The author is not of AmerIndian descent, but that is not a problem.

I highly recommend this book for people that are interested in AmerIndian spirituality and philosophy.

Like 'The Way of the Sea' except the subject is the desert. Buy it for someone you care about but read it yourself first. Carefully so it won't look used. There are wonderful thoughts in it and my favorite is a Sufi teaching story.

A man knocked on the door. "Who's there?" asked God.
"Me" replied the man. "Go away then," said God.
The man left then and wandered in the arid desert until he realized his error. He returned to the door and knocked again. "Who's there?" asked God.
"You" replied the man.
"Then come in," said God, "There's no room here for two."

Timothy Freke's "The Wisdom of the Christian Mystics" is a compilation of quotes from many figures in this spiritual tradition, together with a stunning gathering of illustrations. The book is beautifully put together.

The introduction explains how the great Christian mystics "have often found themselves horribly persecuted as heretics by the established Churches." The quotes are grouped into thematic sections: "The God of the Mystics," "Communion," "The Mystic Path," "Humility," "Mystical Prayer," and "Love." A large number of mystics are quoted: Meister Eckhart, St. Catherine of Genoa, Julian of Norwich, St. Diadochus of Photiki, Maximus the Confessor, William Law, and many more.

My only complaint about this book is that the beautiful artwork is not labeled; since most of it looks like the work of historic masters, I found this ommission to be a shame.

The thoughts of the mystics are truly thought-provoking, no matter what your own religious orientation might be. I was struck by how many of these Christian mystics seemed to echo Buddhist and Taoist wisdom in their statements. Many of the mystics express a distrust of, or dissatisfaction with, conventional religion and learning; Marguerite Porete, for example, praises "the sweet country of understanding nothing." This book's beauty and small size make it a perfect gift, and the intriguing quotes may just inspire readers to seek out more substantial books by or about these great mystics.

This brief collection of sayings by Christian mystics shows that there are mystics in the Christian tradition whose spiritual attainment compares to that of the great sages of the East. It is more God-oriented than Jesus-oriented in approach. Terse, powerful sayings that will appeal to seekers from all religious backgrounds.

Allthough a very short book, each phrase contains worlds of thought.Being a muslim myself i see no difference in the understanding of Allah (god) then the Christian saints whos words are quoted (exexpt a few i really didnt understand or did disagree with).You read one phrase and think for pages on end.

This was a disappointing book. It's only 64 pages, and each page has a single quotation on it - nothing in-depth, no context, nothing. It might be cute as a gift book to someone, but doesn't have much value on its own.

If you are looking for an extensive, scholarly discusion on the teachings of the pagan philosophers, then you might be dissappointed by this little book. However, if you are looking for a small, beautifully illustrated and designed, art book, that also happens to be packed with truly profound spiritual wisdom, then you couldn't do better. Infact, if I wanted to cheer a friend up, I would send this little book to them as a gift, instead of wasting their time with some beautiful, but meaningless, greeting card. What this little book lacks in size it more than makes up in weight of meaning.
This is a collection of wisdom teachings organised under The One, Lovers of Wisdom, Know Thyself, Ethics, and Death and Reincarnation. There are sayings from Pythagoras, Plato, Epictetus, Aurelius, Plotinus, Hermes Trismegistus, etc., etc., etc.
Perhaps most importantly, Freke and Gandy clearly get across the reality that the great philosophers were not "dry as dust" scholastics. These men were powerful spiritual teachers; true lovers of the goddess Sophia.

Freke and Gandy have edited a thought-provoking little art-book compendium of the best and most concise axiums of the Deists. It is not really a kid's book, but a mini-book, well worth the think necessary to read and reflect on its quotations and marvel at the art work. My only real objection is the use of the use of the word pagan in the title. Pagan is Latin for "country" and it has the connotation of "hick" or supertitious. It meant not of the imperial City(Rome), and thus, after Constantine's official adoption of Christianity as the state religion, not directly derived from the Judeo-Christian tradition. But Lucian and Marcus Aurelius would have been shocked to have heard themselves described as "pagan". Recommended for adults and mature children. Dietz H. Ziechmann (No, I am not under 13, but where else could I post a review?)

