Joe Allen discusses his book Dark Aeon and how he thinks that this idea of gnosticism as the all-encompassing boogeyman and blanket-term for everything one dislikes is misconstrued.
Jun 2·edited Jun 3Liked by Joe Allen, Geopolitics & Empire
Fascinating discussion, a lot of great points all around. Maybe I'm too paranoid but the "there are totally no evil (capital G) Gnostics running the show behind the curtain" plea was a little funny.
I've been thinking lately about this "culture clash" vs new age stuff and my current take is that there's a lot more than just surface level stuff worth understanding. It seems like the smarter (lower-case g) gnostics / new agers absolutely have personal development down in a way that's easy to communicate. Here's the rub: what are you developing for? Is it to glorify God and share in his love for all of creation, or is it purely a pursuit of individual fulfillment? I don't think personal development is contrary to serving, but it helps to be practical and careful.
David Icke does not believe in God and clearly states in on his Website as he criticised Russell Brand on his show for recently being baptised. The Gnostics believe that within the heart atom is the seat of God and that is love, not any devil - but that in this world of good and bad there is no freedom and that we are bound to the latter; in this world. State religion tends to believe that we are not the power and that power lies in an authority this is why they persicuted the gnositcs; because they believed that the authority of God was within and that the realisation of that comes with experience of the world around us.
To say any 'gnostic' tenets espoused by some of the more outspoken alumni of the e/acc movement seem be based on a superficial reading would be putting it mildly. They might just as well be saying their worldview is based on Harry Potter or some cobbled-together myth-based computer game. To me these narcissistic nerds with their largely invented AI-obsessed language come across as merely somewhat desperate to latch onto the coattails or follow in the footsteps of some CIA-DARPA funded hidden 'archon'...
Clearly there ARE secret societies which conduct rituals and hold what many Christians would define as heresies and their agenda ARE very dark... But many commentators, such as Matt Ehret to name but onw, use the term gnosticism as nothing much more than a blanket calumny...
I don't know these gnostic e/acc types personally, so I don't know how much is for show and how much is taken seriously.
For some, their knowledge seems fleshed out enough to say that they at least did the homework. They reference the texts and ideas directly. But then, so do Southern Baptists.
Lots of students in the physics classes I took as an undergraduate got lots of the questions on exams wrong. That meant they didn't really understand the material. So imagine I have a friend who wants to learn physics. Do I send them to the textbook and to the professor and tell them to study diligently, or do I send them off to consult with the students who couldn’t even pass the tests, telling them that there is good information to be found in everything - even in their muddled understanding of the laws of thermodynamics?
Joe Allen calls himself a heterodox Christian without disclosing his beliefs, although he seems to be a gnostic sympathizer. We have been given the textbook, if you will, to understand spiritual truth, and Mr. Allen obviously does not understand the text. This is apparent from his descriptions of religion, with complete disregard for what biblical Christianity actually looks like. Theologically, he has failed the test of understanding what the Bible teaches, just as my former physics classmates failed to understand physics. Why would we turn to either of them, when we can consult the text?
My defense of what the Bible teaches is more than just my opinion versus other opinions. I have yet to find gnostics, pagans, atheists, or heterodox "Christians" (an oxymoron) who have actually studied the chronologies, the archaeology, the languages, or the texts of either Testament, the relationship between the verses in the New Testament and their Old Testament counterparts, the fulfilled prophesies concerning the Messiah, the logic of coherent biblical theologies, or any other aspect of biblical studies that takes a lot of hard and tedious work, before they rush off to express their opinions. They also do not know the power of God, working in us through the Holy Spirit. And with that illustrious lack of background - they speak! (I am not suggesting that finding salvation in Christ is a complex intellectual exercise. We find salvation in simple, child-like faith. The opponents of Truth, however, speak from ignorance of both simple faith and relevant facts.)
A huge difference exists between a physics student - or let us make this person an engineering student, who goes on his way to build inconsequential devices and is of no concern to anyone, and the engineering graduate who failed the physics tests, who is going to build a bridge that will be used for heavy traffic. Yet what Mr. Allen does is far worse than building a bridge that is bound to collapse. The error of gnosticism, self-deification, processes of enlightenment, denial of the consequences of sin - basically, collectively, The Lie, is spiritual poison that leads to eternal death - and if one holds themselves out as an expert, or a teacher, that becomes the death of others. This is no trivial matter.
