The Gnostic Gospels

To the extent that any unified group called “the Gnostics” existed, its existence was defined largely by its opposition to “orthodox” Christianity. Gnostic beliefs were deemed heretical because they challenged the foundational beliefs of the early Christian church, and for Pagels, that heretical orientation toward official Christendom is the single unifying feature that holds together a range of disparate groups with sometimes conflicting beliefs. “Orthodoxy” and “heresy” are inherently subjective, political terms that can only be defined with reference to political power. The word orthodox is derived from the Greek for “right belief,” a label that can only be applied by those in authority. In other words, the orthodox church became “orthodox” because it won out in the contest for power and influence, gaining the authority to define its own beliefs as legitimate and conflicting beliefs as heretical, while the gnostics became “heretical” simply because they had not succeeded in becoming orthodox. Both orthodox and gnostic Christianity drew from the same traditions and texts, like the story of Jesus’s resurrection and the New Testament. Also, the orthodox writer and anti-gnostic critic “Irenaeus’ religious convictions and his position—like those of his gnostic opponents—reciprocally influenced one another” (47).