TheMysticalBeginningsOfChristianity

WrittenbyDominicDaleyB.A.,graduateofRudolfSteinerCollege
ShewhoistogivebirthtothegreatestKing TheSunofRighteousness Maria,StaroftheSea,approachesherrisingtoday, Rejoice,yefaithful,andbeholdtheLightdivine! Fulbertus,BishopofChartres(9901028A.D.)

INTRODUCTION
ThiscoursewillcoverthehistoryofChristianityinparticularfrom330B.C.to330A.D.Therehasbeenno timeinthehistoryofhumankindwhenallsocialclasseswerepronetothoughtsofreligion,practicedreligion,or strovemoreardentlyafterhighethicalideals,thaninthesesixcenturies.AsforChristianityinthemoderndays, we will look at where we can find it and where it is heading in the future. We will not cover the basics of Christianity, per se, like the common stories of the Bible, or famous characters, for this is fairly common knowledgeandeasilyaccessibleinformationinlibrariesandontheinternet.Rather,wewilllookatthemystical beginningsofChristianityanditsesotericconceptsinthiscourse. AHistoryofGod:The4,000YearQuestOfJudaism,ChristianityAndIslam(1994)byKarenArmstrongpoints out a path that 21st century Christianity might consider. She writes, Judaism, Christianity and Islam each developedtheideaofapersonalGod,whichhashelpedbelieverstomatureasfullhumanbeings.Thispowerful ideaofapersonalGodcanbemisusedwithpoorjudgmentandcanresultincondemnationofothers.Thesethree monotheisms of different traditions have developed mystical practices that are grounded in the singular realization that our human idea of God is merely a symbol of the ineffable reality of an eternal Truth. As a result of modern, aggressively righteous religious beliefs that are actually a retreat from god, we see in our worldtodaygreatdiscordratherthanunity.UltimatelywehavetoevolvebeyondtheideaofapersonalGodwho behaveslikeafather,toonewhoworksforusintheempiricalage,anagethatrequiresglobalunity. TheFrenchJesuitpaleontologistTeilharddeChardininhisbook,PhenomenonOfMan(1955),revealshis visionofauniversalunfoldingofevolution.Hewritesaboutthephenomenonofthecerebralcomplexificationof thehumanphylum,whichconcludeswiththesuddenappearanceofaconsciousnessofself(thethresholdof reflection).Theninaworldwidecommunicationnetworkofhumanthought,thenoosphere,[massconsciousness] appeared,attheheartofwhichisanactiveandactingChrist,thecapstoneofevolution,acommunicatingwith humanityoccursinatranscendentfashion,reachingtowardtheOmegapoint(theKingdomofGod). In the 1970s the Gaia Hypothesis, jointly proposed by Lynn Margulis and James Lovelock, opened exciting new prospects in biology and atmospheric physics. The Gaia Hypothesis is that the Earth is a living being, and very complex. The danger to the human race from our own actions and the living planet Gaias reactiontotheseactionsmightbefatal.TheGaiaHypothesistellsusthatthehumanspeciesisapartofanet,or webofcosmiclife,andcanbeexperiencedinthesymbiosis(interconnected,workingtogether)ofallspecies.If thisknowledgecanbegraspedbyhumanitythenwecantogethercreateashareddestiny. Note to readers: CE stands for Common Era, and is used in place of A.D., the abbreviation for Anno Domini in Latin or the year of the Lord in English, referring to the approximate birth year of Yeshua ben Nazareth (a.k.a. Jesus Christ). CE and A.D. have the same value but C.E is secular and is now considered politically correct for secular history. BCE stands for Before the common era, and replaces B.C., which means BeforeChrist.Forthismaterial,however,wewilluseB.C.andA.D.abbreviations,asthisisreligiousmaterial. ReviewofLiterature (ExamquestionsarenotdrawnfromtheReviewOfLiteraturesection) This course could never have been compiled, edited, and written without the use of over 30 different scholars books and 18 websites with online articles. I wish to acknowledge them all for their rigorously illuminating efforts. Their breathtaking scholarship provided me with a rich bounty to draw from. All works foundinthistextaredullyattributedtoauthor/authors,andsourcesaregivenallowingstudentstopursuefuture studiesofChristianitybeyondthiscourse. A History of God: The 4,000Year Quest Of Judaism, Christianity And Islam (1994) by Karen Armstrong explores theexperience of God foundin Judaism, Christianity and the Islam, from Abraham into the twentieth ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 1

century. Her fascinating book looks at the issue of Gods existence and gives a great kaleidoscopic history of religion,withanoptimisticoutlooktowardhumanity. TheFaithOfTheChristianChurch(1948)byGustafAulenexaminesanddiscussesachangingtheology.It bringsanewandrealisticapproachtothebiblicalmessage,withanefforttoseeChristianityasitactuallyexistsin itsuniqueplaceintheworld.ThisworkattemptstoliberatetheChristianmessagesothatitcanappearagainin itsoriginalpowerandclarity. ThePhenomenonOfMan(1955)byPierreTeilharddeChardin,whowasbornin1881inSarcenat,Puyde Dme,France,anddiedinNewYorkCityin1955.HisscientificworkincludedthediscoveryofthePekingMan in 1929. He also conducted explorations in India, Java, and China in 1931. This book focuses on mass consciousnessornoosphereasChardincallsit.Chardinstates,He[Christ]hasaffectedathreefoldsynthesisof thematerialandphysicalworldwiththeworldofmindandspirit;ofthepastwiththefuture;andvarietywith unity,themanywiththeone. InTheDivineMilieu:AnEssayOnTheInteriorLife(1960)byPierreTeilharddeChardin.Thecoversays, TeilhardchallengesstandarddefinitionsoffaithaspracticeorasdirectinteriorilluminationofthesoulbyGod. His concern is, rather to teach his readers how to see. Faith demands awareness of the perceptual world as a subject,whichentersvitallyintothemostspiritualzonesofoursouls.Illuminationofthesoulisthusaproduct of the illumination of the world. True vision becomes, in turn, a gift which enables us to pay attention to the world,therebyenhancingitsradiance. The Mind Of God (1992) by Paul Davies reexamines the great questions of existence. In the process, it providesanentertaining,provocativetourofrecentdevelopmentsintheoreticalphysics.Hepondersthereasons for the existence of the universe. He covers the origin and evolution of the cosmos and the nature of consciousness.IntheendhedoesnotsupportabeliefinaGod,butratherthatthetoolofsciencecanallowusto seeintotheheartofnature,andthatisthemindofGod. Healing Words: The Power of Prayer And The Practice Of Medicine (1993) by Larry Dossey, M.D. 15 to 20 percentofallcasesinwhichthepatientandothershaveprayedfordivineassistance,thereisadvancedhealing. Prayersayssomethingincalculablyimportantaboutwhoweareandwhatourdestinymaybe.Heexamines prayerfromascientificpointofviewandbringssomeunderstandingtothelinkbetweenprayerandhealing. The Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates The Material World (1995) by Amit Goswami, Ph.D. with RichardE.ReedandMaggieGoswamihastobeoneofmyfavoritebooksabouthowspiritandsciencecancome together in the 21st century. A must read for any psychonaut interested in the interconnectedness of all life. Goswamicoverstheparadoxesofbeingintwoplacesatonce,SchrodingersCatandtheEinsteinPodolskyRosen Paradox. He concludes with a section on the Reenchantment of the Person with writings on Outer and Inner Creativity,TheAwakeningofBuddhi,andSpiritualJoy.Thisisagreatbookforcomingtoanunderstandingof thesignificanceofquantumphysicsandthenatureofoursoulsconsciousness. MaryMagdalene:MythAndMetaphor(1993)bySusanHaskinsisabrilliantbookaboutMaryMagdalene, written by a female theologian. For two thousand years Mary Magdalene and the origins of Christianity have beenburied.ThisbooksexplorsthemanymythsandmisconceptionssurroundingMaryMagdalene,oneofthe mostsignificantfiguresofancientChristianity. TheBookOfKnowledge:TheKeysofEnoch(1973)byDr.J.J.Hurtakwastransmittedtotheauthorfromtwo beings of Higher Superluminal Intelligence. A greater unity is called for and must occur between the scientific and spiritual paths in order for us to solve the problems of Earth. The keys of Enoch are kabbalistic modes of thought.ThisworkdefinestheKeysofEnochasacknowledgingtheDivineasmorethanaGodofCommanding (commandments); rather It is a God of Bestowing (Gifts) to those seeking the Godhead. Hurtak writes that our physical universe is a substructure of more sublime levels of creation working through archetypal fractals or divinelettersofthoughtformcreation. TheLordsPrayer(1983)byDr.J.J.HurtakisanexpositionoftheScrollofMatthew6:913.This20page workshareswithusthewordsofJesusthroughtheGospelofMatthew.WhenthedisciplesaskedMatthewhow topraytotheFather,herepliedwithaspecialformulathathascomedownthroughtheagesandbelievedtobe thethoughtformsofDivineLanguage.Hurtakwritesthatthisprayeriseffectivenotonlyfortheindividualbut forthecollectiveofhumanityaswell. Earth Under Fire (1997) by Dr. Paul A. La Violette gives scientific insight into the ancient myths from aroundtheworld,thattellofhumanityssufferingthroughdestructionsbyfire,flood,andothercatastrophes.It wasrecordedinlegendadarkeningoftheskyoccurred,whiletheEarthstartedburning,culminatinginthelast ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 2

greatflood.TheGalacticcauseoftheseevents,LaViolettediscovered,isanintensevolleyofexplosivelyemitted cosmic rays,from the center of our Galaxy. They bombarded our solarsystem with light occluding particles of cosmicdust,whichcausedtheglobalcatastrophethatdecimatedcivilizationattheendofthelasticeage. ForerunnersAndRivalsOfChristianityFrom330B.C.To330A.D.(1964)byFrancisLeggeisagreatbookfor understandingthegrowthanddevelopmentoftheChristianreligion.Hecoverstheimportanceofthestudyof Christian origins and the changes in viewpoint of Christianity as the progress of science is introduced to the Westernworld.ThisbookispossiblythemostinformedhistoricalrenderingofthebirthofearlyChristianity. MysticsAndZenMasters(1967)byThomasMertonisarichcollectionofwritings.CelticMonasticismis coveredinthechapter,FromPilgrimagetoCrusade.Mertonspokeoftheideaofpilgrimageasageographical event that was the symbolic acting out of an inner journey. The inner journey is the interpolation of the meanings and signs of the outer pilgrimage. Though it would be possible to have a geographical pilgrimage withoutaninnerjourney,andviceversa,itwouldbebesttohaveboth. The Flaming Door: The Mission Of The Celtic FolkSoul (1983) by Eleanor Merry is a wonderful book for anyone interested in Celtic mythology. The breadth of her research is staggering. The imagination found here coupled with her obvious scholarship makes thisan incredible read. She covers ancient sagasand legends that holds the secrets of initiation. The Celtic mysteries of old are the signature of our immortality. They are the ladderuponwhichChristianfaithmaymounttothestars. Dream Yoga And The Practice Of Natural Light (1992) by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu is about developing luciddreamconsciousness.InthisworkwelearnaboutDzogchen,therealmofenchantingselfawarenesswhere wecanreachliberation.Theemphasisinthebookisplacedonspecificexercisesthatallowapersontodevelop awareness in their dreamstates. Chogyal NamkhaiNorbu Rinpoche is one ofthe great Tibetan dreammastery teachersintheworldtoday.Ihighlyrecommendthisbook. TheGnosticGospels(1991)byElainePagelsgivesusnewinsightsintotheEssenes,theirpractices,andthe early life of Jesus. This book raises many questions of good versus evil. The writer uses Gnostic teachings that have been repressed by the Christian Church, whileconsidering alternativesfor redemption as contrasted with our current JudaeoChristian tradition. Along with the Dead Sea Scrolls, these Gnostic materials are the most illuminatingarcheologicaltextualfindsofthe20thCentury. TheSecondManInUs(1977)byMariaRoschlLehrsistrulyabeautifulbook.Shewritesofadeeperlife andthesecondmaninusallandhowtobringittobirthinourselves.Sheiswellversedinthegiftofsignificant dreaminganddreamconsciousness.Man,shetellsus,isstandingattheriddleoflife. The Great Religions By Which Men Live (1961) by Floyd H. Ross and Tynette Hills, covers all the great religionsoftheworld.Thefollowingquestionsareaddressedinthiswork:Whatisthemeaningofhumanlife? What am I? What is the difference between right and wrong? What is the nature of God? What happens after death?Thisbookisrecommendedforanyoneinterestedinthehistoryofworldreligion. TheWorldsReligions(1995)byHustonSmithishighlyreadable,anditisadetailedandabsorbingaccount of the inner dimensions of the great world religions, including Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, and Christian teachings.Welearnthatforthegreaterpartofhumanhistory,religionwasexperiencedtriballyandwasvirtually timeless.Inrecentdecadeswehaveseenarevivalofinterestinthedivinefeminineandearthbasedspirituality. The Reappearance Of Christ In The Etheric (1983) by Rudolf Steiner is a great recourse for merging metaphysics and Christianity. Steiner combines his vision of a new age with the teachings of Christ. In 1910, RudolfSteinerbeganaseriesoflecturesannouncingtheadventofChristsappearanceinthesphereoftheearths etheric or life body. The earth is infused by the Christs living presence and a new, natural clairvoyance will becomeincreasinglycommonasweenterthe21stcentury,hetellsus.TheChristwillbecomealivingcomforter, wecanseetheethericChristasHeisherenow.Thisisagreatseriesoflectures,whichIhighlyrecommend. TheArchangelMichael:HisMissionAndOurs(1994)byRudolfSteinerisaseriesof23lectures.Theycallus to heed the Archangel Michael because the Archangel cannot fulfill his mission without humanitys cosmic vocationoffreedom,individuality,andlove.Humanbeings,too,dependonMichaelforthefulfillmentoftheir taskHisgreatjoyishelpingthosewhooftheirownfreedeedentertheranksofthosecollaboratinginthegreat workoftheinvisible.Steinertellsusinthisseriesoflectures,nowinprint,thattheChristmaybethoughtofas sunlight,whileArchangelMichaelasthereflectedsunlight.WelearninthisbookthatJehovahcanbethoughtof astheMoonbeingthatisworshipedbytheancientHebrewsknowntothemasJehovahMichael.Steinertellsus thatMichaelwasthecountenanceofJehovahandtheArchangelbywhichJehovahrevealedhimselftotheancient Hebrews. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 3

The Stages Of Higher Knowledge(1967) by Rudolf Steiner isa small 58page booklet of spiritual attitudes andexercisesfordevelopingaspiritualpath.Hecoversthefourstagesofknowledge.Healsodescribeshowa student experiences three higher stages of consciousness: Imagination, Inspiration, and Intuition. Steiner says, JustasImaginationmaybecalledaspiritualseeing,somayInspirationbecalledaspiritualhearing. TheTrueNatureOfTheSecondComing(1971)byRudolfSteinerisasmallworkof2lecturescontainedin72 pages. We learn that The Second Coming consists of two aspects: the manifestation of Christ on the etheric plane,andtheattainmentofethericvisiononanindividualbasis. TheFourthDimension:SacredGeometry,AlchemyAndMathematics(2001)byRudolfSteinerisamustread foranystudentofChristianityandmetaphysicswhowantstonavigatetheinnerplanesofexperience. Theurgy And The Soul (1994) by Gregory Shaw is a study of Iamblichus of Syria (240325 A.D.) whose teachingssetthefinalformofpaganspiritualitypriortotheChristizationoftheRomanEmpire.GregoryShaw focuses on the theory and practice of theurgy, the most controversial and significant aspect of Iamblichiusa Platonism. The Woman With The Alabaster Jar (1993) by Margaret Starbird explores history, ancient symbolism, medievalart,psychology,andtheBible.Herbookcontainsevidencefrommedievalartandartifactsregardingthe heresyoftheHolyGrailandMaryMagdalene.Sheconcludesasacredunionwasoriginallyattheheartofthe ChristianGospels. JuliansGods:ReligionAndPhilosophyInTheThoughtAndActionOfJulianTheApostate(1995)byRowland SmithisatreatmentofJuliansthoughtandactionwithrespecttoGreek/Helleniccultureandreligion. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation (1996) by Michael Wise, Martin Abegg Jr., and Edward Cook is believed by scholars to be the most comprehensive translation for the general reader. In this volume we have neverbeforerevealedstoriesaboutthebiblicalfiguresAbraham,Jacob,andEnoch.Wehaveherearichcollection oftextsthatbringustransmissionsofilluminatingancientdoctrinesabouttheangels.Thesewritings,claimingto be revelations of these angels themselves, include the Archangel Michael. This is a great work and I highly recommenditforfuturestudy. The Urantia Book (1995) is channeled material that states that Urantia is an ancient name for the planet earth.Itisalargebookwithovertwothousandpagesandalmost200individualessaysthatrevealinformation aboutGodandothersupernaturalbeings.ItalsocoversthehistoryoftheuniverseandtheplanetEarth. MansEternalQuest(1975)byParamahansaYoganandaisavolumeof58essaysthatfocusonapplying spiritual ideals to everyday living, rather than promoting particular practices for organized religion. He covers meditation, life after death, health and healing, the unlimited powers of the human mind, and the interconnectednessofalllife.YoganandaisconsideredthefatherofyogaintheWest.Thisanthologyofinspires andencouragesthestudentonthispathofselfdiscovery.

