DOCSLIB.ORG

OUT of EGYPT V: the Open Fracture

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
OUT of EGYPT V: the Open Fracture Published by Worldview Publications May 2011 OUT OF EGYPT V: The Open Fracture AFTER HIS RESURRECTION Jesus Christ remained on earth for 40 days and repeatedly appeared to his disciples to confirm his embodied humanity, his love and compassion, and his promise to be with them always (Matthew 28:20; John 15:15). Finally, in the presence of his followers, Jesus ascended “out of their sight” from the Mount of Olives (Gr. Har Migdo) (Acts 1:9). Meanwhile, he had assured them that they would “receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me . ” (Acts 1:8). Just 10 days later the disciples were “filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). Unfortunately, from this experience some concluded that they possessed God himself, that they had the liberty to exercise divine power, and even that they might attain divinity. Gnosticism The consequences of this conclusion were historically tragic for the church. First, the sorcerer Simon Magus of Samaria offered to purchase the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:9-24). When this was refused, Simon became one of the early founding Gnostics.1,2 He claimed that he was the true god imprisoned in human flesh by the fallen god and that true knowledge would liberate him from the earthly body and return him to his celestial abode. Over the next millennium Simon’s claims were adopted by a succession of church fathers, such as Valentinus (ca. 100-160 CE), Marcion of Sinope (ca. 85-160 CE), Basilides (?-138 CE)3-5 and many others. They reputedly included the apostle Thomas (?-72 CE), whose alleged Gospel was found in the Nag Hammadi documents, discovered in Upper Egypt. Thomas apparently carried his Gnostic beliefs across Asia to India, where they were adopted by Christian converts as well as by Hindus and Buddhists.6 Out of Egypt V: The Open Fracture Page 1 of 5 Another convert named Mani (216-276 CE) came from a prominent The apostle Thomas family in Persia.7 He developed a form of Gnosticism known as apparently carried his Manicheism, which spread across Gnostic beliefs across Asia Eastern Europe and Asia as far as to India, where they were China. His beliefs allegedly influenced adopted by Christian Confucianism. Then, around the end of the first converts as well as by millennium, Gnosticism was openly Hindus and Buddhists. adopted by a prominent group that migrated from Eastern to Western Europe and eventually settled in southern France and northern Italy. They were known as the Cathars or Albigenses (1143-1329 CE), after the French city of Albi.8,9 The Albigenses aroused deep hostility in the orthodox community of Catholics, governed by the papal hierarchy. This led in the thirteenth century to violent crusades against the Cathars and their consequent extinction. In this context, Gnosticism as an open and global mission disappeared. Judaism Meanwhile, around the time the papacy launched the Crusade(s) against the Cathars, an extended Jewish document entitled Sefer ha-Bahir (Book of Illumination) emerged in Provence, France (1230 CE).10 The “Illumination” was called the “Kabbalah,” which means both “received” and “traditions.”11 Though the Kabbalah is believed to have originated in Egypt about the time of Philo of Alexandria (ca. 20 BCE – 50 CE), little if anything was known about it for over a thousand years.12 The Kabbalah represents a mystical form of Judaism. In this mystical thinking the infinite and unknowable God, termed “Ein Sof” (“Divine Essence”), exists above and apart from all created reality.13 However, this God revealed his will in a 10-step process that unfolded itself in creation.14 These steps (“Sephirot”) were/are regarded as the emanational attributes of God himself.15 In the Kabbalah these 10 fundamental attributes extend downward as the emanations of God (“Ein Sof”) at four descending levels — the divine world, the spiritual world, the psychological world and, finally, the physical world with all its creatures. According to the Kabbalah, “As the four Worlds link the Infinite with our realm, they also enable the soul to ascend in devotion or mystical states, towards the Divine.”16 This upward movement through four worlds as the soul embraces the 10 divine attributes can be regarded as ascent through the “tree of knowledge” (Genesis 2:9). By accomplishing this, human beings will “be as gods” (Genesis 3:5). Out of Egypt V: