The One God, The Many Faiths (C): The Quest for Ultimate Knowledge

The 1001 Arabian Knights

"Gnosis" is a Greek word which means "knowledge" or "awareness" and it is precisely with this in mind that Gnosticism is born. Gnosticism can be best described as a mode of being that is optimal to for attaining the "Ultimate Knowledge". It is a state of mind and a mode of being that brings you closer to the Divine. Far from the dogmatic approach of institutionalized religions, Gnosticism seeks to focus on the spiritual aspects of religion. This spiritual approach to religion, especially with Christianity is exactly what many "Prophets" tried to introduce into a world that they saw as spiritually void, where the masses dare not to philosophize on their existence and only accept traditions and dogmatic practices for salvation. Emphasizing on the spiritual aspect, Gnostics seek to lead people to spiritual enlightenment. However, preaching enlightenment often means preaching against the orthodoxy, which only resulted in strife and divisions. Although, Gnostics form a minority of worshippers, their impact can be heavily found in many religions. Learn more about Gnosticism and how it impacted the major Abrahamic religions of its time and more on this latest episode of The 1001 Arabian Knights.