Thank you for the question on modern-day Gnostics, “Are Evangelical Protestants the modern-day Gnostics?”
In order to answer this question one has to define Evangelical Protestants and modern-day Gnostics. Here are two definitions for one’s consideration:
According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, they define modern-day Gnostics as “The Gnostics were concerned with the basic questions of existence or “being-in-the-world” (Dasein)—that is: who we are (as human beings), where we have come from, and where we are heading, historically and spiritually (cf. Hans Jonas, The Gnostic Religion 1958, p. 334)” (An encyclopedia of philosophy articles written by professional philosophers).
According to Wikipedia, they define Evangelical Protestantism as “Evangelicalism (/ˌiːvænˈdʒɛlɪkəlɪzəm, ˌɛvæn-, -ən/), evangelical Christianity, or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide trans-denominational movement within Protestant Christianity that maintains the belief that the essence of the Gospel consists of the doctrine of salvation by grace alone, solely through faith in Jesus’s atonement. Evangelicals believe in the centrality of the conversion or “born again” experience in receiving salvation, in the authority of the Bible as God‘s revelation to humanity, and in spreading the Christian message. The movement has long had a presence in the Anglosphere before spreading further afield in the 19th, 20th and early 21st centuries.”
In my opinion, I do not view Evangelical Protestantism as modern-day Gnosticism. Here are my reasons why for one’s consideration:
A. Evangelical Protestantism sought to restore the belief in the centrality of the Bible, salvation by faith, and the person of Jesus Christ as the God-Man. In the 19th century, the fundamentals of the Christian faith were and still is being questioned/challenged by liberal scholars and seminars. Today, there are many churches who have shifted from the authority of the Scriptures to the authority of science or philosophers. Creation is declared in the Scriptures (Gen. 1–2), but modern scholars interpreted or rejected the Creation account as factual but more a fable or a poem. The rise of Evangelical Protestants is not a “new” teaching of the Scriptures but being faithful to the teachings of the Scriptures from a literal, historical, and grammatical point of view.
B. Evangelical Protestantism affirmed that God created Adam and Eve and his descendants to fellowship with God for eternity. The breaking of this relationship and fellowship with God would be their disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit.
Genesis 2 says this, “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages). Bible citations are from the New International Version.
Thus Protestant Evangelicals believe that humans are made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26–28) to fellowship with God, to care for the planet earth and its creatures, and to populate the earth. With the earth being devastated by humans, God’s plan is to restore the heavens and the earth to a New Heaven and a New Earth whereby God will dwell on earth with redeemed people.
Revelation 21 says this, “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (NIV).
The Scriptures define the origin of man, his nature, his purpose, and his end for those who believe in the Creator God and in the Son of God as the Savior of the world and restorer of the New Heaven and the New Earth. Protestant Evangelicals are not searching for the answers of life’s questions. They believe that they have the life’s answers to life’s questions from the Scriptures.
SUMMARY: Protestant Evangelicals are not modern-day Gnostics. Their belief is founded in the Scriptures, not apart from the Scriptures.
For more perspectives:
https://www.quora.com/Are-Evangelical-Protestants-the-modern-day-Gnostics