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  • DsV-2023

    Final published version, 1.34 MB, PDF document

In the 2nd–3d centuries there was a group of Gnostic movements that considered the Demiurge — the creator of the lower material world — neither good no evil, but just. They
claimed that he cares about pneumatics, who have a part of higher light in their soul. We
can remember the Valentinians Heracleon and Ptolemaeus, the son and disciple of Carpocrates Epiphanes, the authors of the "Three-part Treatise", "Hypostasis of the Archons" or
"On the Origin of the World" from the Nag Hammadi Library. These Gnostics felt themselves as a part not only of the higher, spiritual world, but also to some extent of this, material, and they were aimed at positive interaction with it. The view of the Demiurge as a
protector and patron allowed to solve many issues, including the problem of attitude to
earthly wealth. The Demiurge took care of the souls who had a spiritual seed, he placed
them in noble and rich families, and elevated and enriched these pneumatics. Wealth was
not stigmatized by them but turned into a sign of being chosen and elitism.
Translated title of the contributionWealth, Poverty and Gnostics: (Part I)
Original languageRussian
Pages (from-to)30-43
JournalДИАЛОГ СО ВРЕМЕНЕМ
Issue number83
StatePublished - 2023

    Research areas

  • early Christianity, Roman empire, Gnosticism, Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, poverty, wealth, persecution

ID: 107433301