Jules-Benoît Stanislas Doinel du Val-Michel (8 December 1842 in Moulins, Allier – 16 or 17 March 1903), also known simply as Jules Doinel or Tau Valentin II was an archivist and the founder of the first Gnostic church in modern times who claims that he was consecrated into a new episcopal lineage in a dream by the "Eon Jesus".

Gnostic Church revival

After spiritual experiences in 1888–89, he proclaimed 1890 the beginning of "the era of Gnosis restored", Doinel assumed the office of Patriarch of the ''

Église Gnostique The Gnostic Church of France (french: Église gnostique de France) is a neo-Gnostic Christian organisation formed by Jules Doinel in 1890, in France. It is the first Gnostic church in modern times. History The esoteric Freemason Jules Doin ...

'' (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''Gnostic Church''), taking the ecclesiastical name of Tau Valentin II, after Valentinius, the 2nd century Christian Gnostic teacher. The doctrinal orientation of the church was based on extant Cathar documents, with the Gospel of John, and a strong influence of Simonian and Valentinian cosmology. The church was officially established in autumn 1890 in Paris, France. Liturgical services were based on Cathar rituals. Clergy were both male and female, having male bishops and female "''sophias''". Doinel was "spiritually consecrated" in a spiritual experience in 1888 and not into a line of

apostolic succession Apostolic succession is the method whereby the ministry of the Christian Church is held to be derived from the apostles by a continuous succession, which has usually been associated with a claim that the succession is through a series of bish ...

. Doinel subsequently consecrated a number of bishops for the ''Église Gnostique'', notably

Gérard Encausse Gérard Anaclet Vincent Encausse (July 13, 1865 – 25 October 1916), whose esoteric pseudonyms were Papus and Tau Vincent, was a French physician, hypnotist, and popularizer of occultism, who founded the modern Martinist Order. Early li ...

, founder of the closely allied

Martinist Order Martinism is a form of Christian mysticism and esoteric Christianity concerned with the fall of the first man, his state of material privation from his divine source, and the process of his return, called 'Reintegration'. As a mystical traditio ...

Anti-masonic period (1895–1897)

In 1895, Doinel resigned from the ''Église Gnostique'', leaving the leadership of the church to a council of bishops. He then converted to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

and began a collaboration with

Léo Taxil Marie Joseph Gabriel Antoine Jogand-Pagès, better known by the pen name Léo Taxil (; March 21, 1854 – March 31, 1907), was a French writer and journalist who became known for his strong anti-Catholic and anti-clerical views. He is also kn ...

, being one of many taken in by Taxil's anti-masonic hoax. Under the name Jean Kostka, Doinel wrote a book attacking freemasonry, entitled ''Lucifer Unmasked'', in which he associated many of his prior activities with the diabolic. A. E. Waite described ''Lucifer Unmasked'' and revealed the real identity of its author in ''Devil Worship in France'', his exposé of the anti-masonic that movement Taxil inspired. Waite (1896) p. 184 Taxil unveiled his hoax in 1897.

Reconciliation

Doinel was readmitted as a bishop in the ''Église Gnostique'' in 1900.

Notes

References

* * * * 1842 births 1903 deaths People from Moulins, Allier École Nationale des Chartes alumni French archivists Anti-Masonry Christian anti-Gnosticism Gnosticism French Roman Catholics Converts to Roman Catholicism Place of birth missing Place of death missing {{france-reli-bio-stub

Gnostic Church revival

Anti-masonic period (1895–1897)

Reconciliation

See also

Notes

References