Sarkic
{{Short description|Lowest level of human nature in Gnosticism}}
{{More references|date=December 2009}}
{{Missing information|connection to Gnosticism overall|date=July 2023}}
{{Gnosticism}}
Sarkic (Greek σάρξ, flesh or hylic, from the Greek ὕλη, stuff, or matter) in Gnosticism describes the lowest level of human nature—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.{{Cite web |title=The Story Of The Storytellers - The Gnostic Gospels |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/gnostic-gospels/ |access-date=2022-10-27 |website=FRONTLINE |language=en-US}}{{Citation |last=Morris |first=Joe E. |title=The Gnostic Gospels |date=2008 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9780230616585_2 |work=Revival of the Gnostic Heresy |pages=9–13 |place=New York |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan US |doi=10.1057/9780230616585_2 |isbn=978-1-349-37664-3 |access-date=2022-10-27|url-access=subscription }}
Concepts
The concept of sarkic is used along with pneuma, which refers to spirit or soul, to describe the duality of ChristEngberg-Pedersen, Troels (2017). John and Philosophy: A New Reading of the Fourth Gospel. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|9780192511058}}.{{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/894024516 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot in plain-text form. The original cite can be found at Special:Permalink/890758678 (or in a rev close it it) as cite #1 - find and verify the cite and replace this template with it (4). User:GreenC_bot/Job_18}} and also the Christian Church.Locher, Gottfried (2004). Sign of the Advent: A Study in Protestant Ecclesiology. Academic Press Fribourg. p. 152. {{ISBN|3727814683}}. {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/894024516 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot in plain-text form. The original cite can be found at Special:Permalink/890758678 (or in a rev close it it) as cite #2 - find and verify the cite and replace this template with it (4). User:GreenC_bot/Job_18}} Furthermore, such duality is used to explain the paradox of the identities of Adam and Eve.{{Cite book|title=Nag Hammadi, Gnosticism, and Early Christianity|last1=Hedrick|first1=Charles|last2=Hodgson|first2=Robert|publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers|year=2005|isbn=9781597524025|location=Eugene, OR|page=272}} {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/894024516 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/890758678 cite #3 - verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. User:GreenC_bot/Job_18}}
There are thinkers such as Maximus the Confessor who associate sarkic (fleshly) with the somatic dimension (bodily){{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WQqc-4E9lN4C&q=sarkic+somatic&pg=PT509|title=Evangelical Theology: A Biblical and Systematic Introduction|last=Bird|first=Michael F.|date=2013|publisher=Zondervan Academic|isbn=9780310494423|language=en}} of human nature, the area where redemption must occur.{{Cite book|title=The Body in St Maximus the Confessor: Holy Flesh, Wholly Deified|last1=Cooper|last2=Cooper|first2=Adam G.|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2005|isbn=019927570X|location=New York|pages=159}} There are, however, instances when they are considered near equivalent.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nQyxCgAAQBAJ&q=sarkic+human+nature&pg=PT36|title=Poetics of the Flesh|last=Rivera|first=Mayra|author-link=Mayra Rivera|date=2015|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=9780822374930|language=en}} But these states needed to be transcended to achieve a form of existence characterized by a heightened communion with God.{{Cite book|last=Bird|first=Michael F.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WQqc-4E9lN4C&q=sarkic+somatic&pg=PT509|title=Evangelical Theology: A Biblical and Systematic Introduction|date=2013|publisher=Zondervan Academic|isbn=9780310494423|pages=372 (of the EPUB ed.)|language=en}}
Sarkic is also used in Christian terms such as Paul's description of Abraham's children as sarkic children who have the pneuma of Christ.{{Cite book|title=Paul and the Gentile Problem|last=Thiessen|first=Matthew|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2016|isbn=9780190271756|location=Oxford|page=120}} {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/894024516 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/890758678 cite #4 - verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. User:GreenC_bot/Job_18}} 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.{{Cite book|title=Paul and the Gentile Problem|last=Thiessen|first=Matthew|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2016|isbn=9780190271756|location=Oxford|page=120}} {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/894024516 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/890758678 cite #4 - verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. User:GreenC_bot/Job_18}}
Paul also linked sarkic to the concept of hamartia, 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}}
= Popular culture =
Sarkicism is a religion documented in SCP Foundation entries.{{Cite web |title=Sarkicism Hub - SCP Foundation |url=https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/sarkicism-hub |website=The SCP Foundation |access-date=20 July 2023 |language=en}}