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Gnosticism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (6151 words) |
 | Many Gnostics also made use of ritual; these rituals being the manipulation of material objects in imitation of divine events or occurrences, this presupposes at least the ability of matter to be used for positive effect. |
| Most Gnostics practiced celibacy and asceticism, on the grounds that the pleasures of the flesh induced the subject to remain ignorant of spiritual realities; a few however practiced libertinism, arguing since the body was evil they should defile it, or that since the body was evil it did not matter what was done with it. |
| He identifies the root of the Gnostic impulse as alienation, that is, a sense of disconnectedness with society and a belief that this lack of concord with society is the result of the inherent disorderliness or even evil of the world. |
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