The pneumatics ("spiritual", from Greek , "spirit") were, in

Gnosticism Gnosticism (from Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek: , Romanization of Ancient Greek, romanized: ''gnōstikós'', Koine Greek: Help:IPA/Greek, �nostiˈkos 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced ...

, the highest order of humans, the other two orders being psychics and hylics ("matter"). A pneumatic saw themselves as escaping the doom of the material world via the transcendent knowledge of Sophia's Divine Spark from inner revelation coming from the highest point of the subtle "nous" in the head or crown region. In the New Testament a contrast is made between the ''psychikoi'' and the ''pneumatikoi'', in the former of whom the mere animal soul predominates, the latter exhibiting the working of a higher spiritual nature (; ; compare also ). In the Valentinian system this contrast is sharpened, and is made to depend on an original difference of nature between the two classes of men, a mythical theory being devised which professed to account for the origin of the different elements in men's nature; the psychic element being something higher and better than the mere material element, but immeasurably inferior to the pneumatic. It may well be believed that in the language of the Gnostic sects, the "pneumatici" are "spiritual men who have attained to the perfect knowledge of God, and been initiated into these mysteries by Achamoth" herself ( ''Adv. Haer''. I. 6, 1), ordinary Christians being branded as "psychici." Such was also the use made of the latter word by

Tertullian Tertullian (; ; 155 – 220 AD) was a prolific Early Christianity, early Christian author from Roman Carthage, Carthage in the Africa (Roman province), Roman province of Africa. He was the first Christian author to produce an extensive co ...

, who in his latest works, written after his

Montanism Montanism (), known by its adherents as the New Revelation, was an History of Christianity#Early Christianity (c. 31/33–324), early Christian movement of the Christianity in the 2nd century, mid-to-late 2nd century, later referred to by the n ...

had involved him in complete separation from the church, habitually uses the word ''Psychici'' to designate those from whom he had separated.

Descriptive term in religious studies

In the

academic study Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

of religion and

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute (philosophy), Absolute, but may refer to any kind of Religious ecstasy, ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or Spirituality, spiritual meani ...

more generally, pneumatic has been used as a classification term to define similar trends in wider contexts. For example, Joseph G. Weiss describes "A Circle of Pneumatics in Pre-

Hasidism Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a Spirituality, spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most ...

",Chapter in ''Studies in East European Jewish Mysticism and Hasidism'', Joseph Weiss, Littman Library in the context of

Jewish mysticism Academic study of Jewish mysticism, especially since Gershom Scholem's ''Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism'' (1941), draws distinctions between different forms of mysticism which were practiced in different eras of Jewish history. Of these, Kabbal ...

. Here the pneumatic group have minor prophetic powers ( "Ruach Ha-qodesh" or "Ruach HaKodesh" (etc.) in Jewish parlance), such as revealing the sins of their fellows. However they decide to renounce use of this, probably in response to communal suspicion in the wake of the

Sabbatean The Sabbateans (or Sabbatians) are a variety of Jewish followers, disciples, and believers in Sabbatai Zevi (1626–1676), an Ottoman Jewish rabbi and Kabbalist who was proclaimed to be the Jewish Messiah in 1666 by Nathan of Gaza. Vast ...

Kabbalistic heresy. The

Baal Shem Tov Israel ben Eliezer (According to a forged document from the "Kherson Geniza", accepted only by Chabad, he was born in October 1698. Some Hasidic traditions place his birth as early as 1690, while Simon Dubnow and other modern scholars argue f ...

, founder of Hasidism, seeks recognition in the group, but is initially hindered by his lower status as a

Baal Shem A ''Baal Shem'' (Hebrew: בַּעַל שֵׁם, pl. ''Baalei Shem'') was a historical Jewish practitioner of Practical Kabbalah and miracle worker. Employing various methods, ''Baalei Shem'' are claimed to heal, enact miracles, perform exorcisms ...

exorcist.

References

;Attribution *{{source-attribution, {{cite book, title=A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines, chapter=Psychici, volume=IV, editor1-first=William , editor1-last=Smith , editor1-link= William Smith (lexicographer) , editor2-first=Henry, editor2-last=Wace, editor2-link= Henry Wace (Anglican priest), last=Salmon, first=George, chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e3DYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA514, pages=514–15, year=1887, publisher=John Murray, location=London

External links

The Gnosis archive
Gnostic cosmology Gnostic terms and concepts de:Pneumatiker

Descriptive term in religious studies

See also

References

External links