Here's One to Provoke Cloud Again! : D

[Peregrino]

[cloud recluse]

OK Pilgrim,Im provoked

 

Actually,Im downright intruiged.

 

Solid historical research in this area always grabs me,& Im sure the area must have moved on since I last had a serious look at it.Clarks book sounds like its certainly addressing the issues that interest me.So I think Ill keep a lookout for that one.

 

For me,its both a question of the origin of what we now understand to be Christian orthodoxy,& then also a question of what is or isnt "Gnosticism"?

 

Its gratifying,amongst all the New age waffle that the da Vinci Crud has reinforced,to see that some people are still aware of the uglier aspects of some of the groups defined as Gnostic.Ive seen quite a few Moon-Huggers romantacize the Gnostics as feminist nature-loving yogis & guardians of some lost Goddess tradition for the West,when in fact they could persue a patriarchial world-hatred far more extreme than the Christians.

 

I mean,in SOME Gnostic cosmologies,it is the FOLLY of the Goddess,as she departs from the Male Gods plan,that leads to the creation of an innately wicked world,& this Sophia only redeems herself when she reunites with the Male god Jesus in the otherwordly,anti-material Pleroma! THIS IS NOT A FEMINIST IMAGE!!

 

Meanwhile other groups labelled 'Gnostic' do seem to have something worth listening to.

 

Its an area where the history is still being uncovered.Unfortunately many previous researchers here have had a bad case of religion,but we are starting to see contributions relatively free of that disease.

 

Regards,Cloud