EarthGirl

Has anyone read this book? I did and it was pretty fascinating. I'm curious to hear about others take on it.

Check out this review if you get a chance. This guy pretty much sums up what the book is all about. Very, very interesting...

http://www.funygroup.org/articles/JesusMysteries.html

Bede

Hi Earthgirl,

Regretably the Jesus Mysteries is utter rubbish as history and recognised as such by most intelligent people here. It is full of errors, misrepresentations, references taken out of context, non sequitors and in my opinion downright lies. If you want a serious look at the idea Jesus didn't exist try Earl Doherty or Robert Price. Avoid even mentioning the Jesus Mysteries if you want to be taken seriously.

Yours

Bede

Bede's Library - faith and reason

Secular Pinoy

That's way too harsh. I say read the book with a pinch of salt. There are some whoppers, but some info are good, too.

Vinnie

I don't think it was too harsh. I was gagging when I read the title of the thread and I didn't even read the book! I did skim a few pages in the bookstore before

Vinnie

keyser_soze

I think it is foolish to toss away all information from a source, just because some of it is not reasonable. Even the village idiot can occasionally get something correct. And many's the time in our past when a idea deemed "idiotic" was later found valid. Grain of salt, possibly even a saltlick...but total dismissal? Doesn't sound like you vinnie.

triplew00t

The Jesus Mysteries was an interesting take on Gnostic ideas. It was less a really indepth study of a refutation of the life of Jesus as it was a Gnostic primer, later to be followed by the same authors' second book in the same lines, Jesus and the Lost Goddess. I would, as the others said, take this book with a grain of salt when it comes to historical facts. But for trying to get an overview of some early alternatives to orthodox Christianity, its not half bad.

Toto

The Jesus Mysteries is a neo-Pagan tract. The authors are not scholars, they are practicing mystics. The book has some intriguing ideas, but do not rely on it for history without checking the facts.

On the question of the existence of Jesus, the authors say that there is barely enough evidence of Jesus' existence, so that someone who wants to believe that Jesus was historical is justified in doing so. But they prefer the cosmic, mystic, non-historical Jesus.

CX

Bah! Much better on gnostic influences on Xianity is Elaine Pagels The Gnostic Gospels, much better on Gnosticism is Hans Jonas' The Gnostic Religion

EarthGirl

Actually, I don't really care if you take me seriously or not. And I won't avoid mentioning the book.

While I did not agree w/everything--particularly their theory as to how JC and Christianity got to be where it is today, I did find the book to be pretty interesting.

I have read Elaine Pagels "The Gnostic Gospels" and a few other books on Gnosticism.

The Jesus Mysteries was just a couple of guys take on what could possibly be the reason that Christianity has endured--in the way that it has, for so long.

I know one things for sure, most people do not have a clue that there were other godmen, just like Jesus. This book, at the very least, does a good job of getting that point across.

Vinnie

What is the point of muddling through so many pages in order to find a few instances of accurate statements amidst a sea of error? There very well may be some accurate stuff inside but I do not have the desire of sifting through amatuer night at the colosseum.

Josh Mcdowell may get a few things right in New Evidence That Demands A Verdict but do you recommend reading that with a grain of salt? I don't. Its junk. Read something else.

Vinnie