A compilation of poetry about Earth's waters in general. This is a lovely gift book. I suggest buying this book new for a friend, lover, mother...anyone you care for that is a sensitive soul. Read the book (being careful so not to give it looking used) the charming gems in it before wrapping it up. My favorite is this one by Alexander Smith.

The bridegroom sea
Is toying with the shore, his wedded bride,
And in the fullness of his marriage joy
He decorates her tawny brow with shells,

Retires a pace to see how fair she looks,
Then, proud, runs up to kiss her.

Beautifully highlights the key message of Sufi philosophy - that of absolute unity of the universe. Both layman and expert can appreciate the mystic truths explained so simply by the great Sufi Sages. The layout and pictures are pleasant and make this book a very pleasant reading.

At first I feared this would be another book in the Michael Baigent or Barbara Thiering mold. But the fact that John Shelby Spong, George Wells and Alvar Ellegard were all willing to say nice things about it convinced me to give it a go. I'm glad I did.

Christianity developed, according to the thesis, as a Jewish adaptation of the mystery religions that were common in the First Century. Jesus was a mythical figure with no solid historical existence. Gnostic Christianity was truest to this original understanding, but the growing literalist tradition ultimately supplanted it.

Sound a bit hairy? The case is put strongly, and builds on the work of scholars like Elaine Pagels. While the authors are not specialists in the field of Historical Jesus/Early Church studies, they have produced a well documented and tightly argued case that can't be dismissed too lightly. This book will reach an audience not usually exposed to concepts like these, and it seems to mesh in several essentials with earlier studies. After completing it I had the same mixture of astonishment and conviction that I felt after reading Ellegard's Jesus - One Hundred Years Before Christ. If you want a swift kick in your Christian comfort zone, this is the place to start.

The evidence these guys present looks pretty solid to me - every point they made was backed up by not one but several references to experts in this field.

It is clear the evidence points to a big hole in the heart of "Literalist" Christianity, and it is ruthlessly exposed, but Freke & Gandy never once attack the truth of the spirit behind it all.

No wonder the authorities the authors refer to have kept their heads down over this.

As an open-minded Christian, I was rocked and then uplifted by the revelations held here. There are many other Christians who require the certainty of the outer forms - and an authentic history - for their belief. They'll have to either ignore The Jesus Mysteries completely, or do the "Please Close Your Mind Before Opening This Book" trick.

This is a well written, easily read book that every thoughtful, spiritually-inclined Christian will read.

It is a book that every Christian should read!

The facts are o.k., but some of the inferences are a bit tenuous. Like a lot of writers in this genre' they have part of the truth or 'big picture' Those of us who seek the truth, who want to understand our world and society, come to understand that there are spiritual mysteries that are real.
Sadly major institutions like the church, have hidden these things, through misunderstanding, ignorance, and lies. It can be hard to overcome the apriori beliefs that are conditioned into our minds from birth onwards. I suggest you read this book, but also look further into the origins of the christian religion.

The book is very easy to read and follow: which is the intention of the authors. The chapters are excellently introduced and short. I liked also the authors arguments that the Hermetica is an ancient Egyptian wisdom, and NOT Greek. Hermes is a Greek god equated to Tehuti: Tehuti (Egyptian) is the author of the "Hermetica", who is also called Thoth, or Hermes. The focus of the book is on the origin of existence and its intricacies. A good summarized book on Hermetic wisdom.

The Hermetica at only 160 pages can be read in only one day if the reader chooses to rush through it. Mr. Freke and Mr. Gandy has a casual writing style that makes it possible to do so if the reader desires to just glean the surface of the contents. It's highly inadvisable. This is a book to own and meditate on the deeper meanings of its contents. The works of Hermes were collated in the city of Alexandria in Egypt during the second and third centuries CE. Alexandria was a cosmopolitan city and the citizens were known for their desire for knowledge. But the golden age of Alexandria ended when the Christian 'Holy' Roman Empire came into power and a millennium period came in known as the Dark Ages. The owners of the Hermetic books continually had to find a sanctuary where they could feel safe. One place was the city of Florence, which ended the Dark Ages and started the Renaissance. The main idea in Hermes' teaching is God as Cosmic Consciousness. Similar ideas seems to me to be in other mystic outlooks of other religions.

