“Gnosticism was a religious and philosophical movement popular in the Roman world in the 2nd–3rd century AD. The term, based on the Greek gnōsis (‘secret knowledge’), was coined in the 17th century when it was applied liberally to ancient Christian heretical sects, especially those described by their orthodox contemporaries as radically dualistic and world-denying, and those who sought salvation through esoteric revelation and mystical spirituality.
The discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts in 1945 greatly enhanced the understanding of Gnosticism.
The relationship with ancient Christianity remains uncertain, but the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary (which portrays Mary Magdalene as a leading apostle) are generally seen as being grounded in Gnosticism. They emphasized the teachings of Jesus, rather than his death and resurrection, as the key to salvation.
Male and female saviors (including Jesus) were sent from the world above to instruct humanity in the knowledge of the true God and humanity’s own divine nature. In general, Gnostics taught asceticism (severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence), cosmological dualism (the ongoing battle between good and evil), docetism (affirming that Christ did not have a real or natural body during his life on earth but only an apparent or phantom one), and the existence of the divine spark in humans.”
wikipedia.org, britannica.com
