m052 Gospel of Gnostic Calvinism

[PTIdouglas]

The Gospel of Truth is valuable as one of the earliest sources expressing New Testament theology. I appreciate your recognition of platonic terms and pointing them out is helpful, but it also needs to be shown how much allusion there is to the Johannine prologue and epistles, Hebrews, Colossians, Ephesians, Revelation, & others. Understanding that "knowledge" is key to Johannine believing, the label "gnostic" is too broad if even sensible. Granted that it came from a Platonic background, cannot the "gospel of truth" based on "the Word" be found to be what it says it is? (Ignoring Irenaeus)

[jeffreybailey]

It seems that the ascent to this higher realm is accessed by Platonic philosophy rather than by faith. To me, and I could be wrong, that Augustine put a lot of emphasis on Neoplatonism as the mechanism through which the ascent can be achieved (based on the 2xMilan and 1xOstia)...since he states in the Confessions that not all can ascent, do to simple mindedness. Could it be that the "faith" in which the gnostic speaks, is just neologism for the mind set on the right philosophy...Platonism?

As a side, since Augustines 2 ascents happened in a garden and the other in a bath house, I wonder if the ascent was produced by external factors (e.g. what are they growing in that garden and what "bath salts" were they using). The fact that both he and Monica both ascended together in the bath house, well...?

[lanceasher]

Let me ask this question if God is inconceivable why do we call him good can't he also be evil.

[lawrencestanley]

Oh, bother. To say that Calvinism is Gnosticism (or is like Gnosticism) because they both share similar concepts is like saying that lemonade is the same as dish soap because they both contain water.