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St Augustine and his knowledge of manichaeism
Get PDFThe author examines the scope and sources of St Augustine’s knowledge of Manichaeism. He mostly follows the thesis of J.K. Coyle, that as a Christian and anti-Manichaean polemicist, Augustine obtained additional information about the "Religion of Light". To illustrate Augustine-the-Manichaean and Augustine-the-polemicist’s knowledge of the religion of Mani, the author includes two lengthy excerpts from his writings: from the 7th book of Confessiones and the treatise De natura boni, which features a quotation from the Manichaean work Treasure. The author provides a special comment on this extract
Zbiór kodeksów („biblioteka”) z Nag Hammadi. Stan badań i nowe kierunki poszukiwań
No full textThe author divided his paper into two parts. In the first one he shows issues concerning a whole of the Nag Hammadi collection as to which a certain consensus have been reached by the scholars. These are, i.a.: division into subcollections, diversity in term of the dialects of the Coptic language, different literary forms, belongingness to various religious and ideological traditions, main thematic threads and ritual practice. In the second part he presents directions of research and fields of discussions which from 2010 have appeared in connection with the collection of the Nag Hammadi codices. These are issues like: the hypothesis that the collection came into being in milieu of Pachomian monks, or that it is grave goods of a wealthy person, and a few others. The author also notices a shift of focus from “Gnosticism” of 2nd and 3rd centuries to Egyptian culture of 4th and 5th centuries as regards research on said collection. The main conclusion of this paper is that the collection of the Nag Hammadi codices is step by step becoming an independent subject of study
– Gnosticism as the beginning of the Western esoteric tradition. Two evidences from the interwar period
No full textAuthor, in connection with his study on the interests in Gnosticism and Manichaeism in Polish non-fiction publications of 1890-1939 period, analyses if Western esotericism in the sources of mentioned period is understood as kind of the esoteric tradition which is opened by Gnosticism. The basis of this research are two evidences from 1926: translation of a book Ewolucja boska. Od Sfinksa do Chrystusa by Édouard Schuré (1841-1929) as well as an article Teozofia w dziejach błędów ludzkich by Marian Morawski (1881-1940). Author, considering this issue, refers also to the Gnostic and anti-Gnostic sources of Late Antiquity.Autorzy współczesnych opracowań na temat ezoteryki zachodniej często mówią o niej – w swoim imieniu lub przytaczając opinie źródeł – jako o swego rodzaju tradycji ezoterycznej, na początku której znajduje się późnostarożytny gnostycyzm lub hermetyzm, a jednym z najważniejszych ogniw są rodzące się na przełomie XIX i XX wieku teozofia i antropozofia . W związku z tą obserwacją oraz z moimi badaniami na temat zainteresowania gnostycyzmem i manicheizmem w polskich publikacjach non-fiction w latach 1890-1939, postanowiłem zbadać, jak ówcześni (tj. osoby zainteresowane ezoteryką na przełomie XIX i XX wieku jako jej zwolennicy lub przeciwnicy) postrzegali to zjawisko duchowo-religijne. Czy rzeczywiście rozumieli je jako tradycję? Jeśli tak, to z jakich ogniw miała się składać? Jaka jest jej bliższa charakterystyka? Jaką rolę odgrywali w niej starożytni gnostycy
„Uważam się za heretyka i za gnostyka, i szczycę się, że nim jestem”. Jerzego Prokopiuka ezoteryczna recepcja gnozy i gnostycyzmu
No full text“I Consider Myself a Heretic and a Gnostic, and I Pride Myself on Being One.” Jerzy Prokopiuk’s Esoteric Reception of Gnosis and Gnosticism
In the paper, the author presents Jerzy Prokopiuk’s (1931–2021) outlook on gnosis and Gnosticism. Prokopiuk was a Polish esotericist, translator, and non-academic specialist in religious studies. His views on this subject can be divided into four areas: (1) definition of gnosis; (2) the essence and de- scription of Gnosticism as a historical religious formation; (3) description and understanding of the post-Gnostic tradition; (4) gnosis and Gnosticism as a hermeneutic tool. As to (1) definition of gno- sis, the Prokopiuk presents three forms of this special kind of knowledge: escapist gnosis (know- ledge liberates the human spirit from material body and the physical world); transformational gnosis (knowledge transforms the human soul, body and earthly nature); lateral gnosis (idea of alternative worlds). Regarding (2) Gnosticism, Prokopiuk says that its source was ancient mysteries and a par- ticular type of religious experience. He sees (3) the post-Gnostic tradition as an unbroken chain of esoteric groups and figures from late antiquity to the present day. Finally, gnosis and Gnosticism are (4) a hermeneutic tool for Prokopiuk because they allow him to interpret phenomena and texts of culture (in the field of literature, cinema, psychology, and others). The paper also reflects on the usefulness of some of Prokopiuk’s ideas for contemporary humanities
Was Gnosis Necessary to the Gnostic after His Death? A Few Remarks on NHC V, 3: 32,28–35,26 from The First Apocalypse of James
No full textIn this paper I would like to examine whether the Gnostic should demonstrate, in his posthumous ascent, knowledge of gnosis. The basic source of my analysis is The First Apocalypse of James (NHC V, 3) but also another Gnostic text, The Apocalypse of Adam (NHC V,5) as well as the polemical evidences: the Against Heresies by Irenaeus of Lyon and The Excerpta ex Theodoto by Clement of Alexandria. The answer to the title question is important because, among others, the sources and the scholars often emphasize the significance of magical and ritual means during the ascent of the Gnostic through individual heavenly spheres
Bogumił Jasinowski’s Research on Gnosticism and Manichaeism in the Context of his Russian and Philosophical Studies
No full textŚredniowiecze bez katarów? Najważniejsze nurty w bieżącej dyskusji na temat dysydencji katarskiej
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The separation of two cosmic orders by the purification of a sacred substance as the moving principle of religious system in Manichaeism and Catharism
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