Who We Are

Vestiges of Christianity is a news blog maintained under the direction of Bishop Bryan D. Ouellette, Ph.D., SOSM. Our goal is to reconcile ancient Christian theology with contemporary orthodox Christian practices and understandings. Our praxis carries with it a strong eastern liturgical focus while maintaining a freedom of spirituality that is true to ancient Christian ideology. We welcome anyone who desires to discover gnosis through the expression of early Christianity. We use the word "gnosis" with the intention to reflect its original meaning of soteriological knowledge, mystical wisdom and spiritual realization. While we encourage a working philosophical comprehension of Classical Gnosticism from antiquity, we are not a Gnostic or reconstructionist church. Our theology is orthodox, our approach, furthermore, is mystically liberating.

Friday, August 27, 2010

A Complete Introduction to Gnosticism: Part 3

Father Bryan and Bishop Mani continue their discussion from last month about the limitations of the human condition.

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Monday, August 23, 2010

Sin with Fr. Bryan D. Ouellette, Ph.D.

Sin with Fr. Bryan D. Ouellette, Ph.D. from Universal Church of Autogenes on Vimeo.

Father Bryan works through the theological difficulties involved with the subject and usual definition of sin. Can there be a Gnostic approach to sin? Is sin obsolete in a world that has come to embrace imperfection as part of ordinary human experience? In this video, you will learn more about this very misunderstood concept.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Reflections on Gnostic Humility

When you can find God in a beautiful sunset, you haven't yet arrived.

When you can find God in all living things, wisdom is still far off.

When you can find God in the deepest recesses of your heart, Gnosis is still eluding you.

When you can find God in not just the extraordinary, but the ordinary, you still have more steps to take.

But when you can find God in the most vile, repulsive, disgusting, reprehensible thing, then your enlightenment may just be right around the corner.

Take no glory in it, for it is fitting that there should be no rewards for seeing things as they actually are. Such an action is not a privilege, but our duty. Let us not be heros unto ourselves, but rather let us commit to the work we were born to accomplish.


Fr. Bryan

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Martyrdom, Sin, and the Need for Humility

Father Bryan speaks about the nature of humility in the context of the Christian understanding of martyrdom and sin. Are these concepts obsolete in a Gnostic world-view or do they still have a viable application?

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Friday, August 6, 2010

Why Dualism is a Cognitive Error

Dr. Bryan Ouellette and Dr. Michael Jon Kell explain why the human condition perceives the existence of evil. Is there more to Satan than just archetypal significance?

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Tuesday, August 3, 2010

A personal prayer after communion

Lord Jesus Christ, spread your Grace out upon the world and may your
Holy Spirit descend upon us all. May the mind of Sophia enter our minds
so that we may come to know the unknowable Father.