Editing Hermeticism (section)

====''Prisca theologia''====
[[File:RWS Tarot 01 Magician.jpg|thumb|upright|[[The Magician (Tarot)|The Magician]], from the [[Rider–Waite tarot deck]], is often thought to display the Hermetic concept of "as above, so below".]]

Hermeticists adhere to the doctrine of ''[[prisca theologia]]'', the belief that a single, true theology exists, which is present in all religions and was revealed by God to humanity in antiquity.{{sfnm|1a1=Yates|1y=1964|1p=14|2a1=Hanegraaff|2y=1997|2p=360}} Early Christian theologians, including [[Church Fathers]] such as [[Lactantius]] and [[Augustine]], referenced [[Hermes Trismegistus]], sometimes portraying him as a wise pagan prophet whose teachings could complement Christian doctrine.{{sfnm|1a1=Copenhaver|1y=1992|2a1=Ebeling|2y=2007}}

During the [[Renaissance]], scholars such as [[Marsilio Ficino]] and [[Giovanni Pico della Mirandola]] sought to integrate Hermetic teachings into [[Christian theology]], viewing the Hermetic writings as remnants of an ancient wisdom that predated and influenced all religious traditions, including [[Christianity]]. It was during this period that the association of Hermes Trismegistus with biblical figures like [[Moses]], or as part of a lineage including [[Enoch (ancestor of Noah)|Enoch]] and [[Noah]], was more explicitly developed by these scholars to harmonize Hermetic thought with biblical narratives.{{sfnm|1a1=Yates|1y=1964|1pp=27, 52, 293|2a1=Copenhaver|2y=1992|2p=xlviii}} This blending of traditions was part of a broader intellectual effort to reconcile pagan and Christian wisdom during this period.{{sfn|Hanegraaff|2012}}