The Descent of the Soul in the Immanent World: Neoplatonism, Gnosticism and Christianity

Abstract The common ground of the monotheist religions is by no means separable from the philosophia perennis, a universal wisdom expressed by many theological and mystical traditions. The descent of the Soul in the world, common to monotheist religions and to spiritual traditions from the East, is also the origin of the European philosophical tradition of idealism. This is briefly expressed as the Soul created the world by moving from Eternity to Time, meaning that one should not seek to explain time separated from the soul. However, the split from pure metaphysics and the dive into mysticism is to be situated in the interpretation of Plato by Neoplatonist authors, imbued with the new values of the Christian religion.