As a person who has an interest in all religions and spiritual writings and traditions this is a great little book. You can take this book and read just a few pages a day and ponder its meaning on different chapters. Over time, your understanding will increase and deepen. The only part I personally didn't care for is the astrological parts of the writings. This is inherent to the Hermetica and not the fault of Mr. Freke and Mr. Gandy. They are the interpreters. Due to my own personal tastes and beliefs I choose to ignore that part but it is still a beautiful way to explore the meaning of life. I also like to compare religions and I see many other mystical viewpoints in it and it helps expand my understanding of life. I highly recommend buying this book.

I found this an interesting book. It begins with a history of the Hermetica, which is an ancient Egyptian religious/philosophical work, which gives an insight into the nature of God Man and the Universe. The analogies are very easy to follow and understand and give a new insight into what it's all about, and often fills many blanks left by other religions. The history also relates how the Greeks adopted the teachings and how during the last several thousand years the work has resurfaced from obscurity many times and each time caused a renaissance and advancement of mankind.

The original Hermetica is then presented in a condensed form which is designed to be easily read and accessable. This is a good method as it gives the reader the main ideas and if they like this form of philosophy they can then read the entire book Corpus Hermetica which is the whole teaching.

Despite being Egyptian texts, they predate the Isis/Osiris religion and are monothesist. It is surprising that few people are aware of the Corpus Hermetica which also predates the bible and old testament. Many ideas in more than one religion can be attributed to having roots in Hermetica. It is only beaten into first place as the oldest religious texts by the epic of Gilgamesh. Whilst many occult groups are referred to as being Hermetic, this does no justice to Hermetic thought which is easily compatable with most religions.

5 stars for making Corpus Hermetica easily accessable to the reader.

I agree with Freke and Gundy that Christianity drew heavily from the Mysteries. I have, in fact, believed this for some time, and had learned some facts concerning the subject from Charles Guignebert's old (1943) The Christ. But the Freke-Gundy book was the first book that I had encountered that had presented me with a wealth of detail on the subject.

Seemingly, Freke and Gundy conclude that because strong parallels exist between the "biography" of Jesus presented in the gospels and "facts" in the Mysteries, this proves that Jesus did not exist--was simply invented. An important point that these authors miss relative to this assertion, however, is that the early Jesus movement was a diverse one; for example, Burton L. Mack has identified (see his Who Wrote the New Testament?) seven distinctly different strands in that movement--only one of which was a "Christian" one. (Note that per Acts 11:26, the word "Christian" was first used in Antioch. Acts indicates that the earliest members of the Jesus movement called themselves people of The Way {of God, or the Lord}; see, e.g., Acts 9:2.)

The modern Christian may find it disconcerting to learn that the early Jesus movement was diverse--and that "Christians" were not among the first members of the Jesus movement. But the fact of early diversity is important in two respects. First, it suggests to me--and contrary to what Freke and Gundy seemingly argue--that Jesus actually did exist. For I don't see how this variety could have developed had Jesus not existed. If the initial Jesus movement had consisted of one, and only one, strand (the "orthodox" contention!), the Freke-Gandy thesis would have some plausibility: for given the myriad of parallels between the Mysteries and Christianity, the likelihood that this was merely a coincidence is virtually nil--and it becomes believable that Jesus was invented (given that there is no contemporaneous evidence for Jesus's existence). Ironically, however, the very fact which the orthodox dispute--that the early Jesus movement was pluralistic--provides us with the best possible evidence that Jesus was a real person! For how else can one explain this early diversity?

Why, then, the diversity? The simple--and correct, I believe--answer is that Jesus was a complex person: there were many facets to his personality, such that unless one were oneself a complex person, one would not have noticed this fact about Jesus. I am reminded here of the story of the blind men and the elephant, and thinking of the elephant in this case as representing a complex person, namely Jesus. (Also, I should add that the basic reason, in my opinion, that modern scholars have such differing views regarding Jesus is that--the paucity of good contemporary evidence aside--Jesus was a complex person, and most scholars are rather narrow in their perspective! Which is not to say that they aren't intelligent and erudite, though.)