The Open Fracture Page 2 of 5 The mysticism of the Kabbalah has persisted throughout medieval, The largely hidden Hebraic Renaissance, modern and postmodern Judaism. Furthermore, mysticism of the Kabbalah such medieval and Renaissance has allegedly been used as a scholars as Marsilio Ficino model for the emergence of (1433-1499), Giovanni Pico della numerous Gnostic societies, Mirandola (1463-1494), Flavius Mithridates (1450-1483), Johannes cults and religions. Reuchlin (1455-1522), Henry Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535), John Dee (1527-1608) and Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) maintained the Kabbalah within Christian awareness.17 While the Kabbalah does not express the existence of an imprisoned true god and thus is not Gnostic, this largely hidden Hebraic mysticism has allegedly been used as a model for the emergence of numerous Gnostic societies, cults and religions. Islam Meanwhile, just before or during the siege of Jerusalem (66-70 CE), a group of Christians who claimed to be followers of the apostle Peter and were known as Ebionites (“Poor Ones”) escaped from the city and fled across the Jordan River into Arabia.18 The Ebionites believed that Christ was the true God imprisoned in the flesh of Jesus and that Christ escaped from the bodily Jesus at Calvary and returned to heaven, while the earthly Jesus was permanently buried. The Ebionites and their beliefs survived in Arabia for hundreds of years. In the latter part of the sixth century, the camel driver, Muhammad, married his first wife, Khadijah (555-619 CE), who was the wealthy owner of a camel caravan. Khadijah’s parental cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal (?-610 CE), was an Ebionite who helped tutor Muhammad.19,20 This was the origin of Islam and its inner esoteric tradition known as Sufism.21 Christianity Simultaneously with the emergence of the various forms of Athanasius of Alexandria Gnosticism, orthodox Christianity drafted what became known spread and prospered across the as the Athanasian Creed — Roman Empire. After the martyrdom including “God became man of the apostle Paul (ca. 67 CE), the early church father, Ignatius of in order that man might Antioch (ca. 35-108 CE), assumed the become God.” leadership of the Gentile Christians.22 He instituted the hierarchy of Out of Egypt V: The Open Fracture Page 3 of 5 “bishop, priest and deacon.”23 This led to the papacy and, then, to the union of the church with imperial Rome under Emperor Constantine (ca. 280-337 CE). Meanwhile, the early church father, Athanasius of Alexandria (293-373 CE), drafted what became known as the Athanasian Creed — including “God became man in order that man might become God.”24 About a millennium later the German scholar and Dominican monk, Johannes Eckhart, also called “Meister Eckhart” (1260?-1327?), declared: The Father is the transcendent aspect of the divine; the Son is the immanent aspect. This divine core, the true “I”, exists in all of us equally. It is what unites us, for as paradoxical as it may sound, this “I” is the same in all of us. To be “transformed and changed into the body of Christ” is to become aware — cognitively and experientially — of this profound unity with all the other Sons of God and with the Father.25 Conclusion The astounding fact is that the Gnostic belief in the divinity of The Gnostic belief in the knowledgeable human beings filtered divinity of knowledgeable into Islam and orthodox Christianity human beings filtered into as well as into Hinduism, Buddhism Islam and orthodox and Confucianism. For over a thousand years this belief system was Christianity as well as into openly manifest despite the protests Hinduism, Buddhism and of such scholars as Ireneaus (?-202 Confucianism. CE), bishop of Lyon, France,26 who wrote extensively against those he called “the heretics.” However, after more than a millennium of open and global advance, the belief that knowledgeable people possessed divinity or would ultimately achieve divinity largely faded into oblivion. Gnosticism went underground and silently persisted for another millennium. The profound tragedy is that the Gnostic misrepresentation of the Christ event gravely fractured human understanding of who Jesus Christ actually was and what he did. In this context, the secret existence of Gnosticism must now be examined. Endnotes 1. See “Simon Magus,” at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Magus. 