere. The book also explores his relationship with Carl Schmitt and his anti-capitalist stance. The author faced difficulties in researching his work due to the oral nature of his thinking and writing. The review highlights the importance of Taubes' conversations with figures such as Irving Kristol and Gertrude Himmelfarb, as well as his relationship with Gershom Scholem. Important places in his life, such as Vienna, Berlin, Jerusalem, and Paris, are also mentioned. The review concludes by emphasizing the fascination that Taubes generated and the importance of interpreting his work. [Extracted from the article]

This article surveys the reception of the Gnostic text Pistis Sophia in esoteric milieus in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. The first part of the article contains an overview of the text and scholarship on it. Then follows a study of the reception of Pistis Sophia in a broader array of esoteric circles. It becomes clear that the text was hailed as an example of ancient and great spiritual wisdom, although seldom discussed in detail theologically. Next, this is compared to the academic reception at the same time where it was, as previous scholars have made clear, discarded due to what was understood as a discrepancy with "Gnostic" characteristics. This article shows that Pistis Sophia was not discarded in esoteric circles but rather read in light of already established esoteric trajectories, for example Blavatsky's, Krumm-Heller's, or Papus' particular spiritual evolutionary perspectives. Lastly, it is argued that the understanding of Gnosticisms that both these receptions reflect is still very much active today: academics and esoteric groups are guided by similar trajectories vis-à-vis Gnosticism, seeing it as a representative of a "universal religious essence" associated with progressive attitudes (for example regarding sex and gender), which allows/forces them to renegotiate the ancient sources themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying cognitive theories about human creativity, this paper theorizes how the Gnostic as an identity is an idealization of a discrete metaphysics or spirituality forged by the human imagination and diversified as radical imaginaries and social imaginaries. The emergence of Gnostic spirituality was made possible because a novel cognitive script had developed that theorized religion in kinfolk terms, rather than conventional slave, vassal, or client terms. This script allowed people to understand their true selves as God's offspring who had become separated from their divine parent(s), lost, and in need of rescue by their divine kin. This new spirituality came to be associated with the word Gnostic which was used to identify religious people in the Roman world who claimed to have knowledge (gnosis) of the true God, the true pathway home, and their true selves as God's offspring. Once this idealization of the Gnostic was framed, it functioned as the cognitive structure upon which a variety of constellations of the ideal were then ratcheted. These constellations are radical imaginaries built using concrete images, stories, and legends to make sense of the human predicament and authorize certain practices and moral codes. When a radical imaginary is shared collectively it can become a social imaginary which serves to legitimate group behavior as happened, for instance, in the case of the Valentinian, Basilidian, and other Gnostic imaginaries. This paper considers the ideological and social implications of the distribution of radical imaginaries, especially those offloaded onto artifacts which circulate beyond any single social situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article intends to address the problem about God, consciousness and gnostic legacy to modernity, whose immanent nature leads to serious philosophical conclusions. Indeed, the most important concept of contemporary idealism, within philosophy of religion, is consciousness, which is related with human's individualism and self-sufficiency. In a cosmic approach, this doctrine proposes a pantheistic view of the universe and a paradigm of man's deification and self-redemption, whose mainstream is the New Era's spirituality without religion. Finally, an outline of Thomist doctrines on God's transcendence and the human intellect is offered, as a proposal for a philosophy of religion based on common sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three Abrahamic religions have an ambivalent relationship to war and peace. On the one hand, God is viewed as a merciful peacemaker. On the other hand, peoples embracing Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have often been involved in holy wars and religious persecutions. While David Hume argued that polytheism is inherently more tolerant than monotheism, here it will be argued that it is not monotheism as such which generates endless conflicts, but the specific idea of God propagated by the Old Testament. To make his point, the author addresses the issue of the ambivalence of Christianity. Yahweh asks the Israelites to exterminate non-believers and members of other ethnic groups, including women and children, while Jesus Christ exhorts his followers to avoid confrontation by loving their enemies. However, while the two aforementioned persons of the Christian godhead are apparently different, they are merged in the Trinitarian conception of divinity. The article, therefore, presents four main strategies adopted within Christianity to deal with the alleged moral discrepancy between the first and the second person of the Trinity. Finally, the author narrows the focus on the idea of the Unknown God and the related tradition of negative (or apophatic) theology, arguing that this form of monotheism is more productive of religious tolerance. A series of examples illustrate the presence of this idea in Gnosticism and Neoplatonism, as well as within early, mediaeval and modern Christian doctrines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating back to ancient times, Gnosticism stands as an esoteric sect of belief that envisages the common human as the battleground between two forces namely the light and the dark. The dispute results from an archetypal divergence that takes place between two divinities. While the transcendental god holds the holy wisdom under his dominion that manifests itself as the holy spark, a lesser deity named ‘Demiurge’ labours darkness into a material prison for the purpose of captivating and strangling the holy light. The radical dual division in the human condition delineates each pole with definitive terms, yet these highly discrepant antipodes are convoluted closely together by birth so that each person stands a mystery box in which crafted darkness forges the materialized body that encapsulates a spark of holy light. According to the belief system, every person is destined to grant the ultimate and total victory for either force over the other with corresponding outcomes. If a soul proves his merit by letting the holy spark shine and wash away the darkness, he reaches a divine state of blessed salvation that is called gnosis, however those who surrender to darkness are forced to undergo life and death cycles until they achieve their pure spiritual rebirth. To achieve the holy salvation, total asceticism and relinquishing from the earthly appeals are stated as the indispensable requisites. In light of the ancient esoteric teaching, Tolkien’s notoriously famous Ring promises much compatibility with the gnostic assumption of the diabolic matter, the destruction of which enables the hero to sail for an allegoric expedition in which both the destination and the rebirth of the hero pieces together the complete the divine godhead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article demonstrates how the gnostic paradigm, in which Dostoevsky formed the problems of his early work, is present in the story The Landlady. It is proven that the central plot of the story (Ordynov’s meeting with Katerina and Murin) is based on the writer’s reinterpretation of the metaphorical plot of “The Hymn of the Pearl,” a parable included in the apocryphal acts by the Apostle Thomas. The parable metaphorically recounts the journey of a spiritual man (pneumatic) in a world of matter created and controlled by the Demiurge. This type of person contains the spirit, a particle of the true divine world of the Pleroma. Once in the world of matter, “eating its food,” the spirit is intoxicated and forgets about its true origin. The task of the spiritual man, according to the parable, is to remember that his true home is the Pleroma, and to return to it he must free the Pearl (the divine soul), seized by the serpent (the Demiurge, the ruler of the matter). According to researchers, the imagery of the parable had a great influence on mystical philosophy and art, which flourished, in particular, at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Dostoevsky places the sacred history, presented in myth as in its ideal embodiment, in the reality visible to him, where people are cut off from one another, where passion dominates “unchosen love,” and where the connection with the true Father is lost. Even those who have been given the opportunity to see more than the rest find themselves, at this stage of Dostoevsky’s comprehension of the mystery of man, not strong enough to defeat the serpent.