I think I have said it before - food is good. One can find some nutritious element in most anything that we eat. But do those of us who understand nutrition now continue to fill our plates with cereal and canola oil and glyphosate-studded vegetables, or worse - food that has been sprinkled with rat poison, because we know that some nutrition is to be found in everything that is, technically, "edible"? If those who understand health and nutrition are as careful as possible to keep their food healthy, and eliminate the poisons, why are we so open to spiritual poison?
Of course Mr. Allen can go on forever, critiquing the various positions of G/gnostics and others. It is a critique of a system of deception by one who, himself, speaks from a position of error. The possibilities for discussing this conundrum are endless. Surely there is a better way to extract nuggets of truth about our world than by waiting for them to fall out of a process like this.
This is not personal. I wouldn't waste my time writing if I didn't care about anyone who might be reading this, including Mr. Allen, because Jesus Christ died for every one of us. It is, however, a fallacy to think that I have to honor the opinions of others when I know that those opinions are poisonous. I respect the right of others to believe what they choose, but I do not respect theological error any more than I respect the idea that 1 + 1 = 3. That is not one viable option among many. To pretend otherwise is to pander to the speaker's ego at the expense of the spiritual death of others. This approach is unscriptural: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter; Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21). God says "woe" and I am to say, "wonderful"? Ephesians 5:11 is clear: "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them."
Jesus Christ cares about the eternal fate of His creatures. As His servant, I take that concern to heart. But if those who have been created by God are eating rat poison, and sprinkling rat poison on the food of others, who do I benefit by pretending that this is an edible meal? I'm really doing that to make my own situation more comfortable, at the expense of the instructions I have been given. I can disagree harshly, and still hope for the salvation of the person I criticize. I would still stop to help them if they were injured in the street. Now, however, that is not enough. I am not saying this of Mr. Allen, but as a general observation of our society - everyone demands that others treat their ego as sacred - that is really what is going on, as Truth is subordinated to the ego of the speaker so we can all "get along." That is a form of LIVED self-deification.
I prefer to avoid calling everything Gnosticism. The Gnosticism at the time 1 John was written was just one instantiation of the broader deception that, for lack of a better term, I simply call The Lie. It is described in 1 John 2:22: "Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? That is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son." The Lie is not limited to Gnosticism, or gnosticism, or paganism, or Theosophy, or any other intellectual structure that is build around this fundamental deception. Many of our current deceptive systems of thought did not even exist at the time of the New Testament church, and ancient forms of Gnosticism, as well as the problem of those who insisted on adherence to Old Testament law, have been defeated as a result of the effort of Christians who lived in that era. The Lie comprises all spiritual solutions, from the serpent in the garden to the Antichrist himself, that are based on disobedience to the Word of God and the denial of human sin that led to the need for the Father to send the Son, as the promised Messiah, to die to pay for our sins.
By way of encouragement: Paul did not set up an intellectual salon for his opponents. He was not their host. He went to their forums to proclaim the gospel and his commitment was this: "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" 1 Corinthians 2:2. If error is spoken, it needs to be countered, and should not be subordinated to collegiality, which is a value of the world. Sometimes, the Christian has to walk away, which is why, I suspect, Mr. Allen referred to only those few Baptists that remain his friends. From Mr. Allen's own description of his theology, in abandoning the friendship, the Baptists did the right thing.
Joe, yours is a rude but nevertheless clear way to concede to a superior, better grounded, and more knowledgeably articulated position on the very matters you discussed, albeit in a rambling fashion, in the interview. I will pose to readers of these comments the same questions that I pose to my students: when an interlocutor stoops to rude comments and insults, as has Joe Allen in response to J.P. Kerber, how does it reflect on their character, their confidence in that for which they contend, and the quality of their argument(s)?
Nathan, thank you for your comments above, and for your exceptional work, "Ye Shall Surely Die." It is our loss that you no longer write for your Substack. What you describe so carefully, throughout your work, is the reality of our world. And, yes, internalizing what the Bible has to say is an impenetrable shield.
