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Light and
Darkness, life and death, right and left, are brothers of one another.
They are inseparable. Because of this neither are the good good, nor
evil evil, nor is life life, nor death death. For this reason each one
will dissolve into its earliest origin. But those who are exalted above
the world are indissoluble, eternal.
- The
Gospel of Philip
Frequently Asked Questions
Statement of Principles
Johannite Spirituality
How do I find out if the AJC is right for me? |
Frequently
Asked Questions What
is the Apostolic Johannite Church?
We
are an esoteric, gnostic, Christian communion with valid Apostolic
Succession.
What
does Johannite mean?
It
refers to a spiritual tradition carried in part through the initiatory
tradition of John the Baptist, exemplified in the relationship between
Christ and the Apostle John, brought to fruition in the community
addressed by the Gospel of John, the Gospel embraced by early Gnostics,
and which produced the Revelation to John the Theologian. We strive to
embody this tradition today.
Is
the Apostolic Johannite Church a Christian Church?
We
are part of the "catholic" (the word means
“universal”) Tradition as it was understood by the
early Christian churches, and we use Christian symbolism, form, and
sacraments in our worship. While many of our members do consider
themselves Christian, we welcome members from a wide variety of faith
traditions including Wiccans, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, and
Hermeticists. Respect for the Christian Tradition, and all
traditions of faith, is central to the Apostolic Johannite identity.
Do
you believe in the Bible?
Both
the Old Testament and the New Testament are sources of our inspiration,
as are other works including the Corpus Hermeticum and the Nag Hammadi
Gnostic Scriptures. We understand these texts from a multi-layered,
allegorical and mystical view, rather than a literal one.
What
do you believe in?
We
invite you to read our Statement
of Principles...
"We
affirm that there is one Great, Unknowable, and Ineffable Godhead that
made manifest the Universe through Emanation and that while the
Universe is contained within this Divine Godhead, the Godhead
transcends it.
We
affirm that every Being contains the 'Sacred Flame,' a Spark of the
Divine and that Awareness of the Sacred Flame within constitutes the
highest level of Self-Knowledge and the Experience of God
simultaneously. This act of Awareness, which is held to be liberating,
transcendent and experiential, is called Gnosis."
(clickhere
for more...)
What
do you mean by Gnostic?
Gnostic
relates to “Gnosis” – 'transcendent,
liberating and experiential knowledge of spiritual truth' and that
salvation is obtained via its apprehension. Gnosis exists both within
the current of mainstream religious belief and systems and beyond its
confines, expressing itself primarily in myth and symbol rather than
doctrine and dogma. Gnostics stress mysticism, personal responsibility
and practical philosophy.
Do
you practice the Sacraments?
We
do honour the seven Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Matrimony,
Penance, Holy Orders, Eucharist, and Extreme Unction as part of our
Apostolic Tradition.
Are
your Sacraments valid?
In
brief, yes. In more detail, the idea of “valid”
sacraments comes from Roman Catholic sacramental theology. We don't
define ourselves in terms of Roman practise, our sacraments are typical
in style and effective by the standards and norms of the primitive
(pre-Nicene) church.
But
in the sense meant by Roman Catholics, also yes. As an Apostolic Church
our clergy and Sacraments would be considered valid by The Vatican, in
keeping with the declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith entitled “Dominus
Iesus,”
which states, in part, “The
Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the
Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds,
that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true
particular Churches. Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and
operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion
with the Catholic Church, since they do not accept the Catholic
doctrine of the Primacy.”
Do
you believe in the Trinity?
We
affirm the Trinity of the Divine as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We
also use the language of Pleroma (fullness), Logos (word), and Hagia
Sophia (holy wisdom) and other forms.
Are
you those guys in the Da Vinci Code?
The
book is a work of fiction, and takes its themes to extremes for the
purposes of entertainment. However, it did make many people aware of
the esoteric tradition that has been part of Western religion for
millennia. We are a part of that tradition.
Do
you believe Mary Magdalene married Jesus?
While
this idea is central to the “Da Vinci Code”,
it’s not particularly important for us. But not literally,
no. This is best thought of in archetypal terms, as the illustration of
the joining of different complementary ideas: Christianity "wedded to"
older traditions of the Divine Feminine, whom we identify as both Mary
and Sophia.
Is
there a Parish in my area?
We
currently have Parishes across Canada, the United States, Australia and
Madrid, Spain. Please check here
for your closest Parish, Mission, or Narthex (study group).
If
there isn’t a group in your area, you might consider starting
one. For that to happen, someone needs to volunteer as a leader and be
approved by the church. Check out our vocations
page for
more information and email the
Formation Director
if you’re interested.
How
many clergy do you have?
Worldwide
we currently have three Bishops (including our Patriarch), eight
Priests, four Deacons and one Subdeacon.
Do
you ordain women?
Yes.
As in our Statement
of Principles...
"We
recognize the Sacred Flame to be present in all Beings and therefore
our Offices are open to all humanity without discrimination on the
basis of gender, race, social status or sexual orientation."
What about gays, lesbians, bisexuals
and transgender people?
As
you can see in our Statement of Principles, we welcome gay, lesbians,
bisexual and transgender people as full members of our church and we do
not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in the
administration of any of the sacraments of the church, including
ordination to the offices of deacon, priest and bishop (and in fact we
have serving GLBT clergy). We are delighted to offer the sacrament of
matrimony to any two people in a genuine, loving relationship
regardless of gender. So
you’re Protestants, right?
No.
“Protestant” characterises churches that
emerge from earlier Churches in opposition to them (Catholicism,
mostly). We share a number of ideas with various Protestant
denominations, such as the ordination of women and the idea of a
personal and unique experience of the divine. However, we do
not define ourselves in opposition to Rome or any other church:
we are the continuation of a tradition that shares its roots
with all Christian Churches.
Can
I attend Mass and take Communion even if I'm not a member?
Yes.
We welcome all who come respectfully and openly.
Can
I get a copy of your rituals to read at home?
No.
Our liturgies are neither pieces of literature nor historical documents
that can be examined in a vacuum: they must be understood within the
context of a living community and a living tradition. For more
information on this policy see here.
I
thought Gnostics were heretics, why do you look so conventional?
For
centuries, gnostic ideas flourished in the catholic and orthodox
churches. Countless catholic and orthodox Bishops died peacefully in
their sleep after lifetimes of preaching and practicing gnosticism.
These people contributed, debated, and crafted much of what we see of
liturgical culture today. The Cathars and Bogomils had bishops. The
Valentinians and Nestorians celebrated the Eucharist. And of course the
Gnostic Revival of the nineteenth century also embraced the structure
and liturgy of Catholicism, with a deep, mystical understanding.
How
can I learn more about Gnosticism?
There
are some excellent sources available online:
The
Gnostic Society
Wikipedia
Gnosticism
101
We
also recommend Bishop +Stephan Hoeller's "Gnosticism" and Elaine
Pagel's "Beyond Belief" and "The Gnostic Gospels" and “The
Gnostics” by Andrew Philip Smith.
What
does “esoteric” mean?
Ideas
preserved by a small group or those specially initiated; from the Greekesoterikos,
a compound of eso
“within” thus the more inward and mystically
oriented. Esoteric is distinguished from exoteric,
which refers to that which can be understood by all. Many
faiths and schools have both an exoteric (outer) and an esoteric
(inner) form. In our context, it means that we ascribe an experiential
reality to the church and its sacraments beyond the ceremonial and
symbolic.
Are children welcome at AJC liturgies?
We
are happy to welcome children who can be respectful of the liturgy and
other members of the congregation. If you have any concerns,
it is best to contact the rector of the parish you wish to attend.
What about pets?