Freke and Gundy may think of Jesus as fictional, but (as I have said) it seems to me that the strongest evidence for the existence of Jesus is the fact that several rather different "denominations" were created in Jesus's name shortly after his departure. On p. 6 of their book Freke and Gundy recognize that there was early diversity in the Jesus movement, but their classification on the top of p. 7 is anything but helpful. (It is, in fact, worse than worthless, for it misleads the reader.) They distinguish between Literalists and Gnostics, and then seemingly assert (p. 10) that Gnostics were the original Christians. If by "original Christians" the authors mean people who were the earliest members of the Jesus movement, I disagree. The "True Disciples" group identified by Mack as an early part of the Jesus movement were gnostic (p. 61 in Mack); but Mack argues (p. 47) that the book of Q (written by the Q people) "will [,rather,] put us in touch with the first followers of Jesus."

If Freke and Gundy are referring to "first Christians" in the Biblical (and Mack's sense)--i.e., members of the early (but not earliest) Jesus movement in Antioch--I still disagree. Rather, I believe that the first Christians (in the Acts sense) were diaspora Jews intent (if but unconsciously) on creating a Jewish Mystery that would be an amalgum of the Mysteries and Judaism. But that this "Christ cult" started going in several different directions rather early on: (1) some members led it toward gnosticism, with its emphasis on experience, personal transformation, myth, etc.; (2) some led it toward a version that was close to Judaism in emphasizing proper behavior, even continued observance of the Law; (3) some led it toward "orthodoxy," which emphasized proper belief (these beliefs derived largely from paganism, as Freke and Gundy elucidate so well). Plus, there may have been other strands of "Christianity" that developed as well; but it was the orthodox party that eventually won out, and suppressed all competitors.

This is the most informative, authoritive, erudite, but highly readable, book detailing the beginnings of Christianity in a Pagan World that I have ever read. If you are in search of some historical facts about how, for example, the new testament was put together and how and when and why it was created, then you must read this book. It may well however be something of a shock for the committed conventional Christian. So if you want the truth then make sure that your mind can handle the truth before you open the first page. Although I would add that the authors are probably very religeous in their own way and not necessarily anti Christian. This book has answered so many questions that the church cannot or will not answer! But, it has made me view Christianity and in fact all religions in a far more sympathetic and understanding light - even though I am an atheist! One of the most important books that I have ever read in my life.

This book, with literally hundreds of references to original texts, will challenge what you feel you've known about Christianity for your entire life. Central to this book is the question of whether or not Jesus was a real, flesh and blood, historical individual or only a pagan god made real by those seeking power and political gain. For so many of us, this question has never truly entered our minds. Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy, however, not only introduce us to this thought, but show us overwhelming evidence that Jesus may not have been a real human being. I'll admit to you, that when I finished this book, I was not completely convinced that Jesus had never existed. However, as an open-minded individual, this book did make me question Jesus' existence and has clearly made me want to learn more about early Christianity. I feel compelled, after reading this book, to read more like it and to satisfy, in my own mind, what the actual evidence shows to be the most likely scenario.

Some of the ideas supported by evidence in this book are: that the enormous similarity between the Jesus story and those of Pagan gods who preceded him is not mere coincidence, how many of the teachings of Jesus are the same as those of pre-existing Mystery teachers (again, not mere coincidence), how sacred scripture is similar to ancient myths, how passages of the New Testament may have been altered for political gain, how there were many Gospels that never made it into the New Testament, and much more.

This book is also an excellent introduction to "Mystery" religions. Freke and Gandy thoroughly explain what a Mystery religion is, introduce us to Gnosticism and other forms of Mysteries, and show us the complex interaction of Mystery and other religious beliefs covering hundreds of years before and after the period during which Jesus Christ was supposed to have lived.

If urge anyone who is Christian or who wants to learn about Christianity to read this book and see the evidence that shows us so much about early Christianity and the establishment of the Roman Catholic Church from a very different angle than was presented in Sunday School. This book is a scholarly and objective attempt to synthesize the evidence gleaned from reading and analyzing hundreds of original texts. Each text has been analyzed relative to the time period in which it was written, whom it was written by and what motives there may have been to create forgeries. Each conclusion has been logically drawn based on a sound understanding of the evidence from each original source. The authors clearly establish their scientific approach to addressing the question of whether or not Jesus ever existed in the flesh.

Let me add that I was raised in a strict Catholic household, but I do not find the ideas presented in this book to be offensive in the least. In a genuine search for truth, I am not afraid of what evidence may reveal about the history of the church I grew up with or the man I was taught to believe was the savior. If you are like me, and believe that the truth will ultimately make your faith stronger, this book is an absolute must for you.