I have not read enough to know, but if you are not someone who walks by faith in the Son of God then may you discover, in your own time, not only the value of what the Bible has to say, but the power of the Holy Spirit who resides in those who are born again. I don't use these words as they are carelessly thrown around in our culture, or as a charismatic Christian (which I am not) looking for demonstrations of power, but in the sense of the quiet, effortless awareness of presence of God, the peace He gives us through all adversity, and the unwavering conviction that, as His children, we have obtained eternal life - all of which go beyond rational explanation.
And if you are a believer, then I rejoice. Either way, the insights you have derived from you studies are stunning.
J.P., the gratitude goes both ways – your comments on Hrvoje’s Substack, which I have only recently discovered (thank you, Hrvoje!), have resonated with me at a time when I find myself at a crossroads: Do I write Part 2 of MindWar Intel during my summer vacation, or prioritized practices of restorative study, contemplation, and quietude? Paul’s words to the Colossians have been reverberating with me since completing Ye Shall Surely Die (MindWar Intel Part 1):
“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (3:1-4).
My CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible provides the following commentary from Babai:
“You should realize that you are walking on the edge of a sharp sword, that you are standing on the edge of a precipice with a ravine on either side. Do not let your thoughts be upset by things here on earth…. Ensure that you let go of everything which belongs to this world.”
Tracking occult operations and their endless disseminations is certainly part of the work to which God has called His people – “Do not participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11) – but standing on the edge of that precipice and gazing into the darkness can indeed be upsetting. Your comments, particularly the one written on Hrvoje’s May 25 posted interview with Matthew Crawford, encouraged me to pull back from the precipice and set my mind on things above, “where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Hrvoje and Matthew’s expressions of fatigue in that interview were also timely reminders that I am not alone, and that the drain on one’s energy when navigating through the chaos here on earth is real.
My education is in philosophy (both the history of philosophy and social & applied philosophy) and biblical studies. My summer plan – which I write here almost as a resolution after much deliberation – is to slowly read through certain passages of Scripture with the aid of various study tools. That is what is most essential. Secondarily, I plan to study Irenaeus’ Against the Heresies (the Ancient Christian Writers hardcover edition of Book 1 is excellent) and the late work of German philosopher Friedrich Joseph Wilhelm von Schelling (1775-1854). Schelling was a roommate of Hegel’s at the Tübinger Stift; he published a profound work on evil and free will in response to Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit (1807) in 1809, after which he refrained from publishing. In 1841 he was invited to the Chair of Philosophy at Berlin University, left vacant for ten years following Hegel’s death. From 1841-42 Schelling lectured on the Philosophy of Revelation; Friedrich Engels and Søren Kierkegaard were among those in attendance; Engels relentlessly mocked Schelling’s Christian faith. While at Berlin University, Schelling also lectured on the Philosophy of Mythology. Together, these lectures provide, I believe, a kind of blueprint for a penetrating biblical-philosophical analysis of the powers at play in the world and their ultimate subordination to the King of kings and Lord of lords. I find Schelling’s work to be joyful, even as he philosophically walks the edge of Babai’s sharp sword, and nourishing to me in a time of exhaustion.
I have many unread or partially studied works of the occult stacked on my desks as well – from the Pritzker edition of the Zohar to the Complete Mystical Writings of Dr. John Dee and Volume 1 of Michael Aquino’s The Temple of Set, to name a few. My intention is to consult these volumes only with ultimate reference to Paul’s invitation to joyfully contemplate Jesus Christ seated above at the right hand of God Almighty. How else can one fearlessly and successfully walk the edge of Babai’s sword if not by steadying one’s gaze on the true light of true life?
Otherwise stated: many of us have be brought to the precipice through contemporary occult workings; but don’t look down! – It was Nietzsche, author of The Anti-Christ (finished three months prior to his slip into insanity), who wrote that if you stare into the abyss long enough, it will stare back at you.
Thank you again for your encouraging comments and for providing the occasion for me to settle my thoughts on these matters. The gratitude is very much due to Hrvoje as well. May God’s grace and peace be with you both.
Thank you for your very kind words. I struggle with the same issues every day, always torn between what I want to study (the list is too long), what I would like to write (which nobody would read because it is not practical), and what I find myself actually writing (because I have such a sense of urgency).