2. See David R. Cartlidge, “The Fall and Rise of Simon Magus,” Bible Review 21, no. 4 (Fall 2005): 24-36. 3. See “Valentinus (Gnostic),” at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentinus_(Gnostic). Out of Egypt V: The Open Fracture Page 4 of 5 4. See “Marcion of Sinope,” at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcion_of_Sinope. 5. See “Basilides,” at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilides. 6. See “Apostle Thomas,” at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostle_Thomas. 7. See “Mani,” at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mani_(prophet). 8. See Richard Smoley, The Forbidden Faith: The Secret History of Gnosticism (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2006), pp. 67-88. 9. See Rene Weis, The Yellow Cross: The Story of the Last Cathars (1290-1329) (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001). 10. See Margaret Barker, The Great Angel: A Study of Israel’s Second God (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992), p. 72.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Early-Christianity-Timeline.Pdf
    Pagan Empire Christian Empire 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 1 AD Second 'Bishop' of Rome. Pupil of Student of Polycarp. First system- Bishop of Nyssa, brother of Basil. Pope. The Last Father of the Peter. Author of a letter to Corinth, atic theologian, writing volumi- Bishop of Original and sophisticated theologi- model of St Gregory the Church. First of the St John of (1 Clement), the earliest Christian St Clement of Rome nously about the Gospels and the St Irenaeus St Cyprian Carthage. an, writing on Trinitarian doctrine Gregory of Nyssa an ideal Scholastics. Polymath, document outside the NT. church, and against heretics. and the Nicene creed. pastor. Great monk, and priest. Damascus Former disciple of John the Baptist. Prominent Prolific apologist and exegete, the Archbishop of Constantinople, St Leo the Pope. Able administrator in very Archbishop of Seville. Encyclopaedist disciple of Jesus, who became a leader of the most important thinker between Paul brother of Basil. Greatest rhetorical hard times, asserter of the prima- and last great scholar of the ancient St Peter Judean and later gentile Christians. Author of two St Justin Martyr and Origen, writing on every aspect stylist of the Fathers, noted for St Gregory Nazianzus cy of the see of Peter. Central to St Isidore world, a vital link between the learning epistles. Source (?) of the Gospel of Mark. of life, faith and worship. writing on the Holy Spirit. Great the Council of Chalcedon. of antiquity and the Middle Ages. Claimed a knowledge and vision of Jesus independent Pupil of Justin Martyr. Theologian.
    [Show full text]
  • Marcion Wrote New Testament
    Marcion Wrote New Testament Is Gustavus kymographic or gonidic after eliminative Giffer botch so intransitively? When Vinod retyped his tamales diapers not unsafely enough, is Marlon close? Dibasic and ascensional Samuel admiring: which Johnathon is towerless enough? In his epistles some commentators have on the spotless virginal bride of new testament In only the war Gospel in Marcion's Bible is two thirds of Luke Actually overcome's it. The Lord there with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of just father David before him. Mountains, North Africa, it is of true theme the intention of the scribes has some association with the sublimation of violence. New Testament books are authoritative, as a kind of figure of enlightenment, so Luke would only need familiarity with the OT to record this. He completely rejected the Old Testament as being relevant for Christians. Marcionite-Scripture Original-Biblecom. God were accompanied by a just as revolutionary idea about the identity of Jesus and his relationship to God. Either that wrote luke, whether this god is at sinope and testament marcion wrote. The Story going The Storytellers The Emergence Of flame Four. The situation obviously changed in the second century, which is not appropriate to make public before all, and a backsliding from the truth. Separatio legis et evangelii proprium et principale opus est Marcionis. It is accepted in his canon, because they do a decade or ten pauline authorship attestation prior to any other. Who wrote the new Testament DVD video 2004 WorldCat. It gained some esteem elsewhere, which teaches that appear are two opposed divine principles, this new Marcionism is a distortion of the finish to precise it align more closely to current ideologies.
