Gnosticism is a set of ancient religious ideas emphasizing secret knowledge. The word comes from the Greek gnosis, meaning knowledge. Gnostics believed that salvation comes through knowledge. Not faith. Not works. Knowledge. Secret knowledge. Hidden knowledge. Knowledge of the divine spark within. Knowledge of the true God. Knowledge of the path to liberation. Gnosticism was a major threat to the early church. It combined Greek philosophy, Jewish mysticism, and Christian theology. It produced many texts. The Nag Hammadi library is a collection of Gnostic gospels. The Gospel of Thomas. The Gospel of Philip. The Gospel of Truth.

Gnosticism teaches dualism. Spirit is good. Matter is evil. The material world was created by a lesser god. The demiurge. The true God is far away. He is pure spirit. He is unknown. He sent Christ to reveal the truth. Christ did not have a physical body. He only seemed to. He did not die. He did not rise. He taught secret knowledge. He revealed the divine spark. Those who receive the knowledge are saved. They escape the material world. They return to the spiritual realm. That is the Gnostic gospel.

Gnostic beliefs

• Dualism: spirit is good, matter is evil.
• Secret knowledge: salvation through gnosis.
• Demiurge: a lesser god created the world.
• Docetism: Christ only seemed to have a body.
• Divine spark: a piece of God within each person.

Gnosticism was condemned as heresy. The early church fathers wrote against it. Irenaeus. Tertullian. Hippolytus. They defended the orthodox faith. They defended the goodness of creation. They defended the incarnation. They defended the resurrection. They defended the authority of the apostles. Gnosticism faded. But it did not disappear. It influenced medieval dualism. It influenced modern spiritualism. It influences New Age movements. The idea of secret knowledge is attractive. The idea of escaping the material world is attractive. The idea of a divine spark is attractive. Gnosticism is a perennial temptation. It is a perennial heresy. It is a perennial philosophy. It is Gnosticism.