aeon

aeon
/ee"euhn, ee"on/, n.
1. (in Gnosticism) one of a class of powers or beings conceived as emanating from the Supreme Being and performing various functions in the operations of the universe.
2. eon.
[1640-50; < LL < Gk aión space of time, age]

* * *

I
or eon

In Gnosticism or Manichaeism, one of the orders of spirits, or spheres of being, emanating from the godhead.

The first aeon emanated directly from unmanifested divinity and was charged with divine force. Aeons increased in number and decreased in divine energy with increased remoteness from the divinity. At sufficient remoteness, error became possible and was the source of the material universe. Aeons may be viewed positively, as embodiments of the divine, or negatively, as media through which the soul must pass to reach its divine origin.
II
(as used in expressions)
Archeozoic Eon
Archaean Eon

* * *

▪ Gnosticism and Manichaeism
also spelled  Eon 

      (Greek: “age,” or “lifetime”), in Gnosticism and Manichaeism, one of the orders of spirits, or spheres of being, that emanated from the Godhead and were attributes of the nature of the absolute; an important element in the cosmology that developed around the central concept of Gnostic dualism—the conflict between matter and spirit.

      The first aeon was said to emanate directly from the unmanifest divinity and to be charged with a divine force. Successive emanations of aeons were charged with successively diminished force. Each Gnostic system explained aeons in its own way, but all concurred that aeons increased in number in proportion to their remoteness from the divinity and that lower aeons shared proportionately less in divine energy. At a certain level of remoteness, the possibility of error was said to invade the activity of aeons; in most systems, such error was responsible for the creation of the material universe. For many, Christ was the most perfect aeon, whose specific function was to redeem the error embodied in the material universe; the Holy Spirit was usually a subordinate aeon.

      In certain systems, aeons were regarded positively as embodiments of the divine; in others, they were viewed negatively as vast media of time, space, and experience through which the human soul must painfully pass to reach its divine origin.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • AEON — steht für: ÆON, japanisches Einzelhandelsunternehmen Aeon Motor, taiwanisches Unternehmen Aeon (Band), schwedische Death Metal Band Siehe auch: Äon Æon Flux, US amerikanischer Science Fiction Film …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Aeon — steht für: ÆON, japanisches Einzelhandelsunternehmen AEON (Fachzeitschrift), Forum für junge Geschichtswissenschaft, OpenAccess Fachjournal Aeon Motor, taiwanisches Unternehmen Aeon (Band), schwedische Death Metal Band Siehe auch: Äon Æon Flux,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • AEon — aeon, AEon [AE] on, n. 1. A period of immeasurable duration. See {Eon}. [1913 Webster] 2. (Gnosticism) a divine power or nature emanating from the Supreme Being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe. Syn: eon [WordNet 1.5] 3 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • aeon — aeon, AEon [AE] on, n. 1. A period of immeasurable duration. See {Eon}. [1913 Webster] 2. (Gnosticism) a divine power or nature emanating from the Supreme Being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe. Syn: eon [WordNet 1.5] 3 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • aeon — meaning ‘a long period of time’, is spelt with initial ae in BrE and as eon or aeon in AmE. The pronunciation in both spellings is ee on. See also epoch …   Modern English usage

  • Aeon — Aeon, s. Gnostiker …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Aeon — AEON, onis, die erste Frau in der Welt nach der phönicischen Fabellehre, welche nebst ihrem Manne Prologonus von dem Winde Kolpias mit seinem Weibe Baan oder Bant erzeuget worden. Sie erfand die Art und Weise, von den Bäumen Speise zu holen, oder …   Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon

  • Aeon [1] — AEON, ónis, einer von Actäons vielen Hunden, welche ihren Herrn, da ihn Diana in einen Hirsch verwandelt hatte, selbst anfielen und zerrissen. Hygin. Fab. 181 …   Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon

  • aeon — (n.) 1640s; see EON (Cf. eon) …   Etymology dictionary

  • aeon — age, era, epoch, *period …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • aeon — (US or technical also eon) ► NOUN 1) an indefinite and very long period of time. 2) a major division of geological time, subdivided into eras. 3) Astronomy & Geology a unit of time equal to a thousand million years. ORIGIN Greek ai n age …   English terms dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”