tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9242710.post8201427247223104955..comments2023-10-31T07:23:17.922-04:00Comments on The Theos Project: GnosisJonathan Erdmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04234688186113838474noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9242710.post-69650617411781150772007-04-24T11:44:00.000-04:002007-04-24T11:44:00.000-04:00I think Calvin probably would have labeled the med...I think Calvin probably would have labeled the medieval hermeneutic as Gnostic if he'd known about it. (As I recall, Gnosticism was lost for 1500 years or so until it got rediscovered in the 19th century.) Certainly Calvin explicitly rejected the so-called exegesis of the Schoolmen, as well as the idea that only the spiritually elite were allowed to interpret the Bible, which was another Gnostic influence.<BR/><BR/><I>...for many there were several layers of interpretation. There were literal meanings and spiritual/allegorical meanings to be found in each text.</I> Right. I presume the Gnostics would have said the same thing, but that only those "in the gnow" could have managed the spiritual exegesis. Same situation in the medieval church. I refer you to <A HREF="http://ktismatics.wordpress.com/2006/12/05/on-taking-it-literally" REL="nofollow"/> about what the medievalists meant by a "literal" reading.john doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05484728969355294193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9242710.post-39568289883887453602007-04-24T11:03:00.000-04:002007-04-24T11:03:00.000-04:00If to understand the true meaning of a text you ne...<I>If to understand the true meaning of a text you need special enlightenment from the Holy Spirit, it seems to me you're in gnostic territory.</I><BR/><BR/><I>I would be seriously concerned about someone reaching a conclusion that could not be justified by the text and surrounding context.</I><BR/><BR/>Fair enough. However, what about the early church fathers? Or Midieval interpretations? I'm not an expert in the hermeneutics pre-Reformation/Enlightenment, however it is clear that there was much allegorizing that went on. This seems to have evolved into the need for a stable, literal interpretation, but still for many there were several layers of interpretation. There were literal meanings and spiritual/allegorical meanings to be found in each text.<BR/><BR/>Was this "Gnostic"?Jonathan Erdmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04234688186113838474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9242710.post-18556048345749032742007-04-23T21:06:00.000-04:002007-04-23T21:06:00.000-04:00I would be seriously concerned about someone reach...I would be seriously concerned about someone reaching a conclusion that could not be justified by the text and surrounding context. <BR/><BR/>If it's apparent only to that one person...that's sketchy at best.Melodyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071513255237535104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9242710.post-12102210781343546112007-04-23T16:11:00.000-04:002007-04-23T16:11:00.000-04:00The label might be a bit off-putting, but if the s...The label might be a bit off-putting, but if the shoe fits... If to understand the true meaning of a text you need special enlightenment from the Holy Spirit, it seems to me you're in gnostic territory. Even if that meaning is revealed to all Christians, if it's inaccessible to the non-Christians it's Gnostic in spirit if not in name. If, on the other hand, the meaning is clear to everyone but only Christians are inspired to believe it, then that's something else again. <BR/><BR/>Say you find a meaning in a text that hadn't previously been perceived by anyone else. Can you explain it in a way that others understand? Can you justify it by the text itself? If so, then you should be able to avoid Gnostic accusations. If, on the other hand, you say that the meaning you've discovered can't be explained, that you either get it intuitively or you don't, then you're in Gnosticville.john doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05484728969355294193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9242710.post-90551294668050576162007-04-23T11:31:00.000-04:002007-04-23T11:31:00.000-04:00Yes, the my-mom-threw-out-all-my-baseball-cards sy...Yes, the my-mom-threw-out-all-my-baseball-cards syndrom is universal to all ethnic groups across all time.....Jonathan Erdmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04234688186113838474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9242710.post-78296283541764967492007-04-23T11:28:00.000-04:002007-04-23T11:28:00.000-04:00I find it highly amusing that the Egyptian brother...I find it highly amusing that the Egyptian brothers' found those documents only to have their mum use them as a fire starter.Melodyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071513255237535104noreply@blogger.com