The Gnostic Gospels

A key belief in some gnostic texts was that the physical world was created by a lesser and false divinity, called the demiurgos or the Demiurge, which was itself created or unintentionally generated by a higher, greater divine force. The name came from a term used in Platonic philosophy to refer to the intelligence that created the world. When gnostic Christians adopted the term, some associated it with Yahweh, the Jewish god described in the Hebrew Bible. The concept of the Demiurge itself was a major split with orthodox Christian views, which held that the creator of the world and the true, supreme God were one and the same. Also, the idea of the Demiurge was a major representation of gnostic skepticism over the material world and their focus on inner, spiritual development.

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.