The Thomasine Gnostics
The modern Thomasine Church is a contemporary church that is organized into the division of the laity and the clergy. While this is considered a recognizable trademark of the Western Orthodox churches, the Thomasines insist that their church is not related to any Orthodox church.
The Thomasines are considered Gnostic. The Thomasine religious tradition is founded not on dogma, but on a philosophical notion of Illuminism. Referring to themselves as “children of the light”, the Thomasine Church is an initiatic body of Gnostics.
An important aspect of the Thomasine Church is the symbolism and prominent use of sacraments. To the Thomasines, the sacraments are outward expressions of inward changes.
The Thomasine Gnostics believe that knowledge is the most important and the only means of salvation. The Thomasines regard St. Thomas as the perfect teacher of Christ’s message. |