Authority and tradition: creative gods and multiple aspects of the human being in the Gnostic writings

Authors

  • Mariano Troiano Universidad Nacional de Cuyo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52885/2683-9164.v0.n14.22137

Keywords:

authority, religion, Gnosticism, platonism

Abstract

Religious authority bases its political power in the configuration of a canon of recognized texts, established through certain fundamental factors, which include the specific exegetical reading of writings considered as sacred. In Christianity, this interpretation arise in parallel with the setting of that canon. The Gnostic authors grant authority to Genesis, and various texts issued from the Platonic philosophy. Their exegesis bring a different conception about the origin of man, defining a notion of authority that influences the social relations within the cosmos. Thus, the Timaeus and some verses of Genesis, confirm the Gnostic claims of multiple participants in the creation of man, while the philosophical tradition argues for the differences among the human components. The reinterpretation of these sources explains the tension that tears human beings among its intangible components and their bodily impulses. Hence, human nature possesses attributes granted by gods belonging to different hierarchies that divide the loyalties of man.

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Author Biography

Mariano Troiano, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo

References

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Published

2014-12-01

How to Cite

Troiano, M. (2014). Authority and tradition: creative gods and multiple aspects of the human being in the Gnostic writings. Anuario Del Centro De Estudios Históricos Profesor Carlos S. A. Segreti, (14), 105–125. https://doi.org/10.52885/2683-9164.v0.n14.22137

Issue

Section

Studies