BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Philosophy Essenes and Gnostics

What do you think about the ideologies and beliefs of the Essenes and the Gnostics?

Just curious.

Interesting topic Chi. These are the Christian ideologies I resonate with the most, personally. There does seem to be a few different 'versions' of their teachings out there though. The ones I am familiar with are from Elaine Pagels - The Gnostic Gospels and The Gospel of Thomas. I have also read Elizabeth Clare Prophet's The Lost Years of Jesus and other books in that vein.

These come the closest to Eastern yogic and Buddhist teachings too, in terms of the emphasis on personal spiritual experience, and God as a source within each of us.

I love their basic philosophy, but when I read a Gnostic forum I was a bit dismayed to learn more about some of their views toward sexuality, in particular. One father, for example, planned to have his little girl circumcized because she kept touching herself. Seems so radical. Also, unless you aren't procreating, copulation is without ejaculation. I don't want to get into all that here, but those were some of the ideas that confused me.