Christine Gruwez was born in Kortrijk, Belgium, in the borderland between Flemish and French speakers. She studied classics and philosophy at Leuven University, specialising in Iranian studies. She has written on Manichaism and anthroposophy, on freedom in Islam, and on Dionysius the Areopagite. She has taught in schools in Antwerp, as well as giving lectures, workshops, seminars and writing. She is married with four daughters.

John van Schaik studied at Utrecht and Antwerp, reading medieval mysticism. He wrote his doctoral thesis on Cathers and Manichaeanism. He has published many books on gnosticism, mysticism and esoteric Christianity.