THESCIENCEOFRELIGIONS
The six centuries covered in this course was a time when humanity of all classes delved into religious thoughts or strove for lofty ethical ideals. Claims to the contrary are often uneducated and misguided. Francis Legge,inForerunnersAndRivalsOfChristianity(1964),writes,Ageneralnotionthat,shortlybeforethecomingof Christ, the Pagans had tired of their old gods, and, lost to all sense of decency, had given themselves up to an unbridledimmortalityfoundedonaestheticideasisalmostthereverseofthetruth.FrancisLeggecontinues, Thecauseofthismisconceptionis,however,clearenough.Halfacenturyago,thegeneralpublicwaswithout guideorleaderinsuchmatters,forhavinganymaterialsonwhichtoformopinionsoftheirown.Theclassical educationwhichwasallthemajorityofmenthengot,carefullylefttheoriginsofChristianityononeside.Itis important to look at historical and scientific evidence as well as church history, when studying any religion. Outside the regular or canonical scriptures, most faiths grew from a reservoir of vast literature of uncertain authorshipinwhichwerefoundthesamestories,repeatedagain,beingintroducedintotheChristianApocryphal Gospels,Acts,andLivesoftheSaints.Itthenbegantodawnuponscholarsthatthehumanmindundersimilar conditionsworksthesameway.Allreligions,trueorfalse,verywellmighthavegonethroughsimilarstagesof development. IAmbyDennisBratcherdemonstratesthisprincipleofthehumanmindatwork.WhoisGod,heasks?It replies,Iam.Yethowdoweknow?Itsays,Watch!BecauseIamwhoIwillbeinyourhistory.FromMessiah toSonofGod,developmentnotonlyinanimalforms,intheintellectualmoralfacultiesofman,inpoliticaland socialinstitutions,andeveninwhathecalledecclesiasticalinstitutions,whichincludedreligionsthemselves. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 4

ThisisthelikelyexplanationforJohn8:28inwhichIAmbecomesafunctionalnameforGod,IAMhassent metoyou.BratchertellsusthatIAmistheconceptbutnotadimensionoftimeoreventense,andexplains thatJohnisproclaimingthatthisGodrevealingItselftotheIsraelitesattheexodus,isnowonceagainrevealing ItselfinhumanhistoryinJesustheChrist.OthertimesinwhichGodisidentifiedasIamareMosesencounter withGodattheburningbushonMountHoreb.WhenMosesaskedwhomheshouldtellthepeoplesenthimto deliverthemfromEgypt,GodrevealedhimselfasIamorIwillbe(Exodus3:14

ANCIENTORIGINS&THEEARLYDEVELOPMENTALSTAGESOFCHRISTIANITY
ABriefHistoryofMesopotamiaandJesusLife The history of this region of the world goes back some 5,000 years. The Canaanites were the earliest known inhabitants of Palestine, about 3,000 B.C. They became urbanized and lived in citystates, one of which was Jericho. Moses leads the Jews, wondering in the desert for 40 years, on the Exodus from Egypt in the 12th centuryB.C.In1,230B.C.,JoshuaconqueredpartsofPalestine.In1,000B.C.KingDavid,defeatedthePhilistines, andeventuallyassimilatedwiththeCanaanites.TheunityofIsraelallowedDavidtobuildalargeindependent state,withJerusalemitscapitol.In333B.C.thePersiandominationofPalestinewasreplacedbyGreekrulewhen Alexander the Great of Macedonia took the region. Alexanders successors, the Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids of Syria, continued to rule the country. The Seleucids tried to impose Hellenistic (Greek) culture and religiononthepopulation.In13235BCJewishrevoltserupted,numerousJewswerekilled,manyweresoldinto slavery, and the rest were not allowed to visit Jerusalem. Judea was renamed Syria Palaistina. It was into this socialunrestthatJesusofNazarethwasborn. MosttheologiansandreligioushistoriansbelievethattheapproximatebirthdateofYeshuaofNazareth (Jesus) was in the fall, sometime between 7 and 4 BCE during the rule of King Herod, although we have seen estimates as late as 4 CE and as early as the second century BCE. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the Roman province of Judea. His mother is commonly thought to have conceived him through the immaculate conception,meaning that his motherwasgiven Jesus not through sexualintercourse, but rather by God itself. However,thisisactuallyamisconception.TheDoctineofIneffabilisDeus,presentedbyPiusIX,andacceptedby theCatholicChurchonDecember8th,1854assertsthatMarywasexemptfromoriginalsin(thesincommittedat herconception),makingherapurereceptacleforChrist,islargelyresponsibleforthisbelief.JosephandMary,his parents,livedinNazareth,aRomanprovinceofGalilee.Yearsafter,hebeganhisteachingmission.Hisattempts to call people back to pure teachings were judged subversive by the authorities. He was tried as a heretic and sentencedtodeathonthecross(acommonsentenceforprisoners). AfterthedeathofJesusmanyChristiangroupswereformed.Bytheendofthe1stcentury,threemain movementsremainedinChristianity.OnegroupwasthePaulineChristians:agroupofmainlinecongregations, largelyofnonJewishChristians.SomehadbeenconvertedbyPaulandhiscolleges.Theyevolvedtobecomethe establishedchurch.AnothergroupwastheGnosticChristians,whoclaimedsalvationthroughspecial,otherwise secret, gnosis(knowledge). They were declared heretics and weregradually suppressed.A third group was the Jewish Christians, a group originally headed by James, the brother of Yeshua, and Jesus disciples. They were scatteredthroughouttheRomanEmpireafterthedestructionofJerusalemin70A.D.andgraduallydisappeared. By400A.D.,TheBishopofRomewasrecognizedasthemostseniorofallbishops.Siricius(384399CE)became thefirstbishoptobecalledPope.PaulineChristianitybecameabonafidereligion. GodsDisillusionedKingdomonEarth Looking back at the life of Jesus we can see the traditional roots of his upbringing. He learned Jewish historyandscripturesfromhisfatherandsynagogueleaders.AccordingtoFloydRossandTynetteHillsintheir book The Great Religions By Which Men Live (1961), He knew well the ever present Jewish hope for a brighter, betterfuture,whenGodwouldhelptheJewstoregaintheirfreedomandprestigeamongthenations.Thishope flamedhighintheirhearts,astheylivedunderRomanconquerors. ManyoftheJewsfelthopeless,thattheirindividualactionswerenotimportant.TheybelievedthatGod was going to create a miracle, bringing into being a new age, when Judea Palestine would be powerful, independent,andrespectedamongnations.Therewouldbenoaccompanyingarmiesorforeigngovernors.The JewishpeoplewouldliveinthesameprosperouswaytheyhadlivedunderKingDavidoflongago,(Rossand Hills). JesusdidnotbelievethatGodsenthisblessingstosomeandwithheldthemfromothers.RossandHills continuebysayingthatGodsblessingscametoaperson,TheKingdomofGodisnotaconditionthatwegetin ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 5

someundisclosedfuture.No,[thekingdomofGodisapresentpossibilityofgoodnessthatishidden,likeaseed, insideeveryperson.]Youhaveonlytoletitgrownaturally,feedingitsdevelopmentbylovingattitudesandkind deeds.Andbehold,itgrowsgraduallyuntilyouyourselfarepartoftheKingdomofGod. Hearingthestoriesoftheprophets,knowingmanyofthePsalmsdescribingGodsloveandmercy,we aretoldmostimportantlythatJesusdevelopedaclosepersonalrelationshipwithGod.Prayerandmeditation madehimfeelathomewithGod.JesusturnedtoGodthroughmeditationandprayer. Jesus comforted those who had ears to hear. He taught, God expected something of manto behave toward [one another] with loving concern, forgiveness and patience just as he [would]. This was the righteousness Gods Kingdom required, not a righteousness bound up with many rules and practices. This righteousness went much deeper, as deep as thoughtsand desires. From these roots flowed correct speech, acts,andefforts. We further learn in The Worlds Religions (1958) by Huston Smith that the stories of the prophets and visionaries in the Hebrew history stretch back more than 5000 years. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus begins his ministry with a quote from Isaiah saying, Today this scripture has been fulfilled. Smith shares a quote from WilliamJamesfoundinhisVarietiesOfReligiousExperience.Initsbroadestterms,religionsaysthatthereisan unseen order, and that our supreme good lies in rightful relations to it. Smith emphasizes that the biblical traditioninwhichJesusstoodshouldreallybeunderstoodasacontinuum,asustainedanddemandingdialogue oftheHebrewpeoplewiththeunseenorder. TheKingdomOfHeavenWithin WecometotherealizationthattheKingdomofGodiswithinusall.ThedogmaofChristianityandother organizedreligionsdoesnotprovideuswiththisspiritualfoundationorknowledge,really.Theancientstaught know yourself. We are of a divine consciousness that inhabits physical temples or bodies that in turn create this materialworldwefindourselvesin.ToknowourselvesistoknowGod. ThomasMertonsaysinMysticsAndZenMasters(1967),WemustneverforgetthatChristianityismuch more than the intellectual acceptance of a religious message by a blind and submissive faith which never understandswhatthemessagemeansexceptintermsofauthoritativeinterpretationshandeddownexternallyby experts in the name of the Church. On the contrary, faith is the door to the full inner life of the Church, a life whichincludesnotonlyaccesstoanauthoritativeteachingbutabovealltoadeeppersonalexperiencewhichisat once unique and yet shared by the whole Body of Christ, in the Spirit of Christ. St. Paul compares this knowledgeofGod,intheSpirit,tothesubjectiveknowledgethatamanhasofhimself.Justasnoonecanknow myinnerselfexceptmyownspirit,sonoonecanknowGodexceptGodsSpirit,yetthisHolySpiritisgivento us,insuchawaythatGodknowshimselfinus.Thisexperienceisutterlyreal,thoughitcannotbecommunicated intermsunderstandabletothosewhodonotshareit.Consequently,St.Paulconcludes,Wehavethemindof Christ.Corinthians2:16.HewhoisunitedtotheLordisonespirit.ICorinthians6:17 The Kingdom of God finally comes down to that place of being within, not a condition we find ourselves in sometime in the future. No, the Kingdom of God is a present, living condition with many possibilities for goodness that we have, but hides like a seed within every individual. It grows naturally, and feeds upon the developing attitudes of love and practicing kind deeds. Behold, like a new plant, it grows gradually until you yourself are part of this garden in the Kingdom of God, within yourself and the world without. Jesus is seen as a prophet who proclaims the Kingdom of God, but Jesus celebrates that Kingdom as already present with his 12 deciples and his followers. Jesus proclaims the Kindom of Heaven is open and availableforeveryone. TheEmergenceofChristianity Christianity emerged from a rich array of spiritual traditions that it has been influenced by. The preponderance of common ideas found among the peoples religious practices cannot be explained away or destroyed. For instance the stories like the great flood in Genesis are believed to have come from ancient Babylonianbeliefs.Theideaofthearchetypal,orheavenlymancreatedbeforetheadventofterrestrialman,who isthenmadeintotheimageofhisCreator(AdaminChristianity),isacommonconcept.FortheKabbalists,this initial subject is Primordial Man, Adam Kadmon, who encompasses all humanity (See U.M.S. Quabalah course). The Phrygian Ophites believed in a Man and a Son of Man, as the origins of all subsequent things. In the Avesticliterature ofPersia, Gayomortwas the sonof Spentaarmaiti. The daughter of the Supreme God Ahura Mazdaisbelievedtobethesourceofhumanity.TheFirstMan,foundintheBabylonianbeliefsystem,isseenas anintermediarybetweenthegodsoflightandthisearth.ThePistisSophia,acollectionofGnosticwritings,tells ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 6

us of a First Man called Jeu, referred to as overseer of the light and the arranger of the cosmos. This was written in Greek yet shows more affinity with Egyptian beliefs than Persian religion. This First Man concept appearsatthesametime,yetindifferentcountriesandbetweenpeopleswhowereoftenhostilerivals. TheGreatReligionsByWhichMenLive(1961)byFloydH.RossandTynetteHillrecountsthelifeofJesusas alifeembroideredwiththehopesanddreamsofgenerationsofChristians.Fromreadingthisworkwelearn thatitisalmostimpossibletoknowjustwhothismanhistoricallywasandthatinfactitwasaninadvertentmove that started the Christian religion and the unintended result that many people today believe that he is God incarnate. WeareencouragedtoapproachthestudyofJesuslikeotherreligiousprophetsandleaders,keepingan openmind.Itisonlynaturalforourhumannaturetodeifyareligiousleader.ThehistoryofChristianattitudes illustratesthisasopposedtothewayofTaoismandBuddhism.TheChurchwasintentonexultingthedivine role that the church has given to Jesus; many have missed finding the wisdom of his teachings. They have worshiped him, but failed to follow him. Yet the Jesus, whom some at least can see behind all the adoration, soughtnottomakemanaccepthimself,buttoaccepthiswayoflife. According to Legge in the introduction to Forerunners And Rivals Of Christianity (1964) the Christian religionanditsdivineoriginwouldfollowthesamelinesofdevelopmentasitsrivals.Christianreligionsurvived theearlycompetitionfromotherbeliefsystems,asitwasbettersuitedforitsenvironment.Judaism,Christianitys matrix, was not a rival of Christianity. The Sadducees were the dominant party of the Jewish state but were a smallpartofthepopulationofJudaea,whichwasmostlypopulatedbythePharisees.After69A.D.tensionsand hostility rose between Jews and Gentiles however Judaism never attempted to become a world religion. In The GreatReligionsByWhichMenLive(1961)byFloydH.RossandTynetteHills,welearnthatalthoughJohnsGospel recordsmuchhostilityfromtheJewishreligiousauthorities(whorefusetobelieveinJesus),thereisnothingbut respectfortheJudaismofthepastandtheOldTestament.ItiswritteninGreek,butitsauthorsappeartobeat homewithAramaicthoughtandidiom,andwiththethoughtofcontemporaryJewishrabbis.Thoserabbisspoke oftheTorah(thelawgivenbyMoses)aswater,breadandlightfortheworld,soJohnpresentsJesusastheliving fulfillmentofthatLaw.ButtheJewishLawisalsotobemadeavailabletoallmenbymeansoftheLordscoming anddeath.John12:32,AndI,ifIbeliftedupfromtheearth,willdrawallmentomyself. The religions competing with Christianity fall into three categories. The Oriental religions were found westandeastoftheMediterranean,freefromHelleniccultureuntilafterthetimeofAlexander.WhenAlexander married European and Asian cultures through his military conquest, these belief systems exerted far more influence than they had before in their own native lands. The second group consists of the many sects called Gnostics.MagicandalternativebeliefsintheworshipofthegodsofOlympuswerefoundamongthisgroup.The third competition was the religion of Manes arose and attempted to merge the three religions of Zoroaster, BuddhaandChrist. The knowledge concerning these religions is limited and fragmented. The Catholic Church later destroyed many documents that traced the history of these religions. A Pope of the 7th century who stated, Breaktheidolsandconcentratethetemplesoftheheathen.However,scholarshavemanagedtodiscoversome artifactsandwritingsfromtheseancientbeliefsystems.FragmentsofworksbyGnosticswritersandManichaean documentshavebeendiscoveredevenasfarastheWesternfrontiersofChina. TheLogosDoctrine:InfluencesfromJudaismandGrecoRome There are both Jewish and Greek elements in Christianity, and it is in Johns Gospel that we see these skillfully fused together. John was the witness and guardian of the Lords revelation. John 21:24, This is the disciplewhichbearethwitnessofthesethingsandweknowthathiswitnessistrue.WhereastheJewsvalued willandactionandlookedforprogresstoagloriousfuture,theGreeksvaluedthoughtandlookedfortheinward realityofoutwardthings.TheLogosorWordwasaGreekideameaningthewayinwhichGodexpresseshis natureandpurposetohiscreatures,thequickeningSpiritofallcreationandthelifeofallthatlives.Althoughthe word Logos only appears in the Prologue, the dominating idea of Johns entire Gospel is, This Word has becomefleshanddweltamongus.John1:14. TheGrecoRomangodsdidnotsurvivethetideofthetimes.RomeattemptedtoforceChristianstomake sacrificestothegeniusoftheEmperorandthegoodfortuneofRome.Ofcourse,theChristiansrefused,andwere persecuted. Yet the Olympian gods were declining as Christianity was surfacing. The Greek and Latin writers bearwitnesstothedislikeandoutrightcontemptforthisnewreligiousbeliefsystem.Plutarchstates,Theone eternal, passionless Spirit was far removed from the world of chance and earthly soilure. The competition of ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 7

Christianity in its infancy was not feared by the Pagans who believed there were many lesser gods controlling variousdepartmentsofEarthlymatters. The followers of the Greek philosophers did hinder the efforts of Christianity. The NeoPlatonic school joined forces with the few worshippers of the pagan gods forcing them into opposition with Christianity. However,ChristianityfelloutsidetheinfluenceofGreekphilosophy.Itappealedtothosewhohadnointerestin philosophy and asit wasfaith based,philosophy did notagreewith it. Celsus says that the admissioninto the earlyChristianChurchwasbasedonthefollowingcriteria:Letnoeducatedmanenter,nowiseman,noprudent man,forsuchthingswedeemedevil;butwhoeverisignorant,whoeverisanintelligent,reversible,lethim,can bewell.YetChristianswereconfidenttheLordisathandandHisrewardwastheonlyphilosophicalthought thattheyheld.TheHighestGoodofthephilosopherswasnottheconcernoftheseearlyChristians. InfluencesFromIndia ParamahansaYoganandawritesinMansEternalQuest(1975),TheidealsofChristaretheidealsofthe scripturesofIndia.ThepreceptsforJesusareanalogoustothehighestVedicteachings,whichwereinexistence longbeforetheadventofJesus.ThisdoesnottakeawayfromthegreatnessofChristbutrather,itshowsthe internal nature of truth, and that Jesus incarnated on earth to give to the world a new expression of Santana Dharma(eternalreligion,theeternalprinciplesofrighteousness).ThebookofGenesisisanexactparalleltothe olderHinduconceptofthecreationofouruniverse.TheTenCommandmentsofMoses,biblicallegendsandthe miracles of Christ, all have parallel themes to the earlier Vedic literature of India. Yogananda believes that the teachings ofChrist in the New Testament and those of Krishnain the BhagavadGita are in fact corresponding teachings. It is a common belief among scholars that Jesus Christ traveled in India before he became a spiritual teacher.NomentionismadeofhimintheNewTestamentfromhistwelfthtothirtiethyear.Indianrecordsshow thatJesuslivedandstudiedthereduringthefifteenunaccountedyearsofhislifeinIndia,whichexplainsthe parallelsofChriststeachingswithYogaVedantadoctrines.ItisbelievedthatJesusjourneyedtoIndiatovisitthe threewisemenfromtheeastwhopaidhomagetohimathisbirth.Yoganandatellsusthatthesewisemenfrom the east were guided to the Christ child by the divine light of a star, not a physical luminary, but a star of the omniscientspiritualeye.Hefurtherexplainsthatthethirdeyeisintheforeheadbetweentheeyebrows(the6th Chakra). It is a metaphysical telescope through which one can see to infinity in all directions simultaneously, beholdingwithomnipresentsphericalvisionwhateverishappeninginanypointofcreation.Jesusreferredtoit as The light of the body is the eye: if therefor the eye be single, the whole body shall be full of light. By the guidinglightofthespiritualeye,theWiseMenfound,recognizedandhonoredtheinfantChristasasoulofa divineincarnation.SeeU.M.S.ChakrasandAurasCourse. The name and title of Jesus is found in Sanskrit, an ancient spiritual language of creation. Yogananda writes,ThewordsJesusandIsa(pronouncedIsha)aresubstantiallythesame.Is,Isa,andIswaraallrefertothe Lord, or Supreme Being. Jesus derives from the Greek form of the name Joshua or Jeshua, a contraction of Jehoshua,helpofJehovahorSavior.ChristConsciousnessinSanskritisKutasthaChaitanya. ParamahansaYoganandaexplainsthatthetitleofChristisalsofoundinIndia.HeconjecturesthatJesus waspossiblygiventhetitleKrishnawhilevisitingIndia.Bothtitlesimplydivinity,avatarsinunionwithGod. An avatar is a being who, while residing in physical form, can experience unity with Christ Consciousness, or Kutastha Chaitanya, the Intelligence of God omnipresent in creation. This consciousness is also called the only begottenSonofGodbecauseitistheperfectreflectioninthecreationoftheUncreatedInfinite.Creationislike the body of God, and his consciousness omnipresent therein is called Christ Consciousness. He is aware of whatever we do within his universal form. Yogananda states, The wonders of Gods creation is the unique potentialofhumanbeingstoattaintheomniscienceofonenesswithChristConsciousness. InfluencesfromEgypt WelearnfromFrancisLeggeinForerunnersAndRivalsOfChristianity(1964)thatintheyear391A.D.,the chiefseatoforiginfortheAlexandrianreligionwaslaidtowaste,andthereligionitselfperishedafterasuccessful reignofsevencenturies.Leggewrites,Theecclesiasticalwriterssaythatthiswasfollowedbytheconversionof severaloftheHellenists,adherentstotheworshipofSerapisandIsis,toChristianityIsthisthereasonwefind so many of the external usages of Isisworship preserved, in or revived by, the Catholic Church? When one religion finally replaces another, it generally takes over from its predecessor much of its usages that seem harmlessorpraiseworthy.Anotherexampleofthisimmersionofbeliefsystemsisseenwiththeworshipofthe VirginastheTheotokosorMotherofGod,whichisintroducedintotheCatholicChurchaboutthesametimeas ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 8

the destruction of the Serapeum in Alexandria. It enabled the devotees of Isis to continue unchecked their worshipofthemothergoddessbymerelychangingtheobjectoftheiradoration(Legge). TheconceptoftheSupremeBeingasatriune(threefold)godwasaveryoldoneinEgypt.Thusfrom onegodIbecamethreegods,saysOsirisinhisdescriptionofhisselfcreationinapapyrusdatedtwelveyears afterthedeathofAlexander.TheTrinitarianformulassetoutintheCreedsofNicaeaandofSt.Athanasiuswas familiartothoseintheAlexandrianreligion,butnottothosebroughtupintheuncompromisingmonotheismof the Jews. The ideas in Christianity are much older doctrines in the most ancient of religions than most people realize.

MYSTICISM
RevelationsofTruth WecometosomeunderstandingthatTruthiseternal.RevelationsofTruthfromdifferentreligionsareas circulatingloopswithrepeatingthemes.ManyscholarsagreethatEgyptwastheprecognitorofIsraelsmystery religions. Savior Gods are one such repeating theme. Marduk or Tammuz, the Babylonian God, was to come to earthasasavior.SaoshyantwasthesaviorofthePersianreligion.KrishnainIndiahadthesameroleassavior. The Egyptians as early as2,200B.C., proclaimed Osirisas saviordescribed asthe shepherd of his people who shallgathertogetherhisscatteredflocksandinwhomthereisnosin.Mostoftentheseweredyinggodswhohad originally signified the annual death and revival of vegetation with the seasons. Like the withering vegetation, theydisappearedintotheunderworldwhentheydied,thenwhentheonsetofsummerwassignaledatthespring equinox,thegodwasbornagaintofertilizethecropsandstimulatethereproductivecycle.SeeU.M.S.Symbols andColorscourse. There are religious texts written before the earliest parts of the Old Testament. The Rig Veda dates from before 1,000 B.C., possibly as early as 1,500 B.C., making it older than the surmised Old Testament sources. Likewise,theHinduUpanishadsdatefromsometimebetween1,400and800B.C.,againasoldastheOldTestament sources.TheHinduscripturesareavastbodyofliterature,whichincludesuchepicpoemsastheRamayanaand the Mahabharata, including the BhagavadGita as a later insertion. The collection and writing of the Hindu scripturescontinuedwellintotheChristianera,about500A.D.,givingthemaspanthatismuchlongerthanthe Biblewritings.Oftenthemessagesarethesame. MysteriesoftheMysterySchoolsRevealed ThewordMysticismitselfcomesdowntousfromtheGreeksandisderivedfromarootmeaningto close.ThemysticwasonewhohadbeeninitiatedintothesecretesotericknowledgeofDivinethings.Theterm mystical, then might be applied to any closed circle whose secrets were revealed only to the initiated. The philosophersborrowedthewordfromthepriestsandappliedittotheirownspeculativedoctrinesandthenceit passedoverintotheChristianChurch. Mystery Schools have throughout time and place, as centers of sacred esoteric knowledge. This divine knowledgewastaughttoinitiateswhooftenbecameleadersofthepeople,startingmovementsthattransformed societies.OftentheinformationtaughtbytheMysterySchoolswassecret,soasonemightexpect,thenastoday,it isnotpublicknowledgeandthisshouldbekeptinmindwhenstudyingthisinformation. HowwasitpossiblethattheHiberniainitiate,athousandyearsormorebeforetheIncarnation,could havehadavisionofChrist?Accordingtouniversalmythology,andtheteachingshandeddownforcenturiesin theesotericMysterySchools(eventoourownday),theevolutionofourplanetarysystemasawhole,hastopass throughsevenstages.TheseareechoedinshorterperiodswithintheEarthitself.Thethirdoftheseshorterperiods issaidtohavereproducedataquickertempothantheoriginalcreation,orseparationfromthegeneralcosmic substance,oftheSunandtheMoon;andthisistheperioddescribedintheBookofGenesis,wheresevendays arespokenof.Thesevendaysare,ofcourseimmenseperiods,butthewordday(inHebrewYom)representsnot onlyanageoftimebutalsoasevenfoldgroupofspiritualCreatorBeings,theElohim.OneoftheseGroups(the word is very inadequate) whose leader Head was Jehovah, had a Moonlike nature. This group was especially associatedwiththepowerofreflecting,upontheEarth,thoseinfluencespouredforthbytheotherGroupswho representedthespiritualforceoftheSun.Therefore,beinginasensenearertotheEarththeycouldimpartto humanitywisdomconcerningthespiritualSun.EleanorMerry,inTheFlamingDoor,writesthattheseBeingswere variouslydescribedinallancientmythologyandreligionasMoonBeings.Theyhavealreadybeenmentioned asthePitris.TheywerefromtheWest,theGodsoftheshininglandofDeath,whoinspiredtheinitiatesinthe ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 9

Mysteries.AsreflectorsfromtheMoonofgloryoftheElohimoftheSun,theirsuprememissionwastoprepare humanityinallthedifferentMysterysanctuariesoftheworld,fortheAdventoftheSunLogos,Christ. Christwascalledbyothernamesinpreviousreligions,andthisBeingheldthecentralplaceinalltheold Mysteries. He was spoken of in ancient India as Vishvakarman, who was the Light of the World in Persia as Ormuzd;intheZendAvestaitissaidofHim:HewilldescendtoEarth;Hewillovercomeage,death,decay;He willcreatefreedecision;then,whenthetimeisripefortheresurrectionofthedead,Hewillhavethevictoryof life.HewillbethevictoriousSaviour,surroundedbyApostles.InEgypt,HewasknownasOsiris;inGreeceas Apollo;byMosesastheIAM.TheinfluenceofthelunarBeings,asteachersaboutthedescentoftheSunLogosto Earth,isalsotobefoundinthewisdomknownastheGnosis,whichinChristianityappearedasasectthatwere regarded as heretical. Why? Because this wisdom (wonderfully written down in the wellknown Pistis Sophia) could fully explain the cosmic nature of Christ but could not explain [for the satisfaction of the Church] His humanity. AllofthemysterywisdomseemedintentonremindinghumanbeingsthatweareallbornoutofGod. Merry writes further, From the physical point of view, all men had their ancestors behind them, so from the spiritualpointofviewtheyweresonsofGod,WhowastheFatherofall.ThecontentofalltheMysteryschools consistedineducatingsuchpeopleaswereespeciallyfittedforit,toeliminatethephysicalconsciousness(forthe timebeing)andattainaclearspiritualconsciousnessinwhichtheycouldperceivesomethingofthemannerof theirdescentfromGod.AndinalltheMysteriesitwastaughtthattherewasoneSonofGodWhowassupreme, andofWhomitwasforetoldthatHewouldonedaydescendtotheEarth,inaMan. SheencouragesustostudythefourGospelstodiscoverthetwopointsofviewshownthere.TheGod descended is especially to be found in Matthew and John. (The Word made Flesh.) The heights from which He descendedarealludedtoinLukesgenealogy:fromAdam,whichistheSonofGod,andalsoinMark,wherewe areimmediatelymadeawareoftheDivinityinJesusinthewayinwhichtheGospelopensandespeciallyinthe recognitionoftheGodinHimbythedemons:WeknowTheeWhoThouart,theHolyOneofGod.(MarkI) These two poles of existence, the divine and the human, both in doctrine and in ritual, would necessarily be representedinsomeformineveryschooloftheMysteries,whichwasconcernedwiththecentralideaofEarth evolution,namely,itsCreativeLogos. InitiatesOfHibernia EleanorMerryinherbookTheFlamingDoor:TheMissionOfTheCelticFolkSoul(1983)givesinsightinto ancientEgypt.Merrytellsus,ThenewinitiatewasledoutofthechamberofdeathtobeholdtherisingSun,so the initiate of Hibernia was spiritually led out at last by his Initiators to behold the vision of Christ. In that moment he knew that the warmth and strength of Love could flow into his heart, and that from this strength came the recognition of the harmonious unity of the Science and the Art of Life. He knew what the statues concealed;heknewtheanswertoallhisquestions. Eleanor Merry continues, The secret underlying all the ancient Mysteries in some form or other, but especiallyandclearlyintheHibernianMysteriesandintheessentialcharacteristicsofHuandCeridwen,wasthis passing out and in of the soul and spirit of the human being, not only in sleeping and waking, but also in the greaterrhythmofdyingandbeingborn.ItwasthesecretofIncarnationandResurrection.Andforthisreason, thegreatestIncarnationtheworldhaseverknown,thatofChristHimself,theSunLogos,which,thoughclearly foreseen,wasstillwrappedintheobscurityofthefuture,andwasnotanincredibleorincomprehensibleeventin thewisdomofHiberniaanditsoffshoots. TheSun Aswesee,itisonlywithstudythatwecantrulyunderstandwhatChristianityis.TheSunsymbolismcan hardlybeignored.WeseeitintheacceptedgospelsandtheApocrypha.ChristisaSungod,andtheoldtradition of Christmas Day was to celebrate the Birth of the Sun as conceived in the constellation of Virgo at the end of August.TheancientsbelievedthatthedivinityoftheSunwasfoundwithin.OnecouldknowChristasaninner experienceofthesunwithinandreflectthisexperienceinthoughts,feelingsanddeedsintheSunPath.Letus turn to the 19th century metaphysician Rudolf Steiner for his understanding of the Sun Path in his lecture, The WrongAndRightUseOfEsotericKnowledge(November25,1917,Dornach,Switzerland.)OracleSanctuarieswere thenamesoftheplaceswhereancientwisewomenandmenwereinstructedinthemysteriesofcreationbyour angelicteachers.ThehighestOracleSanctuarywasthatoftheSun(Christ)Oracle.SteinercalledtheSunOracle thehighest,mostsublimeofalltheancientOraclessinceitnotonlyencompassedtheChristMystery,butalsoall ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 10

