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Coptic Orthodox understanding of “Demiurge”/ⲇⲏⲙⲓⲟⲩⲣⲅⲟⲥ

Daniel_Kyrillos
edited December 2024 in Hymns Discussion
I’ve gone down a bit of a Gnosticism rabbit hole, and they have a very strange concept of the “Demiurge”, the evil creator being and god of the Old Testament. Considering lots of Gnostic ideology developed in Egypt (many of the primary sources for these are written in Coptic) it isn’t surprising that the word appears many times throughout our liturgies and praises (see: Gregorian prayer of reconciliation, Thursday and Saturday Theotokias, Monday Theotokia lobsh, Nativity Fast fraction, many psalis). However, it seems to be used sort of inconsistently to either refer to God in His creative power, or God the Father specifically, or God in general.

Does anyone know what is the church’s relationship with this word that features so heavily in such wacky heresies?

Comments

  • mabsootamabsoota
    hi daniel kyrillos, pls send me a PM with details of where it is in songs (i think it is better to discuss off the main forum).
    i know that the gnostic concept of it is certainly not orthodox.
    thanks a lot,
    mabsoota
    :)
  • tenooshttenoosht
    @mabsoota, it's a word that is indeed found in our liturgies https://tasbeha.org/hymn_library/view/1934 see here "co-creator with the Father"

    @Daniel_Kyrillos it's interesting because this word is never used in the LXX to refer to God the Creator, and almost never in the New Testament. Except for in Hebrews 11:10
    "for [Abraham] waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
    The word translated as "maker" there is δημιουργὸς in Greek

    Although it's the only (relevant) reference, it does give Scriptural, Pauline precedence to using this noun for God the Creator.
  • mabsootamabsoota
    i had a little message exchange with daniel kyrillos and we think that the writers were using the term as the greek philosophers (e.g. plato) used it, not in the gnostic sense.
    so that is the same conclusion as yours.
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