ABSTRACT

"A cornucopia of controversy," evangelical philosopher Douglas Groothuis called Gnosticism, while fellow Christian Marcia Montenegro declared that Gnostic "DNA has taken root in the philosophies of men and it buds and flourishes in false teachings across the spectrum". Although there are Gnostic churches and religious groups that claim to embrace Gnostic teachings, Gnosticism as a distinct religious entity appears infrequently in countercult literature, especially when compared to faith groups that countercult writers consider more overt threats to their worldview. "Exposing Gnosticism" reminds conservative Christians that they are surrounded on all sides by theological temptation, that they must be constantly on guard, and that often the guise in which the Tempter comes is that which looks most appealing. Far more people will have heard about the Gnostic gospels – whether through Brown's novel or its pop culture discussion – than will take the time to read either the documents themselves or reliable scholarly analyses of them.