    [Show full text]
  • Critiquing the Sins of Scripture by John Shelby Spong John Makujina, Ph.D
    Modern Era Marcionism: Critiquing The Sins of Scripture by John Shelby Spong John Makujina, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Erskine Theological Seminary Introduction For almost two thousand years Christian theologians have attempted to harmonize the distinctive theological emphases of the two testaments. One of the earliest and most memorable attempts simply involved cutting the Gordian knot: Marcion of Sinope, unable to reconcile the benighted God of the Old Testament with Christ and the gospel, expelled the entire Old Testament and parts of the New from the Christian canon. Although Marcion was condemned as a heretic (A.D. 144), rejection of biblical passages and doctrines on ethical grounds is a pathology that continues to plague the church. The latest such voice comes from John Shelby Spong, the highly controversial Episcopal bishop and tireless opponent of historic Christianity, especially evangelicalism. In his recent book The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible’s Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love (HarperCollins, 2005), Spong continues in the tradition of neo-Marcionists like Friedrich Delitzsch (Die grosse Täuschung, 1921). But whereas Delitzsch thrashed the Old Testament by measuring it against the New, Spong outdoes him, and many others, by subjecting both testaments to a remorseless flogging when he finds them in conflict with his modern sensibilities. In fact, contemporary ethics (environmentalism, feminism, religious pluralism, etc.) so dominate his thinking and regulate his critique of the Bible that his book is organized into eight sections, most of which are governed by some facet of the popular wisdom. The optimism generated by initial disclosures of his lifelong love for the Scriptures and dedication to Bible study (5-10) quickly evaporates amid a series of deeply condescending remarks against the Bible—amounting to cheap shots in many cases.
    [Show full text]
  • Bibliography of Occult and Fantastic Beliefs Vol.4: S - Z
    Bruno Antonio Buike, editor / undercover-collective „Paul Smith“, alias University of Melbourne, Australia Bibliography of Occult and Fantastic Beliefs vol.4: S - Z © Neuss / Germany: Bruno Buike 2017 Buike Music and Science [email protected] BBWV E30 Bruno Antonio Buike, editor / undercover-collective „Paul Smith“, alias University of Melbourne, Australia Bibliography of Occult and Fantastic Beliefs - vol.4: S - Z Neuss: Bruno Buike 2017 CONTENT Vol. 1 A-D 273 p. Vol. 2 E-K 271 p. Vol. 3 L-R 263 p. Vol. 4 S-Z 239 p. Appr. 21.000 title entries - total 1046 p. ---xxx--- 1. Dies ist ein wissenschaftliches Projekt ohne kommerzielle Interessen. 2. Wer finanzielle Forderungen gegen dieses Projekt erhebt, dessen Beitrag und Name werden in der nächsten Auflage gelöscht. 3. Das Projekt wurde gefördert von der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Sozialamt Neuss. 4. Rechtschreibfehler zu unterlassen, konnte ich meinem Computer trotz jahrelanger Versuche nicht beibringen. Im Gegenteil: Das Biest fügt immer wieder neue Fehler ein, wo vorher keine waren! 1. This is a scientific project without commercial interests, that is not in bookstores, but free in Internet. 2. Financial and legal claims against this project, will result in the contribution and the name of contributor in the next edition canceled. 3. This project has been sponsored by the Federal Republic of Germany, Department for Social Benefits, city of Neuss. 4. Correct spelling and orthography is subject of a constant fight between me and my computer – AND THE SOFTWARE in use – and normally the other side is the winning party! Editor`s note – Vorwort des Herausgebers preface 1 ENGLISH SHORT PREFACE „Paul Smith“ is a FAKE-IDENTY behind which very probably is a COLLCETIVE of writers and researchers, using a more RATIONAL and SOBER approach towards the complex of Rennes-le-Chateau and to related complex of „Priory of Sion“ (Prieure de Sion of Pierre Plantard, Geradrd de Sede, Phlippe de Cherisey, Jean-Luc Chaumeil and others).