theotheroraclewisdom.Thewisdom,mysteriesoftheSaturn,Jupiter,Mars,Mercury,VenusandVulcanoracles wereheldintheChrist(Sun/Son)Oracle.SeeU.M.S.SymbolsandColorscourse. LeyLines Researcher Karen Eliot writes about ley lines and the Christian Church. I came across a book called English Leys by R.C. Domino (aboutley lines and their use in occult organizations) that proposed that pagan religioussites (e.g. Stonehenge) were built onleylines,and that when Christianity came to England thesesites where neutralized by the placing cathedrals and churches on top of them. (The fact Christians did build churchesontopofpagansitesishistoricallytrue).Dominocontinuessayingthatthisisaslightdistortionofthe truth,becausethechurchevenatthattimewasrunbytheRosicrucians/Illuminati.Thecathedralswerebuilton leylinestoamplifythetelluriccurrentsthatrunalongtheselines.Dominopointstothefactthattheyarewell shapedforthetaskasamplifiers.Ifthiswasthecase,ifItookamapoftheUnitedKingdomandmarkedallthe cathedralsontoit,thenitwouldbelogicaltofindthosesitesformingroughlines.ThisisexactlywhatIdid,and sureenoughthereweresomesurprisinglywelldefinedlines. Itisinterestingtospeculatethatperhapstheearlycreatorsofthesacredsitesforpaganreligiouspractices werequiteawareofthemagicalphenomenaofleylinesintheEarth.Itisalsointerestingtospeculateaboutthe Christianchurchesandtheirknowledgeoftheseleylines.Didtheymakeuseofthembecausetheyknewaswell asthosewhopracticedpaganreligionsthatthepowertheseplacesheldwasusefulforallreligiouspractices,no matterwhattheirportent? TheurgyAndTheSoul TheSchaffHerzogEncyclopediadefinesTheurgyas:1)Adivinework;amiracle;hence,magic;sorcery.2)A kind of magical science or art developed in Alexandria among the Neoplatonists, supposed to enable man to influencethewillofthegodsbymeansofpurificationandothersacramentalrites.3)Inlaterormodernmagic, that species of magic in which effects are claimed to be produced by supernatural agency, in distinction from naturalmagic(from). GregoryShaw,inhisbookTheurgyAndTheSoul(1995),saysthattheurgywasasubtleandintellectually sophisticated attempt to apply Platonic and Pythagorean teachings to the full expression of human existence known in the material world at that time, and God. A student of Platonic, Porphyry (234305) had a marked interestinmysterycults;hewasthefirsttoattentivelyreadandcommentonthemysteriousreligioustextknown as the Chaldean Oracles. Theurgy can be traced back to the Oracles. The word comes from theos (god) and ergon (activity, work); it thus implies a ritual in which man communicates with the divine. Whereas Porphyry was cautious about giving theurgy too important a place, Iamblichus went farther and deemed it superior to both philosophy and theology. After all, philosophy and theology deal with discourses and speculations, while theurgy is actually experienced. Subsequent philosophersHierocles, Proclus, Damasciuswould be durably influencedbyIamblichus. Shaw offersan expert analysis of the theory ofsymbols (sunthemata), whose origin lies primarilyin the ChaldeanOracles.AccordingtotheOracles,symbolsweresownbytheDemiurgeinthecosmosandembeddedin everysoul.Onceawakenedthesesymbolsenableonetopartakeinthedivine.Thesymbolshavetworoles:they perform as agents both cosmogonically (the Demiurge has created all things by means of such images) and anagogically (they effect the souls return to the gods). Theurgy is envisioned as the best way to awaken these symbols,throughprayer,invocationandrituals. Symbols, much like the individual souls who want to awaken, are not all the same. Shaw shows the differencebetweenmaterial,intermediateandnoeticsymbols,andalsobetweenmaterial,intermediateandnoetic souls,dependingononespersonalprogress.Iamblichusholdsthatnewcomersmustnotimmediatelyseekunion withthegods(unlikewhatPlotinusandPorphyryattemptedtodo).Theyfirstneedtousematterritually,and only after having mastered their passions can they move on to the following step. Theurgical union is not envisioned as a pure contemplation, but as an active participation in cosmogenesis. Through theurgic rites, the souldoesnotescapebut[rather]takespartinthedemiurgyoftheworldTheurgycanalsobeconsideredasa ritualelaborationofsuchkeyPlatonicthemesasEros(love)andanamnesis(recollection). Iamblichus of Syria was considered one of the great philosophers whose opinions on the soul, and the importanceofritualhasaprofoundinfluenceonsubsequentPlatonists.Histeachingsweretorepresentthefinal formofpaganspiritualitybeforetheChristianizationoftheRomanEmpire.UptothistimePlatonistsstressedthe elevatedstatus of the human soul yet Iamblichus taught that the soul descended completely into the body and thereby required the performance of theurgic rites, revealed by the gods, to unite the soul with the One. The ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 11

Emperor Julian, who lived between 331363 A.D., followed Iamblichus teachings, attempting the revival of traditional pagan cults in his campaign to defeat Christianity. Although Julian was unsuccessful, Iamblichus ideaspersistedwellintotheMiddleAgesandbeyond.Hisvisionofahierarchicalcosmosunitedbydivineritual becamethedominantworldviewfortheentiremedievalworldlateron. THEBUILDINGOFACHRISTIANEMPIRE AlexanderTheGreat Alexander The Great carried a copy of Homers Iliad until his death in 323 B.C. Alexander Mesopotamia together for the first time under a single power. He had a direct effect on the evolution of monotheism, and his conquests were the turning point in the history of religions. The interchange of ideas betweenEastandWestthrewthedifferentreligionsoftheworldintoameltingpot.Mannowwantstoimpress hisownideasoftheDivineuponothers.Fromthescientificpointofview,thereisnoneamongtheforerunnersof ChristianitywhodidmoretoprepareandmakereadyitswaythanAlexanderTheGreat.Hewasessentialtothe progressofcommunicationbetweencultures. CouncilOfNicaea(325A.D.) ThefollowingresearchontheCouncilofNicaeawasdonebyDennisHinksfrom19831999andisalso coveredinthebookbyFrancesLegge,ForerunnersOfChristianity(1964). The Scriptures teach that there is only one God, they also teach that Christ is God. We will look at the view of Christ, the action taken at Nicaea and the reaction to the Nicene formula. The Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) condemned Arianism and affirmed the Son of God to be identical in essence. A statement (creed) was written in an attempt to accurately define the relationship between Jesus and God. A certain controversial, misunderstoodwordisincludedinthecreed.ThiswordcoessentialmeansthattheFatherandSonaresaidto sharethesameessence.Thoughinagreementwiththespiritofthecreed,manywerediscontentwiththeinclusion of this word. For political reasons, Emperor Constantine temporarily upheld the Orthodox view. Through his influence, nearly everyone signed the creed, in spite of the controversial word. The issue here involved the questionofhowJesus(theSon)isGod.Thesedefinitionsarenottobeinterpretedasanimplieddenialofthefact thatJesus(theSon)wasalsohuman. ItisimportanttonotealittlehistoryaboutConstantine.HebecamepowerfulinChristianitybasedonthe outcome of a very important battle. Before he embarked for the battle, he received a vision in which a cross appearedtohimandhewascommandedtofightunderthesignofthecrossinbattle.Ifhedidthis,hewouldbe victorious. Therefore, he instructed his entire army to emblazon the symbol of the cross on their shields. They fought the battle victoriously. He was in such gratitude, he established the city of Constantinople as the headquarters of Christianity, and became integral to the forming of Christianity, stabilizing it as the official religioninRome. ViewsAfterTheCouncil TheOrthodoxviewswereheldbymost,orall,Christiansinthewesternhalfoftheempire,andbyafew intheeasternhalf.TheFatherandtheSonareGodinthesamesense;therelationshipbetweenthemisthatof unity.TheSemiArianviewwasheldbythemajorityinthewesternhalfoftheempire:TheFatherandtheSonare God in the same sense. The relationship between them, however, was not explained by this group. The Arian viewheldbyafewwhodisagreedintheeasternhalfoftheempire:TheSonwasspeciallycreatedacreature differentfromallothers.Hedeservesworship,isagod,andtooktheplaceofthesoulinahumanbodyatthe incarnation.ThesearethemostimportantviewsadoptedbytheChurchasaresultoftheCouncilofNicaea. Politicalandtheologicaldisputesoccurredafter325A.D.Theconflictsoccurredprimarilyintheeastern branch of Christianity as the majority of those in the west held on to the Orthodox view. The Arians toned downtheirviews,however,totakeadvantageoftheSemiArians,whowantedtorevisethecreed,soacoalition was formed. For political purposes, Emperor Constantine joins them and various creeds are written. Those holding to the Orthodox position were persecuted or banished. However there was no true unity between the groups within the coalition so the coalition eventually breaksup. The Arian extremists also form their own group.Theissueisthedefinitionoftheveryessenceofthesetwobeings(FatherandSon),orthesubstanceof whichtheyarecomposed.ThevariousgroupsansweredthisquestionbystatingthattheFatherandSonwere thesame,orsimilar,inessence. EmperorJulianbroughtbacktheOrthodox,allowingthemtoreturnfromexileortocomeoutofhiding. Hedidsobecausehewantedtopromoteinternalstrifeinthechurch...becausehewantedtodestroyit!Instead,the ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 12

oppositeoccurs.WewillcoverEmperorJulianmoreindepth,shortly.Themisunderstandinginthewordingof thecreedwasclearedup,however,andtheyunitedonceagainundertheOrthodoxview.EmperorValenshelped the Arians regain temporary control. After Emperor Valens died, the Nicene Creed was reaffirmed as being an accuraterepresentationofChristiandoctrine. TheNiceneConstantinopolitanCreedfollowsbelow: IbelieveinoneGod,FatherAlmighty,Makerofheavenandearthandofallthingsvisibleandinvisible. AndinOneLord,JesusChrist,theonlybegottenSonofGod,begottenoftheFatherofallages.Lightof Light,trueGodoftrueGod,begotten,notmade,ofOneessencewiththeFather,throughwhomallthings weremade. Who,forusallandforoursalvationcame,downfromheavenandwasincarnateoftheHolySpiritandof theVirginMaryandbecameman. CrucifiedforoursalvationunderPontiusPilate;Hesufferedandwasburied. AndonthethirddayHeroseagainaccordingtothescriptures. AndascendedintoheavenandisseatedattherighthandoftheFather. AndHeshallcomeagaininglorytojudgethelivingandthedead,whoseKingdomshallhavenoend. AndIbelieveintheHolySpirit,theLord,theGiverofLife,WhoproceedsfromtheFather,Whotogether withtheFatherandtheSonisworshipedandglorified.WhospokethroughtheProphets. IbelieveinOne,Holy,CatholicandApostolicChurch. Iacknowledgeonebaptismfortheremissionofsins. Iawaittheresurrectionofthedead; Andthelifeoftheagetocome. Amen. Constantiusdied,andJuliansreignbegan,whichlastedlessthantwentymonths.WhenJulianbecame Emperor(361A.D.),hetriedtodestroyChristianity,asIhavementioned,notbypersecution,butbyinternalstrife andrecallingallthosewhohadbeenpreviouslybanished.TheCouncilofAlexandria(362A.D.)dealtwiththe problem of admitting SemiArians back into the Nicene group by simply reaffirming the Nicene Creed, and as wellaswiththeconfusionofthetermssubstance(hypostasis)andessence(ousia). TheEmperorJulian(331363AD)didnotseethingsthesamewayConstantinopledid.Hesupportedthe sunmysterybeliefsystems.TheSunMysteryInTheCourseOfHumanHistorybyRudolfSteinersays,Inthefourth century A.D. there were schools which taught that the sunmystery must remain untold, that a civilization knowingnothingofthesunmysterymustnowarise.Behindeverythingthattakesplaceintheexternalworldlie forcesandpowerswhichgiveguidancefromtheuniverse.Oneoftheinstrumentsoftheseguidingpowerswas theRomanEmperorConstantine.ItwasunderhimthatChristianityassumedtheform,whichdeniesthesun. Under Valens (successor to Julian) the Acacians gained temporary control (c.363 A.D.), but only for a shorttime.BythetimeofthedeathofAthanasius(373A.D.),theArianswerelosingground.Basil,alongtime enemy of Arianism, became bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Gregory of Nazianzus started an Orthodox mission in Constantinople, which was well received, amid persecution. Finally, when Theodorius became emperor, the Nicene creed was upheld at the Council of Constantinople (381383 A.D.), and Arianism forever becameasectoutsidethechurch. And so, the Arian heresy had run its course. After fiftyfive years of struggle, Christendom was convinced that it had to either accept the complete and full deity of Christ, or deny it. There was no middle ground.AsfortheArians,theylingeredonforafewcenturies.Theyneveragainheldprominentpositionsinthe church,buttheywerereadilyacceptedbythebarbarians,Germanictribes,andothers,sotheirinfluencewasstill felt.Eventodayitcreepsupintheformofvarioussects,toremindusoftheseformerdaysdayswhenithad almostconqueredChristendom,buthavingbeenputtothetest,wasfoundtobefalse. RowlandSmith,inJuliansGods:ReligionAndPhilosophyInTheThoughtAndActionOfJulianTheApostate (1995:137138)says,Philosophicalinterests,inJulianscasebasedonIamblichanNeoplatonism,appeartohave prompted the Emperors interest in the mysteries in general and in Mithraism in particular. Mithraic ritual providedasubjectforphilosophicalexegesisbutdidnotsubstitutefortheurgicriteslinkedbyIamblichustothe divine revelations of the Chaldaean Oracles. Indeed, Smith raises important doubts about the date of Julians acknowledgedinitiationintothecultofMithras,inAthanassiadiin351A.D.Thisdemonstratestheroleplayedby modernidentificationsofMithraswiththegodHeliosinattemptstolinkthisinitiationtoJuliansinvolvement withNeoplatonictheurgy,hisconversiontopaganism,orhisinitiationintheEleusinianMysteriesduringhis ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 13

brief stay in Athens. As for the Mysteries of Cybele, though a precise date for Julians initiation is beyond recovery,anearlyformalinvolvementonhispartissuggestedbytheprominenceofthecultofMagnaMaterat EphesusandbytheassociationofHecate,soimportanttotheurgicritual,withCybele. Julians Against The Galilaeans understandably occupies a central position in Smiths analysis of Julians objectionstoChristianity.SmithobservesthatJuliancoucheshisattackonChristianrevelationinlongstanding, derivative argumentation and suggests that Julian viewed Christian revelation based on a onceandforall incarnationofGodasimpossibletosquarewithaNeoplatonicnotionofrevelationreconcilablewithtraditional GrecoRoman polytheism. Julians excoriation of the Old Testament god of the Jews reflects some of the same features. His comparison of the creation story of Genesis to Platos Timaeus, his charge against the Jews of a narrow,exclusivereligiosity,andhisindictmentoftheJewishgodincontrasttotheclassicaltheoiasaprotector andprovider,allhavemoretodo,inSmithsviewwithJulianstraditionalpolytheismthanwithphilosophy.The sameistrueofwhatSmith(p.197)seesasJuliansthreechargesagainstChristianity:therejectionofthegoodin GreekandJewishtraditions,theclaimofChristsdivinity,andtherepulsiveandimpiousnatureofChristian religiouspractices.Insum,hemaintains(p.207)thatAgainstTheGalilaeanswaswrittenoutofdeephatredfor ChristianthoughtandpracticeandthesocialeffectstheyhadhadthroughouttheEmpire.ToJulian,thesewere most palpable in the indifference of Christians to the cult of worship of the ancestral gods, and in their assumptionthattheycouldparticipateintheGreekrepublicoflettersandyetdenywhathesawasitsreligious core:amultiplicityofgodsmanifestingthemselvesinhelpfulepiphaniesinreturnforthehonourspaidtothem bymortals. The Emperor Julian had, after all, inherited Constantius administration, commanders, and legions that hadfoughtunderthesignofthecrossandthelabarum.However,onceconfidentthathecouldact,Juliandid.In a series of laws he revoked property and privileges granted the church by his Christian predecessors, working concurrentlytorestorethelossestothepagancult.JuliansantiChristianfeelingsintensifiedinAntiochpartly asaresponsetotheprovocationsoftheAntiochenesandinreactiontoparticularproblemselsewhere,partlyin hisanticipationofthehelpfromthegodsrequiredforsuccessagainstthePersiansandhisconceptionofhisgoal wasunchanged.Hisaimwasasithadeverbeen:TheeradicationofChristianityasasocialforceintheEmpire. (p. 215). Thought and action became one as Julian, Hellene and Emperor, strove to merit the title restitutor of religioRomana,imperiumRomanum,andultimately,theorbisterrarum. JulianasksaboutAdamandEveandtheeatingoftheforbiddenfruitfromtheTreeofKnowledgeatthe instigationoftheSerpent:IsitnotexcessivelystrangethatGodshoulddenytothehumanbeingswhomhehad fashionedthepowertodistinguishbetweengoodandevil...whichknowledgealoneseemstogivecoherenceto themindofman?Godrefusedtoletmantasteofwisdom,butwhatcouldbeofmorevalueformansothatthe serpentwasabenefactorratherthanadestroyerofthehumanrace. Julian believed that the Bible was written in allegories with esoteric or hidden meaning important for understanding the scriptures. Julian was influenced by the Neoplatonic concepts of Plato, Pythagoras, and Orpheus,whohereferredtoasthemostancientofalltheinspiredphilosophersandfoundersofthemostsacred ofalltheMysteries. In The Phenomenon Of Man (1955), Teilhard de Chardin, Jesuit priest and paleontologist, tells us the followingaboutEmperorJulian:JuliancommencedhisreignatConstantinopleinDecember,361.During362he preparedforarenewalofthewarwiththePersians,andinMarchofthefollowingyeartookthefield,atfirstwith success, but it was on June 26, 363 A.D., in the heat of battle, that he received a mortal wound from a spear thought to be that ofa Christian regicide. Hisfinalhours, as he layin his tent surroundedby the philosophers who had been his constant companions, have been likened to the last hours of Socrates, for they were largely spentinphilosophicandloftydiscourse.Asmorningdawned,accordingtowitnessaccounts,heaskedtobelifted togreetthefirstraysoftherisingsun,andsopassedintothecareofgreatHelios.Others(Ammianus,etc.)givethe hourofJuliansdeathasmidnight,buttherearegoodreasonstoaccepttheaboveversion,forJulianwasasun worshipper. Julians brief but active reign was at an end; yet the impetus he had given his reforms carried their influence in some degree into the after years. History claims, however, that by the 6th century, Neoplatonism was triumphantly crushed and its flame stamped out. But was it really crushed as completely as appearances mightsuggest?ThefactisthatbelieversinthedoctrinesofPythagorasandPlatoandIamblichussurvivedinthe West, individually and in groups, throughout the centuries. Often they were branded as heretics and attempts were made to exterminate them, but the ideas they cherished lived on. The only sure way to arrive at a true ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 14

