Gnosticism facts for kids
Gnosticism is a word that comes from the Greek word gnosis, which means "knowledge." It refers to a group of old religions and beliefs. These groups existed mostly around the time of Jesus Christ, both before and after. People who followed Gnosticism believed they had a special, secret knowledge. This knowledge was thought to be available only to a few chosen people.
It's a bit tricky to learn a lot about Gnostics for two main reasons. First, many of their teachings were kept secret. Second, most of what we know about Gnostics comes from writings by early Christians. These Christians often disagreed with Gnostic ideas.
What Gnostics Believed
Gnosticism teaches that humans are like divine (god-like) souls. These souls are trapped inside the normal, physical world we live in. They believed that this world was not made by the true, good God. Instead, it was created by an imperfect spirit. This spirit is called the demiurge.
The demiurge is often seen as the same as the God of Abraham in some religions. Sometimes, the demiurge is thought to be evil. Other times, it's just seen as not perfect, doing its best but still flawed.
The real, good God is believed to be very far away and hard to know. To become free from the physical world, a person needs to gain gnosis. This is the special, secret knowledge given only to a few people.
Some Gnostic groups believed that Jesus was sent by the supreme, good being. His purpose was to bring this special gnosis to Earth.
Images for kids
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Page from the Gospel of Judas
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Mandaean Beth Manda (Mashkhanna) in Nasiriyah, southern Iraq in 2016; place of worship for the only surviving Gnostic religion from antiquity.
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A lion-faced deity found on a Gnostic gem in Bernard de Montfaucon's L'antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures may be a depiction of Yaldabaoth, the Demiurge; however, cf. Mithraic Zervan Akarana
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Mandaeans in prayer during baptism.
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Manicheanism priests writing at their desks, with panel inscription in Sogdian. Manuscript from Khocho, Tarim Basin.
See also
In Spanish: Gnosticismo para niños
