The gnostic demiurge—An agnostic trickster
✍ Scribed by Ingvild S˦lid Gilhus
- Book ID
- 104270041
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1984
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 611 KB
- Volume
- 14
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0048-721X
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
One of the most fascinating figures of gnostic religion is the demiurge, fascinating because he is ambiguous, an unsuccessful combination of the spiritual and the material. The gnostics themselves saw their worldmaker both as a buffoon and as a devil, Why is this so, and what is the meaning of this figure?
This study will concentrate upon the 'Sethian' demiurge. 'Sethian' is viewed in the broad meaning of the word as opposed to 'Valentinian'. l Variants of this demiurge are found both in the accounts of the Churchfathers and in several of the gnostic texts from Nag Hammadi. The mythology of the demiurge is elaborated in three of the Nag Hammadi texts, the Apoco'phon of John, the Hypostasis of the Archons, the Origin of the World 2 and in Irenaeus' account of the Ophites. 3 In addition several texts contain major or minor parts of the same type of myth. 4 This mythology is characterized by a basic pattern defining the figure. This pattern is partly based upon the Genesis account. Historically, the demiurge thus has deep roots in the God of the Qld Testament and may be described as an inverted Jahve. This is most clearly revealed in the more elaborate accounts of him. However, the historical origins of the figure do not explain either his meaning or his function. This study will examine these topics. Its aim is to elucidate the structure, meaning and. t~unction of the demiurge, and by introducing a new perspective, cast light upon his rather puzzling traits. This new perspective will view him in relation to the Trickster, a well known figure in the history of religions, Characterized mainly by its ambivalence and ambiguity. We will first make a survey of the myth and an analysis of the demiurge, and then return to the Trickster.
The main lines of the basic myth, elaborated in varying degrees in the different texts, are as follows: The origin of the demiurge is unique, he is the result of an unnatural birth. His mother, Sophia, the lowest entity in the spiritual world, conceived him alone and gave birth to a monstrous son. s The demiurge is thus conceived without a male and is described as an abortion. G His appearance is bestial with the face of a lion, or both a lion and a snake,