Reviewing Plese's Fate, Providence, and Astrology in Gnosticism (I): The Apocrphyon of John | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Reviewing Plese's Fate, Providence, and Astrology in Gnosticism (I): The Apocrphyon of John

125
Reviewing Plese's Fate, Providence, and Astrology in Gnosticism (I): The Apocrphyon of John
http://www.hermetik-international.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Gnosis_Kabbalah.jpg

Most readers of The Secret Book of John know that has a heavy astrological influence to it as well as the fact that the person (Or people) who wrote it syncretized several religious traditions but usually just suggest that the Gnostics were poor astrologers who didn’t know the craft Plasse however suggests that the Gnostics rather than attempting to give an accurate astrological account were instead appropriating popular astrological motifs to create their own myth. Thus, the text provides a kind of “family tree” for the central Gnostic myth showing the textual inspirations The Secret Book of John used to fashion its cosmology

Firstly, The Secret Book of John’s most obvious influence (besides perhaps Christianity): Plato.While most people have pointed out that The Secret Book of John is a negative reinterpretation of The Book of Genesis. However, Plese suggests it is also a negative interpretation of Plato’s Timaeus. As it has often been pointed out the Demiurge in Plato is rational and patterns the world after the realm of ideas, whereas in The Secret Book of John the demiurge is irrational and patterns the world after a vague memory of the realm of ideas. Whereas Plato claims that the ideal realm controls the world The Secret Book of John postulates a fundamental disconnect between the world in the ideal realm. In Plato’s Timaeus the demiurge makes a speech exhorting the lesser gods to help him create man and then charges them to watch over man’s fate and to make sure they reincarnate properly. The Secret Book of John contains dark echoes of this command when Yaldabaoth tells his minions to bind the humans to the cycle of fate (as manifested through the zodiac) and to make sure they can’t escape the grip of reincarnation. (c.f Plese 258). Another borrowing from Plato is the description of how Yaldabaoth “layers” the soul, the concept of bodily layers is indebted to Plato’s view of the body. The final slight against Plato’s cosmology is the fact use of dual names for Yaldabaoth’s minions: the beautiful and one bestial. The implication is the Platonic lower gods are simply the beautiful masks of Yaldabaoth’s demons

Another concept the Gnostics radically reinterpret is the idea that nature abhors a vacuum. In traditional ancient physics, it’s portrayed as a good thing that the cosmos and the human body have no empty space within them. However due to the fact that Yaldabaoth appoints a demon for every degree in the zodiac means that there’s no means of escape from the cosmos. The fact that there’s no space within the human body means that demons afflict every part of the body.

The rest of the article is taken up by enumerating the parallels between Gnostic

Astrology and other ancient astrologies, which while edifying doesn’t really add much towards a coherent agreement in the same way his uncovering the negative view on Plato and common assumptions of physics does. The author spends valuable page space drawingelaborate diagrams on how the various borrowed systems of astrology interrelate which don’t contribute to his argument other than to impress the idea that the Gnostics were pathological borrowers of ideas that they often didn’t know how to make align.

I would recommend this article to those who are familiar with Gnosticism and are curious on the sources for the central Gnostic myth or those who are interested in seeing the Gnostic’s negative view of Plato emphasized. Other than that, while certainly interesting, it doesn’t have much to offer.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

179466
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

6591
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

452055
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

23058
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments