- Read this and this and this and this and this. Don't worry, it'll take 5 minutes tops and we'll wait back here.
- Okay now read the shwack of stuff at the Ecclesia Gnostica, Church of Gnosis and the Apostolic Johannite Church.
That took a while. Still feeling all Gnosticky?
[Am I saying that if you don't agree more or less with the above approaches to and definitions of Gnosticism that you're not, well, Gnostic? Oh yes I am. There's a huge, huge spectrum here of Gnostic experience and approach, but if you define Gnosticism as some sort of vegan anti-clerical anarcho-eschatology, you're not talking about Gnosticism as it exists today as a living religion; the spiritual home to perhaps 100,000 people. Welcome to the party, but please respect the guests who've been here for a while.] - Add yourself to the Frappr Gnostic Map. Other people can find you, and you can find someone close to talk to. Use your real name. This isn't Druidry or the Renn Faire, you have no need to be in the closet or assume some goofy identity.
- Join the Johannite Maling List. Just lurk for a while until you get the lay of the land. There are about 400 people on this list, so you're bound to find a kindred spirit. Always Google unfamiliar terms, proper nouns, etc. before you ask questions online - this will save a lot of time by not repeating basics and getting down to the meaning and relevance of your question.
- Download the mellow stylings of Rev. Troy's Gnoscasts, which will give you a taste of Gnostic aesthetic (we don't exactly do "perky"). He's the Barry White of Gnosticism.
- Read a little, meditate a a little, every day. Get out of your head – if there's one problem with modern Gnostics it's that we spend too much time on the internet being cerebral. Gnosticism is a contemplative, sacramental religion. If you're not contemplating or experiencing the sacraments, are you sure you're a Gnostic?
- Leave a copy of VALIS on your desk at work. We'll know. It's the ultimate Gnostic secret handshake. You might even want to read it. Also get a hold of a copy of Bishop Stephan Hoeller's Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing. (Here's the great heresy: this book is not as good as we keep saying it is, it's just the best book out there. Sorry 'bout that.)
Actually all the books on the on the sidebar are definitely worth the read. Maybe even mine. - Ask yourself "What is the response of reasoned compassion"? when confronted by fundamentalists and literalists of any stripe.
- Remember we're a religion of laity, not of clergy. Wearing a collar doesn't make me more Gnosticker than you. Your work, your expression, your voice, and your participation are valuable and necessary as we move the greater Gnostic Ecclesia forward with our "cure for the world's pain".
Don't:
- ...get into flame wars on the Palm Tree Garden. Just don't. Don't mock, don't comment, just "don't go there".
- ...declare your gnosis to the world. Now, there's letting people know you identify as a Gnostic and that you're really into Gnosticism; it's another thing entirely to publish your rambling manifesto about the nature of reality. It's not that we don't want to read it, I just guarantee you it's not ready yet and won't be for at least ten years.
- ...slam "orthodoxy". Odds may be very good you've misunderstood what you've been told about what Christianity really teaches. If your Baptist past is no longer your thing, then let it go. Just... let it go.
- ...preach, proselytize, or evangelize: it's rude. It's okay if you're the last Gnostic on earth: gnosis is perennial; so too are the archetypal stories which comprise Gnostic religion. It will surface again even if we die of some weird virus at GnostiCon 2012. You're only "mission" is to respond to enquiries, not solicit them.
- ... get a goo-roo. Especially one who claims to glow in the dark. Don't relinquish your discernment, your discrimination, your integrity to anyone.
- ...mistake a web page for a church.
12 comments:
Jordan+
You are on fire today with these posts.
My favorite quote:
"Leave a copy of VALIS on your desk at work. We'll know. It's the ultimate Gnostic secret handshake. You might even want to read it."
(Sorry, last post accidently contained a repeated post from 20 questions - hope I deleted it properly)
"Am I saying that if you don't agree more or less with the above approaches to and definitions of Gnosticism that you're not, well, Gnostic? Oh yes I am."
Fr. Jordan+
Juuuuuust to be clear. Are you saying that if you are Gnostic, you MUST be a follower of Gnosticism?
I mean, so if you experience The Christ (or the Christ Consciousness) then you'd better bloody well be a Christian or your experience ain't valid? That you can't experience the ECK unless you are a member of Eckankar?
Sez Who?!!?!?? ;-) There, I feel better now.
No. I mean I 'get' the battle. You say, 'but if you define Gnosticism as some sort of vegan anti-clerical anarcho-eschatology, you're not talking about Gnosticism as it exists today as a living religion.' But PLEASE make it clear that this misconception and challenge stems from the political front. For in doing so, we can put it into a better perspective and see that it is a blip on the radar screen of a much larger community. The world is FULL of Spirituality, it is not just confined to the anal political tensions between Christianity and Gnosticism.
Have all Gnostics, er, excuse me, Gnosicismists, arrived at the doorstep of the Gnostic Church, from Christianity? G@d, I hope not.
Doug Friesen :-)
P.S. Love the Blog. Love the Path. Really. Point being made is as I see it, so often the sermons are being either directed to the converted or the detractors, y'know? Don't forget that huge lush green valley in the middle.
:-)
Grailenthusiast,
To be precise, the political tensions in reference here (assuming there are in fact political tensions being referenced) are between Gnosticism and some sort of vegan anti-clerical anarcho-eschatology. And, I have yet to meet many Christians who would identify as such.
"Juuuuuust to be clear. Are you saying that if you are Gnostic, you MUST be a follower of Gnosticism?"
As I've said in this blog about once a week for the last two years, gnosis does not equal Gnosticism. The experience of gnosis is unversal, occuring within and without any religion, where GnosticISM is particular: the religion designed to amplify and celebrate that experience.
