About the UCoA

The Universal Church of Autogenes is a Universalist Gnostic Communion grounded in the scriptures of the Nag Hamadi Library.

Our purpose is to encourage and support the individual process of Gnosis. Because the cultivation of Gnosis is such an individual process it cannot be confined to any given revelation or tradition. Because Gnosis directly engages with the whole of the personal context this process must have room for the expression of personal convictions. These convictions will often manifest within the confines and restrictions of existing traditions. However, these revelations and convictions will often transcend any tradition. For this reason the UCoA has adopted a Universalist policy.

Many of us have found an echo of our own revelations and convictions within the scriptures uncovered in the desert near Nag Hamadi, Egypt. These scripture have become the defining factor of Classical Gnosticism. For both of these reasons we use the Nag Hamadi Library as the core of our formation and structure.

Our structure mirrors the four schools of thought represented in the Nag Hamadi Library. These are the Sethian, the Valentinian, the Thomasine, and the Hermetist. We also have a school that embraces the tradition of the prophet Mani; the Manicheans. Although Manichaeism is not necessarily considered a Gnostic religion, many of its teachings and its overall philosophy is compatible with contemporary Gnosticism as envisioned by the Universal Church of Autogenes. In addition to these five schools, the UCoA has a sixth Interspiritual School where a purely eclectic religious approach can be embraced.

Our approach:

The sole mission of this church is to encourage and support the individual’s growth in their knowledge of and relationship with God. This is easy to say, but the reality is very complex. There are a number of elements that we must consider in order to embrace this mission.

First, how do we define God? This is central to any approach to relationship with God.
We see the true nature of God as beyond all conceptual limitations. The negative theology of the Secret Gospel of John reflects this well.

Because the fullness of God is beyond all concept, all concepts of God are inherently limited and inaccurate. This does not, however, mean these concepts of God are wrong or useless. Nor does it mean that the many beautiful traditions that have arisen around these concepts of God are to be cast aside because of their limitations. In fact the beauty and depth of these traditions reflect a many layered history of individuals wrestling with God and themselves.

These traditions represent the record of the human struggle to know God from a variety of contexts. It would be unwise for us to cast these traditions and the wisdom they contain aside in our dedication to individual spiritual freedom. To cast this wisdom aside would be tantamount to reengineering the wheel. Yet to be unnecessarily bound to these traditions would be to place ourselves in a prison of our own making. For both of these reasons the Universal Church of Autogenes has a place for both tradition bound religious expressions and the more eclectic religious expressions. Again, this is a reason that we are a Universalist communion.

The six primary schools represent specific themes of spiritual practice. Within these themes there is a place for a variety of paths. These paths can embrace long standing religious traditions such as Orthodox Christianity, or they can embrace a more modern religious tradition such as the various Neo-Pagan traditions. These paths can be inspired by a contemporary reinterpretation of Classical Gnosticism such as Norean or Platonic Sethianism, or they can embrace an inter-religious or inter-spiritual ideal such as Christian-Vedanta or Thomasine-Taoism. Whatever the path, the goal remains the same, Gnosis of ourselves and of God.

Recognizing that to have an official definition of God is an expression of a concept of God, we nonetheless see an official definition as necessary. Thus, the official definition of God for UCoA is radically inclusive.

God transcends, contains, and interpenetrates all things. God is known by many names and seen through many masks and yet is the same God. God is the Great Unity (the Monad; the One) who is expressed in all duality and multiplicity. Thus, all things point to God. Religious tradition reflects the limitation of man’s ability to know God, and not a limitation of the being of God.

What is Gnosis?

Gnosis is knowledge that is gained through acquaintance or experience. When we gain Gnosis of ourselves we work to recognize and bring all aspects of our personalities into our consciousness without condemnation. In doing this we hope to utilize our full nature as a tool for our Gnosis of God.

In pursuing Gnosis of God we seek a direct, personal relationship with God. This relationship will provide knowledge of a personal approach to God. This approach will be different for each individual even when confined to the same tradition. This relationship will also often transcend the boundaries of tradition.

This knowledge of self and God must be made conscious. By being made conscious it is expressed through a variety of ways. These ways can include a traditional ritual, a personal meditation, a work of art or poetry, or just a shift in the manner of walking through life.

Traditionally it is said that Gnosis brings knowledge of who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. When Gnosis is seen as full consciousness of ourselves and our relationship with God, it includes knowledge of who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. When embraced with an attitude of non-condemnation Gnosis is liberation.

Apostolic Succession and the Person of Jesus

All of the ordinations of the UCoA carry apostolic succession (listed as AS throughout the rest of this document). This may or may not be important to the individual ministers of the UCoA, but it is central to the structure of the UCoA.

We see AS as being transcendent of the issue of its historical validity, or traditional restrictions. It is a long standing tradition that recognizes the various ideological expressions of the teachings of Jesus. The UCoA sees  the nature of Jesus in light of the many traditions that embrace  him as teacher, savior, or Lord.

Since speculation on the historical nature of the person and teachings of Jesus may never be reconciled, the UCoA recognizes each variation as valid. Whether the individual worships Jesus as Lord and God, or sees him as a prophet, a wisdom teacher, a “world honored one,“ or a retelling of the classical dying and resurrected God motif; the person of Jesus must be confronted. The reason for this is not only the fact that the UCoA carries apostolic succession, and thus, any ordination into any tradition we support will carry AS, but that the person of Jesus is central to Western Civilization.

Because of this the various ideas of Jesus will be explored in the formation process. The seminarian must come to terms with one or more ideas of Jesus, and be open to others embracing any of these ideas of Jesus.

Formation Process and Ordination

Because Gnosis is such an individual thing, our formation to ordination process is also an individual thing. We use a direct mentoring method for this process. This approach requires the development of a relationship with the mentor. Cultivation of personal maturity and spiritual readiness is the primary purpose of this relationship.

The UCoA has three levels of ordination; Minister, Priest, and Bishop. The UCoA recognizes equivalent levels of ordination depending on the tradition. The education for formation to ordination covers a broad scope of requirements that include the following:

1. A general understanding of Classical Gnosticism including the four primary schools represented in the Nag Hamadi Library, as well as Manichaeism and the modern Interspiritual movement.

2. A focused understanding of the specific school of specialization. This focused understanding must include the ability to use that understanding in a contemporary expression.

3. An intimate understanding of the path of specialization and the use of that path in ministry.

4.  An understanding of the psychological implications of spiritual growth, with an eye to individuation and self-actualization.

5. An understanding of the basics of modern psychopathology. At this point we are not training councilors. However, a working minister needs to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of the most prominent psychopathological conditions.

6. The basics of church administration, and the requirements of ministry.

7. A familiarization with the legal requirements of ministry in the State and/or Country of the proposed ministerial activity.

The educational requirements are graduated between the level of Minister and Priest. The level of Bishop is determined by personal, spiritual, and ministerial maturity. All levels of ordination are available to all regardless of religious preference, race, gender, or sexual orientation.