Written around 175AD, “Against Heresies” by St. Irenaeus of Lyons addresses a number of questions that are still controversial in the philosophical movements of the present day.

Part of the problem with the Gnosticism that St. Irenaeus preached against was that it thought of itself as an elevated form of spiritual knowledge, above all the moral norms of the Christian life.

That spiritual pride allowed these Gnostics to mentally put themselves above the realm of the authority of the Church, having their own “secret” understanding of the teachings of Jesus, and essentially making the Gospels say whatever they wanted them to say.