Sarkic, from the Greek ''σάρξ'', flesh (or hylic, from the Greek ''ὕλη'', stuff, or matter) in
Gnosticism
Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people ...
describes the lowest level of
human nature
Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...
—the fleshly, instinctive level. This is not the notion of body as opposed to thought; rather the sarkic level is said to be the lowest level of thought.
Use
The concept of sarkic is used along with ''
pneuma
''Pneuma'' () is an ancient Greek word for "breath", and in a religious context for "spirit" or "soul". It has various technical meanings for medical writers and philosophers of classical antiquity, particularly in regard to physiology, and is a ...
'', which refers to spirit or soul, to describe the duality of
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
and also the Christian Church. Furthermore, such duality is used to explain the paradox of the identities of
Adam
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
and
Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
.
There are thinkers such as
Maximus the Confessor
Maximus the Confessor ( el, Μάξιμος ὁ Ὁμολογητής), also spelt Maximos, otherwise known as Maximus the Theologian and Maximus of Constantinople ( – 13 August 662), was a Christian monk, theologian, and scholar.
In his earl ...
who associate sarkic (fleshly) with the somatic dimension (bodily) of human nature, the area where redemption must occur. There are, however, instances when they are considered near equivalent. But these states needed to be transcended to achieve a form of existence characterized by a heightened communion with God.
Sarkic is also used in Christian terms such as
Paul
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...
's description of Abraham's children as ''sarkic'' children who have the ''pneuma'' of Christ. In his classification of humanity in his attempt to address the so-called "gentile problem", he labeled all as ''sarkic'': ''sarkic'' Jews who have Christ's ''pneuma''; ''sarkic'' Jews who lack Christ's ''pneuma''; ''sarkic'' gentiles who have Christ's ''pneuma''; and, ''sarkic'' gentiles who lack Christ's ''pneuma''.
Paul also linked sarkic to the concept of ''
hamartia
The term ''hamartia'' derives from the Greek , from ''hamartánein'', which means "to miss the mark" or "to err". It is most often associated with Greek tragedy, although it is also used in Christian theology. The term is often said to depic ...
'', with the former serving as the force of the latter, capable of overcoming individual action and will.
[{{Cite book, title=The Political Paul: Democracy and Kingship in Paul's Thought, last=Blumenfeld, first=Bruno, publisher=T & T Clark International, year=2003, isbn=9780567531308, location=London, page=351]
References
Gnosticism