Literary notes about Gnostic (AI summary)
Literary usage of "gnostic" spans a wide range of connotations, from a technical descriptor of early Christian heresies to an adjective that conveys an aura of secret or profound knowledge. In some works, the term is employed to delineate distinct doctrinal challenges and controversies—as seen in discussions about the Colossian heresy, where hidden teachings and rival interpretations are carefully scrutinized [1][2][3][4]. In other contexts, "gnostic" is used more broadly to signal a particular philosophical or mystical outlook, sometimes even appearing in self-descriptions of personal libraries or cultural artifacts [5]. Moreover, the term carries both critical and laudatory overtones: while some authors employ it to question the legitimacy or consistency of certain doctrines [6][7], others celebrate it as indicative of an esoteric wisdom that transcends conventional religious boundaries [8][9].
- 88 , 127 sq. Gnostic, p. 80 sq. Gnostic element in Colossian heresy, p.
— from St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon by J. B. Lightfoot - While employing the favourite Gnostic term, the Apostle strikes at the root of the Gnostic doctrine.
— from St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon by J. B. Lightfoot - The second and third are the standing points of Cerinthus and of the later Gnostic teachers respectively.
— from St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon by J. B. Lightfoot - | no longer left in doubt; for the Gnostic element has clearly gained the ascendant, though it has not yet driven its rival out of the field.
— from St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon by J. B. Lightfoot - My library is gnostic, oecumenic and spiritual.
— from The Queen Pedauque by Anatole France - I confess that I myself have always had a great mistrust of the pretensions of the gnostic faith.
— from The Will to Believe, and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy by William James - Not only did the theological speculations of the Essenes take a Gnostic turn, but they guarded their peculiar tenets with Gnostic reserve.
— from St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon by J. B. Lightfoot - Eternal life, not eternal knowledge, as the Alexandrian gnostic said.
— from Tragic Sense Of Life by Miguel de Unamuno - The Gnostic spoke of a blind faith for the many, of a higher γνῶσις for the few.
— from St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon by J. B. Lightfoot