Your work has led to a wonderful treasure hunt for me. I ordered a few of the references from "Ye Shall Surely Die" that I didn't have in my library, and after reading your post today, I just ordered the CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible. It arrives on Saturday.
I would wish you blessings in your summer focus, and I will, but one more thing before I go. I have subscribed to your substack so that you can have my email address. (If you want it and my subscription to your substack does not provide it - I don't know how substack works - then let me know here and I'll just post it.) I did that because it is very difficult to read that someone is going to be studying Against Heresies and just walk away and wish them well. I was pouring over more books and more materials last night, trying to make a resource list, including Irenaeus, for addressing modern gnosis-based spiritualities, because I keep stumbling across people who follow these paths. There are other issues that I see as pressing, and it has become important to consult the pre-Augustinian Church Fathers.
That is a long-winded way of saying that if you would like to exchange thoughts via email, I think that would be delightful and enriching. Your background is different from mine, and I have always looked at the material with which you are so comfortable, saying … I wish. On the other hand, I equally respect your desire to study in silent contemplation. If you choose silent contemplation, then I pray you will have a richly blessed time of study, and deep-seated peace and rest, so that you can return to strengthen and encourage your students and those who read your future works.
Like you, I extend my thanks to our gracious host, Hrvoje, who lets me write comments here that are blunt, to say the least. We both appreciate you Hrvoje. Thank you.
The CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible is a terrific resource; I recently gifted family members and Bible teachers at my school with copies (as they were deeply discounted!). I found your email address through the subscription and have saved it. I am currently traveling and carrying Against Heresies in my bookbag, though I’ve yet to find time to study. As I do find time, I think it would be a beneficial engagement to share a reflection(s) with you, another student of this important work. Thank you for the invitation to exchange such thoughts via email.
I appreciate your prayers and encouraging comments, and wish to reflect them back to you. May God direct your studies and inspire your writing, whatever form it takes (the comments on Substack are certainly enriching for readers like me). In Christ, Nathan
Fascinating discussion, a lot of great points all around. Maybe I'm too paranoid but the "there are totally no evil (capital G) Gnostics running the show behind the curtain" plea was a little funny.
I've been thinking lately about this "culture clash" vs new age stuff and my current take is that there's a lot more than just surface level stuff worth understanding. It seems like the smarter (lower-case g) gnostics / new agers absolutely have personal development down in a way that's easy to communicate. Here's the rub: what are you developing for? Is it to glorify God and share in his love for all of creation, or is it purely a pursuit of individual fulfillment? I don't think personal development is contrary to serving, but it helps to be practical and careful.
I like this dude, a lot.
Highly engaging, self deprecating, and hugely knowledgeable.
If I'm honest, most of it is way above my pay grade, but I enjoyed it.
Please excuse me, as I go off and let my head explode... ;-)
David Icke does not believe in God and clearly states in on his Website as he criticised Russell Brand on his show for recently being baptised. The Gnostics believe that within the heart atom is the seat of God and that is love, not any devil - but that in this world of good and bad there is no freedom and that we are bound to the latter; in this world. State religion tends to believe that we are not the power and that power lies in an authority this is why they persicuted the gnositcs; because they believed that the authority of God was within and that the realisation of that comes with experience of the world around us.
To say any 'gnostic' tenets espoused by some of the more outspoken alumni of the e/acc movement seem be based on a superficial reading would be putting it mildly. They might just as well be saying their worldview is based on Harry Potter or some cobbled-together myth-based computer game. To me these narcissistic nerds with their largely invented AI-obsessed language come across as merely somewhat desperate to latch onto the coattails or follow in the footsteps of some CIA-DARPA funded hidden 'archon'...
Clearly there ARE secret societies which conduct rituals and hold what many Christians would define as heresies and their agenda ARE very dark... But many commentators, such as Matt Ehret to name but onw, use the term gnosticism as nothing much more than a blanket calumny...
I don't know these gnostic e/acc types personally, so I don't know how much is for show and how much is taken seriously.
For some, their knowledge seems fleshed out enough to say that they at least did the homework. They reference the texts and ideas directly. But then, so do Southern Baptists.
