It's odd that Gnosticism is now revived and advertised as pro-feminism ala Dan Brown. But a reading of the Gnostic "gospel of Thomas" saying 114 yields a very different picture...
Simon Peter says to them: "Let Mary go out from our midst, for women are not worthy of life!" Jesus says: "See, I will draw her so as to make her male so that she also may become a living spirit like you males. For every woman who has become male will enter the Kingdom of heaven.
That doesn't sound very feminist, does it? Gnosticism is really an esoteric religion that devalues the physical world, the body and women.
The Church has rightly rejected such teachings. In contrast, the apostle Paul affirmed the worth of both male and female
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians)
Simon Peter says to them: "Let Mary go out from our midst, for women are not worthy of life!" Jesus says: "See, I will draw her so as to make her male so that she also may become a living spirit like you males. For every woman who has become male will enter the Kingdom of heaven.
That doesn't sound very feminist, does it? Gnosticism is really an esoteric religion that devalues the physical world, the body and women.
The Church has rightly rejected such teachings. In contrast, the apostle Paul affirmed the worth of both male and female
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians)
Comments