For those who read Freke's and Gandy's earlier book, The Jesus Mysteries, this work is the perfect companion piece. Whereas The Jesus Mysteries made a good case for the pagan origins of the Christian mythology and the Gnostic origins of the early church, Jesus and the Lost Goddess goes one step beyond in explaining-in considerable detail-the nuts and bolts of how Gnosticism works. In effect, Freke and Gandy have done nothing less than reintroduce the ancient religion to a broader audience in an attractive package that is sure to reach even into the dusty pews of the established churches. Whether this will prove to be a good or bad thing is yet to be determined.

In any case, Jesus and the Lost Goddess does a good job explaining precisely how Gnosticism works and how the Jesus story might be interpreted in the light of Gnostic mythology. In this, it presents a thought-provoking and fascinating look at a movement who's time has come and gone and, perhaps, come again. And, it manages to do this in a considerably more user friendly manner than most books on the subject, including Elaine Pagel's excellent work The Gnostics (which, while it does an admirable job explaining the history of the movement, does not do as well explaining it) and herein lies its greatest strength: it manages to bring the very complex and often confusing concepts within Gnosticism down to a laymen's level. While it can be on occasion a tedious read (Freke and Gandy sometimes slip in a few $25 words) and a bit obtuse at points, anyone who makes it all the way through should have a pretty good working knowledge of this ancient belief system that manages to seem both ancient and modern at the same time. I also found many parallels between the Gnostic's theology and that expressed in Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations With God trilogy, making me wonder if the three men ever read each other's work.

There are a few negatives however. First, the buyer should be aware that fully half of this book is composed of endnotes, making it a less substantial read than it might first appear. I also found the first appendix to be an unnecessary (and less concise) reiteration of information contained earlier in the book, and the second appendix on Islamic Gnosticism to be misplaced and not particularly useful (I also question their premise that Mohammed was a mystic. Historically speaking, he appears much more a conquering warrior/king than a closet Gnostic, but-oh well.)

But for anyone who is looking for an all encompassing and intellectually satisfying belief system that can stand up to the scientific and philosophical scrutiny of the twenty-first century and beyond, Jesus and the Lost Goddess is a good place to start. It sure beats anything else I've come across recently.

As much as I valued the authors' first book on the subject, I must say that I value this effort even more. This work goes beyond presenting the history of gnosticism, to setting forth the actual gnostic teachings in absolute crystal clarity. When you think about it, giving such clarity and accessibility to gnostic thought is a phenomenal achievement in and of its self. Unlike more academic studies, or outright translations, where you sense that the author or translator doesn't comprehend gnosis at all, here you have a definate feeling that you are getting teachings from true initiates. The analogy of the circle of the self with the One Consciousness of God at the center, radiating all of our individual psyches into the many seemingly separate bodies and egos of the physical world at the circumference is extremely well expounded. Yes, you find the same teaching in Plotinus, but only after wading through hundreds of pages of deliberately obscure prose.
Oh yes, the connection of the gnostic teachings to the gospels is the best I've seen. The meaning of formerly difficult passages veritably leaps out at you.
The authors mention in passing that when a student starts on the gnostic Way, meaningful coincidences often occur. This book was released on the date of my own birthday. I could not think of a finer or more appropriate gift. Thank you.

There are several very intelligent reviews of this book; so well done that there's not much I can add! What I will say is that this book, and its prequel have changed my life...I cannot for the life of me understand why the information in this book is not being made common knowledge. I guess it is far too radical of an idea for people to accept.

I find that staunch Christians are very threatened by this book, while those with a more open mind are intrigued, or, as in my own case, fascinated. I am not a Christian, and have not decided whether or not I feel a historical Jesus ever existed. To me it doesn't matter; even though I'm not Christian, his ideas were very valid and meaningful. If you believe that, then you should not find this book offensive.

This book is an excellent sequel to "The Jesus Mysteries" and I couldn't put it down. If you have a strong grip on your faith and are willing to listen to other people's ideas & findings, you may find that this book is interesting & maybe even life changing. READ THIS BOOK and find out.....
If you are like me and have looked beyond what you were taught in Sunday school, you will find your world changed forever (for the better)...