Gnosticism is widespread in the West.

I would assert that any honest Westerner, who

tries to evaluate the worldview with which he received from his upbringing, would have
a serious encounter or life-long struggle probing into what degree Gnosticism shaped
it, with the realization the Gnosticism has certainly shaped it. Gnosticism made its way
into Western culture through two avenues. One avenue through the Cathars which had
a role in forming Protestantism. The other through alchemists which influenced the
Papal theology.
Gnosticism is a heresy for the Orthodox Christian. Gnosticism (a form of Satanism) is
the same religion with which Simon Magus (Acts 8:924) was involved. A prominent
feature is that Gnosticism always takes different forms as it passes through time and
therefore is repeatedly condemned by the Church. Adherents who embrace Gnosticism
say it persists because it must be an eternal truth. It is not an eternal truth and to properly
understand it we must remember the Didache. There is a way of Light, from God and a
way of Darkness, from the demons. Gnosticism is this way of darkness. Orthodox
revelation and our neptic-hesychastic tradition is the way of light.
Gnosticism's influence on the modern mind should not be underestimated. It may
surprise some the William Tyndale quoted approvingly some Bogomil texts. Tyndale
is the precursor to the foundation for Scriptural translation into English, i.e. the King
James Bible. Our physics rests on the foundation of Isaac Newton who is a wellpracticed alchemist. Many of our Founding Fathers and the philosophers that influenced
them (Montesquieu and Locke) were Freemasons (more on this below). Sigmund Freud,
father of modern pyschology was also a Freemason. Spycraft (John Dee and J. Edgar
Hoover) are intimately related to this esoteric culture as well.

Below is a lineage of Gnostic sects that infiltrated Christianity and how they appeared
from the ancient world to today. It should also be noted that many smaller groups
sometimes co-exist with these. The first lineage is the avenue Gnosticism took into the
Papacy (via the Alchemists which is a specific practice inside a Gnostic framework).
The second lineage is the avenue which influenced powers revolting against the Papacy

via the Cathars. Christos Yannaras and James L. Kelly are indispensable scholars that
provided the bulk of this historic understanding (I quote them extensively below).
The key here is that this is the continuation of a way of thinking. Gnostics are do not
always try to preserve a body of believers or even preserve ancient teachings
necessarily. Again, a Gnostic worldview, or a Gnostic way of understanding the
physical and metaphysical universe, continues on through their persistent existence and
simply influencing their surroundings without stealing believers from another
religious/political body.
Gnosticisms historical lineage via Alchemists (influencing Papists):

Augustine imported some of his Manichean and Neoplatonic thoughts such as

using the Monad or divine essence as a starting point of theology instead of the
incarnate Christ, not distinguishing the nous from the rational mind, and the
energy if God as created intermediaries instead of uncreated power. See previous
post On Augustine.
Franks based their dogmatic theology on Augustine and at the Council of
Frankfurt (794 A.D.). This was began the entry of Gnostic mentality (already
in the thought of the Franks) as part of the dogmatic framework within which the
Franks philosophized their theology. Examples in this Council are the began
ocular piety (rejecting 7th Ecumenical Council and taking a Gnostic approach to
emblems or images, i.e. through the eyes it enters the mind) and the filioque
(Understanding the Trinity from a Pythagorean or Neo-platonic Monad and as it
extends itself arriving at the persons of the Trinity)..
This allowed for the preconditions for Gnostic thought to flourish with the
illiterate Franks as they attempted to adopt a Frankish metaphysics for their
feudal politics and the Churches under their influence. Alchemy began to coexist very closely and peaceably with the Papist Church. Frankish esoteric
practices are well documented along with the fact that at the height of Papal
power the alchemy was a widespread practice.

Gnosticisms historical lineage via the Cathars (influenceing Protestants):

Marcionites and Messalians

Paulicians
Manichees
Bogomils
Cathars
The Cathars were in the region of Languedoc. Here a number of Templars came
to dwell. It was a religiously tolerant region and the exchange of ideas was quite
common. There were even schools devoted to the Kaballah which were popular.
We thus see a location with a syncretic people adhering to the ancient line of
Gnostics (via the Cathars), the Knights Templar, and Jewish Kabbalah.
With the Albigensian Crusade (12091229) initiated by Pope Innocent III,
Gnosticism became less geographically based and was a belief whose adherents
were in a diaspora where it blended with proto-Protestant trends throughout
Europe.
British Freemasonry (supported Kings), French Freemasonry (opposed Kings,
included USAs Founding Fathers), Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Puritans,
Quakers, Anabaptists/Baptists, etc.

