Gnosticism and the New Age Religion

Paper Summary:

A detailed explanation of the tenets and history of Gnosticism and the New Age movement, including a larger 'compare and contrast' section outlining similarities and differences between the two movements. Issues explored to determine the similarities between the two religion include God, knowledge, creation myth, evil, mysticism, heaven, dualism, nihilism, Jesus, and spiritual doctrines. Offers a thorough comparison of these two religious movements.

From the Paper:

"Is it possible to draw similarities between two religious movements that have been contrastingly described as "dualistic, anti-cosmic and nihilistic" and "concerned with holism, life and healing"? These respective distinctions between ancient Gnosticism and the contemporary New Age movement, although perhaps not specifically explanative of spiritual concepts, are generally indicative of the basic themes that underlie each religion. Consequently, it can be asserted that the principles which these two spiritual movements are founded upon are unrelated, almost contradictory and, in this way, it would be inconsistent to assert that similarities can be drawn between ancient Gnosticism and the contemporary New Age movement. Although there are certain areas of spirituality where these two movements appear to superficially converge, causing certain scholars to proclaim their belief in a "subterranean umbilical cord" between Gnosticism and the New Age movement of the West, the extent to which the foundational aspects of these religious movements are contrary implies that most doctrines held by each will be conflicting at the most basic of levels. It is imperative to the assessment of possible parallels however, that the nature of these two movements be ascertained at the outset, as the origin, history and world-view of both affect spiritual doctrines and thus any further conclusions."

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