estimateofamansworthistogotothewritingsoftheindividualhimself;andinJulianscasethesearefairly voluminous,forhewasacopiousauthorandcorrespondent,andafairamountofhisworkhassurvived.Hereis internalevidencethathewasagenuinerepresentativeoftheguardiansofhumanwelfare. HagiaSophia In the year 988 A.D., Russia sent envoys to compare its religious services with those of other religions they were considering adopting. The Hagia Sophia was so beautiful that they believed they were in Heaven itself.TheHagiaSophia,amagnificentlydecoratedchurch,wassomagnificentthatitbecamealmostmythical, knowntothefaroffAngloSaxonsofEngland,whoborrowednotonlyaspectsofByzantineartbutalsothetitle ofBasileusfortheirking.EventheVikingsindistantScandinaviaandinRusslandreferredtoConstantinopleas MiklegardorTsargrad(theEmperorscity),ofwhichthechiefjewelwasHagiaSophia,abeautifulcathedral. During the medieval period, the Hagia Sophia preserved a number of relics. Dating from the time of Christorshortlythereafter,wediscoverthatthischurchholdstodaywhattheybelieveisthetruecross,thecrown ofthornsandtheVirginsgirdleandrobe.Thegirdleandrobe,werebelievedbytheByzantinepopulacetobethe palladia (protectors) of Constantinople. Before the time of the schism in 1054 A.D., pilgrims from around the regioncametoparticipateintheliturgyheldatHagiaSophia,hypnotizedbytheremarkablymovingchantsof thepatriarchal,antiphonalchoirs.SomescholarsbelievethatPopeGregoryTheGreat,afterhewaspapalenvoy inConstantinople(before590),introducedintoSt.PetersatRomethesocalledGregorianchantinimitationof thechantinginHagiaSophia. Since the time of Photios, changes have occurred. Differing views were given freedom of expression thankstotheAggiornamentoofVatican.ThewordsofourforefathersintheFaithattheSynodofUnion(879 880 A.D.) should be taken to heart. The holy Synod said, Every church has certain old usages which it has inherited. One should not quarrel and argue about them. Let the Roman Church observe its usages; this is legitimate.ButletalsotheChurchofConstantinopleobservecertainusageswhichithasinheritedfromoldtimes. Let it be likewise so in the Orient... Many things would not have happened if the churches had followed this recommendation in the past. So all were allowed autonomy, with freedom to choose their own way of expressingthisunityinthechurches. TheDivineRevelationvs.Historicism In the latter part of the 19thcentury, Christianity concentrated on the divine revelation around the historicalJesus. The reason for thiswas to oppose the metaphysical, idealistic andspeculative Christology of thefirsthalfofthe19thcentury.TheteachingsconcerningtheKingdomofGodbecamecentral.Thisimplieda purely historical figure ofJesusand his teachings according to the Gospel. However,upona closer lookat this lineofthinkingandthissupposedlyhistoricalpicture,itisinrealityaninvention. ThisconceptionoftheKingdomisnotareturntoJesusstronglyeschatologicalteachingsaccordingtothe Gospel.HarnacksworkontheessenceofChristianity,foundinhisfamousbookWhatIsChristianityappearingat thebeginningofthe19thcentury,findstheessenceofChristianityinJesusteachingsoftheFatherhoodofGod, thefamilyofmanandthevalueofthehumansoul.ThetheologyoftheEnlightenmentisthatGod,virtue,and immortality are all found in the life of Jesus. With a careful reinterpretation of the historical, Harnack begins withincertainstandardsbywhichthehistoricalwasjudged,eventhoughitisnotclearjustwhatthestandardis. ReferenceismadetoJesusinnerlifeatthistimeratherthantocertainaspectsofhisteachings.Thisinnerlifeof theChristisidealism.JesusrepresentsthemoralidealasiftheideaofmoralgoodnesswasincarnateinJesus innerlife. InFaithOfTheChristianChurch(1948),GustafAulensays,FromtheviewpointofChristianfaiththereare essentiallytwodefectsinthethoughtofhistoricism.Inthefirstplace,revelationisunderstoodasdatedandstatic. When revelation is located at an isolated point in the past, an imaginary chasm is created between faith and revelation.BecauseofitsonesidedemphasisuponthehistoricalJesus. InTheTrueNatureOfTheSecondComing(1971),RudolfSteinersays,Thewillofmanmustbefiredbythe divinewisdom,andthemostpowerfulimpulseforthiswillbetothosewhohavetrulypreparedthemselves.The sublimeetherformofChristJesusbecomesperceptible.Toamaninwhomnaturalclairvoyancehasdeveloped thiswillbelikeaSecondComingofChristJesus,justastheethericChristwillappearagaintomenwhenthey realizethattheymustusetothisendofthefacultieswithwhichevolutionitselfwillequipthehumansoul TheFirstMan JesuswasmarginalizedintheJewishcommunityduringhislifeandsupposedlyjoinedtheEssenesatthe ageof18.JesusfeltthatPalestinewasthebestplaceinalltheRomanworldtoliveoutthefinalscenesofhislife ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 15

on earth. He was satisfied to reveal his divine identity among the Jews and gentiles of his native Palestine. He finishedhislifeonearthinthesamelandwherehewasborn,inPalestineandamongtheJews.Nomentionis madeoftheFirstManfoundintheBabylonianbeliefsystemthatisseenasanintermediarybetweenthegods oflightandthisearth. In the unfolding consciousness of the Age of Aquarius we find ourselves in now, Maria RoschlLehrs examinesthelivesoftheGermanpoetsLessing,GoetheandNovalis:inherbookTheSecondManInUs(1977): Soulshavecometobeathomeinthepreternatural,butusuallytheydidsoinapeculiarwaynamely,through abodyfreeexpansionintoextrahumanandextraterrestrialrealms,mostlywiththesurrender,however,oftheir selfconsciousness,throughagoingoutofthemselvesintospace.Andonlyveryspecialindividualspierced,also intheirownway,theboundariesoftime,andsocametoanunderstandingofrepeatedearthlylives,asdid,for example,Lessing,GoetheandNovalisThissecond,cloudlikemanisworkingsostrongly,andthusgivingrise tosomanyquestionsinthesoulstoday,againpointstooneofthoseinnermetamorphoseswhichthepresentage is bringing about; it is the development of a more intense consciousness of the soul and spirit of man, a developmentthatbeginsinpuberty.Ofcourseasmallchildalsohasactiveinitsastral,itsstarbodythevehicleof itsfeelingsandofmusicalexperience,butwiththechildthisastralbodyisaroundit,itenvelopsit,interlacing andweavingitselfthroughitfromtheoutside Duringtheyearsofchildhood,theseformsoflightmergewiththeorgansofthehumanbody.Theastral bodybecomesapartoftheyoungperson,linkinghimwiththecosmicforcesandneworgansofperception.The cloudlikemanisliterallydrawnintothehumanbeingandweseethebirthoftheastralegomemberbecoming more conscious. Today the human soul brings up many questions for us about eternal man, bearer of karmic development.

SACREDCHRISTIANTEXTS
Aeon:Greekemanation,divinepower,cosmictimecycle.ReefsofAeonicdreaming.(GaiaMythos) AnAeonisagodunderstoodintermsofthephysicsofconsciousness.Theyareprocesses,greatliving currents, both selfaware and in possession of sense abilities. The Goddess Sophia, who becomes embodied as Gaia,isanAeon,hencetheAeonSophia.Aeonsaregendered.InsomeGnosticscenariosthemalecounterpartto thefemaleAeonSophiaistheAeonChristos. Gnostics,infirstcenturyChristianity,wereaprominentsegmentofthenewChristiancommunity.They weretheearlyfollowersofChrist,andheldstronglytothebeliefsofChristandhismessage,andexperienceda special witness or the revelatory experience of the divine as experienced in the Ein Solf of the ancient Kabbalistic mystery traditon. This spiritual experience is called gnosis by the Gnostics, which is believed by themtobethetruewayofChrist.StephanHoellerexplainsthattheseGnosticChristiansheldaconvictionthat direct,personalandabsoluteknowledgeoftheauthentictruthsofexistenceisaccessibletohumanbeings,and, moreover, that the attainment of such knowledge must always constitute the supreme achievement of human life. In December 1945, near the town of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt, Gnostic studies were reborn. A collectionofancienttextswerediscoveredhiddenawaysincetheyear390A.D.,bymonksofSt.Pachomius,to escapedestructionbyorderofthegrowingChristianChurchthatwasatthattimeviolentlyeradicatingheresy. ThesethirteenpapyruscodicescontainingfiftytwosacredtextsarenowcalledtheGnosticGospels. We learn from reading Mary Magdalene: Beyond The Myth (1993), by Susan Haskins, that there was a concerted effort on the part of churchmen of the early church to destroy the knowledge of any female contributions. Mary Magdalenes may well have been victim to this legacy of deceit and repression. This book rendersthetheorythattheFourthGospel,believedtobeauthoredbyJohnofZebedeeisreallywrittenbyMary Magdalene.IstheBelovedDiscipleoftheFourthGospelandfounderandleaderofwhathascometobeknown astheJohannineCommunityreallyMaryMagdalene?AccordingtoHaskinsthereismoreevidencepointingto MaryswritingtheFourthGospelthanJohnwritingit.Thefollowingarenotofficialgospelsthatareincludedin theBible,buttotheChristianmystictheyareimportantindeedandcouldbeconsideredpartoftheBible. ThefollowingismaterialfromTheGospelOfMary: GospelofMary Chapter4 (Pages1to6ofthemanuscript,containingchapters13,arelost.Theextanttextstartsonpage7...) ...Willmatterthenbedestroyedornot? ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 16

22)TheSaviorsaid,Allnature,allformations,allcreaturesexistinandwithoneanother,andtheywillberesolved againintotheirownroots. 23)Forthenatureofmatterisresolvedintotherootsofitsownnaturealone. 24)Hewhohasearstohear,lethimhear. 25)Petersaidtohim,Sinceyouhaveexplainedeverythingtous,tellusthisalso:Whatisthesinoftheworld? 26)TheSaviorsaidThereisnosin,butitisyouwhomakesinwhenyoudothethingsthatarelikethenatureof adultery,whichiscalledsin. 27)ThatiswhytheGoodcameintoyourmidst,totheessenceofeverynatureinordertorestoreittoitsroot. 28)ThenHecontinuedandsaid,Thatiswhyyoubecomesickanddie,foryouaredeprivedoftheonewhocanheal you. 29)Hewhohasamindtounderstand,lethimunderstand. 30)Mattergavebirthtoapassionthathasnoequal,whichproceededfromsomethingcontrarytonature.Thenthere arisesadisturbanceinitswholebody. 31)ThatiswhyIsaidtoyou,Beofgoodcourage,andifyouarediscouragedbeencouragedinthepresenceofthe differentformsofnature. 32)Hewhohasearstohear,lethimhear. 33) When the Blessed One had said this, He greeted them all, saying, Peace be with you. Receive my peace unto yourselves. 34)BewarethatnooneleadyouastraysayingLohereorlothere!FortheSonofManiswithinyou. 35)FollowafterHim! 36)ThosewhoseekHimwillfindHim. 37)GothenandpreachthegospeloftheKingdom. 38)DonotlaydownanyrulesbeyondwhatIappointedyou,anddonotgivealawlikethelawgiverlestyoube constrainedbyit. 39)WhenHesaidthisHedeparted. Chapter5 1)Buttheyweregrieved.Theyweptgreatly,saying,HowshallwegototheGentilesandpreachthegospelofthe KingdomoftheSonofMan?IftheydidnotspareHim,howwilltheyspareus? 2)ThenMarystoodup,greetedthemall,andsaidtoherbrethren,Donotweepanddonotgrievenorbeirresolute, forHisgracewillbeentirelywithyouandwillprotectyou. 3)Butrather,letuspraiseHisgreatness,forHehaspreparedusandmadeusintoMen. 4)WhenMarysaidthis,sheturnedtheirheartstotheGood,andtheybegantodiscussthewordsoftheSavior. 5)PetersaidtoMary,SisterweknowthattheSaviorlovedyoumorethantherestofwoman. 6)TellusthewordsoftheSaviorwhichyourememberwhichyouknow,butwedonot,norhaveweheardthem. 7)Maryansweredandsaid,WhatishiddenfromyouIwillproclaimtoyou. 8)Andshebegantospeaktothemthesewords:I,shesaid,sawtheLordinavisionandIsaidtoHim,LordIsaw youtodayinavision.Heansweredandsaidtome, 9)BlessedareyouthatyoudidnotwaveratthesightofMe.Forwherethemindisthereisthetreasure. 10)IsaidtoHim,Lord,howdoeshewhoseesthevisionseeit,throughthesoulorthroughthespirit? 11) The Savior answered and said, He does not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the mind that is betweenthetwothatiswhatseesthevisionanditis[...] (pages1114aremissingfromthemanuscript) Chapter8: ...it. 10)Anddesiresaid,Ididnotseeyoudescending,butnowIseeyouascending.Whydoyouliesinceyoubelongto me? 11)Thesoulansweredandsaid,Isawyou.Youdidnotseemenorrecognizeme.Iservedyouasagarmentandyou didnotknowme. 12)Whenitsaidthis,it(thesoul)wentawayrejoicinggreatly. 13)Againitcametothethirdpower,whichiscalledignorance. 14)Thepowerquestionedthesoul,saying,Whereareyougoing?Inwickednessareyoubound.Butyouarebound; donotjudge! 15)Andthesoulsaid,Whydoyoujudgeme,althoughIhavenotjudged? ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 17

16)Iwasbound,thoughIhavenotbound. 17) I was not recognized. But I have recognized that the All is being dissolved, both the earthly things and the heavenly. 18) When the soul had overcome the third power, it went upwards and saw the fourth power, which took seven forms. 19)Thefirstformisdarkness,theseconddesire,thethirdignorance,thefourthistheexcitementofdeath,thefifthis thekingdomoftheflesh,thesixthisthefoolishwisdomofflesh,theseventhisthewrathfulwisdom.Thesearethe sevenpowersofwrath. 20)Theyaskedthesoul,Whencedoyoucomeslayerofmen,orwhereareyougoing,conquerorofspace? 21)Thesoulansweredandsaid,Whatbindsmehasbeenslain,andwhatturnsmeabouthasbeenovercome, 22)andmydesirehasbeenended,andignorancehasdied. 23) In an aeon I was released from a world, and in a Type from a type, and from the fetter of oblivion which is transient. 24)FromthistimeonwillIattaintotherestofthetime,oftheseason,oftheaeon,insilence. Chapter9 1)WhenMaryhadsaidthis,shefellsilent,sinceitwastothispointthattheSaviorhadspokenwithher. 2)ButAndrewansweredandsaidtothebrethren,Saywhatyouwishtosayaboutwhatshehassaid.Iatleastdo notbelievethattheSaviorsaidthis.Forcertainlytheseteachingsarestrangeideas. 3)Peteransweredandspokeconcerningthesesamethings. 4)HequestionedthemabouttheSavior:DidHereallyspeakprivatelywithawomanandnotopenlytous?Arewe toturnaboutandalllistentoher?DidHepreferhertous? 5)ThenMaryweptandsaidtoPeter,MybrotherPeter,whatdoyouthink?DoyouthinkthatIhavethoughtthis upmyselfinmyheart,orthatIamlyingabouttheSavior? 6)LeviansweredandsaidtoPeter,Peteryouhavealwaysbeenhottempered. 7)NowIseeyoucontendingagainstthewomanliketheadversaries. 8)ButiftheSaviormadeherworthy,whoareyouindeedtorejecther?SurelytheSaviorknowsherverywell. 9)ThatiswhyHelovedhermorethanus.RatherletusbeashamedandputontheperfectMan,andseparateasHe commandedusandpreachthegospel,notlayingdownanyotherruleorotherlawbeyondwhattheSaviorsaid. 10)Andwhentheyheardthistheybegantogoforthtoproclaimandtopreach. ThePistisSophia InthePistisSophia,Jesusiseverywherepreeminentandcentral.HeishererevealedassaviourandFirst Mystery,whoknowsallandunveilsall,infiniteincompassion.Assuchheispreexistentfrometernity,andhis ministryisnotonlyearthly,butcosmicandsupercosmic;indeed,itisthechieffeatureinthedivineeconomy.Yet nowhereishecalledtheChrist. Becalm,belovinguntoothers,begentle,bepeaceful,bemerciful,givetithes,helpthepoorandsickand distressed,bedevotedtoDeity,berighteous,begoodthatyemayreceivetheMysteriesoftheLightandgoon highintotheLightLand.Yeshu(Jesus)PistisSophia102 ThestorypresentedinthePistisSophiaisperfectlyconsistentwithGnosticbeliefs.ForerunnersAndRivals OfChristianitybyLegge(1964)remindsusthatthisworkresemblestheworkoftheOphitesandofValentinus. AnintroductioninnarrativeforminformsusthatJesusafterrisingfromthedeadspentelevenyearsinteaching hisdisciplesthearrangementoftheheavenlyplacesonlysofarastheplacesofapowerwhomHecallsthe first mystery and declares to be before all mysteries, and to be within the veil being the father of the likeness of a dove. The result of this limitation was that the disciples were ignorant not only that any power existed higher than the First Mystery, but also the origin of the places or worlds of those material and quasi maternalpowerswho,hereasintheearliersystems,areresponsibleforthegovernanceoftheworldandthefate ofmankind.JesusiswiththedisciplesontheMountofOliveswhenHeiscarriedawayintoHeavenbyagreat powerorshapeoflightwhichdescendsuponHim.WelearnthatonHisreturn,heinformsthedisciplesabout this shape describing it as a vesture of light, or, His heavenly nature laid aside before being born into this world. Hetellsthemwhenhefirstcameintothisworldbeforehisincarnation,Hebroughtwithhim12powers which He took from the Twelve Saviors of the Treasure house of Light, and transplanted them in the 12 Apostles mothers. His intention was to allow them to be born into the world where they were given these ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 18

