A cursory overview of "Gnosticism and women" on Google show that the Gnostics were a fairly diverse group, and that includes their views on women. Some were as quoted above, and reflect views of women common in that day. Others talk at length about a female counterpart to God - Sophia/Wisdom. It's unclear, however, whether Sophia was viewed favorably or negatively. Also, there were some Gnostic groups founded/led by women, and other groups that excluded women.
Some links for further reading:
Univ. of Helsinki: Department of Biblical Studies - Gnosticism & Early Christian Culture
Nag Hammadi Library - Intro (Incidentally, you can read several of the Gnostic texts on this website)
Women in Ancient Christianity (College student essay, so treat accordingly)


Reply With Quote