What is now called the Christian religion already existed among the ancients, and was not lacking at the very beginnings of the human race. When Christ appeared in the flesh, the true religion already in existence received the name of Christian. ~ Augustine of Hippo

Augustine was involved both in Gnosticism and Paganism before his final conversion to Christianity, so there is reason to consider his claim with some seriousness. However, to do so will require a revaluation of the three ancient movements; this is an attempt to make that plausible.

It is known that the early Christians divided themselves into three levels: the Catechumens, the Faithful, and the Perfect. The Catechumens were not yet baptized; after that, they joined the ranks of the Faithful, or believers. The Perfect were the knowers. This internal division corresponds to the external division into pagans, Christians, and Gnostics as shown in the following schema.

We know of the existence of the third level within Christianity through the writings of the Alexandrians, especially Clement. There are those who deny the existence of a separate esoteric doctrine within Christianity. In a sense this is correct, since the doctrine is the same; nevertheless, the understanding can be much different. There used to be four levels of understanding of biblical writings, of which the historical was the simplest and least important. However, in our time the obsession with a literal and historical interpretation of the Bible — which is common among Fundamentalists, Modernists, and even anti-Christian — occludes that earlier understanding. I read a book a few years ago that attempted to discredit Christianity by pointing out its symbolic nature and “borrowings” from pagan teachings; this is risible, since it does not refute, bur instead, demonstrates our point.

Very little is known today about the pagan mystery cults. We can assume that many of them were simply drinking clubs, as is the case with many “secret societies” today. Although it frustrates the professors, the actual teachings of the authentic cults are irrelevant. We know that they would have taught the Logos and cosmic order, the meaning of gnosis, and the means to attain it through the three trials. Rudolf Steiner in Christianity as Mystical Fact, claims that the pagan mysteries were absorbed into esoteric Christianity, and even uses Augustine to make his point. He writes:

The cognition of the eternal which the ancient Mysteries withheld from the multitudes, when presented in this way by Christian thought and feeling, became an article of faith which by its very nature was related to something unattainable by mere knowledge.

Thus, what the knower knows is presented as articles of faith, or dogmas, to be believed by those neither ready for nor capable of gnosis. Julius Evola alludes to that in The Hermetic Tradition, when he claims that if faith is lived intensely and coherently, then it can create the conditions for liberation at the moment of death.

Now Evola also writes of “the derivation of the hermetic tradition from a primordial royal and heroic vein” and its “concealment” within Christianity. Obviously concealment means nothing other than esoteric.

So the question arises as to the fate of the various movements that we categorize as Gnosticism and why they had to be suppressed. Arising also in Alexandria with many points in common with the genuine Gnosticism, many problems developed. As we see in the various “esoteric orders” of today, there is more interest in the external trappings of the grades rather than in the internal transformations that are the real meanings thereof. Hence, there were many who would claim to rank among the perfect or the knowers without having the necessary qualifications. They would misunderstand and misinterpret the genuine teachings and apply them in rather strange ways.

In effect, rather than an esoteric order within society, they created competing ideologies and belief systems. As we have mentioned repeatedly, there is no way to resolve and harmonize belief systems. Thus, a belief system based on genuine gnosis needs to be protected. This is the intent of the adage that the Sage does not disturb the peace of the faithful whereas the so-called Gnostics did indeed do so.

Thus, the Gnostics became a revolutionary force. The net result was that gnosis was separated from faith. The religious and political leaders seldom rose above the initial impetus of the faith doctrine, and the genuine gnostics were lumped together with the more bizarre elements within the various Gnostic movements, and had either to continue in obscurity or else to write using heavily symbolic language.

~ to be continued ~

Further reading:
Jacques Lacarriere, The Gnostics
Julius Evola, The Hermetic Tradition
George Heart, Christianity: Dogmatic Faith & Gnostic Vivifying Knowledge