Theos-Talk Archives (October 1997 Message tl00030)

>I cannot speak for others regarding Gnosticism, but the brief 2
>years I was involved with it, I was not seeking elitism.  I was
>attracted to its intuitive knowledge and writings.  Perhaps that
>comes off as elitism to others because it is hard to understand.
>
>A. Safron

In a sense, Gnosticism was elitist. Valentinus, for example,
taught that until you experienced gnosis--direct knowledge--
you were rather like a blind person or a student. He taught
that we all had to tread our own path and experience
spirituality within ourselves. This incensed the Christian
fathers who wanted to promote the church and who taught
that only through the church could we ever hope to come to
God, etc.  Anyone can join a church if they want to. Not
everyone can experience gnosis, or even understand what
it is. So Gnosticsm tended to build up a have/have-not
mentality, although they did teach that anyone could
experience gnosis if the desire was strong enough to go 
through all the necessary work.

Jerry S.