Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Politics and Religion
Confronting Gnosticism In Contemporary Catholic Discourse

Confronting Gnosticism In Contemporary Catholic Discourse

Last updated on: October 6, 2025 at 1:35 am by Henry Karlson

0 Comments

Confronting Gnosticism In Contemporary Catholic Discourse 2025-10-06T01:35:22-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar: Pope Leo XIV / Wikimedia Commons

Sometimes, I think many so-called conservative and traditional Catholics look for any excuse they can to mock the Pope. Most of the time, however, it seems that in reality they mock the Pope because they hold to anti-Catholic ideologies which come from their political alliances, ideologies they want to force upon Catholicism. To do this, they challenge the Pope and ridicule him whenever he speaks or acts contrary to their political agenda. I believe this is how we are to understand recent criticism of Pope Leo XIV given by them for his environmental promotion and the blessing he gave at the Raising Hope Conference. Some of them publicly ridiculed him, suggesting it was funny that he would bless a block of ice. In doing this, they reveal their true spirit and how far they are from traditional Catholic spirituality. Catholics have long promoted the need to protect the earth and all that is on it as can be seen in the life and actions of St. Francis of Assisi and in the theology of St. Maximos the Confessor. In modern times, Catholicism understands the urgency we have to act to defend the earth due to the effects our sinful actions have had on the earth (which is why Pope after Pope have told us to take care of the earth and protect it from the harm we have been causing it). Similarly, Catholic spirituality is one of blessings, blessings which are given to the material world and all that is within it; how can any Catholic ridicule the Pope for blessing a block of ice when water is blessed every year?

When I became Catholic, I gained a greater sense of the value of the material world, and with it, the honor and respect we should show it. I found Catholic spirituality teaches us to be holistic, to embrace both matter and spirit, looking after and promoting the good of each. This is why Catholic sacraments always require a material aspect to them. This is why we have sacramentals. This is why there are all kinds of liturgical based blessings done throughout the year, many of which are for the natural world. I became especially aware of this thanks to the writings of St. John of Damascus who, in his defense of holy images, pointed out that God blesses the material goods of the earth, that matter itself is elevated and blessed by Christ. He said we should honor matter because God honors matter, and if we do so in this fashion, we are not treating creation as if it were the creator but instead we are honoring the creator for respecting what the creator has done.

That is, when I became Catholic, I came to realize the impact of the incarnation on our lives and the way we should live. The incarnation shows us that the world is important, not something to be dismissed. God became human, took on human nature, took on a human body with its material reality. God truly brought heaven together with earth in the person of Jesus Christ. The two are one in him, and so in him and through him we are to honor both heaven and earth. We realize their distinction in their unity, even as we realize the two natures of Christ are not mixed but remain unconfused in the hypostatic union. Catholic spirituality, to follow through with the implications of the incarnation, requires us to be holistic, embracing matter, bringing God’s grace to it. This was something the earliest Christians had to come to terms with as it confronted Gnosticism and the Gnostic rejection of the material world. While Gnosticism saw the material world as evil, as something to be abandoned, God shows us in the incarnation that it is good, and God will not abandon it. Anti-environmentalism, with its disregard for the goodness and beauty of creation, is either nihilistic, Gnostic, or both; Catholic spirituality denies both by showing that God is all in all, that all things, matter and spirit alike, have their place in the kingdom of God.

I had long understood this Catholic sensibility before I first heard of the phase, “do not immanentize the eschaton.” While the phrase originated in a political context, it also came out of a bad understanding of Gnosticism, one which inverted Gnosticism and suggested Gnosticism sought to find itself immanent in the world. Gnosticism, due to its denial of the good of the world, of the good of material being, says we are to free ourselves from it by transcending the world, leaving behind all its evil. Thus, when I heard the phrase “do not immanentize the eschaton” I immediately saw it as being Gnostic, and was surprised when it was said it was being used to refute Gnosticism! It was being promoted by many so-called conservatives and traditionalists; they were complaining that modern Western liturgical celebrations were “immanentizing the eschaton.” I was taken back by such a criticism. Authentic liturgy always bring heaven together with earth, allowing us to participate in the eschatological kingdom. “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.” It is a reality which is with us now. And it is a reality which we receive in and through communion. To try to suggest we must not “immanentize the eschaton” in the liturgy is to deny the liturgy, to deny the sacraments and embrace a radical Gnostic vision which suggests the eschaton absolutely transcends the material world and will never be encountered in and through it.

Now, it is no longer surprising to me that those who have embraced Gnostic dualism, those who continue to say we must never immanentize the eschaton, have done so in the realm of politics. It is not surprising we find the fruit of this ideology is to deny the good of the world and to seek its destruction, thinking in doing so, Christ can be made to return and time can came to an end. To be sure, most who follow through in this fashion do not understand the Gnostic component of their actions, but they have been led astray, and like Gnostics of old, think their ideology trumps everything else. It is this Gnosticism which lies behind criticism of environmentalism, and the blessings which Catholics give to the goods of the earth, blessings which include Pope Leo XIV’s blessing of ice at the Raising Hope Conference. It is the kind of Gnosticism I have found myself confronting again and again for nearly two decades, and I suspect, the kind I will have to confront for the rest of my life.

* This Is Another Post From My Personal (Informal) Reflections And Speculations Series

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

Progressive Christian

Politics and Religion

Previous Post

October 5, 2025

Everyone Is A Temple Of God

Next Post

October 8, 2025 Becoming Like Children: A Key To True Greatness

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Gosh, did that hit the spot. I have been having great anxiety lately. And I ..."

Mark Wilson

Rejecting Doom: Christian Hope And Human ..."

"Justice and peace are two sides of the same coin. Where there is justice, there ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Thank you for your very, very powerful and very, very insightful analysis of the relationship ..."

alwayspuzzled

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Given the amount of lethal malevolence that has prevailed in human history for the past ..."

alwayspuzzled

We Must Value Our Health

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz