American Gnostic Dualism

Sexy Religion is my ethnographic-esqe discussion of modern American Gnostic Dualism present in Las Vegas, NV.

The first century Gnostics were big proponents of the idea that anything material or embodied is inherently inferior to its immaterial spiritual essence. They used this philosophy to justify some extreme behavior… often with sexual implications.

• Libertinism – These Gnostics were often of the free-love variation. They believed that if the spirit is greater, then the actions of the body are irrelevant. People should eat, drink, and be merry (have sex) as much as they want. As long as their spirit is at peace, their outward actions have no bearing.
• Asceticism – This Gnostic flavor says the body is the slave of the Spirit, and should be treated as such. To maintain focus on the spirit, these masochists would often starve and whip themselves. Needless to say, many of these believers were abstinent.

I believe that Gnostic influence still lingers in the Church today in our manifestations of cheap grace and cultural irrelevance. Sexy Religion as an ethnography describes my personal exploration into how the people in one of America’s most sexiest cities understand Christianity’s grace and relevance.