The Bridal Chamber, an early Gnostic Christian sacrament

Most Christians have attributed significant importance to sacraments and rituals; however, groups of Christians have prioritized or even defined them differently. One of the most esoteric and fascinating sacraments from some of the earliest forms of Christianity is the Bridal Chamber, which was observed by several groups but in particular the Valentinians.

In the scriptures found at Nag Hammadi, a work called the Authoritative Discourse ends with a beautiful poem which sounds almost a bit like hymn. This hymn describes the reward awaiting a “rational soul” which has achieved gnosis, a goal of many Christians who were called “Gnostic”.

What is the Hymn of the Bridal Chamber, and how should we interpret it? Click below to learn more!

Continue reading “Uncover the Beautiful Gnostic Bridal Chamber Hymn”

This post is the second post in a series on the “Gnostic Paul”– that is, Paul perceived by certain Gnostic thinkers– on Galatians. For Part 1, click here. For Part 2, click here.

In this series of posts, we have been exploring the version of Paul presented by Elaine Pagels in her book The Gnostic Paul. Dr. Pagels reconstructs– using a combination of academic research and original texts– how “gnostic” thinkers (even though that word is loaded) may have perceived the apostle Paul. We’ll refer to this Paul as the “Gnostic Paul”, to indicate that this is not intended to be a discussion of historicity, but rather how certain early Christians perceived Paul. The Gnostic Paul by Elaine Pagels

Specifically, we’ve been diving into Galatians. We’ve already covered, in Part 1, how the Gnostic Paul saw himself as a pneumatic- a distinct kind of Christian from the apostles– and the conflict this created when Peter (a “psychic” Christian) expected Paul to hold himself to standards that Peter wasn’t willing to be held to.

Part 2 dove into the specifics of the Gnostic Paul’s tirade. Paul argued that pneumatic Christians were justified through God but psychic Christians were justified through the Demiurge. This has really practical applications.

Here in Part 3, we’re going to pick up in Galatians 3 (and moving into Galatians 4), unpacking the next stage of his argument: Gnostic atonement theory, being an heir to God or to the Demiurge. Ready to dive in? Click below to continue reading!