Someone told me to try it out. Go right ahead, they said, and start a conversation anywhere online about the quirky connection between Gnosticism and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Watch as the comments section gets all kinds of strange and whacky since Gnosticism, in this case, refers here to a spiritual movement from the early centuries AD involving a dualistic worldview, a divine realm and a flawed material world created by an antagonistic deity known colloquially as the demiurge. It is often thought the gnostics sought liberation from the material constraints of what they considered a deeply flawed reality by garnering mystical knowledge and whilst they had a significant impact on early Christianity, Gnosticism was ultimately considered heretical by Christian orthodoxy, likely resulting in the clandestine burial of its sacred codices at Nag Hammadi. These texts were left undiscovered until 1945 where upon their discovery it is said some of the pages were first torn out to be used as kindling.
Neon Genesis Evangelion, on the other hand, is a Japanese anime series by Hideaki Anno, featuring a post-apocalyptic world where teenagers pilot bio-mechanical robots to fight mysterious Angels. Known for its deep psychological exploration and religious symbolism, Evangelion not only left a lasting impact on anime and popular culture but is often viewed through a gnostic lens due to its complex themes, rich symbolism, and narrative elements like the Human Instrumentality Project, SEELE, and the Angels paralleling gnostic concepts of spiritual unity, oppositional forces, and the illusory nature of reality. The series’ intricate symbolism further contributes to this interpretation, inviting viewers to contemplate existential questions and spiritual themes reminiscent of gnostic philosophy.
As such, when it comes to the highly contested relationship between Gnosticism and Evangelion the idea is to start this thread, a conversation online, that is, and watch it descend into desperate claims regarding the 1995 anime series as having absolutely nothing to do with Gnosticism whatsoever. In perhaps my favourite form of attention-seeking, low-effort shitposting, the Gnostic-Neon-Genesis connection becomes something not even worth looking into, they’ll say, with many claiming the artistic direction as purely coincidental, all aesthetics and no substance. Trust me bro, the comments will read, even the assistant director, Kazuya Tsurumaki, has said so himself – the Christian imagery is all meaningless. Nevertheless, as with all shitposting, one must sit back, relax, and watch as things grow a little more hostile in the comments thread, a little more strained, leading perhaps to my favourite expression of derision in regard to the conversation at hand, with one Redditor relaying how the original poster’s schizopost on Gnosticism and Evangelion has successfully “given them the demi-urge to punch them in the face.”
Contrary to this hostility however, others will soon crop up not only defending the significance of the gnostic connection but actually offering up a counterargument to the contempt altogether. The comments doth protest too much, they’ll say, registering the disingenuous nature of the discussion from the get go since – well – according these participants, the bulk of hostile commentary stems quite obviously from paid actors, bots and shills, written to keep people from the path of Esoteric Christianity that Neon Genesis Evangelion so evidently pertains. In other words the comments quickly descend into the realm of conspiracy theory to the point where Godwin’s Law needs updating to perhaps encompass not only Hitler but the phrase ‘jet fuel can’t melt steel beams’ in what I like to call Mazey’s Amendment. This is to say the dialectic around the gnostic interpretation of this ‘apocalyptic mecha psychological drama’ is perhaps the greatest example of the hermeneutics of suspicion applied to a comments section where it is interesting to see this conversation play out considering the connection between Gnosticism and those philosophies of scepticism which manifest everywhere online today, from conspiracy YouTube to the schizocartographies of Instragam, to the shadier corners of the internet where such hyper-theories must inevitably hyperstitionalize themselves into existence. And so in a flawed reality crafted by an antagonistic being the only thing we have left to do as a result of the Nag Hammadi library is shitpost about the gnostic influence over Neon Genesis Evangelion.
It should be said the gnostic influence doesn’t end in 1995 with anime but continues today in a diverse range of works including, but not limited to, miHoYo’s Genshin Impact and Jean Baudrillard’s Fatal Strategies, a stellar work of eschatological theory which comes as a prognostic anticipation for all that followed it. The Eschatological, in this context, refers to beliefs, doctrines, or theories concerning the end times, final events, or ultimate destiny of humanity and the world. Similarly, in religious contexts, the eschatological often revolves around ideas of apocalypse, resurrection, and the establishment of a new order or divine kingdom where the term – derived from the Greek word ‘eschatos,’ meaning ‘last’ or ‘final,’ – is frequently used in theology, philosophy, and discussions of cultural narratives about the end of the world. Before anything else, Neon Genesis Evangelion is eschatological; but it is without a doubt representative of an eschatology of gnostic immensity that matches something of Jean Baudrillard’s theoretical perspective.
In his paper, The Gnostic Baudrillard: A Philosophy of Terrorism Seeking Pure Appearance, published at the International Journal of Baudrillard Studies, Dr. Jonathan Smith explored Baudrillard’s philosophical connections with Gnosticism. It is in this paper, available online, where Baudrillard’s concepts of original simulation and logical terror are analysed, highlighting their implications for understanding truth and reality, delving deep into Baudrillard’s idea of pure appearance through symbolic exchange, emphasising its challenge to established realities and its connection to contemporary phenomena like terrorism and visual culture.
Throughout the paper, Dr. Jonathan Smith draws interesting parallels between Baudrillard’s ideas and gnostic beliefs, suggesting something of Baudrillard’s worldview as influenced by a Manichean perspective in particular, emphasising the coexistence and interrelation of Good and Evil whereby Baudrillard, in Smith’s view, forged his critique in the interstice of post-Marxist Gnostic Nihilism. To say, Smith looks to Baudrillard’s interpretation of events such as the September 11 attacks, highlighting Baudrillard’s belief in the inseparability of Good and Evil and the illusory nature of reality whilst also discussing Baudrillard’s use of gnostic concepts such as the Demiurge, the goal of purification, as well as his incorporation of skeptical philosophy, particularly influenced by the Greek philosopher, Pyrrho.
For Smith then, Baudrillard’s philosophy can be seen as a blend of Gnosticism and skepticism, resulting in this form of Gnostic Nihilism whereby Baudrillard’s approach, characterised by radical skepticism and a quest for hidden knowledge, is compared to the tradition of French letters influenced by gnostic and Pyrrhonian thought. What’s should be especially fascinating to anyone interested in Baudrillardian analysis is the French philosopher’s total reluctance to engage directly with discussions about his Gnosticism despite, as Dr. Jonathan Smith successfully argues, Gnosticism operating as one of the most crucial aspects of Baudrillard’s post-Marxist thought. For instance, Baudrillard’s rejection of dialectical thinking in favour of a dualistic worldview, wherein Good and Evil are eternal antagonists rather than dialectically subordinate principles, becomes the primary example towards understanding the parallels between Baudrillard’s ideas and those of the gnostics, second only perhaps to Baudrillard’s belief in the irreconcilability of rationality with reality due to the influence of a malevolent demon, a concept quite obviously reminiscent of gnostic thought.
It is also within this paper where Jonathan Smith explores Jean Baudrillard’s concept of ‘logical terror’ by delving into the interplay between skepticism, Gnosticism, and reversibility in his philosophical framework. Smith begins by acknowledging the seemingly contradictory nature of combining Pyrrho’s skeptical rationalism with Mani’s religious metaphysics with Smith arguing that Baudrillard’s approach hinges on the choice of a starting point or hypothesis in which Baudrillard adopts Mani’s vision to demonize Pyrrho’s logic. According to Baudrillard then, the reality of the world is tainted by a demonic principle from its inception, with Smith relaying how Baudrillard once described this Manichean postulate as ‘an enthralling hypothesis’, with Baudrillard using it to interrogate the genesis of doubts about truth and reality, generating a kind of gnostic metaphysics. Smith explores Pyrrho’s device of infinite regress here, which Baudrillard also gnosticizes, he says, by suggesting that the demon is inherent in the very infinity that bedevils our logic.
As such, Baudrillard’s philosophy challenges traditional notions of truth and objectivity, suggesting that all systems of meaning are prevented from producing truth due to original seduction and reversibility. As such, Baudrillard argues that logical reversibility is a corollary of original seduction, wherein all discourse is vulnerable to reversal due to the infinite logical regress. Despite the apparent self-refutation of his philosophy we might understand through Smith’s analysis how Baudrillard maintains internal consistency through his embrace of contradiction and irony – that which I would call a philosophy of sardonicism – turning self-refutation into a gnostic virtue.
Ultimately, it is Smith’s contention that Baudrillard’s philosophy of terrorism leads to an embrace of pure appearance, wherein things exist in an ephemeral moment before taking on meaning or value. This notion underscores the fluidity and uncertainty (even ambivalence) inherent in Baudrillard’s worldview, characterised by a relentless questioning of established truths and a rejection of conventional logic.
This is explored further in the final section of Smith’s paperwhere the theorist delves deeper into Baudrillard’s concept of ‘pure appearance’ through the lens of symbolic exchange, exploring its implications for understanding contemporary phenomena such as terrorism and visual culture.
Smith begins by addressing misunderstandings of Baudrillard’s idea of pure appearance, noting critiques that argue Baudrillard’s writing lacks clarity and reduces complex phenomena to binary oppositions. Smith contends that Baudrillard’s use of dualistic discourse serves to approach pure appearance through symbolic exchange, wherein signs are used ecstatically to challenge and go beyond signified reality. It is stated by Smith that Baudrillard describes symbolic exchange as an ‘Anti-Materialist Theory of Language,’ emphasising the absence of materialist reference and the operation of an anti-matter in the symbolic process. The double spiral of signs and symbols in Baudrillard’s framework moves from political economy and production to potlatch, sacrifice, and seduction, challenging established orders and norms. Terrorism is valorised as a gnostic ritual opposing the real with the purest form of the spectacular, highlighting the strange mixture of the symbolic and the spectacular in contemporary events.
From Smith’s paper we read that Baudrillard sees terrorism as a challenge to reality and ideology, representing an irreducible singularity beyond simulation where pure appearance involves accessing a divine secret through symbolic exchange. However, Baudrillard’s quest for pure appearance is challenged by the circularity of simulation and the requirement of becoming a pure object. Smith concludes by discussing the implications of Baudrillard’s ideas for contemporary visual culture and the consumption of violence, with Smith seeing in Baudrillard a view of terrorism that becomes beautiful through ocular simulation, implicating viewers in a complicit relationship with acts of terror, where the dominance of aesthetics in ethics and epistemology raises further questions about the future relationship between terrorism and beauty.
Dr. Alexandr V. Dyakov considers Dr. Jonathan Smith’s theory on the Gnostic Baudrillard to be the most well-developed in terms of actually demonstrating Baudrillard’s transition from Marxism to the postmodern synthesis of Gnostic Nihilism for which Baudrillard is perhaps better known. However, Dyakov is also keen to develop Smith’s reading of Baudrillard by indicating a finer distinction between gnostic principles, placing Baudrillard as more Gnostic than the Manichean variation that Smith points towards.
In Baudrillard, Gnosticism, and the Beginning of Simulation, taken from Alexandr Dyakov’s book, Jean Baudrillard: The Strategy of Radical Thought, published as an edited and translated paper at the International Journal of Baudrillard Studies, Dyakov provides a thorough examination of the distinctions between Manicheanism and Gnosticism and their potential relevance to understanding Baudrillardian thought. Dyakov makes a compelling argument for viewing Baudrillard as more aligned with Gnosticism than Manicheanism, highlighting Baudrillard’s affinity with gnostic concepts and the nature of reality as portrayed in those Nag Hammadi texts. Dyakov’s overview of the literature coupled with a comparison of Baudrillard’s ideas with Gnostic thought, particularly in regards to the nature of simulacra and the role of the Demiurge, adds additional weight to Jonathan Smith’s interpretation of Baudrillard within this Gnostic framework. What’s more, Dyakov underscores the importance of careful consideration and nuance when interpreting philosophical ideas in relation to historical and theological contexts.
In the academic paper to shitpost pipeline then, it is perhaps the theological influence, the eschatological especially, that is of interest here, whereby the gnostic-theological suspicion over the inner workings of reality has perhaps disappeared a classic age of Marxist materialism which feels more antiquated today than ever before.
The connection between Gnosticism and various forms of media, such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and the works of Jean Baudrillard, is indeed a fascinating subject that can spark intense debate and analysis. It may be the case that commentators on an Evangelion thread – geared, as it is here, towards a shared exploration of the gnostic influence over narrative and imagery – might even see themselves as players within this new mythologisation of the present, just as Baudrillard’s Gnosticism ultimately achieves a revitalisation of the mythical quality that Marxist critique today lacks, or at least in its very contemporary facilitation, disappeared entirely. It is significant to the culture that Marxist discourse now seeks to simulate a mystical, even spiritual component which it once considered antithetical to something of its historical materialism. It is perhaps a spiritual component sought as a counter to the nihiliberalism of the present. Likewise, it may be the case that contemporary Marxism, still mired by a kind of Leftist miserablism, lacks the triumphant dimension that conspiracy theory today provides.
Nevertheless, it is intriguing how these seemingly disparate pieces of art and philosophy can intertwine with ancient spiritual concepts, inviting interpretations that delve deep into the nature of reality, existence, and human consciousness, with parallels drawn between gnostic themes and popular narratives, as well as Baudrillard’s philosophical ideas. The engagement with skepticism, reversibility, and the embrace of contradiction in Baudrillard’s sardonic philosophy resonates with gnostic principles of challenging conventional wisdom and seeking deeper truths beyond surface appearances. From the exploration of a flawed material world created by a malevolent force to the quest for hidden knowledge and the challenge to established realities, these connections highlight the enduring relevance of gnostic thought under those eschatological conditions in which we today live. There is perhaps no substantive meaning to any of this (therein lies its strength) and yet whilst initiating a conversation online about the strained connection between Gnosticism and Neon Genesis Evangelion seems very silly at first, it may be this kind of terroristic shitposting that becomes a triumphant praxis great enough to instigate the sardonic grin big enough to take down the nihilism of the whole system.
References
Neon Genesis Evangelion, 1995, Netflix, Gainax, Tatsunoko, Japan, TV Tokyo, Hideaki Anno
Dr. Smith, Jonathan. (2004). The Gnostic Baudrillard: A Philosophy of Terrorism Seeking Pure Appearance. [Online]. International Journal of Baudrillard Studies. Last Updated: July 2004. Available at: https://baudrillardstudies.ubishops.ca/the-gnostic-baudrillard-a-philosophy-of-terrorism-seeking-pur [Accessed 13 April 2024].
Dr. Dyakov, Alexandr. (2009). Baudrillard, Gnosticism, and the Beginning of Simulation. [Online]. International Journal of Baudrillard Studies. Last Updated: January 2009. Available at: https://baudrillardstudies.ubishops.ca/baudrillard-gnosticism-and-the-beginning-of-simulation/ [Accessed 13 April 2024].
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