Professor David Brakke (OSU Department of History) will present the first lecture in the Center for the Study of Religion's new series "Religions of the World: Past and Present".
"Gnosticism" is traditionally understood to be the first great heresy in the history of Christianity. In the 100s AD, the story goes, the Church rejected Gnosticism and began to form Catholic Christianity. But is this what really happened? In this lecture we will meet the early Christian Gnostics and learn about their astonishing beliefs about God and Jesus, sin and salvation. We will discover that the Gnostics and the so-called "arch-heretic" Valentinus were never really expelled by an organized Church. Instead, they contributed to the great diversity and richness of the ongoing Christian tradition.
**Reception to follow - admission free and open to the public**
A recording of this talk is available upon request. Please email religion@osu.edu to request a copy.