Gnostics (TV series)

*Gnostics*
Gnostics
	Title card of Ep. 1
Genre	Docudrama
Written by	Tobias Churton
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	4
Production
Running time	52–53 mins
Production company	Border Television
Original release
Network	Channel 4
Release	1987

Last updated February 21, 2026

Gnostics is a 1987 four-part drama-documentary series made by Border TV for Channel 4 (UK). It was re-broadcast in 1990. The writer of the series, Tobias Churton, also released an accompanying book.^[1]

Episode 1. "Knowledge of the Heart"
Episode 2. "The Goodmen's Heresy"
Episode 3. "The Divinity of Man"
Episode 4. "A Crack in the Universe"

The body of the programmes was compiled of documentary material on Gnostic movements and the Cathars. Among those interviewed were academics and writers Hans Jonas, Gilles Quispel, Elaine Pagels and James Robinson, as well as Muhammad Ali al-Samman^[2] who unearthed the texts at Nag Hammadi.

Dramatised sections were acted by Nigel Harrison (as the Gnostic Christ) with other actors including Brian Blessed, Marius Goring and Ian Brooker.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

↑ Stephan A. Hoeller -Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing - Page 226 2002 "Intermediate Readings Churton, Tobias. The Gnostics. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1987. A comprehensive, well ... (This book was written to accompany a television documentary, The Gnostics, produced in Great Britain by Border ..."
↑ Mark S. Goodacre Thomas and the Gospels 2012 .. - Page 48 "Ali... The documentary itself is now difficult to find, but see Churton, Gnostics. On the point in question here, Churton reports 'Ali as saying, “I took my knife and cut out his heart and ate most of his pieces” (11)."

This article about a documentary television show is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

This article relating to a non-fiction television series in the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Stephan A. Hoeller -Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing - Page 226 2002 "Intermediate Readings Churton, Tobias. The Gnostics. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1987. A comprehensive, well ... (This book was written to accompany a television documentary, The Gnostics, produced in Great Britain by Border ..."

[2] Mark S. Goodacre Thomas and the Gospels 2012 .. - Page 48 "Ali... The documentary itself is now difficult to find, but see Churton, Gnostics. On the point in question here, Churton reports 'Ali as saying, “I took my knife and cut out his heart and ate most of his pieces” (11)."

[1]

[2]