"not just confined to the anal political tensions between Christianity and Gnosticism."
I have no idea where this statement comes from. I wasn't talking about Christian/Gnostic conflicts at all, but rather about those few but noisy individuals who Googled "Gnosticism" for the first time last week and use their instant authority to denounce anything they don't understand or don't care for to be the work of the Demiurge.
Er...
I might also place, somewhere near the top, the procurement of some collection or another of Gnostic scripture (Layton's "Gnostic Scriptures" is the best for a beginner, IMHO)? Or are we working under the assumption that said candidate already has this item?
btw,
"...get into flame wars on the Palm Tree Garden. Just don't. Don't mock, don't comment, just "don't go there"."
???
I obviously beg to differ. There have been only a few minor "flame wars" since the inception of the PTG. Most members of the PTG have found it an excellent resource and forum for expression and learning. Discourse can, and should, be messy, and I think this direct reference to the PTG is rather unfortunate.
Couple of things:
"There's a huge, huge spectrum here of Gnostic experience and approach, but if you define Gnosticism as some sort of vegan anti-clerical anarcho-eschatology, you're not talking about Gnosticism as it exists today as a living religion"
I come across this alot in various discussion forums. There are a lot of anti-Christian anti-organized religion individuals out there that will disagree vehemently and quite violently that Gnosticism has anything to do with Christ. I agree that GnosticISM is a Christian religious approach to gnosis, since both Christian orthodox/literalists and Christian Gnostics have their roots in the same history. The realization of gnosis is not exclusive to Gnosticism and can be attained from a variety of avenues: ritual magic, buddhism, zen meditation, etc... It is a term designed to describe an experiece, the experience is not the term. IMHO of course.
"Download the mellow stylings of Rev. Troy's Gnoscasts, which will give you a taste of Gnostic aesthetic (we don't exactly do "perky"). He's the Barry White of Gnosticism."
Love it. Love Rev. Troy+.
"Actually all the books on sidebar are definitely worth the read. Maybe even mine."
The Da Vinci Prayerbook is definitely worth it. Most definitely worth it!
"Don't declare your gnosis to the world. ... it's another thing entirely to publish your rambling manifesto about the nature of reality. It's not that we don't want to read it, I just guarantee you it's not ready yet and won't be for at least ten years."
Shoot. I put like two hours into it and had it already to post. Ten years? Groan. ;)
"Don't slam "orthodoxy". Odds may be very good you've misunderstood what you've been told about what Christianity really teaches."
From experience, this statement couldn't be more true! So much to learn, so little brain space.
"Don't get a goo-roo."
Double shoot. I already had my application for my own personal guru all filled out and ready to send to the St. Ratford Guru Service. How about a small guru? Does that count?
Thanks Jordan and Christopher,
First up, yeah 'anal tensions' was a bit over the top. I was referring to an impression of restricted dialogue. It 'seems' (operative word here) that the quest to define Gnosticism is so often the effort to define it to Christian academics. I'm just observing that there's a whole wide world of academics and laity out there that is often overlooked and untilled. Thas all. I can appreciate that the struggles on the home front are the most immediate and ever present. Perhaps even the most challenging and requiring the most attention.
Christoper says, "between Gnosticism and some sort of vegan anti-clerical anarcho-eschatology." - a psuedo-definition that apparently Gnosticism is trying to avoid, or overcome. But where is this misconception (assuming it is as widespread as is often the impression) coming from? From the Spiritual community, or a narrow band of Christian academics?
Paths that purport to be the path of the individual, are often viewed (feared) as being somewhat anarchistic. But is Gnosticism the path of the individual, or the individualized path? I see it as an individualized path. The working out in certain terms and direct experience the nature not only of the Self (Soul), but beyond that into the Spiritual Community. Nothing anarchistic about that. But do most folks really realize just how wide that Spiritual Community is? Catholic on the outside, Bhudhist on the inside doesn't quite capture the glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel - so to speak.
Yeah, I'm a Googler of about a years duration. Haven't found a Gnostic Church in my vicinity. So, I'll expand the physical horizon - and hope to see you soon. :-)
Doug Friesen
"I obviously beg to differ. There have been only a few minor "flame wars" since the inception of the PTG."
IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION; By "don't go there" I don't mean don't read the PTG, I mean don't involve yourself in the copious, incessant ("few minor") juvenile flame wars. If some idiot claims that Gnosticism is really about cannibalism or raising geese, just leave the poor twit alone.
The PTG has lots of good bits, stick to those. But don't feel compelled to correct the hordes of twinkies. That's all I'm saying.
Shawn said:
"I agree that GnosticISM is a Christian religious approach to gnosis"
Then you're not agreeing with me, that's for sure. I would NEVER say Gnosticism is a "Christian religious approach". Gnosticism is a complete, distinct pre-Christian religion that cannot be understood as a Christian anything. Certainly Gnosticism influenced Christianity when it came along, but unless we start with the reality that Gnosticism stands on its own and got here first we're not going to get very far.
Shawn said:
"I agree that GnosticISM is a Christian religious approach to gnosis"
Sorry, I retract. I hadn't realized upon re-reading that I included "Christian" because yes, I agree that Gnosticism pre-dates Christianity by several 1000 years in the form of Pagan Mystery religions. I meant "GnosticISM is a RELIGIOUS approach to gnosis".
My bad.
Te absolvo. But to clarify, I'd say Gn is distinct from the pagan mystery schools as well. It's a syncretism that happened before the Romans showed up in Alexandria but after the Greeks; a specific identifiable vibe that self identified as Gnostic and distinguishised itself from Jews and Pagans both. Best guess is c. 200 BCE.
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