Lexic.us

Definition of Gnosticism

1. Noun. A religious orientation advocating gnosis as the way to release a person's spiritual element; considered heresy by Christian churches.

Definition of Gnosticism

1. n. The system of philosophy taught by the Gnostics.

Definition of Gnosticism

1. Noun. A wide variety of Jewish and early Christian sects having an interest in gnosis, or divine knowledge and generally holding the belief that there is a god greater than the Demiurge, or the creator of the world. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Gnosticism

1. [n -S]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Gnosticism

Literary usage of Gnosticism

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Monist by Hegeler Institute (1898)
"gnosticism is a religious movement which is characterised by a seeking for Gnosis ... gnosticism is full of vagaries, but it is possessed of a high ideal, ..."

2. A Source Book for Ancient Church History: From the Apostolic Age to the by Joseph Cullen Ayer (1913)
"The principal source materials for the history of gnosticism and other ... THE EARLIER GNOSTICS: gnosticism IN GENERAL gnosticism is a generic name for a ..."

3. Dictionary of the Apostolic Church by James Hastings, John Alexander Selbie, John Chisholm Lambert (1915)
"The most probable view is that gnosticism in all its elements was independent of Christianity, but strove to put over itself a Christian guise, ..."

4. Encyclopaedia Britannica, a Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and edited by Hugh Chisholm (1910)
"Oí all the fundamental ideas of gnosticism of which we have so far treated, it can with some certainty be assumed that they were in existence before the ..."

5. The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the by Charles George Herbermann, Edward Aloysius Pace, Condé Bénoist Pallen, Thomas Joseph Shahan, John Joseph Wynne (1913)
"For the last twenty-five years, however, the trend of scholarship has steadily moved towards proving the pre-Christian Oriental origins of gnosticism. ..."

6. The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge: Embracing by Johann Jakob Herzog, Philip Schaff, Albert Hauck (1909)
"gnosticism. Gnosis and gnosticism (§ 1). Origin and Meaning (§ 2). Sources (5 3). ... The Church and gnosticism (§ 4). (§7). gnosticism (derived from Gk. ..."

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