In December 1945, two Egyptian fellahin, digging for natural fertilizer in the Nile River valley unearthed a sealed storage jar. The jar proved to hold treasure of an unexpected sort: a collection of some fifty-two ancient manuscripts, most of which reflect the teachings of a mystical religious movement we call Gnosticism (from the Greek word gnosis, "knowledge"). The texts are also, with few exceptions, Christian documents, and thus they provide us with valuable new information about the character of the early church, and about the Gnostic Christians within the church. In this volume, Marvin W. Meyer has produced a new English translation for general readers of four of the most important and revealing of these early Christian texts -- the Secret Book of James, the Gospel of Thomas, the Book of Thomas, and the Secret Book of John.
The author of Conspiracy Theory in America presents a radical new view of the person of Jesus and the message of social reform underlying his teachings. Based on the premise that Jesus could not speak his thoughts openly without running afoul of the authorities, political philosopher Lance deHaven-Smith demonstrates how Jesus sought to dismantle worldly systems of command and status and replace them with a society governed by a spirit of holiness. The Hidden Teachings of Jesus also explores how Jesus’ prophecies are being fulfilled in the modern era. Huge systems of power, privilege, and acquisition have arisen, but so too has a global public opinion which bristles at oppression and demands love and respect for every living thing. In this work, Lance deHaven-Smith points to a spirit of holiness emerging worldwide to dismantle power and status in abusive families, autocratic corporations, tyrannical governments, and many other areas of life. This spirit, he suggests, can bring about the real kingdom of God, the divine order Jesus urged his followers to establish here on earth.
"Contains selected excerpts from Paramahansa Yogananda's book "The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You," which book is a commentary on the New Testament gospels and noncanonical source material, focusing on the quest to uncover the original teachings of Jesus"--Provided by publisher.
Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time The Gnostic Gospels is a landmark study of the long-buried roots of Christianity, a work of luminous scholarship and wide popular appeal. First published in 1979 to critical acclaim, winning the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, The Gnostic Gospels has continued to grow in reputation and influence over the past two decades. It is now widely recognized as one of the most brilliant and accessible histories of early Christian spirituality published in our time. In 1945 an Egyptian peasant unearthed what proved to be the Gnostic Gospels, thirteen papyrus volumes that expounded a radically different view of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ from that of the New Testament. In this spellbinding book, renowned religious scholar Elaine Pagels elucidates the mysteries and meanings of these sacred texts both in the world of the first Christians and in the context of Christianity today. With insight and passion, Pagels explores a remarkable range of recently discovered gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, to show how a variety of “Christianities” emerged at a time of extraordinary spiritual upheaval. Some Christians questioned the need for clergy and church doctrine, and taught that the divine could be discovered through spiritual search. Many others, like Buddhists and Hindus, sought enlightenment—and access to God—within. Such explorations raised questions: Was the resurrection to be understood symbolically and not literally? Was God to be envisioned only in masculine form, or feminine as well? Was martyrdom a necessary—or worthy—expression of faith? These early Christians dared to ask questions that orthodox Christians later suppressed—and their explorations led to profoundly different visions of Jesus and his message. Brilliant, provocative, and stunning in its implications, The Gnostic Gospels is a radical, eloquent reconsideration of the origins of the Christian faith.
Why Were the Teachings of the Original Christians Brutally Suppressed by the Roman Church? • Because they portray Jesus and Mary Magdalene as mythic figures based on the Pagan Godman and Goddess • Because they show that the gospel story is a spiritual allegory encapsulating a profound philosophy that leads to mythical enlightenment • Because they have the power to turn the world inside out and transform life into an exploration of consciousness Drawing on modern scholarship, the authors of the international bestseller The Jesus Mysteries decode the secret teachings of the original Christians for the first time in almost two millennia and theorize about who the original Christians really were and what they actually taught. In addition, the book explores the many myths of Jesus and the Goddess and unlocks the lost secret teachings of Christian mysticism, which promise happiness and immortality to those who attain the state of Gnosis, or enlightenment. This daring and controversial book recovers the ancient wisdom of the original Christians and demonstrates its relevance to us today.
The authors demonstrate that much of Jesus' teaching has been lost -- either removed from the Gospels, suppressed, kept secret for those being initiated into the deeper mysteries, or never written down at all. Then, in modern vernacular, they present a bold reconstruction of the essence of Jesus' message -- the lost teachings Jesus gave his disciples 2000 years ago on karma, reincarnation, good and evil, and how to reunite with the Higher Self. Includes 32 Roerich art reproductions and illustrations of the chakras in the body of man.