    [Show full text]
  • Gnosticism Notes
    Copyright © 2014, 2018 by Cory Baugher 1 KnowingTheBible.net Gnosticism Notes Gnosticism (“having knowledge”) was a prominent heretical movement of the third-century Christian Church. Gnostic doctrine taught that the world was created and ruled by a lesser and cruel divinity, the demiurge. Also, the Pleroma (“light”), the true God force, sent the spiritual Christ with esoteric gnosis (“knowledge”) to liberate the human spirit from the material realm. History Simon Magus of Syria (about 50s AD) claimed he was an incarnation of the God force come to rescue the divine thought of God (which was female) imprisoned in the material realm. He practiced magic and divination. He became a Christian to gain power (Acts 8:9-24) and mixed mystery religion ideas with Christianity. He was an Antinomian. Gnostics consider him a founding father. Marcion of Sinope (85–160 AD) believed that the teachings of Jesus Christ were incompatible with Yahweh, the belligerent God of the Old Testament. Taught that God of the Old Testament (Demiurge) is evil and inferior to the God of the New Testament (the Father), which is good. He believed that the Old Testament had to be set aside and so put together his own list of accepted New Testament books. He created his own New Testament church. He denied Jesus’ human body as an illusion. Valentinus of Alexandria (100–160 AD) developed Gnostic theology fully and founded his own school in Rome. He connected Gnostic ideas with the mystery religions and Plato. He taught that there were three kinds of people: Spiritual (his own followers) received the gnosis (“knowledge”) that allowed them to return to the divine Pleroma (“light”).
    [Show full text]
  • The Gospel of Thomas a Fusion of Horizons by Jody L. Wood a Thesis
    The Gospel of Thomas A Fusion of Horizons By Jody L. Wood A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Master of Arts in Theology and Religious Studies. February, 2018, Halifax, Nova Scotia © Jody L. Wood Examining committee Approved: Dr. Magi Abdul-Masih Supervisor Approved: Dr. Syed Adnan Hussain Examiner Approved: The Reverend Dr. David MacLachlan External Examiner February 28, 2018 Abstract The Gospel of Thomas A Fusion of Horizons By Jody L. Wood February 28, 2018 The ancient texts found at Nag Hammadi have been studied by the leading scholars in the field of textual analysis. Included in Nag Hammadi was The Gospel of Thomas, which has also undergone significant critical and historical analysis. Research focussing on how the text was meaningful within wider social structures and Christian communities is seemingly sparse. Therefore, I propose this study to undertake a hermeneutical analysis of The Gospel of Thomas for meaning by first constructing an analysis of a horizon of the ancient communities in which the text may have been read and a modern horizon. Using Hans-Georg Gadamer’s notion of the fusion of horizons, this study will ultimately fuse the horizons to find meaning. 2 Acknowledgement I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks my thesis supervisor, Dr. Magi Abdul- Masih, for sharing her wisdom and mentorship. The resulting thesis is a product of her persevering patience and enlightening discussions which has benefited me and this thesis, probably more than she will ever know.
    [Show full text]
  • Gnosticism from Thought to Religion
    Gnosticism from Thought to Religion Hossein Shahbazi 1 PhD. University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran (Corresponding Author). E-mail: [email protected]. Mohammadreza Abedi Associate Professor, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. E-mail: [email protected]. Abstract The origin of Gnostic thought and its evolution is a controversial topic. By critically examining Gnostic sects and analyzing the opinions of experts, this article will answer the following questions: What are the components of Gnostic thought? What are the sources of Gnostic thought? Were there any sects known as Gnostics before Christ? This research shows that most of our knowledge of Gnosticism is based on controversial Christian works and the Qumran manuscripts. According to these works, no group or sect was called Gnostic before Christ. Although some of the components of Gnostic thought, such as the originality of knowledge and the exile of the soul, date back to the pre-Christ era, and especially to Plato, some other components, such as the distinction between the Christian and Jewish gods, belief in the multiplicity of the eternal Christ, the primacy of knowledge over faith, are products of the period of the formation of Gnostic sects and their conflict with the Church Fathers in the first centuries of the common era. Keywords: Thought, Religion, Gnosticism, Gnostic, Christianity. Religious Inquiries, Volume 9, Number 18, 2020, pp. 5-24 DOI: 10.22034/ri.2021.153509.1273 Received: 2018-11-10; Accepted: 2020-08-30 Copyright © the authors 6 / Religious Inquiries Introduction The Greek word “gnosis” (knowledge) is used by Plato to refer to his theory of forms, but in esoteric sects, it is taken it to mean knowledge of God (Wolfson 2010, 534); the message of Christ, realm of God, and salvation are among its other meanings.
