Ophite sects
E441611
Ophite sects were early Christian Gnostic groups known for their esoteric cosmology, serpent symbolism, and alternative interpretations of biblical narratives.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Ophite sects canonical | 1 |
Statements (45)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Gnostic sect
ⓘ
early Christian religious movement ⓘ |
| category | Christian heresy ⓘ |
| cosmologyFeature |
aeons
ⓘ
archons ⓘ multiple heavens ⓘ pleroma ⓘ |
| describedBy |
Epiphanius of Salamis
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Hippolytus of Rome NERFINISHED ⓘ Irenaeus of Lyons NERFINISHED ⓘ Origen NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| geographicDistribution |
Eastern Mediterranean
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Roman Empire NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| goalOfPractice |
attainment of higher gnosis
ⓘ
liberation of the soul from material cosmos ⓘ |
| hasBelief |
complex hierarchy of divine beings
ⓘ
demiurgic creator distinct from highest God ⓘ dualism between spiritual and material realms ⓘ hostility of lower powers to human spiritual awakening ⓘ reinterpretation of Genesis story of the Fall ⓘ salvific role of gnosis ⓘ serpent as revealer of knowledge ⓘ |
| hasDoctrine |
alternative interpretation of biblical narratives
ⓘ
esoteric cosmology ⓘ |
| hasSymbol | serpent ⓘ |
| influencedBy |
Hellenistic religious thought
ⓘ
Jewish apocalyptic traditions ⓘ Middle Platonic philosophy NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| nameEtymology | derived from Greek word for serpent "ophis" ⓘ |
| opposedBy | proto-orthodox Christian leaders ⓘ |
| relatedGroup |
Cainites
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Naassenes NERFINISHED ⓘ Sethians NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| religiousTradition |
Christianity
ⓘ
Gnosticism NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| ritualPractice |
esoteric initiation
ⓘ
symbolic veneration of serpent ⓘ |
| status | extinct religious movement ⓘ |
| theologicalTheme |
critique of creator God of Hebrew Bible
ⓘ
reversal of conventional biblical valuations ⓘ |
| timePeriod |
2nd century
ⓘ
3rd century ⓘ |
| usesText |
Christian scriptures
ⓘ
apocryphal writings ⓘ |
| viewedBy | Church Fathers as heretical ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.