Lots of students in the physics classes I took as an undergraduate got lots of the questions on exams wrong. That meant they didn't really understand the material. So imagine I have a friend who wants to learn physics. Do I send them to the textbook and to the professor and tell them to study diligently, or do I send them off to consult with the students who couldn’t even pass the tests, telling them that there is good information to be found in everything - even in their muddled understanding of the laws of thermodynamics?
Joe Allen calls himself a heterodox Christian without disclosing his beliefs, although he seems to be a gnostic sympathizer. We have been given the textbook, if you will, to understand spiritual truth, and Mr. Allen obviously does not understand the text. This is apparent from his descriptions of religion, with complete disregard for what biblical Christianity actually looks like. Theologically, he has failed the test of understanding what the Bible teaches, just as my former physics classmates failed to understand physics. Why would we turn to either of them, when we can consult the text?
My defense of what the Bible teaches is more than just my opinion versus other opinions. I have yet to find gnostics, pagans, atheists, or heterodox "Christians" (an oxymoron) who have actually studied the chronologies, the archaeology, the languages, or the texts of either Testament, the relationship between the verses in the New Testament and their Old Testament counterparts, the fulfilled prophesies concerning the Messiah, the logic of coherent biblical theologies, or any other aspect of biblical studies that takes a lot of hard and tedious work, before they rush off to express their opinions. They also do not know the power of God, working in us through the Holy Spirit. And with that illustrious lack of background - they speak! (I am not suggesting that finding salvation in Christ is a complex intellectual exercise. We find salvation in simple, child-like faith. The opponents of Truth, however, speak from ignorance of both simple faith and relevant facts.)
A huge difference exists between a physics student - or let us make this person an engineering student, who goes on his way to build inconsequential devices and is of no concern to anyone, and the engineering graduate who failed the physics tests, who is going to build a bridge that will be used for heavy traffic. Yet what Mr. Allen does is far worse than building a bridge that is bound to collapse. The error of gnosticism, self-deification, processes of enlightenment, denial of the consequences of sin - basically, collectively, The Lie, is spiritual poison that leads to eternal death - and if one holds themselves out as an expert, or a teacher, that becomes the death of others. This is no trivial matter.
I think I have said it before - food is good. One can find some nutritious element in most anything that we eat. But do those of us who understand nutrition now continue to fill our plates with cereal and canola oil and glyphosate-studded vegetables, or worse - food that has been sprinkled with rat poison, because we know that some nutrition is to be found in everything that is, technically, "edible"? If those who understand health and nutrition are as careful as possible to keep their food healthy, and eliminate the poisons, why are we so open to spiritual poison?
Of course Mr. Allen can go on forever, critiquing the various positions of G/gnostics and others. It is a critique of a system of deception by one who, himself, speaks from a position of error. The possibilities for discussing this conundrum are endless. Surely there is a better way to extract nuggets of truth about our world than by waiting for them to fall out of a process like this.
This is not personal. I wouldn't waste my time writing if I didn't care about anyone who might be reading this, including Mr. Allen, because Jesus Christ died for every one of us. It is, however, a fallacy to think that I have to honor the opinions of others when I know that those opinions are poisonous. I respect the right of others to believe what they choose, but I do not respect theological error any more than I respect the idea that 1 + 1 = 3. That is not one viable option among many. To pretend otherwise is to pander to the speaker's ego at the expense of the spiritual death of others. This approach is unscriptural: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter; Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21). God says "woe" and I am to say, "wonderful"? Ephesians 5:11 is clear: "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them."
Jesus Christ cares about the eternal fate of His creatures. As His servant, I take that concern to heart. But if those who have been created by God are eating rat poison, and sprinkling rat poison on the food of others, who do I benefit by pretending that this is an edible meal? I'm really doing that to make my own situation more comfortable, at the expense of the instructions I have been given. I can disagree harshly, and still hope for the salvation of the person I criticize. I would still stop to help them if they were injured in the street. Now, however, that is not enough. I am not saying this of Mr. Allen, but as a general observation of our society - everyone demands that others treat their ego as sacred - that is really what is going on, as Truth is subordinated to the ego of the speaker so we can all "get along." That is a form of LIVED self-deification.
