The Gnostic Gospels

Gnosticism is an ambiguous term covering a variety of ideas and beliefs within early Christianity, although some scholars have also argued that gnostic ideas can be found in sources outside Christianity as well. The term comes from gnosis, a Greek term meaning “insight” (xix). While many gnostic groups shared certain characteristics and concepts, Elaine Pagels suggests that they were united by the core belief in gnosis, the attainment of spiritual enlightenment that leads to a true understanding of the divine. Pagels argues this led gnostic Christians to focus on a state of interior knowledge that not only led to enlightenment, but also made an individual aware of the divine.

Pagels uses the term “orthodox,” which is derived from the Greek for “right belief,” to refer to the strand of Christianity that had become dominant by the fourth century with the conversion of Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea of 325. Like gnostic Christianity, Pagels sees orthodox Christianity as defined by a set of key characteristics and beliefs, many of which were diametrically opposed to gnostic Christianity. Perhaps most importantly, orthodox Christianity emphasized hierarchical authority in the form of priests and bishops who provided the knowledge needed to understand the divine, as opposed to gnostics, who focused on shared, decentralized leadership and the ability of the individual to access divine truths.