gnosticism

/ˈnɑstɪsɪzəm/
noun
  1. A religious and philosophical movement from early Christianity that emphasizes secret knowledge (gnosis) as the path to salvation, often viewing the material world as evil and the spiritual world as good.
    • Gnosticism taught that salvation comes through special knowledge rather than faith alone.
    • Many early Christian leaders argued against the ideas of Gnosticism.
    • Scholars study ancient texts to understand the beliefs of Gnosticism.
  2. Any belief system that claims access to hidden, special knowledge about spiritual or cosmic truths.
    • Some modern spiritual groups borrow ideas from ancient Gnosticism.
    • The novel explored a form of technological Gnosticism where data was sacred.
    • His philosophy had a touch of Gnosticism, believing that only a few could understand the universe's secrets.
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