Dr. Ropp holds advanced degrees in classical rhetoric, education, and Christian counseling, as well as a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Her doctoral specialty is the rhetoric of science and medicine, particularly the rhetoric of conventional vs. alternative medical and scientific ideologies.
Since 2021, Dr. Ropp has hosted a Gnostic podcast called Gnostic Insights, available on most podcasting platforms (https://gnosticinsights.com). She also writes and hosts a blog and podcast called The Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Her long-running blog, A Simple Explanation, has been active since 2011 and boasts a half million visits at this point in time. You can find A Simple Explanation at https://asimpleexplanation.blogspot.com.
Cyd is the author of several books, including A Simple Explanation of Absolutely Everything, A Simple Explanation of the Gnostic Gospel, The Gnostic Gospel Illuminated, Reality Crash, and The Rhetoric of Childbirth: The Trial of a California Midwife. Her children's book, Children of the Fullness: A Gnostic Myth, is the first children's picture book to present the gnostic myth for ages 2-6 and their parents.
Dr. Ropp’s work history is extensive, including but not limited to university teaching, counseling, and bed-and-breakfast innkeeping. Cyd is also a Vietnam-era veteran.
Dr. Ropp also edits and publishes other authors' work from time to time. She edited and published the war memoir called Thirty-Five Missions Over Japan by the late WW2 flyer 1st. Lt. Philip D. Webster from notes written in 1944 and 1945. Lt. Webster piloted 35 missions between Saipan and Tokyo, including many famous battles. Dr. Ropp retains the movie rights for the book and would be interested in a film option.
“Even readers unconvinced about the veracity of Gnosticism will find a stimulating reflection on the nature of meaning, knowledge, and truth.”
– Kirkus Reviews
RELIGION & INSPIRATION
A Simple Explanation of the Gnostic Gospel
BY Cyd Ropp • POSTED ON Aug. 28, 2024
A 21st-century Gnostic explores the seminal text of her faith in this nonfiction work.
“Valentinian Gnosticism is a form of proto-Christianity,” writes Ropp in the book’s introduction, asserting her belief that “it is the true, original form of Christianity.” Focusing on the third- or fourth-century Gnostic work the Tripartite Tractate of the Nag Hammadi codices, the author explores an alternative branch of Christianity that was deemed heretical and “wiped out” by Catholicism. In contrast to Roman Catholicism, per Ropp, Gnosticism “encourages a personal relationship with the “God Above All Gods,” eschews hierarchical leadership and rituals, and holds that no church or earthly institution “can give you gnosis” (mystical knowledge). Aiming to “demystify” the “arcane language” of the Tripartite Tractate, as well as to connect the work to the more well-known themes articulated in the Christian New Testament, Ropp systematically walks readers through the major ideas posited in the Gnostic text. Unlike other biblical books, according to the author, the Tripartite Tractate is closer to a philosophical rumination than a collection of myths, as it establishes a thesis about a divine Father before working through the logical implications of that proposition. Ropp’s analytical approach informs her emphasis on applying Gnosticism to modern life, as the author deeply believes that “Gnostic faith is not blind faith but reasonable faith.” Holding a doctorate in classical rhetoric, Ropp is the host of the Gnostic Insights podcast and author of The Gnostic Gospel Illuminated (2019). Here, she offers readers a scholarly exploration of the Tripartite Tractate that challenges popular assumptions, such as the claim by many that Gnosticism is a New Age religion. Her academic approach, backed by scholarly references, is balanced by an engaging writing style geared toward readers unfamiliar with the esoteric nuances of Gnosticism. The work’s accessibility is further supported by a lengthy glossary of terminology as well as the inclusion of full-color images, diagrams, and other visual aids. Even readers unconvinced about the veracity of Gnosticism will find a stimulating reflection on the nature of meaning, knowledge, and truth.
A well-researched, impassioned case for Gnosticism.