This Aramaic study of Yeshua’s spiritual teachings offers profound new insights into the New Testament, the Essenes and Dead Sea Scrolls, Mary Magdalene, and much more. Lars Muhl has had a lifelong burning interest in Jesus, not only as an archetype, savior, bodhisattva, and elder brother, but also in relation to the Essenes from the Dead Sea. The Law of Light is the result of his many years spent studying Aramaic and the techniques of Yeshua (Jesus). Yeshua spoke Aramaic. Through the Aramaic language, his teachings offer not just another interpretation of the New Testament, but the unveiling of a secret message that attempts, once and for all, to settle centuries-old conceptions of sin, and to once again connect man with the heavenly spiritual source. The core of Yeshua’s Aramaic message is intimacy, freedom, selfless awareness, unconditional love, compassion, and forgiveness. In all he says, there exists a hidden invitation to us to be present in, and dedicated to, everything with which we engage. Five minutes of total devotion is worth more than hours of hectic exertion. The aim is to set mankind free and to dismiss everything that is bound up in false notions.
This incisive critique thoroughly and convincingly debunks the claims that recently discovered texts such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, and even the Dead Sea Scrolls undermine the historical validity of the New Testament. Jenkins places the recent controversies surrounding the hidden gospels in a broad historical context and argues that, far from being revolutionary, such attempts to find an alternative Christianity date back at least to the Enlightenment. By employing the appropriate scholarly and historical methodologies, he demonstrates that the texts purported to represent pristine Christianity were in fact composed long after the canonical gospels found in the Bible. Produced by obscure heretical movements, these texts have attracted much media attention chiefly because they seem to support radical, feminist, and post-modern positions in the modern church. Indeed, Jenkins shows how best-selling books on the "hidden gospels" have been taken up by an uncritical, drama-hungry media as the basis for a social movement that could have powerful effects on the faith and practice of contemporary Christianity.
The discovery of the so-called Nag Hammadi Library rocked the world. Among the texts discovered in 1945 were some Gospels that modern eyes had never seen. Since then, studies regarding the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth have made significant advances. As this new light was cast on one of history's most influential figures (if not the most influential), a dark cloud of doubt moved in almost simultaneously. Had the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John reflected the real Jesus, or was this new attention on the ""hidden"" Gospels about to unveil the ""hidden life"" of the Revealer? The canonical Gospels say very little about the early years of Jesus' life. In fact, Mark and John say nothing. The so-called apocryphal Gospels, on the other hand, say a whole lot. After an analysis of the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke (Part 1), the information found in the so-called apocryphal Gospels is synthesized in story form (Part 2). What should we think of this hidden life? In the end, the reader must decide. But this hidden life is hidden no longer. Of course, that all depends on whether the events they describe actually happened. ""Antonio Pinero's colloquial retelling of legends about Jesus' birth and childhood is taken not only from the New Testament but, more particularly, from a synthesis of many apocryphal gospels. The book is a fascinating introduction to Jesus' career prior to his ministry and is aimed at readers unfamiliar with these 'hidden' years. Editorial chapters provide helpful introductory material. --J. Keith Elliott, Emeritus Professor, The University of Leeds, UK; Editor of A Synopsis of Apocryphal Nativity and Infancy Narratives ""Professor Antonio Pinero deserves to be better known in English-speaking New Testament scholarly circles. In this volume, Professor Pinero plays to his strengths by bringing together discussion of both the canonical Gospels and the non-canonical early Christian gospels. There is plenty here to agree with, as well as a number of things to disagree with, regarding Professor Pinero's various historical and theological assessments, but all readers will benefit from being able to have access to such illuminating and challenging discussion in one compact volume."" --Stanley E. Porter, President, Dean, and Professor of New Testament, Roy A. Hope Chair in Christian Worldview, McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Antonio Pinero is Chair and Professor Emeritus of Greek Philology at the Complutense University of Madrid. He is an internationally-renowned New Testament scholar, specializing in the language and literature of early Christianity. In 2007, Antonio won the I Finis Terrae Award for his book Los cristianos derrotados.
A collection of the most profound and poetic teachings attributed to Jesus from extra-canonical texts. Arranged by subject, and with a general introduction.