powers instead of receiving, like other men, souls from the archons (or rulers) of the aeons. Continuing, He describeshowheappearedamongthearchonsofthisSphereasalikenessofangelGabriel,findingamongthem thesoulofElijahtheProphet.ThissoulHecausedtobetakentotheVirginofLightthatitmightbeplanted inElizabeth,themotherofJohntheBaptist,andHeaddsthatheboundtoitapowerwhichHetookfromthe LittleIaotheGood,whoisinthemiddle.Thereasonforthis,wearetold,isthatJohntheBaptististoprepare thewayofforJesuswiththeuseofwaterfortheremissionofsins. In the Pistis Sophia, the Gnostic text, we see Jesus making a grand reappearance after his crucifixion to teachthedisciplestheinnermysteriesofthesoul.MaryMagdalenespresenceisheardinthedialoguewithJesus, andherquestionsaswellasanswersindicatesagainthatsheisastudentoftheGnostictradition.Pointinfact nowhereisJesuscalledtheChristinthePistisSophia.RatherJesusisrevealedassaviourandreferredtoasthe FirstMystery,viewedaspreexistentfrometernitywithanonearthlyministryaswellasanearthlyministry. Herearesomeexcerptsfromthissacreddocument.InthePistisSophia(p.37,Copt.),Jesussaysthatthe angelsboundinthestarswere,untilHiscoming,inthehabitofturningaboutanddevouringtheirownmatter, fromwhichthesoulsofmenandotheranimalsweremade,inorderthattheirrulemightendurethelonger. Let us look at the following significant transition or initiation points in Jesus life that indicate Mary Magdalenewasnotonlypresent,butwastheonewhoperformedthemostimportantancientrituals,orritesof passage for Jesus. These rites would have been performed only by one initiated into the deeper mysteries, one whowouldhavecommandedakeypositionintheunfoldingdrama. Magdalene anoints Jesus with her alabaster jar of spikenard prior to his being captured and crucified, seemingtoknowtheoverallplanbeforeitwascleartotheotherdisciples.ThefollowingexcerptfromSolomons Song of Songs, 1:12, implies that Magdalene was following a much more ancient ritual tradition in which the Bridegroom,orKingisanointedbytheBrideorHighPriestess.Thisritemostlikelyevenpredatesthepassionate lovepoemsofSolomonandSheeba. Whilethekingsatathistable, Myspikenardsentforthitsfragrance. Mybelovedisuntomeasabundleofmyrrh Thatliethbetwixtmybreasts. TheMagdaleneispresentatthecross,alongwithJesusmotherMary,thediscipleSalome,andJohnthe Beloved. The other disciples were in hiding, to overcome with grief and fear to even appear. According to Magdalene/Templar historian and author Lynn Picknett, when Magdalene goes back to find the male disciples andrallythemoutoftheirfearandtotalhopelessnessafterthecrucifixion,sheactuallygavethechurchtoPeter, althoughasthecompanionofJesustheministryshouldhaverevertedtoher! Peter,Illtellyounotonlywhatyoudontknow, butwhathekeptfromyou. MagdaleneandMarythemotheranointJesusbodywithspecificunguents,onesknowntoalchemically aid in Christs afterdeath journey, and then wrap his body in linen in preparation for burialcertainly a task onlytobeentrustedtotheonesclosesttohim. InthreeoftheGospels,MagdaleneisthefirstonethatJesusappearstoafterthecrucifixion.Jesusthen says, Noli mi tanger, or do not cling to me, and as Margaret Starbird comments, the Greek translation of tangere, meaning cling, implies a more intimate relationship between them, rather than the Latin to touch. AccordingtothePistisSophia,aGnostictextinwhichJesusmakesagrandreappearanceafterthecrucifixionand teachesthedisciplesdeeperinnermysteries,itisMagdalenespresencewhichdominatesthisdialoguewithJesus, andbothherquestionsandanswersindicateanApostlewhoknewtheAll. Mariham (Magdalene), this whom I shall complete in all the mysteries of the things of the Height. Speak in Boldness, because thou art she whoseheart straineth toward the Kingdom of theheavens more than all thy brothersyou who will give light upon everything in accuracy and in exactness. This was spoken by Jesus, recorded in the Pistis Sophiatexts. SusanHaskinssaysinMaryMagdalene(1994)thatMaryisawomanwhodefinitelydidnotplayaminor or casual role either during or after the life of Jesus. Although the historical documentation that refers to Magdalene following the crucifixion is interwoven with legend and myth, many scholars say that it is quite possiblethatshehadbeenmarriedtoJesus.Accordingtoherdevouthereticalfollowers,theCatharsofsouthern France,theywereunmarriedlovers. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 19

ItappearsthatMagdalenecontinuedtheministrythatembracedtheoriginalpurposeofChristianityin the years following the crucifixion. There are records of her having preached her message on the steps of the Temple at Marseilles dedicated to the Goddess Diana, and that she had a strong following in southern France. LegendsofherescapefromPalestinetoEgypt,FranceandafurtherjourneytoGreatBritainincludeherbearing the children of Jesus, being the figurehead of the MagdaleneIsisian Mystery Schools. They also include retreatingintothedeepcavernsofFranceandtheareasaroundRennesleChateau,RenneslesBains,andeven intoGlastonbury,England,thecoastofWales,Edinburgh,Scotland,andtheIslesofMullandIona. TheDeadSeaScrollsandtheNagHammadiLibrary(250BCto100A.D.) During the middle years of the twentieth century, two important collections of ancient religious texts werediscoveredinPalestineandEgypt:theDeadSeaScrollsandtheNagHammadiLibrary(250BCto100A.D.) The Dead Sea Scrolls are a very large number of scrollspoorly preserved, many found only in tiny scrapsdiscovered in eleven caves near Qumran and the Dead Sea around 1947. Over 800 separate texts are amongthisfind.Thescrollsdatefromabout250BCEto100CE,sometimeafterthewritingoftheOldTestament intodaysBible,butbeforetheformingofChristianityandrabbinicalJudaism. TheNagHammadiLibrarydiscoveredinupperEgyptin1945consistsof13ancientleatherboundbooks containing55texts.Theywereallhiddentogetherinsidealarge,sealedjar.Afterspending1,500yearsburiedin theEgyptiansands,theywerediscoveredinunbelievablygoodcondition.Theydatefromthefirsttwoorthree centuries of the Christian era, comprising of lost and unknown Christian sacred writings. These writings are describedasGnostic.IncludedamongthetextswasaneditionoftheGospelofThomasandispossiblyolder thanthefourknowncanonicalgospels.Somescholarsbelievethesescriptureswereoriginallycomposedbythe ApostleThomasPhiliptheEvangelistandValentineofAlexandria.Theycametoustranslatedfromtheoriginal Aramaic,HebrewandGreek.AnexcerptfromTheDialogueOfTheSavior,NagHammadireads:Judassaid,Tell me,Lord,whatisthebeginningofthePath.He[Jesus]said,LoveandGoodness. 2,000 years ago, most of the Middle East was inhabited by the Jews. Later, there were many sects in Judaism. One wellknown sect at the time was the vegetarian group known as the Essenes. The historian, Josephus,describingtheEssenes,said,TheyareJewsbybirthandareparticularlyattachedtoeachother.They eschewpleasureseekingasaviceandregardtemperanceandmasteryofthepassionsavirtue...Theypossessno onecity,buteverywherehavelargecolonies. Sadly much of the Dead Sea Scrolls still remain locked up by government authorities and religious scholars.Authoritiesandscholarsofalltypesthinkthatthegeneralpublicisnotcompetentenoughtointerpret what is in the Dead Sea Scrolls. However, it might change Christianity as we know it if these documents were officiallyreleasedasChristianteachings. FromtheNagHammadi: TheThunder,PerfectMind,offersanextraordinarypoemspokeninthevoiceofafemininedivinepower: ForIamthefirstandthelast. Iamthehonoredoneandthescornedone. Iamthewhoreandtheholyone. Iamthewifeandthevirgin... Iamthebarrenone,andmanyarehersons... Iamthesilencethatisincomprehensible... Iamtheutteranceofmyname In their book The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation (1996), Michael Wise, Martin Abegg Jr., and Edward Cook say about the Enoch Dead Sea Scrolls, It is fair to say that the patriarch Enoch was as well knowntotheancientsasheisobscuretomodernBiblereaders.Besidesgivinghisage(365years),thebookof GenesissaysofhimonlythathewalkedwithGod,andafterwardhewasnot,becauseGodhadtakenhim (Gen. 5:24). This exalted way of life and mysterious demise made Enoch into a figure of considerable fascination, and a cycle of legends grew up around him. Many of the legends about Enoch were collected alreadyinancienttimesinseverallonganthologies.Themostimportantofsuchanthology,andtheoldest,is known simply as The Book of Enoch, comprising over one hundred chapters. It still survives in its entirety (althoughonlyintheEthiopiclanguage)andformsanimportantsourceforthethoughtofJudaisminthelast few centuries B.C. Significantly, the remnants of several almost complete copies of The Book of Enoch in AramaicwerefoundamongtheDeadSeaScrolls,anditisclearthatwhoevercollectedthescrollsconsideredit ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 20

avitallyimportanttext.AllbutoneofthefivemajorcomponentsoftheEthiopicanthologyhaveturnedup amongthescrolls.ThemostimportantoftheseisTheBookofGiants. Enoch lived before the Flood, during a time when the world, in ancient imagination, was very different.Humanbeingslivedmuchlonger,foronething;EnochssonMethuselah,forinstance,attainedthe ageof969years.Anotherdifferencewasthatangelsandhumansinteractedfreelysofreely,infact,thatsome oftheangelsbegotchildrenwithhumanfemales.ThisfactisneutrallyreportedinGenesis(6:14),butother storiesviewthisepisodeasthesourceofthecorruptionthatmadethepunishingfloodnecessary.According toTheBookofEnoch,theminglingofangelandhumanwasactuallytheideaofShernihaza,theleaderofthe evilangels,wholured200otherstocohabitwithwomen.Theoffspringoftheseunnaturalunionsweregiants 450feethigh.Thewickedangelsandthegiantsbegantooppressthehumanpopulationandtoteachthemto do evil. For this reason God determined to imprison the angels until the final judgment and to destroy the earthwithaflood.Enochseffortstointercedewithheavenforthefallenangelswereunsuccessful.(1Enoch 616). TheBookofGiantselaboratesontheexploitsofthegiants,especiallythetwochildrenofShemihaza, OhyaandHahyaItsexactcontentsandtheirorderremainamatterofguesswork.Mostofthecontentofthe presentfragmentsconcernsthegiantsominousdreamsandEnochseffortstointerpretthemandtointercede withGodonthegiantsbehalf.Unfortunately,littleremainsoftheindependentadventuresofthegiants,butit islikelythatthesetaleswereatleastpartiallyderivedfromancientNearEasternmythology.Thusthenameof oneofthegiantsisGilgamesh,theBabylonianheroandsubjectofagreatepicwritteninthethirdmillennium B.C. GospelofThomas(140A.D) Portions of Greek versions of the Gospel of Thomas were found in Oxyrhynchus Egypt about one hundredyears agoand these can be dated around140 A.D. orsomewhat before. A complete versioninCoptic (the native Egyptian language written in an alphabet derived from the Greek alphabet) was found in Nag HammadiEgyptin1945.Thatversioncanbedatedtoabout340A.D.TheCopticversionisatranslationofthe Greekversion.MostoftheGospelofThomaswaswrittenpriorto140A.D. StevenDavies,ProfessorofReligiousStudiesattheCollegeMisericordiainDallas,Pennsylvania,spoke aboutthisinformativeGospelofThomas.Hestatesthatthebasicbeliefofthisdocument,isthattheKingdomof Godisspreadoutupontheearthnow,ifpeoplecanjustcometoseeit;andthatthereisdivinelightwithinall people, a light that can enable them to see the Kingdom of God upon the earth. Further, the perspective of ThomasisthattheImageofGodinthebeginning(Genesis1)stillexistsandpeoplecanassumethatidentity,an identitythatisneithermalenorfemale.TheimageofGodisdifferentiatedfromthefallenAdamofGenesis.The Gospel of Thomas advocates that people should restore their identities as the image of God now, and see the KingdomofGodonearthnow.ThomasreadsthefirsttwochaptersofGenesisinastraightforwardway,there weretwoseparatecreationsofmankind;thefirstisperfect,thesecondflawed.Ratherthanwaitingforafuture endtimeKingdomtocome,ThomasurgespeopletoreturntotheperfectKingdomconditionsofGenesischapter one. For Thomas, Endzeit (the final culmination of things) already existed in the Urzeit (the primordial creative timeofthepast).Jesusteaches,intheGospelofThomas,thatpeoplehavethepotentialtobeasheis,tobeachild ofGod,andthereforefromthatperspectiveJesusisnotauniquelydivinepersonbutarolemodelforallpeople. AndforthequestionastotheGospelofThomasbeingaGnostictext? Heanswers,ItalldependsonwhatyoumeanbyGnostic.IfyoumeanbyGnosticthebeliefthatpeople have a divine capacity within themselves and that they can come to understand that the Kingdom of God is alreadyupontheearthiftheycancometoperceivetheworld,thatwaythenThomasisGnostic.Butifyoumean byGnosticthereligionuponwhichtheNagHammaditextsarebased,areligionthatdifferentiatesthegodofthis world(whoistheJewishgod)fromahighermoreabstractGod,areligionthatregardsthisworldasthecreation of a series of evil archons/powers who wish to keep the human soul trapped in an evil physical body then no, Thomas is not Gnostic. This differentiation is very important, because some scholars reason that if Thomas is Gnostic(inthefirstsense)thenitisGnostic(inthesecondsense)and,astheybelieve,Gnosticism(inthesecond sense)isasecondorthirdcenturyheresy,theyconcludethattheGospelofThomasisheretical,lateindate,and withoutverymuchhistoricalvalueinregardtoJesusofNazareth. When asked if the views of Jesus are reflected in this Gospel, he replies; Maybe. There was once a Q gospelandaMarkgospel.ThesewererevisedandcombinedintoaMatthewgospelandaLukegospel.Sothere werefourinterrelatedtextsthattestifytoasingleviewofJesus;thathewasamanwhopredictedtheearlyendof ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 21

