The Place of Women in the Gnostic Christian Schools

Gnosticism as an important and effective school have been studied frequently. It is mainly due to its influences on several mystical and religious traditions. In this article we study the role of women in Gnostic traditions by considering the mutual relation between religion and society. In the first two centuries A.D., based on the teachings of two Gnostic teachers, i.e. Simon Magus and Valentinus, a particular attitude was taken towards the role of women by the Christian theologists. Thus, the Gnostic worldview and theology spread to explain the position of the female element in the divinity. Moreover, the role of wisdom (often characterized by the name of Sophia), in the process of creation, was emphasized. In a reciprocal way, this theology, based on the female divine personality, affected the activities of women in religious society and the understanding of the scriptures.