Gnosis

Gnosis is the common Greek noun for knowledge (γνῶσις, "gnōsis", f.). The term is used in various Hellenistic religions and philosophies. It is best known from Gnosticism, where it signifies a spiritual knowledge or insight into humanity's real nature as divine, leading to the deliverance of the divine spark within humanity from the constraints of earthly existence.
Etymology.
"Gnosis" is a feminine Greek noun which means "knowledge" or "awareness." It is often used for personal knowledge compared with intellectual knowledge (εἶδειν "eídein"), as with the French "connaître" compared with "savoir", the Spanish "conocer" compared with "saber", the Italian "conoscere" compared with "sapere", the German "kennen" rather than "wissen", or the Modern Greek γνωρίζω compared with ξέρω.
A related term is the adjective "gnostikos", "cognitive", a reasonably common adjective in Classical Greek. Plato uses the plural adjective "γνωστικοί" – "gnostikoi" and the singular feminine adjective "γνωστικὴ ἐπιστήμη" – "gnostike episteme" in his "Politikos" where "Gnostike episteme" was also used to indicate one's aptitude. The terms do not appear to indicate any mystic, esoteric or hidden meaning in the works of Plato, but instead expressed a sort of higher intelligence and ability analogous to talent.
In the Hellenistic era the term became associated with the mystery cults.
In the Acts of Thomas, translated by G.R.S. Mead, the "motions of gnosis" are also referred to as "kingly motions".
"Gnosis" is used throughout Greek philosophy as a technical term for experiential knowledge (see gnosiology) in contrast to theoretical knowledge or epistemology. The term is also related to the study of knowledge retention or memory (see also cognition), in relation to ontic or ontological, which is how something actually is rather than how something is captured (abstraction) and stored (memory) in the mind.
Irenaeus used the phrase "knowledge falsely so-called" ("", from 1 Timothy 6:20) for the title of his book "On the Detection and Overthrow of False Knowledge", that contains the adjective "gnostikos", which is the source for the 17th-century English term "Gnosticism".
Gnosticism.
Gnosticism originated in the late 1st century CE in nonrabbinical Jewish and early Christian sects. In the formation of Christianity, various sectarian groups, labeled "gnostics" by their opponents, emphasised spiritual knowledge ("gnosis") of the divine spark within, over faith ("pistis") in the teachings and traditions of the various communities of Christians. Gnosticism presents a distinction between the highest, unknowable God, and the Demiurge, "creator" of the material universe. The Gnostics considered the most essential part of the process of salvation to be this personal knowledge, in contrast to faith as an outlook in their worldview along with faith in the ecclesiastical authority.
In Gnosticism, the biblical serpent in the Garden of Eden was praised and thanked for bringing knowledge ("gnosis") to Adam and Eve and thereby freeing them from the malevolent Demiurge's control. Gnostic Christian doctrines rely on a dualistic cosmology that implies the eternal conflict between good and evil, and a conception of the serpent as the liberating savior and bestower of knowledge to humankind opposed to the Demiurge or creator god, identified with the Hebrew God of the Old Testament. Gnostic Christians considered the Hebrew God of the Old Testament as the evil, false god and creator of the material universe, and the Unknown God of the Gospel, the father of Jesus Christ and creator of the spiritual world, as the true, good God. They were regarded as heretics by the proto-orthodox Early Church Fathers.
Judeo-Christian usage.
Hellenistic Jewish literature.
The Greek word "gnosis" (knowledge) is used as a standard translation of the Hebrew word "knowledge" (דעת da'ath) in the Septuagint, thus:
Philo also refers to the "knowledge" ("gnosis") and "wisdom" ("sophia") of God.
New Testament.
Paul distinguishes "knowledge" ("gnosis") and "knowledge falsely so-called" ("").
In the writings of the Greek Fathers.
The fathers of early Christianity used the word "gnosis" (knowledge) to mean spiritual knowledge or specific knowledge of the divine. This positive usage was to contrast it with how gnostic sectarians used the word. This positive use carried over from Hellenic philosophy into Greek Orthodoxy as a critical characteristic of ascetic practices, through St. Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, Hippolytus of Rome, Hegesippus, and Origen.
Cardiognosis ("knowledge of the heart") from Eastern Christianity related to the tradition of the starets and in Roman Catholic theology is the view that only God knows the condition of one's relationship with God.
In Eastern Orthodox thought.
Gnosis in Orthodox Christian (primarily Eastern Orthodox) thought is the spiritual knowledge of a saint (one who has obtained theosis) or mystically enlightened human being. Within the cultures of the term's provenance (Byzantine and Hellenic) "Gnosis" was a knowledge or insight into the infinite, divine and uncreated in all and above all, rather than knowledge strictly into the finite, natural or material world. Gnosis is transcendental as well as mature understanding. It indicates direct spiritual, experiential knowledge and intuitive knowledge, mystic rather than that from rational or reasoned thinking. Gnosis itself is gained through understanding at which one can arrive via inner experience or contemplation such as an internal epiphany of intuition and external epiphany such as the Theophany.
In the "Philokalia," it is emphasized that such knowledge is not secret knowledge but rather a maturing, transcendent form of knowledge derived from contemplation ("theoria" resulting from practice of "hesychasm)", since knowledge cannot truly be derived from knowledge, but rather, knowledge can only be derived from "theoria" (to witness, see (vision) or experience). Knowledge, thus plays an important role in relation to "theosis" (deification/personal relationship with God) and "theoria" (revelation of the divine, vision of God). Gnosis, as the proper use of the spiritual or noetic faculty plays an important role in Orthodox Christian theology. Its importance in the economy of salvation is discussed periodically in the "Philokalia" where as direct, personal knowledge of God (noesis; see also Noema) it is distinguished from ordinary epistemological knowledge (episteme—i.e., speculative philosophy).
Islam.
Sufism.
Knowledge (or "gnosis") in Sufism refers to knowledge of self and god. The gnostic is called "al-arif bi'lah" or "one who knows by God". The goal of the Sufi practitioner is to remove inner obstacles to the knowledge of god. Sufism, understood as the quest for Truth, is to seek for the separate existence of the Self to be consumed by Truth, as stated by the Sufi poet Mansur al-Hallaj, who was executed for saying "I am the Truth" (ana'l haqq).
Ismailism.
Ginan, which literally translates to gnosis, refers to a collection of literature that is respected by the Ismailis. The Ismaili Pīr Ḥasan Kabīr al-Dīn writes that the gnostic can be compared to the lotus flower ("kamal"), a delicate flower with white petals that blooms in dirty swamps, and is commonly associated with beauty and purity. The flower is above the polluted swamps, rather than feeding from it, it waits for the clean, pure rain. Similarly, the gnostic lives in the physical world, but is not of this world. He is not interested in the material pleasures of the world, and is unaffected by its glamour. The gnostic awaits the "ginān" from the heavens, the life-giving water that the True Guide brings. Just like how the lotus flower would prefer death over drinking from the dirty swamp, the pure soul is unable to survive without the "ginān" from the True Guide. The gnostic too, would prefer death if it cannot obtain this precious nourishment.