    [Show full text]
  • Philosophy Religion& Books for Courses
    2 0 1 1 PHILOSOPHY RELIGION& BOOKS FOR COURSES PENGUIN GROUP USA PHILOSOPHY RELIGION& BOOKS FOR COURSES 2011 PHILOSOPHY RELIGION WesteRn philosophy . 3 Religion in todAy’s WoRld . 3 0 ANCIENT . 3 Religion & Science . 31 Plato. 4 Relgion in America . 33 MEDIEVAL . 5 BiBle studies . 3 4 RENAISSANCE & EARLY MODERN (c. 1600–1800) . 6 ChRistiAnity . 3 5 The Penguin History LATER MODERN (c. 1800-1960) . 7 of the Church . 35 CONTEMPORARY . 8 Diarmaid MacCulloch . 37 Ayn Rand. 11 Women in Christianity . 38 eAsteRn philosophy . 1 2 J u d A i s m . 3 9 Sanskrit Classics . 12 B u d d h i s m . 4 0 s o C i A l & p o l i t i C A l His Holiness the Dalai Lama . 40 p h i l o s o p h y . 1 3 Karl Marx. 15 i s l A m . 4 2 Philosophy & the Environment . 17 h i n d u i s m . 4 4 philosophy & sCienCe . 1 8 Penguin India . 44 Charles Darwin . 19 nAtiVe AmeRiCAn . 4 5 philosophy & ARt . 2 2 The Penguin Library of American Indian History . 45 philosophy & Religion in liteRAtuRe . 2 3 A n C i e n t R e l i g i o n Jack Kerouac. 26 & mythology . 4 6 Penguin Great Ideas Series . 29 AnthRopology oF Religion . 4 7 spiRituAlity . 4 8 Complete idiot’s guides . 5 0 R e F e R e n C e . 5 1 i n d e X . 5 2 College FACulty inFo seRViCe . 5 6 eXAminAtion Copy FoRm .
    [Show full text]
  • Digest Vol 89 No2 1211.Indd
    Each issue of the Rosicrucian Digest provides members and all interested readers with a compendium of materials regarding the ongoing flow of the Rosicrucian Timeline. The articles, historical excerpts, art, and literature included in this Digest span the ages, and are not only interesting in themselves, but also seek to provide a lasting reference shelf to stimulate continuing study of all of those factors which make up Rosicrucian history and thought. Therefore, we present classical background, historical development, and modern reflections on each of our subjects, using the many forms of primary sources, reflective commentaries, the arts, creative fiction, and poetry. This magazine is dedicated to all the women and men throughout the ages who have contributed to and perpetuated the wisdom of the Rosicrucian, Western esoteric, Tradition. May we ever be worthy of the light with which we have been entrusted. In this issue, we go within to experience the inner knowledge of the Gnostics and Gnosticism, an important tradition contributing to what, centuries later, would become Rosicrucianism. No. 2 - 2011 Vol. 89 - No. 2 Peter Kingsley, Ph.D. “Paths of the Ancient Sages: A Pythagorean History” Giulia Minicuci and Mary Jones, S.R.C. “Pythagoras the Teacher: From Samos to Metapontum” Ruth Phelps, S.R.C. “The School of Pythagoras”Gnosis, Gnostics, and Gnosticism: 2 An Introduction Anonymous “The Golden Verses of Pythagoras” Official Magazine of the Ancient Doctrines Rediscovered 4 Worldwide Christopher McIntosh, D. Phil. Rosicrucian Order Who were the Gnostics? 11 Richard Smoley AntoineEstablished Fabre in d’Olivet, 1915 by the Supreme“Excerpt fromEarly Examination Christianity of& thethe GoldenGospel of Verses” Mary 18 HughGrand McCague, Lodge of thePh.D., English F.R.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Western Esotericism from the 18Th to the 20Th Century
    Western Esotericism from the 18th to the 20th century Dr. Marco Pasi BA-Program, 2nd semester 2017-2018 Tuesday 15:00-17:45 Location: OMHP E0.13 Study guide Code: RS7138 Credits: 12 ECTS Form: hoorcollege/werkgroep. In the first part of the class, the lecturer will introduce the topic of the day, presenting the background and the main issues related to it. In the second part of the class, students will deliver a presentation based on the material from the syllabus, followed by a discussion. The class will be concluded by a reading of primary sources related to the topic. Conditions of admission (ingangseisen): An academic 'propedeuse' (first year). For exchange students: an equivalent level of the ‘propedeuse’ (i.e. 60 EC in courses on first year level). Teaching goals: At the conclusion of this course, the student will possess a good knowledge of the main currents, trends and authors