Again, this is a way of thinking (phronima) that changes its language over time. First
with Platos Forms, then as Aeons, and with Aristotles popularity in the West simply
as universals. Christians believe in the uncreated energy as part of God. The contrary
thinking found in heresies, especially Gnosticism was that the Forms/Aeons/Ideals
(Universals) are something created from Gods essence in which we can directly

relate or possess. Two popular manifestations of Gnosticism are in the areas of

Human Rights and the view of the flesh or the world in many areas of Western
Christianity.

Concerning rights, Locke tried to link the origin of human rights to natural law.
Jefferson tried to link human rights to moral law from nature. John Locke was a
Freemason. The evidence the Jefferson was a Freemason is inconclusive but it is known
his closest associates were Freemasons and the fraternity like Jeffersons beliefs. These
foundational thinkers that established the belief and framework that our government is
based on natural law posit that our rights come from natural law or moral law. This is
Gnosticism. There is no observation of the essence of a natural law, or a moral law. One
may argue we see the effects, but this misses my point. This is a totally different
worldview I am exposing in contrast to the Orthodox Christian (therefore Apostolic)
worldview. We cannot go somewhere and interact with the natural law of liberty, for
example. Natural or moral law is an ideal, a universal, that claims is part of Gods
Creation, or creative workings. This is the key here, it is an ideal, a universal. This is
Gnostic thinking. We should reject this as reality and find out the true Christian teaching
in our relationship with others, with governments, and/or with God.
Concerning dualism, in my experience in many circles of Protestantism, one thing the
congregational leaders often knew but seemed to always fail to communicate to the
less-educated or ill-informed Christian is about the resurrection of the flesh. It is almost
always absent from a Protestant funeral. In the minds of the less knowledgeable
Christians, they understand the flesh can bring about sin and they simply see death as a
release from this to go be with Christ. It is simple but flawed reasoning. My body and
the world cause me to sin, When I get to heaven there will be no sin because I have no
body. Therefore I am glad to lose my body and I would not want it back. This is common
erroneous thinking and many know better but it is a strong strain of thought in so many
Protestant groups that pastors do not address. Unfortunately, it is sometimes alluded or
enforced by their music which never goes through a theological filter ("This Old House"
being one that immediately comes to mind). Where did this thinking come from? It
came from the abundance of material in the arts and many local community groups that
were Gnostic in their worldview.

My friend Trif makes this insightful comment: Gnosticism is a constant temptation. It

seems like its the temptation to slide back into paganism. You could say it is natural
to believe. But I mean natural in the sense that it is normal in the world corrupt as it
is. Pagan religions all seem to view material as something that needs to be escaped. The
soul is imprisoned in the body and needs to be freed. For us though, the soul and body
form a whole, and are supposed to be unified, not divided. You see this dualism of soul
vs body in Hinduism, I am pretty sure. It seems to be a feature of many religions, and
it is always condemned by the Orthodox. For some reason through all these centuries
human beings have not outgrown this. Just goes to show progress is a myth and people
of all times suffer from the same passions.
Lastly, I will add two long quotes from two excellent books that touch on this topic.
First is from Against Religion by Christos Yannaras. The second is from Anatomyzing
Divinity by James L. Kelley. My friend Simeon mentions, In ancient times these were
the two forms of Gnosticism, those that thought that since the body of was an evil prison
for the soul (a spark of Sophia, the fallen female goddess) and felt that they could do
whatever they wanted (sin was perfectly acceptable). The other branch felt that since
the body was an evil prison, they had to punish it through extreme asceticism. This
seems to be common (as he says) in the ancient world and Kelley makes this point too.
However, Yannaras does not say this an implies the opposite; yet, one must realize
Yannaras is taking a much larger historical perspective. From what I can tell, as time
went on, the former type of Gnosticism began to vanish.