I prefer to avoid calling everything Gnosticism. The Gnosticism at the time 1 John was written was just one instantiation of the broader deception that, for lack of a better term, I simply call The Lie. It is described in 1 John 2:22: "Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? That is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son." The Lie is not limited to Gnosticism, or gnosticism, or paganism, or Theosophy, or any other intellectual structure that is build around this fundamental deception. Many of our current deceptive systems of thought did not even exist at the time of the New Testament church, and ancient forms of Gnosticism, as well as the problem of those who insisted on adherence to Old Testament law, have been defeated as a result of the effort of Christians who lived in that era. The Lie comprises all spiritual solutions, from the serpent in the garden to the Antichrist himself, that are based on disobedience to the Word of God and the denial of human sin that led to the need for the Father to send the Son, as the promised Messiah, to die to pay for our sins.
By way of encouragement: Paul did not set up an intellectual salon for his opponents. He was not their host. He went to their forums to proclaim the gospel and his commitment was this: "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" 1 Corinthians 2:2. If error is spoken, it needs to be countered, and should not be subordinated to collegiality, which is a value of the world. Sometimes, the Christian has to walk away, which is why, I suspect, Mr. Allen referred to only those few Baptists that remain his friends. From Mr. Allen's own description of his theology, in abandoning the friendship, the Baptists did the right thing.
*yawn*
Joe, yours is a rude but nevertheless clear way to concede to a superior, better grounded, and more knowledgeably articulated position on the very matters you discussed, albeit in a rambling fashion, in the interview. I will pose to readers of these comments the same questions that I pose to my students: when an interlocutor stoops to rude comments and insults, as has Joe Allen in response to J.P. Kerber, how does it reflect on their character, their confidence in that for which they contend, and the quality of their argument(s)?
If I go to hell, it will be to avoid tiresome personalities such as yours.
Nathan, thank you for your comments above, and for your exceptional work, "Ye Shall Surely Die." It is our loss that you no longer write for your Substack. What you describe so carefully, throughout your work, is the reality of our world. And, yes, internalizing what the Bible has to say is an impenetrable shield.
I have not read enough to know, but if you are not someone who walks by faith in the Son of God then may you discover, in your own time, not only the value of what the Bible has to say, but the power of the Holy Spirit who resides in those who are born again. I don't use these words as they are carelessly thrown around in our culture, or as a charismatic Christian (which I am not) looking for demonstrations of power, but in the sense of the quiet, effortless awareness of presence of God, the peace He gives us through all adversity, and the unwavering conviction that, as His children, we have obtained eternal life - all of which go beyond rational explanation.
And if you are a believer, then I rejoice. Either way, the insights you have derived from you studies are stunning.
J.P., the gratitude goes both ways – your comments on Hrvoje’s Substack, which I have only recently discovered (thank you, Hrvoje!), have resonated with me at a time when I find myself at a crossroads: Do I write Part 2 of MindWar Intel during my summer vacation, or prioritized practices of restorative study, contemplation, and quietude? Paul’s words to the Colossians have been reverberating with me since completing Ye Shall Surely Die (MindWar Intel Part 1):
“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (3:1-4).
My CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible provides the following commentary from Babai:
“You should realize that you are walking on the edge of a sharp sword, that you are standing on the edge of a precipice with a ravine on either side. Do not let your thoughts be upset by things here on earth…. Ensure that you let go of everything which belongs to this world.”
Tracking occult operations and their endless disseminations is certainly part of the work to which God has called His people – “Do not participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11) – but standing on the edge of that precipice and gazing into the darkness can indeed be upsetting. Your comments, particularly the one written on Hrvoje’s May 25 posted interview with Matthew Crawford, encouraged me to pull back from the precipice and set my mind on things above, “where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Hrvoje and Matthew’s expressions of fatigue in that interview were also timely reminders that I am not alone, and that the drain on one’s energy when navigating through the chaos here on earth is real.