of western esotericism between the 18th and the 20th century. He will be familiar not only with reliable secondary literature on the subject, but will also be able to process relevant primary sources. He will learn how to deal with both primary and secondary sources with a critical mind, with an attentive eye to both content and contextualization. Content: This module offers a broad chronological overview of the history of modern Western esotericism (from the middle of the 18th century up to our days), focusing on its main trends, movements, and authors. This will include an analysis of currents and phenomena such as Illuminism and the birth of Mesmerism, romanticism, spiritualism, occultism, traditionalism, and the New Age.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Christian Mysteries the First 37 Years from the Mystery of Golgotha
    Tracking the Ancient Mysteries from Egypt to the Founding of America Lecture 6: Early Christian Mysteries The First 37 Years from the Mystery of Golgotha Andrew Linnell 6/25/2014 1 Outline • Lectures 1 – 5: Conceptual foundations, Egypt, Greece, The Temple Legend, Vanishing of the Mysteries • Lectures 6 – 10: Early Christian Mysteries, Faith versus Knowledge, Charlemagne, Knights Templars, Cathars, Rosicrucians • Lectures 11 – 15: Renaissance, Leonardo, Founding of America, Freemasonry, Mysteries for the Future Andrew Linnell 6/25/2014 2 3 Keys To Remember 1. Intellectual life replaces the Mysteries and provides a foundation for Egoism and Equality 2. Three Key Mystery Acts: 1. Baptism 2. Lazarus 3. Mystery of Golgotha as the Turning Point in Time 3. As 11+1 Disciples plus Paul spread Christianity to whole world, Christianity takes on multiple “personalities”, multiple books & “authorities”, & multiple grasping based on local Mystery stream Great source: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/index.html Andrew Linnell 6/25/2014 3 Recap of Lectures 1-5 • All religions had their own mysteries and mystery center • Initiations occurred by elect being put into a death like state for 3.5 days after which the hierophant called them o Death to new life (new name) • Mythologies as picture-stories for the masses • Egypt – initiates led back in time to when gods interacted • Greece – balance of physical & spiritual, 4-foldness • With end of Taurus (747 BCE), Aries begins, Mysteries fade • Aristotle inspires Alexander to transition fading Mysteries
    [Show full text]
  • Download Hidden Wisdom: a Guide to the Western Inner Traditions
    Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions, Richard Smoley, Jay Kinney, Quest Books, 2006, 0835608441, 9780835608442, 400 pages. This book is meant for those who have ever thought there’s something deeply wrong in their life or the state of the world in general. So often we’re troubled by the anxieties of everyday life, numbly repeating daily rituals with no significance or inner meaning. Contemporary seekers long for a deeper spirituality that, while rooted in Western tradition, will reconnect them with the hidden wisdom that lies beneath all mystical teachings. For decades, our modern society has looked to the East for spiritual guidance and renewal. Here is a guide much closer to home that will lead to a refined and renewed spiritual path and help people rediscover their deeper selvesвЂ―a true connection of the body, mind, and soul. Covering the gamut from Kabbalah, Gnosticism, and Sufism to Shamanism, Neopaganism, Theosophy, and mystical Christianity, Hidden Wisdom is the handbook to the Western wisdom traditions. Authors Smoley and Kinney examine the key figures and movements of these traditions throughout history to offer a balanced and coherent view of esoteric Western practices.. The Kingdom of the Occult , Walter Martin, Jill Martin Rische, Van Gorden Kurt, Oct 21, 2008, Religion, 733 pages. The timely follow up to Dr. Martin's "The Kingdom of the Cults," takes his comprehensive knowledge and dynamic teaching style and forges a strong weapon against the world of .... Inner Christianity A Guide to the Esoteric Tradition, Richard Smoley, 2002, Body, Mind & Spirit, 292 pages.
    [Show full text]