The Gnostics: Myth, Ritual And Diversity In Early Christianity

In The Gnostics: Myth, Ritual, and Diversity in Early Christianity, David Brakke argues for an approach for the rethinking of Gnosticism and its rejection by the Church. Gnosticism reveals as a diverse set of beliefs different from that of the early Christians. This book displays scholarly debates on the interpretation of Gnosticism and the ancient Christians. Some scholars argue that Gnosticism is a mark of imperfection and individuals should simply ignore it. On the other hand, modern scholars debate that Gnosticism provides evidence for early religious movements and the information helps to categorize them (4). Brakke disagrees with eliminating Gnosticism because although it may have its faults, he does believe there was a Gnostic school of thought. He depicted the Gnostics as …show more content…
He introduces to the reader recent approaches to Gnosticism and Christian diversity in the first early centuries. The modern scholars try to create categories and typologies to make sense of Irenaeus’s vision between the concept of Gnosticism and Christian diversity. Irenaeus’ argument is displayed by describing that the Gnostics began from a single original orthodoxy from which multiple heresies diverged. It was false gnosis that was diverse, rather than Christianity (2). Through a terse example of the Gospel of Judas, scholars grasp the concept of trying to understand the development of early Christianity similar to Irenaeus’s belief. Irenaeus referred to the Gnostics as individuals who relied on different teachings other than the single, true Christianity. The debate forms over the usage of the word “Gnostic”. While Irenaeus has his set of beliefs, modern scholars develop and create their own categories of what they believe Gnosticism is and how it