My education is in philosophy (both the history of philosophy and social & applied philosophy) and biblical studies. My summer plan – which I write here almost as a resolution after much deliberation – is to slowly read through certain passages of Scripture with the aid of various study tools. That is what is most essential. Secondarily, I plan to study Irenaeus’ Against the Heresies (the Ancient Christian Writers hardcover edition of Book 1 is excellent) and the late work of German philosopher Friedrich Joseph Wilhelm von Schelling (1775-1854). Schelling was a roommate of Hegel’s at the Tübinger Stift; he published a profound work on evil and free will in response to Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit (1807) in 1809, after which he refrained from publishing. In 1841 he was invited to the Chair of Philosophy at Berlin University, left vacant for ten years following Hegel’s death. From 1841-42 Schelling lectured on the Philosophy of Revelation; Friedrich Engels and Søren Kierkegaard were among those in attendance; Engels relentlessly mocked Schelling’s Christian faith. While at Berlin University, Schelling also lectured on the Philosophy of Mythology. Together, these lectures provide, I believe, a kind of blueprint for a penetrating biblical-philosophical analysis of the powers at play in the world and their ultimate subordination to the King of kings and Lord of lords. I find Schelling’s work to be joyful, even as he philosophically walks the edge of Babai’s sharp sword, and nourishing to me in a time of exhaustion.
I have many unread or partially studied works of the occult stacked on my desks as well – from the Pritzker edition of the Zohar to the Complete Mystical Writings of Dr. John Dee and Volume 1 of Michael Aquino’s The Temple of Set, to name a few. My intention is to consult these volumes only with ultimate reference to Paul’s invitation to joyfully contemplate Jesus Christ seated above at the right hand of God Almighty. How else can one fearlessly and successfully walk the edge of Babai’s sword if not by steadying one’s gaze on the true light of true life?
Otherwise stated: many of us have be brought to the precipice through contemporary occult workings; but don’t look down! – It was Nietzsche, author of The Anti-Christ (finished three months prior to his slip into insanity), who wrote that if you stare into the abyss long enough, it will stare back at you.
Thank you again for your encouraging comments and for providing the occasion for me to settle my thoughts on these matters. The gratitude is very much due to Hrvoje as well. May God’s grace and peace be with you both.
Thank you for your very kind words. I struggle with the same issues every day, always torn between what I want to study (the list is too long), what I would like to write (which nobody would read because it is not practical), and what I find myself actually writing (because I have such a sense of urgency).
Your work has led to a wonderful treasure hunt for me. I ordered a few of the references from "Ye Shall Surely Die" that I didn't have in my library, and after reading your post today, I just ordered the CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible. It arrives on Saturday.
I would wish you blessings in your summer focus, and I will, but one more thing before I go. I have subscribed to your substack so that you can have my email address. (If you want it and my subscription to your substack does not provide it - I don't know how substack works - then let me know here and I'll just post it.) I did that because it is very difficult to read that someone is going to be studying Against Heresies and just walk away and wish them well. I was pouring over more books and more materials last night, trying to make a resource list, including Irenaeus, for addressing modern gnosis-based spiritualities, because I keep stumbling across people who follow these paths. There are other issues that I see as pressing, and it has become important to consult the pre-Augustinian Church Fathers.
That is a long-winded way of saying that if you would like to exchange thoughts via email, I think that would be delightful and enriching. Your background is different from mine, and I have always looked at the material with which you are so comfortable, saying … I wish. On the other hand, I equally respect your desire to study in silent contemplation. If you choose silent contemplation, then I pray you will have a richly blessed time of study, and deep-seated peace and rest, so that you can return to strengthen and encourage your students and those who read your future works.
Like you, I extend my thanks to our gracious host, Hrvoje, who lets me write comments here that are blunt, to say the least. We both appreciate you Hrvoje. Thank you.
The CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible is a terrific resource; I recently gifted family members and Bible teachers at my school with copies (as they were deeply discounted!). I found your email address through the subscription and have saved it. I am currently traveling and carrying Against Heresies in my bookbag, though I’ve yet to find time to study. As I do find time, I think it would be a beneficial engagement to share a reflection(s) with you, another student of this important work. Thank you for the invitation to exchange such thoughts via email.
I appreciate your prayers and encouraging comments, and wish to reflect them back to you. May God direct your studies and inspire your writing, whatever form it takes (the comments on Substack are certainly enriching for readers like me). In Christ, Nathan