The Gnostic Gospels

Some historians believe that the statement, “‘I believe in one God’” (28), part of the Catholic Church’s profession of faith, was written to exclude followers of the second-century Christian leader, Marcion. He believed that the Old and New Testaments describe two different gods, a doctrine called dualism. Irenaeus and other orthodox critics of gnostics accused them of being dualists. This was based on the belief shared in many gnostic texts that while the Old Testament God is the creator of the world, the true God is spirit. Other gnostic texts still speak of God as a oneness.

Pagels argues that the debate over the nature of monotheism reflected the “issue of spiritual authority” (34). This is seen in a letter attributed to the first century bishop of Rome, Clement, who argued that God “delegates” (34) his power to the clergy and secular rulers. Another early Christian authority, Ignatius of Antioch, argued that the church hierarchy reflects the hierarchy in heaven. This view fit with the context of the time even among pagans, where little distinction was made between religion and politics.

Breaking with the strict monotheism of orthodox Christianity,