In Against the Protestant Gnostics, Philip Lee helpfully argues that gnosticism is better understood as a type or pattern than as a historic phenomenon. That is, gnosticism is a way of thinking (namely, that one attains salvation through the acquisition of specialized knowledge) which has appeared in various guises and continues to manifest itself even within systems, such as Christianity, which are antithetical to it. He also notes that gnosticism is, by definition, elitist; only the select few can acquire the special knowledge.
I wonder whether gnosticism is, or at least can be, consequent to elitism. This would explain why certain personality types end up as self-described Calvinists. These tend to view the doctrines of grace as specialized pieces of information which are known only to the few willing to study and understand them. Ironically, grace (or rather, their knowledge about grace) becomes for them the marker which signifies their superiority to other Christians.
In my opinion, those who think of themselves as reformed in their theology, and therefore superior, are less Calvinists than gnostics.
1 comment:
GNOSIS is induced by advanced alien civilizations via technological means from afar. An example in The Gospel would be The Transfiguration, where the visual cortex of each observer was overlaid with the 3-D image of Moses, etc., vantage-point adjusted and synchronously. Other examples include dreams, out-of-body experiences (i.e. - Astral Projections), the paranormal (all GHOSTS), and cryptozoology (i.e. - Bigfoot). As one is seeing something that isn't actually there, of course it can't be photographed.
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