In this article, we will explore the fascinating world of Esoteric Christianity and its impact on our society. From its origins to its evolution over time, Esoteric Christianity has played a crucial role in various aspects of our lives. Through detailed analysis, we will examine the influence of Esoteric Christianity on culture, economics and technology, highlighting its relevance today. Additionally, we will delve into the different perspectives and opinions on Esoteric Christianity, providing a comprehensive view of this topic. With a critical and reflective look, we will address the most relevant and controversial aspects related to Esoteric Christianity, offering the reader a complete and enriching analysis.
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Esoteric Christianity is a mystical approach to Christianity which features "secret traditions" that require an initiation to learn or understand.[1] The term esoteric was coined in the 17th century and derives from the Greek ἐσωτερικός (esôterikos, "inner").[2]
These spiritual currents share some common features, such as heterodox or heretical Christian theology; the canonical gospels, various apocalyptic literature, and some New Testament apocrypha as sacred texts;[citation needed] and disciplina arcani, a supposed oral tradition from the Twelve Apostles containing esoteric teachings of Jesus the Christ.[1]
Esoteric Christianity is closely related to Gnosticism, and survives in a few modern churches.[1]
There are also esoteric Christian Societies such as the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia.[3]
Some modern scholars believe that in the early stages of proto-orthodox Christianity, a nucleus of oral teachings were inherited from Palestinian and Hellenistic Judaism.[1] In the 4th century, it was believed to form the basis of a secret oral tradition which came to be called disciplina arcani.[1] Mainstream theologians, however, believe that it contained only liturgical details and certain other traditions which remain a part of some branches of mainstream Christianity.[1][4][5] Important influences on esoteric Christianity are the Christian theologians Clement of Alexandria and Origen, the leading figures of the Catechetical School of Alexandria.[6][need quotation to verify]
A denomination of esoteric Christianity is The Christian Community.[7] It focuses on the experiential aspect of sacraments, with the Eucharist serving as "the Rite of the Consecration of Man".[7]
Scholar Jan Shipps describes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as having esoteric elements.[8]
Influenced by the Platonic doctrine of metempsychosis, reincarnation of the soul was accepted by most Gnostic Christian sects such as Valentinianism and the Basilidians, but denied by the proto-orthodox one.[citation needed] While hypothetically considering a complex multiple-world transmigration scheme in De Principiis, Origen denies reincarnation in his work Against Celsus and elsewhere.[9][10]
Despite this apparent contradiction, most modern esoteric Christian movements refer to Origen's writings (along with other Church Fathers and biblical passages) to validate these ideas as part of the esoteric Christian tradition outside of the Gnostic schools, who were later considered heretical in the 3rd century.[11]