Category: Mysticism

I am a student of Gnosticism because I am a specialist in Christian mysticism. The Gnostics were among the first mystics.

This is important to remember, because later mystics had to distance themselves from the Gnostics in order to survive. And even now, telling you their secret, could cast the heresy label on them.

But the Gnostics were not heretics, they were lovers of God and seekers of union with God. It was the institutional church that went astray seeking power and control through their union with the Roman government. They rendered to Caesar what was God’s.

Or you can see it as a repeat of Israel’s reject of God as their King and the election of a human King (1 Sam. 8:7-8). The Roman Church replaced Jesus Christ as the Head of the Church with a human Pope as the Head of the Church (Eph 5:23).

But there are a bunch of different groups calling themselves Gnostic, and many varied beliefs. And modern scholarship is still confused about the whole subject of Gnostics and Gnosticism. It is just easier to call myself a Christian mystic.

I am a Christian mystic who follows the lead of the Apostles Paul, John, Thomas, Valentinus, and the Desert Fathers and Mothers. You can include all the Christian mystics, both East and West, since that time.

However, claiming that I am a Christian mystic sounds kind of like claiming I am a saint. It smacks of a lack of humility. But I have experienced the presence of God and seek union with God, so that makes me a mystic. I will say no more than that.

A Gnostic Christian approaches Scripture as myths, interprets Scripture allegorically, has mystic secrets reserved for the initiated, aims for salvation through mystical insight (gnosis), is open to new revelations from God, and follow Jesus as the Messiah, God, and Savior.

A Christian Mystic may or may not approach Scripture as myths and interprets Scripture allegorically. They usually do not have mystic secrets reserved for the initiated. The Christian Mystic does not aim for salvation through mystical insight, but seeks salvation through faith. The Christian Mystic also is not open to new revelations from God. But they do follow Jesus the Messiah, God, and Savior.

Mystics tend to follow church Creeds and obey the Church hierarchy. Although there are, of course, exceptions. The problem is the deeper you go into mysticism the closer you get to Gnosticism. And the closer you get to Gnosticism the further you get from the institutional Church.

Spiritually speaking, mystics and gnostics are brothers and sisters. It is an only outward conformity to established norms that they differ considerably. Mystics are occasionally ostracized as heretics, but Gnostics are always. This is because narcissism undermines the institutional church, and it’s authority and control.

I tend to be on the mystic side of the line. Doctrine is not that important to me, it is the experience of God that is central. The Gnostics were the first mystics. The Gnostics fled to the wilderness of the Alexandria desert, where they became known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers. They again appeared as the great mystics in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church.