Policies
on pets and other animals are left to the discretion of individual
parishes. Service animals are of course always welcome. What
does your church do to protect children?
Convicted
sex offenders are explicitly barred from holding leadership positions
within the Apostolic Johannite Church, and we screen seminarians and
clergy through local, national and international background checks,
including criminal record checks and sex offender listings.
In
addition to this, the AJC also maintains very strict policies ensuring,
where possible, that no individuals are placed at risk through the
participation of laity that are known to the community to have
committed sexual or violent offenses. Should the latter seek the
ministry of our Church or clergy, this is done in an environment apart
from those at risk.
Are
you connected with the Ecclesia Gnostica?
We
have the highest regard for Bishop +Hoeller's work and the EG, but at
this time we have no formal association.
Are
you connected with Freemasonry?
We
welcome Freemasons in our Church, and there is a longstanding
connection between Masonic and Gnostic Traditions. However we are not
formally associated with any Masonic Lodge or organization. Although in
the past we've required initiation into an esoteric fraternity in order
to be considered for priesthood, that is no longer the case. Initiation
is no longer a requirement for ordination.
Are you a Templar church? What is your
relationship to the Knights Templar?One
of the predecessor organisations of the AJC, from whom we derive a
great deal of inspiration, was the 'Église
Johannites des Chretiens Primitif, founded
by Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat.
Fabré-Palaprat also refounded a version of the
Order of the Temple (Knights Templar), and this is part of our history.
At this time there is no Templar group specifically
associated with the AJC.
Do you have links to Ordo Templi
Orientis (OTO)? We
don’t regulate the memberships of members of the church, so
some church members may also be members of organisations like OTO. The
AJC has no organisational links with OTO.
I read somewhere your Church was
founded by a Satanist. Is that true?
Some
time prior to establishing the Church, our founder had examined the
"Left Hand Path" as a part of his spiritual journey and practice.
Feeling that this path seemed to provide more opportunity for
personality conflicts than genuine spiritual growth and drawn by a
growing interest in Gnostic Christianity, he made a firm break with
that period of his life. He had no involvement with that path by the
time he founded the church.
For more information on this and other attacks please see the letter from the Patriarch
What’s The Friary, what
relationship does it have to the AJC?
The
Friary is an hermetic, initiatory order founded at the same time as the
AJC. The two organisations are distinct and membership in one does not
require membership in the other, however some of our clergy are also
Friars, and the leadership of the Friary is always invested in a Bishop
of the AJC. At this time, membership in the Friary is by special
permission only. What
is the NACGB, and what does it do?
The
North American College of Gnostic Bishops serves as a collaborative
council of representatives from the Apostolic Gnostic movement.
Through
dialogue, statements of principle and the sharing of resources, the
NACGB works to provide a unified voice for Ecclesastical Gnosticism in
the United States of America and Canada
Throughout
each year the NACGB convenes to determine important agenda items,
positions and provide mutual assistance. Through the cooperation of
delegates from each jurisdiction, policies are set for the College's
work in the years ahead, in the light of the contemporary situation in
church and world.
What
do you think about original sin?
This
is not a concept that plays a significant role in the theology of the
AJC. Many Gnostics (and for that matter, many orthodox
Christian mystics) believe that human beings exist in a state of
fallenness – separation from the divine – and
believe that our work on Earth is to restore ourselves to a state of
original union with God.
You
don’t seem to take a lot of positions. Are you
hiding something?
The
clergy and laity of the Apostolic Johannite Church represent a cross
section of people from many walks of life and nationalities. We count
ourselves fortunate and blessed to have differing opinions on politics,
social and personal issues, and of course, religion and spirituality.
The
AJC has preferred an organic unity to a constructed, legislated or
enforced uniformity whenever possible. The Church should, we feel,
serve as a sanctuary and a place to connect and learn from each other,
laity and clergy alike. In order to do this, the Church does not seek
to create dividing lines between it
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