thisworldanditsviolentreplacementbyafutureKingdomofGod.Ifthesetextshaveitright,thenThomasis divergentfromJesusownperspectives.ButthereisalsoaJohngospeltestifyingtothepresentrealityofGods Kingdomandthepresenceofthedivineintheworld.Johnsgospel,likeThomasgospel,focusesontheactuality ofthedivineinthepresent.SoonemustdecideforoneselfwhethertheJohn/ThomasperspectivereflectsJesus ownideasorwhetherQ/Mark,andthensubsequentlytherevisedversionscalledMatthewandLuke,doso. SowhenwelookatthemodernfactionsofChristianitytodayforthatKingdomofGodwithinwerealize the significance of Sam Pascoes American scholar statement when he writes, as Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution;itmovedtoEuropeandbecameaculture;itcametoAmericaandbecameanenterprise. ElainePagelscommentsinBeyondBelief:TheSecretGospelOfThomas(1981),Iamahistorianofreligion, andso,asIvisitedthatchurch,IwonderedwhenandhowbeingaChristianbecamevirtuallysynonymouswith acceptingacertainsetofbeliefs.Fromhistoricalreading,IknewthatChristianityhadsurvivedbrutalpersecution andflourishedforgenerations,evencenturies,beforeChristiansformulatedwhattheybelievedintocreeds.The originsofthistransitionfromscatteredgroupstoaunifiedcommunityhaveleftfewtraces.Althoughtheapostle Paul,abouttwentyyearsafterJesusdeath,statedthegospel,which,hesays,Itooreceived,itmayhavebeen more than a hundred years later that some Christians, perhaps in Rome, attempted to consolidate their group againstthedemandsofafellowChristiannamedMarcion,whomtheyregardedasafalseteacher,byintroducing formal statements of belief into worship. But only in the fourth century, after the Roman emperor Constantine himself converted to the new faithor at least decriminalized itdid Christian bishops, at the emperors command,conveneinthecityofNicaea,ontheTurkishcoast,toagreeuponacommonstatementofbeliefsthe socalledNiceneCreed,whichdefinesthefaithformanyChristianstothisday. She says in another online interview about the hypothesis that the canonical Gospel of John may have beenwritteninresponsetoThomasgospel,torefuteThomas.Yes.Manypeoplehavepointedoutthatthetwo gospelshavealotincommon.Theyarebothdifferentfromtheothergospelsweknow,assymbolicandpoetic interpretationsofJesusteaching.Buttheyhaveaverydifferentpracticalturn.TheybothspeakaboutJesusasthe divinelightoftheworldthatcomesintotheworld,andthedivineenergyofGodmanifestedinhumanform.But themessageoftheGospelofJohnisthatJesusaloneisthatdivinepresenceamongus.Thomasgospelsuggests thatJesustaughtsomethingquitedifferent,whichisthateveryone,infactallbeing,camefromthatdivinesource [andthatwecanaccessthatdivinityonourown]. The Gospel of John speaks of Jesus as the light of the world, the Divine One who comes into the world to rescue the human race from sin and darkness, and basically says, if you believe in him, you can be saved. You can have everlasting life. If you dont believe in him, you go to everlasting death. The Gospel of Thomas,ontheotherhand,speaksofJesusastheDivineLightthatcomesfromheaven,saying,andyou,too, haveaccesstothatdivinesourcewithinyourselfevenapartfromJesus.Thatmightsuggestyoudontneeda church,orapriest,oraninstitution. ElainePagelsquotesBeyondBelief:TheSecretGospelofThomas(1981)thatJesussawinfantsbeingsuckled. Hesaidtohisdisciples,Theseinfantsbeingsuckledarelikethosewhoenterthekingdom.Theysaidtohim, Shallwethen,aschildren,enterthekingdom?Jesussaidtothem,Whenyoumakethetwoone,andwhenyou maketheinsideliketheoutsideandtheoutsideliketheinside,andtheabovelikethebelow,andwhenyoumake the male and the female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female female; and when you fashioneyesintheplaceofaneye,andahandinplaceofahand,andafootinplaceofafoot,andalikenessin placeofalikeness;thenwillyouenterthekingdom. According to scholars, the 114 quotations in the Gospel of Thomas are as valuable as Matthew, Mark, LukeandJohnforgainingunderstandingofthemanChristiansworshipasMessiah. (111)Jesussaid:Theheavensshallberolledupandtheearthbeforeyourface,andhewholivesinthelivingOne shallneitherseedeathnor(fear);becauseJesussays:Hewhoshallfindhimself,ofhimtheworldisnotworthy. (112)Jesussaid:Woetothefleshwhichdependsuponthesoul;woetothesoulwhichdependsupontheflesh. TheEsseneGospelOfPeace:TheTeachingsOfTheElect ThefollowingexcerptisfromEdmondBordeauxTheEsseneGospelOfPeace,BookFour(1981),foundatthe site (http://www.thenazareneway.com/essene_gospel_of_peace_book_4.htm). It has some very metaphysical ideas in it. When you read the following material, notice the metaphysical concepts that are found here in the very beginnings of Christianity. What is described here could also be called samadhi or enlightenment in Eastern ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 22

teachings,adeepmeditativestateoreventheexperienceofanAlphabrainwavestate.Readitandexperienceit foryourself: Intotheinnermostcirclehaveyoucome,intothemysteryofmysteries,thatwhichwasoldwhenourfatherEnoch wasyoungandwalkedtheearth.Aroundandaroundhaveyoucomeonyourjourneyofmanyyears,alwaysfollowingthe pathofrighteousness,livingaccordingtotheHolyLawandthesacredvowsofourBrotherhood,andyouhavemadeofyour bodyaholytemplewhereindwelltheangelsofGod.Manyyearshaveyousharedthedaylighthourswiththeangelsofthe EarthlyMother;manyyearshaveyousleptinthearmsoftheHeavenlyFather,taughtbyhisunknownangels.Youhave learnedthatthelawsoftheSonofManareseven,oftheangelsthree,andofGod,one.Nowyoushallknowofthethreelaws oftheangels,themysteryofthethreeHolyStreamsandtheancientwaytotraversethem;soshallyoubatheinthelightof heavenandatlastbeholdtherevelationofthemysteryofmysteries:thelawofGod,whichisOne. Nowinthehourbeforetherisingofthesun,justbeforetheangelsoftheEarthlyMotherbreathelifeintothestill sleepingearth,thendoyouenterintotheHolyStreamofLife.ItisyourBrotherTreewhoholdsthemysteryofthisHoly Stream,anditisyourBrotherTreethatyouwillembraceinyourthought,evenasbydayyouembracehimingreetingwhen youwalkalongthelakeshore.Andyoushallbeonewiththetree,forinthebeginningofthetimessodidweallshareinthe HolyStreamofLifethatgavebirthtoallcreation.AndasyouembraceyourBrotherTree,thepoweroftheHolyStreamof Lifewillfillyourwholebody,andyouwilltremblebeforeitsmight.Thenbreathedeeplyoftheangelofair,andsaytheword Lifewiththeoutgivingofbreath.ThenyouwillbecomeintruththeTreeofLifewhichsinksitsrootsdeepintotheHoly StreamofLifefromaneternalsource.Andastheangelofsunwarmstheearth,andallthecreaturesoflandandwaterand air rejoice in the new day, so will your body and spirit rejoice in the Holy Stream of life that flows to you through your BrotherTree. Andwhenthesunishighintheheavens,thenshallyouseektheHolyStreamofSound.Intheheatofnoontide,all creaturesarestillandseektheshade;theangelsoftheEarthlyMotheraresilentforaspace.Thenitisthatyoushallletinto yourearstheHolyStreamofSound;foritcanonlybeheardinthesilence.Thinkonthestreamsthatareborninthedesert afterasuddenstorm,andtheroaringsoundofthewatersastheyrushpast.Truly,thisisthevoiceofGod,ifyoudidbut knowit.Forasitiswritten,inthebeginningwastheSound,andtheSoundwaswithGod,andtheSoundwasGod.Itell youtruly,whenweareborn,weentertheworldwiththesoundofGodinourears,eventhesingingofthevastchorusofthe sky,andtheholychantofthestarsintheirfixedrounds;itistheHolyStreamofSoundthattraversesthevaultofstarsand crosses the endless kingdom of the Heavenly Father. It is ever in our ears, so do we hear it not. Listen for it, then, in the silence of noontide; bathe in it, and let the rhythm of themusic of Godbeat in your ears until youare one with the Holy StreamofSound.ItwasthisSoundwhichformedtheearthandtheworld,andbroughtforththemountains,andsetthestars intheirthronesofgloryinthehighestheavens. AndyoushallbatheintheStreamofSound,andthemusicofitswatersshallflowoveryou;forinthebeginningof the times so did we all share in the Holy Stream of Sound that gave birth to all creation. And the mighty roaring of the StreamofSoundwillfillyourwholebody,andyouwilltremblebeforeitsmight.Thenbreathedeeplyoftheangelofair,and becomethesounditself,thattheHolyStreamofSoundmaycarryyoutotheendlesskingdomoftheHeavenlyFather,there wheretherhythmoftheworldrisesandfalls. AndwhendarknessgentlyclosestheeyesoftheangelsoftheEarthlyMother,thenshallyoualsosleep,thatyour spiritmayjointheunknownangelsoftheHeavenlyFather.Andinthemomentsbeforeyousleep,thenshallyouthinkofthe brightandgloriousstars,thewhite,shining,farseenandfarpiercingstars.Foryourthoughtsbeforesleepareasthebowof theskillfularcher,thatsendsthearrowwherehewills.Letyourthoughtsbeforesleepbewiththestars;forthestarsareLight, andtheHeavenlyFatherisLight,eventhatLightwhichisathousandtimesbrighterthanthebrightnessofathousandsuns. EntertheHolyStreamofLight,thattheshacklesofdeathmayloosetheirholdforever,andbreakingfreefromthebondsof earth,ascendtheHolyStreamofLightthroughtheblazingradianceofthestars,intotheendlesskingdomoftheHeavenly Father. Unfoldyourwingsoflight,andintheeyeofyourthought,soarwiththestarsintothefarthestreachesofheaven, whereuntoldsunsblazewithlight.Foratthebeginningofthetimes,theHolyLawsaid,lettherebeLight,andtherewas Light.Andyoushallbeonewithit,andthepoweroftheHolyLightStreamwillfillyourwholebody,andyouwilltremble beforeitsmight.SaythewordLight,asyoubreathedeeplyoftheangelofair,andyouwillbecometheLightitself;andthe Holy Stream will carry you to the endless kingdom of the Heavenly Father, there losing itself in the eternal Sea of Light whichgivesbirthtoallcreation.AndyoushallbeonewiththeHolyStreamofLight,alwaysbeforeyousleepinthearmsof theHeavenlyFather. Itellyoutruly,yourbodywasmadenotonlytobreathe,andeat,andthink,butitwasalsomadetoentertheHoly StreamofLife.Andyourearsweremadenotonlytohearthewordsofmen,thesongofbirds,andthemusicoffallingrain, ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 23

buttheywerealsomadetoheartheHolyStreamofSound.Andyoureyesweremadenotonlytoseetherisingandsettingof thesun,therippleofsheavesofgrain,andthewordsoftheHolyScrolls,buttheywerealsomadetoseetheHolyStreamof Light.OnedayyourbodywillreturntotheEarthlyMother;evenalsoyourearsandyoureyes.ButtheHolyStreamofLife, theHolyStreamofSound,andtheHolyStreamofLight,thesewereneverborn,andcanneverdie.EntertheHolyStreams, eventhatLife,thatSound,andthatLightwhichgaveyoubirth;thatyoumayreachthekingdomoftheHeavenlyFatherand becomeonewithhimevenastheriveremptiesintothefardistantsea.Morethanthiscannotbetold,fortheHolyStreams willtakeyoutothatplacewherewordsarenomore,andeventheHolyScrollscannotrecordthemysteriestherein. TheTorah TheTorahhasbothanoralandwrittentradition.TheOralTorahprecededtheWrittenTorahwhenthe JewishpeoplegatheredatMountSinai3,300yearsago.AtthistimeGodcommunicatedthe613commandments, alongwithadetailed,practicalexplanationofhowtofulfillthem.Theteachingswereentirelyoral.Fortyyears later, before Moses death and the Jewish peoples entering the Land of Israel, Moses wrote the scroll of the writtenTorah,knownastheFiveBooksofMoses,anddeliveredittotheJewishpeople. The word Torah now refers to the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.ThewordtorahcanalsorefertotheJewishbible,thebodyofscriptureknowntononJewsasthe Old Testament and to Jews as the Tanakh or Written Torah. It is not the entire Old Testament of the Christian Bible,however.InthewidestsenseitreferstothewholebodyofJewishlawandteachings.TotheJewsthereisno OldTestament.ThebooksoftheNewTestamentarenotapartofJewishscripture.ThesocalledOldTestament isknowntousasWrittenTorahortheTanakh.TheHebrewnamesofthefirstfivebooksoftheTorah(TheLaw) are: Bereishith(Inthebeginning...)(Genesis) Shemoth(Thenames...)(Exodus) Vayiqra(AndHecalled...)(Leviticus) Bamidbar(Inthewilderness...)(Numbers) Devarim(Thewords...)(Deuteronomy) Torah in the Old Testament was understood as the will of God for His people. The significance of encounteringinhistorytheoneandonlytrueGodisemphasized.Itwasawayofcommunicatingthemeansby whichtheJewishcommunitydefineditselfasGodspeople.TheTorahwasgroundedinYahwehhimselfandhis selfrevelationinhistory.TheTorahwastheincarnationofatranscendentreality,thefleshandblood,asignof their encounter with the God and liberator in the exodus. The Israelites and Jews saw torah as the governing influenceofGodintheirlives. TheBible TheOldTestament TheOldTestamentis,forthemostpart,arecountingofhistoricalevents.Ofcourse,italsoincludesthe poeticPsalmsofDavid,aswellasotherwhimsicalportionsthatarenotstrictlyhistoricalaccountsofpreviously oralstorieshandeddownthroughthegenerations. Genesis13:HEthatcomethuntoGodmustbelievethatHeis,andthatHeistherewarderofthemthat diligentlyseekHim.HenceHolyScripture,whichcontainstherevealedrecordofGodsdealingsandpurposes withman,commenceswithanaccountofthecreation.FortheinvisiblethingsofHimfromthecreationofthe worldareclearlyseen,beingunderstoodbythethingsthataremade,evenHiseternalpowerandGodhead. FourgreattruthscometousfromtheearliestScripturenarrative,likethefourriverswhichsprunginthe garden of Eden. (1) The creation ofall things by the word of Gods power; (2) the descent of all men from our common parents, Adam and Eve; (3) the connection with Adam as the head of the human race by which all mankindarecaughtinhisfall;(4)thatOnedescendedfromAdam,yetwithouthissinisablebyHissufferingto freeusfromtheconsequencesofthefall.Tothesefourtruthsisaddedafifthwhichistheinstitutionofonedayin sevenbeingadayofholyrestgivenuptoGod. TheNewTestament TheGospelsandbooksoftheNewTestamentweresetdowninGreekbetween20and80yearsafterthey werespoken.GreekwasthevernacularoftheWestatthistimeandthelanguageofbusiness.Thevernacularof theEastatthistime,Jesuslanguage,wasAramaic.TheonlysurvivingcompletetextoftheNewTestamentisthe Codex Sinaiticusanddates back to the middle of the fourth century. The oldest fragmentsare the Bodmer and BeattyPapyriandPapyrus52whichdatebacktothesecondcenturywithonlybitsoftheGospelofJohn. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 24

The four canonical gospels did not begin as the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Various groupsofearlyChristiansmaintainedtheirownoraltraditionsofJesuswisdom.Writingwasaspecializedskill andnoteverycommunityhadtheservicesofascribeathand.WhenthewrittenaccountsofJesusteachingsdid begin to circulate, the independent groups incorporated them with their own traditions and teachings. Each believingtheirownversionstobetheGospel,theseexpandedwritingsspreadwithsomeversionsviewedas havingmoreimportancethanothers.Itwasnotuntiltheyear185A.D.,whenBishopIrenuscametobeaccepted byChristians,thatthefourauthoritativegospelswerereferredtobytheirmoderntitles. The rest of the New Testament developed more slowly. For the next two centuries, the four gospels would be coupled with many different epistles, stories and apocalypses, according to what the congregation judgedasimportantabouttheirunderstandingofJesusChristandhisteachings.Catholicismwasonlyoneofthe dozensofdenominationswithintheearlychurch.GnosticismwasprevalentthroughoutEgypt,Marcionismin Syria, and Montanism in Asia Minor. The Catholic Church was adopted as the state religion of the Roman Empire,andallothersystemsofbeliefwerebrandedasheresies.TheEpistleofAthanasiusin367C.E.,appeared when the Church reached agreement upon which writings were truly authentic and representative of apostolic tradition. This was the beginning of forming what we know today as the canonical New Testament. Most uncanonicalwritingswereorderedtobedestroyedbytheChurch,andinmostcasesthepossessionofheretical literaturewaspunishablebydeath.Today,weareveryfortunatetohavesomeofthesetexts,preservedfromthe pastmillennia,whichgivesusinsightintothedevelopmentofvariousearlyChristiantraditions. KingJamesVersionoftheBible ItwasattheendofthereignofQueenElizabeth(15581603),inEngland,thatwefindthedraftforanact ofParliamenttocreateanewversionoftheBible:AnactforthereducingofdiversitiesofBiblesnowextantin theEnglishtonguetoonesettledvulgartranslatedfromtheoriginal.TheBishopsBibleof1568wasnotmore popularthantheGreatBibleyetwasstillrivaledbytheGenevaBibleofthisperiod.Welearnthatnothingever becameofthisdraftduringthereignofElizabeth,whodiedin1603,andwassucceededbyJamesI,asthethrone passedfromtheTudorstotheStuarts.JameswasbornduringtheperiodbetweentheGenevaandtheBishops Bible. JamescalledtheHamptonCourtConferenceinJanuaryof1604forthehearing,andforthedetermining, thingspretendedtobeamissinthechurch.Hegatheredclergymenandteacherstoconsiderthecomplaintsof the Puritans. Bible revisions were not on the agenda but the Puritan president of Corpus Christi College, John Reynolds, spoke up and moved his Majesty, that there might be a new translation of the Bible, because those whichwereallowedinthereignsofHenrytheeighth,andEdwardthesixth,werecorruptandnotanswerableto thetruthoftheOriginal. KingJamesansweredthathe,CouldneveryetseeaBiblewelltranslatedinEnglish;butIthinkthat,of all,thatofGenevaistheworst.Iwishsomespecialpainsweretakenforauniformtranslation,whichshouldbe donebythebestlearnedmeninbothUniversities,thenreviewedbytheBishops,presentedtothePrivyCouncil, lastlyratifiedbytheRoyalauthority,tobereadinthewholeChurch,andnoneother.Accordingly,aresolution came forth, That a translation be made of the whole Bible,as consonantas can be to the original Hebrew and Greek; and this to be set out and printed, without any marginal notes, and only to be used in all churches of Englandintimeofdivineservice. TheGospelsintheBible It should be noted that not all gospels were written at the same time, and that they were written by independentauthors.ExpertsagreethatMarkwaswrittenfirstandthatJohnwaslastMatthewandLukeboth wereinfluencedbyMarkswritingaswellasothersourcesItisMarkwhoismostlikelytocontainthegospel messageinitsleastembellishedform. TherearefourofficialgospelscalledMatthew,Mark,LukeandJohnintheNewTestamentportionofthe Bible.TheyareconsideredgospelsbecausetheypresenttheactualwordsofJesusChristduringhistimeonEarth. JesuswordsareusuallydepictedinredinkintheKingJamesBible,andallotherwordsareblack.Noonereally knows how accurate these renderings of Jesus actual words are, since all teachings can be distorted by the listenerlater.TheveryfactthatnorecordingdevicesexistedinthetimesofJesusprovesthatthesereferencesto hiswordscanonlybeconceptual,andnotactual.Becauseallwordsarewrittenfromthememoryofthelistener ratherthantranscribedfromanactualrecordingdevice,thisaloneleavesroomforponderanceofitsaccuracy.If one were to compare the gospels, none of them records Jesus words exactly the same way, although they are ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 25

