The Gnostic Mass Movements of Our Time

The context, which included an extract from Eric Voegelin’s “Science, Politics and Gnosticism” which is here summarized, is omitted.

Summary: Characteristics of Gnostic Movements

The inquiry into gnostic mass movements now shifts from common-sense observation to a deeper analysis of their defining traits. Rather than offering rigid definitions, the discussion draws upon historical allusions to illustrate how modern movements share essential features with ancient gnosticism.

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1. Historical Continuity of Gnosticism

• Gnosticism was a religious movement of antiquity, historically parallel to early Christianity.
• While once considered a Christian heresy, it is now recognized as a distinct tradition with pre-Christian roots.
• The continuity of gnostic sects can be traced from the eastern Mediterranean, through the Middle Ages, into the Renaissance and Reformation, and ultimately into modern ideological movements.

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2. Six Defining Characteristics of Gnostic Attitudes

The gnostic worldview is shaped by six fundamental beliefs:

1. Dissatisfaction with the World

   • The gnostic perceives the world as deeply flawed and unsatisfactory.
   • While dissatisfaction is common, the gnostic fixates on it as a defining condition.

2. Belief that the World is Intrinsically Defective

   • Instead of attributing problems to human frailty or sin, the gnostic blames the structure of reality itself.
   • The world is viewed as fundamentally flawed or unjust.

3. Conviction that Salvation is Possible

   • Gnosticism rejects the idea that suffering is inevitable.
   • A path to salvation exists, which will remedy the world’s defects.

4. Faith in Historical Transformation

   • The flawed world must evolve into a better one through historical progress.
   • This view contrasts with Christianity, which holds that the world remains fallen, and salvation comes through grace beyond history.

5. Humanity’s Power to Bring Salvation

   • Salvation is not a divine act, but something that human effort can achieve.
   • The gnostic assumes responsibility for altering the structure of being.

6. The Search for a Salvational Formula

   • The gnostic believes in the existence of a method, doctrine, or system that can perfect the world.
   • The gnostic emerges as a prophet, claiming special knowledge (gnosis) to guide humanity toward its ultimate transformation.

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3. The Gnostic Framework in Modern Movements

• These six traits are present in varying forms across progressivism, Marxism, positivism, psychoanalysis, fascism, and other movements.
• Each offers a vision of world transformation, a human-driven process of salvation, and a prescriptive ideology for achieving perfection.

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Conclusion: Gnosticism as a Revolutionary Worldview

Gnostic movements—whether religious or secular, intellectual or political—share a common mindset that frames existence as a problem to be solved rather than a reality to be accepted. Their defining feature is a belief in human power to fundamentally reshape the world, replacing traditional notions of divine providence with ideological formulas for salvation.