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
ADDITIONAL WORKS AVAILABLE
A Simple Explanation of Absolutely Everything: A Simple Fractal Model of the Conscious Universe
This Simple Explanation model integrates scientific theories with metaphysics and spirituality, presenting an easy-to-read Theory of Everything that is both unique and profound. Based upon the Simple Explanation blog that has stood the test of time for over ten years, this is the 3rd Edition of the Simple Explanation book, incorporating the latest scientific discoveries and their implications. The Simple Explanation is a paradigm-shifting cosmology based upon four principles that are thoroughly explained in ordinary, non-academic language for the lay reader. The Simple Explanation proceeds from the fundamental idea that the ground state of creation is consciousness. Using only four basic principles, A Simple Explanation explains our universal cosmology as a fractal pattern of consciousness that repeats itself in endless cycles of organization and cooperation, from the smallest particles to the largest astronomical objects. The four simple principles are: 1. toroidal dynamics, 2. the Simple Golden Rule, 3. memes and meme exchange, and 4. fractal units of consciousness and their distribution. The Simple Explanation bridges philosophy, religion, and science, eliminating conflicts in such important areas as the nature of our universe and our place in it, reincarnation, evolution, and how to best contribute to society.
Published: Sept. 16, 2020
ISBN: 979-8681412991
Children of the Fullness: A Gnostic Myth
This enchanting tale offers young readers—and their families—a beautifully simplified retelling of one of the earliest Gnostic Christian creation myths, drawing inspiration from The Tripartite Tractate, part of the Nag Hammadi codices.
At once poetic and profound, Children of the Fullness introduces children to the divine realms of the Father, Son, angels, and a fallen Logos whose journey from Heaven to Earth sparks a spiritual saga of creation, forgetfulness, and redemption. As the children of the Fullness bring love and life to Earth, they also face the trials of forgetting their sacred mission—until a Princely Savior descends to guide them back to their heavenly origin.
With lyrical prose and powerful symbolism, this myth speaks to the universal journey of remembering our true purpose and embracing love over division. Dr. Ropp’s gift lies in rendering deep, complex theological ideas into an accessible and heartwarming narrative for children and adults alike.
“This ancient creation story begins in the heavenly realm and follows the children of the Fullness as they bring life and love to our world.”
Published: Aug. 1, 2025
ISBN: 979-8-218-80199-1
Reality Crash
Even though he's a programmer for Virtual Vision Network, Adam Porter never wonders how it all works. He knows that virtual vision offers subscribers a variety of premium channels with which to view the world. But going off-line always brings a return to normal, everyday life, until a head injury puts his receiver on the fritz, revealing a post-apocalyptic world that Adam has never seen before. He is forced to question what is real and what is an illusion. With Network cops dogging his every move, Adam goes on the run and stumbles upon the Actual Reality Underground where he joins a band of Eco-guerrillas in a plan to force the population back to the actual reality they don't even know exists.
Published: Oct. 8, 2008
ISBN: 978-0615263267
The Gnostic Gospel Illuminated
Gnosis is not a bundle of hidden secrets that must be studied and understood to gain redemption. Simply put, gnosis is the realization that we come from above, and that our Father is in Heaven, and to Heaven we shall return. That’s all. Gnosis involves stepping down from the throne of ego to better reveal the Light of God. You cannot be taught gnosis; you must discover it for yourself. So, even though gnosis cannot be taught, this book will explain, in pictures and the simplest possible terms, how to reach it. This is truly gnosis demystified for your edification.This book presents an accessible translation of one of the ancient Nag Hammadi texts. Here you will find long-suppressed descriptions of God the Father, the Son, Christ, Redemption, Paradise, the Fullness, and Angels, among other familiar yet mysterious Jewish and Christian concepts. Learn the original myth of the Fall, long before the Garden of Eden.All pages are illustrated by the author's explanatory artwork.
Published: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1099169748
Thirty-Five Missions Over Japan
B-29 pilot 1st Lt. Philip D. Webster’s just-published WW2 memoirs, “Thirty-Five Missions Over Japan.” Read first-hand accounts of training and piloting B-17s and B-29s, Webster’s thrilling missions between Saipan and Japan, and the P-51s and P-47s out of Iwo Jima that flew alongside. Written from notes made in 1944/1945, stored undisturbed in an Army-issue briefcase for over 60 years. Drawn from vivid memory and written during the seven and a half hour flights back home after missions--notes about the fighters they had to contend with, planes shot down, flak encountered and damage done. This book puts you in the pilot's seat during one thrilling mission after another.
Published: Sept. 20, 2020
ISBN: 979-8685366801
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