0 relating to knowledge, especially knowledge that most people do not have:
They saw communism as the embodiment of a gnostic arrogance.
A final substantive chapter looks at evidence for the communal life of gnostics.
It might be difficult to call his thought gnostic if we stress the latter point as the decisive feature of gnosticism.
But a modern-day gnostic might pose a new dilemma in this way.
This fact does not prevent us from considering their theories as possible responses to the gnostic challenge.
Others write about the state of our first parents and their fall without apparently aiming their discussion at the gnostics.
Such gnostic beliefs lead to the conclusion that there is a demiurge, or a limited evil power.
Marxism therefore qualifies as gnostic because it purports that we can establish the perfect society on earth once capitalism has been overthrown by the proletariat.
These suffered from a number of difficulties, not least the antagonistic bias the writers held towards gnostic teachings.