close. One must also takeinto account that the gospels were written longafter the event ofJesus death.Much claritycouldhavebeenlostduringthetimebetweentheactualsermonsandthetimetheywereinscribed. Some scholars wonder if these are actual versions of the original manuscripts. It was known that the Essenes created decoy manuscripts so that raiding authorities who came to destroy Christian documents were duped into thinking they had destroyed the only copy of the manuscript. Some manuscripts were created purposelyforconfiscation,andmanyofthemdidnotrevealthetrue,orthesecret,teachingsthatweregivento Jesus followers. As we can easily conclude, the Bible in its entirety is an issue of debate as to its accuracy in translations,includingtheGospelsofMatthew,Mark,LukeandJohnbecausethereistheuniquetranslatingstyle of the person translating the Bible, particularly St. Jerome who translated the Bible from Greek into Latin, and highly influenced the Bible as we know it today. As faras translations go, most translations are donefrom the actualGreekdocumentsortheLatindocumentsofSt.Jerome,ratherthanfromtranslationsafterthose.Theerror in translation would most likely be only that of the actual translator and his or her take on the Greek or Latin languageitself,notinthepassitdownthelinesyndrome.Thepassitdownthelinesyndromewouldonlybe ineffectwiththeoriginalwritersofthemanuscripts,whichlaterbecametheBible. GospelofMatthew It is believed by scholars that this gospel was written for the church at Antioch around 100 A.D., and perhapsaslateas200A.D.Itwasoriginallythoughttobetheearliestgospel,butnowitisbelievedtohavebeen writtenaftertheGospelofMark,asitseemstodrawmaterialfromMark.Matthewdiffersfromtheothergospels onthetopicsofJesusbirth,somefactsabouttheSermonontheMount,andtheideasabouttheendoftheworld. It is believed that this gospel was written for Jewish Christians because it makes more references to the Old Testamentthananyoftheothergospels.ItclearlydetailsthatJesusisthemessiahthattheJewshavebeenwaiting for,althoughmanytothisdaystilldonotbelievethatthemessiahhascomeyet. GospelofMark TheGospelofMarkistheshortestofthefourGospels,anditisnowbelievedtobetheearliestofthefour. It was most likely written around 70 A.D. Mark was the writer and St. Peter supplied the information, having beenaneyewitnessoftheevents.Perhapshewastoooldinagetowrite,andhiswordswerewrittenbyMarkfor posterity.ItisbelievedthatnotonlythebookofMatthewwasinfluencedbyMark,butalsothebookofLuke,the thirdgospel.AlargeportionofthisgospelisfocusedontheeventsduringtheweekbeforeChristsdeath. GospelofLuke Thisgospelwaswrittenaround150A.D.ItisalsoconsideredtheprequeltothebookofActs.Thisgospel usedthematerialofMarkforinspirationandfacts.However,thenarrativeissimple,unpolished,andmostlikely notdonebyaprofessionalwriter,asfarasprofessionalwritinggoesinthatdayandage.Lukeemphasizesthat salvationisavailabletoallbecauseoftheestablishmentofthechurch,JewsandGentilesalike. GospelofSt.John Somescholarsbelievethatthisgospelwaswrittenaround95115A.D.afterthedestructionofJerusalem in 70 A.D. This gospel is distinctly different from the other gospels, and does not seem to be plagiarizing the materialinMarkthewaytheothertwogospels,MatthewandLuke,do.Thisgospelfocusesonthedualismof darknessandlight,athemealsofoundintheDeadSeaScrolls.ThisgospelexpoundsonJesusinsistencethathe istheonlywaytosalvation,andalsohaslongaccountsofthelastsupperandothereventsbeforeJesusdeath. John was the witness and guardian of the Lords revelation. In Revelation 21:24, he says This is the disciple which beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his witness is true. Someconsiderthisgospeltobetheonegreatrevelation,thesoulsguidefromthefalselowerworldintothetrue upper one. The Fourth Gospel is believed by many to be the best instance of this kind of literature. The truth dependsnotonthefactualaccuracyoftheworkbutonthetruthoftheideas.ThegospelofJohnhashadgreat influenceonChristianity. Maria RoschlLehrs writes in her book entitled The Second Man In Us (1977), St. Johns Gospel holds a specialplaceamongthefourgospels.ItssymbolistheEagle,whichrisesupintotheluminousheightsofdivine wisdom. She writes that the goal of the Gospel of St. John is to beckon the soul forward. Forward into the developmentofasecondman,thehigheraspectofhumans,abirthofwhattheGospelscalltheSonofMan. This birth takes place when our ego has been purified, its sheaths radiant as it unites with Christ. St John was lovedbyJesusandtheGospelofJohnreflectsthislove.Themodernhumanbeingislookingforonesownhigher being,longingtoactoutofthefullyconsciouspowerofhisorherhigherego.Humansinnatelyhavethedesireto ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 26

disentanglefromtheuseofpetty,mistakenindividualism,andtojoinwiththeeternallaws,toendeavortowards thehighergoalsofhumanity. RoschlLehrsleadsusthroughtheconstructionofSt.JohnsGospel.ThefirstwordsspeakoftheLogos, thepowerofthedivinecosmos.Itisthelight,thelifeoftheworld,andtothelawofMosesitaddedlove.She goesontosaythatthisgospelgivesearthlyhumanstheinsightandpowertobecomeasSunGods.Thewholeof St.JohnsGospelisconcentratedinthesefewintroductorysentenceswhichembraceourentirecosmicandhuman evolution: JohntheBaptisthasavisionoftheLogospowerenteringthebodyofJesusofNazareth.IsawtheSpirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon himthe same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost(John1:32,33).ThefirstchapterofJohnsgospelcloseswiththewords:Jesusansweredandsaiduntohim, BecauseIsaiduntothee,Isawtheeunderthefigtree,believestthou?Thoushaltseegreaterthingsthanthese. Andhesaithuntohim,Verily,verily,Isayuntoyou,Hereafteryeshallseeheavenopen,andtheangelsofGod ascendinganddescendingupontheSonofMan.Itisthissecondmaninus,theSonofMan,whoisalsoason oftheheavens.ThemessengersofGod,thesecondman,candescenduponusandthehierarchieswillenjoin companywithus,descendinguponusfromtheheavensandascendedfromusbacktothespirit.Thehuman beingisestablishedasthelowestofthehierarchiesyetisatthehigheststageofdevelopmenthereonearth.Itis believedthatthehumanbeingwillexpandtowardsthehigherstagesofevolutionaswebecomemorefullyaware ofwhatwearecalledtobeinthedivinecosmicorder. InTheSecondManInUs(1977),MariaRoschlLehrswrites:Ifthisgoalistobereached,thehumanego willfirsthavetocastoffthebondswhichconfineitwithinblooddeterminedfamilyconnections,withinagroup soulthatholdsitbackfromindividualdevelopment.AndsoweseeChristfirstturningtoGalilee,whosepeople aredespisedasamongrelcommunitybytheJews.Justbecauseofthis,however,becausetheyarelesshampered byabodilydescent,theiregosarereadierforthespiritandmorereceptivefortheChristimpulsethantheJews themselves.

EARLYCHRISTIANSECTS
TheGreatHibernianMysteries EleanorMerry,inherinformedandinspiringbookTheFlamingDoor(1962),shareswithushowIreland hasbeenregardedasaremarkablecountry.ShesharesalegendthattellsaboutParadiseandhowLuciferdwells there,andmanwasdrivenoutintotheworldwhichistobepopulatedbyonlyfallenhumanbeings.ButIreland isnotpartofthisworld,becauseitisanimageputherebyGodoftheancientParadisebeforeLuciferenteredit.It wasatthattimewhentheimageofParadisewasseparatedfromtherestoftheworldandbecameIreland,the legendtellsus.AtthistimeLucifercouldentertherealParadiseandIrelandbecametheplaceonEarthfreefrom theeffectsandinfluenceofLucifer.ItisforthisreasonthattheIrishpossesscertainqualitiesoftemperamentnot foundanywhereelseduetothepeculiarinfluencesoftheIrishearth. WehavelearnedfromtheworkofMerrythatpeoplewhoinhabitedthelostcontinentofAtlantisduring thelastgreatglacialmeltdown,12,000yearsago,latermigratedallovertheworldaftertheAtlanteancontinent sankintotheAtlanticOcean.OneareaoftheworldsurvivedthegreatfloodwasIreland.Throughspecialtraining passed from the Atlanteans to the early Irish monks they retained the ability to perceive the elementals that createdthenaturekingdomsonearth.TheHiberianinitiateslearnedtoworkwiththeelementalsandangelsto harnessspiritualforces. The Hibernian Mysteries As The Foundation Of Biodynamics by L.A. Rotheraine (www.biodynamics.com) describesOracleSanctuarieswhereancientwisewomenandmenwereinstructedinthemysteriesofcreationby angelic teachers. The highest was that of the Sun Christ Oracle.Rotheraine references Rudolf Steinerswritings regardingtheSunOracleasthemostsublimeofalltheancientOracles,encompassingtheChristMysteryandall other oracles. The wisdom and mystery of the Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Venus and Vulcan oracles were intactintheChrist(Sun/Son)Oracle.Mr.Rotherainedescribesthespiritualethericforcethatpermeatedtheearth atthetimeofthelastgreatmysteryschoolsandHiberniaasmuchmorepureandalivethantoday.Alas,those forces were on the wane. As the Mysteries declined, so did the life force of the planet. It requires a spiritually conscioushumanitydedicatedtoresurrectingtheagingearthtocreateasimilarethericforcetoday.Theangelic hierarchies foresaw the consequences of the deterioration of the etheric force and prepared a group of souls to workjointlytococreateanewreality.Todaywehaveorganicfarmersdoingtheworkofancientangelsofthe Hibernianmysteries. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 27

Rudolf Steiner, in his book, Christianity As A Mystical Fact: The Essence Of Christianity (1972) writes that Christ and Jesus must be brought into relationship with each other. Divinity was taken from the human personalitybychurchdogmaandmustberecoveredinonewayoranother.WemustfinditagainthroughJesus within,heencourages,explainingthatthemysticwasexperiencingdivinitywithinandthroughhisownhuman personality.Thismysticalattitudeofsoulisonlypossiblewhenthesoulfindsthehigherspiritualelementin itselfanditsspiritualeyeisopenedsothatthelightissuingfromtheChristinJesusfallsuponit.Thisunionof the soul with its highest powers is also the union with the historical Christ. Mysticism, he explains, is a direct feelingandexperienceofthedivinewithinthehumansoul.Inrealityitwasonlypossibleforamanorwomanto find his/her own divine part; but this is a humandivine part, that is, a divine part that is at a certain stage of development. The ancient mystic, Steiner informs us, did not wish to recognize a perfect God, but rather wished to experiencethedivinelife.Wishingtobecomedivinewithinhimself,hedoesnotstriveforanexternalrelationship to the Godhead. The Christian mystic rather seeks to behold divinity within oneself, but they must look to the historicalChristashiseyesdotothesun;justasthephysicaleyesaystoitself,thesunallowsmetoseewhatI have power to see, so does the Christian mystic say to himself, I will intensify my innermost being in the direction of divine vision, and the light which makes such vision possible is given through the Christ who has appeared.Heis,andthroughthisIamabletorisetothehighestwithinmyself.InthistheChristianmysticsof theancientMysteriesweredifferentfromfuturemysticstocome. ThePythagoreans TheMysteriesweretaughtwithinacommunityfoundedbyPythagorasinlowerItalyinthesixthcentury before Christ. The Pythagoreans saw the foundation of things in numbers and figures, whose laws they investigatedmathematically.RudolfSteinersaysinChristianityAsMysticalFact:TheEssenceOfChristianity(1972) that Aristotle says of the Pythagoreans, They were the first to advance the study of mathematics, and having been brought up in it they thought its principles were the principles of all things. Since of these principles, numbersarebynaturethefirst,andinnumberstheyseemedtoseemanyresemblancestothethingsthatexist and come into beingmore than in fire and earth and water, such and such a modification of numbers being justice, another being soul and reason, another being opportunityand similarly almost all other things being numericallyexpressible;since,again,theysawthattheattributesandratiosofnumericalscaleswereexpressible innumbers;since,then,allotherthingsseemedintheirwholenaturetobemodeledafternumbers,andnumbers seemedtobethefirstthingsinthewholeofnature,theysupposedthedemandsofnumberstobetheelementsof allthings,andthewholeheaventobeamusicalscaleandanumber. Iamblichus, 300330 A.D., was the founder of a Syrian School of Neoplatonism. History tells us that he wasresponsibleforasystematicinterpretationofPlato,bestknownduetohisworkinNeoplatonism,writingthe Life Of Pythagoras. Iamblichus was one of the first thinkers to systematically examine the thought of PythagorasandthePythagoreans.Historynotesthathewasoneofthefirstmentonotonlylookbackonthe thoughtofthePythagoreans,butalsotoanalyzeit,andactuallycommitittopaper.HisLifeofPythagorasisone ofthemostimportantancientdocumentsindeterminingthedoctrineandteachingofPythagoras. TheEssenes The Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1946 made the word Essene known to the world at large. Two thousandyearsago,abrotherhoodofholymenandwomenwasformed.Theylivedinacommunitytogetherand nurturedtheseedsofChristianityandWesternCivilization.TheBeginningoftheEsseneNazareanPathisLove andGoodness.TheEsseneswerepersecuted,butbroughtpeopleforwardwhowouldchangetheworldandturn thecourseofhistory.TheEssenesfoundedChristianity,essentially.ItsfounderswereSt.Ann,JosephandMary, JohntheBaptist,Jesus,JohntheEvangelist,andmanyunknownothers. EssenePrayer SaidbytheVirginMary WithintheMostHigh,mysoulblossoms, Leapsforjoyatthesightoftheascendantpath. Whatisonhighcametomeetwhatisbelow, AndtheMostHighhasimpregnatedmysoulthroughhisradiantlook. Outofallthegenerations,mineisblissful, FortheAlmightydidgreatthingsforme; Heimpregnatedmysoul. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 28

Holyishisname,throughthecenturiesrunshisblessing Forthosewho,becauseoflove,remainfaithfultoHim. TheEsseneswereaJewishsect,thoughtbysomescholarstohavecollectedtheDeadSeaScrolls.AtEin Gedi,anoasisinsouthernIsrael,28dwellingswerediscovered,possiblythehomeoftheancientEssenes.Onthe site was found a mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath. They survived by working the fields of the oasis. The Essenes flourished between the second century B.C. to the time when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. Theywere a tightly knit groupof men and women who practiced communal ownership of property.Thissitewasfoundtohaveonepersondwellingsthatmeasuredsixbyninefeet.Communallivingwas the likely reason for three stoves discovered in the kitchen. When the site was excavated, a complete lack of animalboneswasnoted.TheEsseneswerevegetarians,observedtheSabbath,didnotswearandabstainedfrom intoxicantsandmeat.Theirdietconsistedofrawfruits,grainsandvegetablesalongwithcookedbread. ThesimilaritiesbetweenEssenismandChristianityarenumerous.SeekfirstthekingdomofGodwas theaimoftheEssenes(Matthew6:33,Luke,12:31).Sellpossessionsandgivetothepoor(Matthew,6:33).They turned away from riches (Matthew, 6:1921). As John would write about Christianity, We know that we have passedfromdeathtolifebecausewelovethebrethren.(IJohn3:14).EssenesandChristianslivedinJerusalemin communitieswhereeachpersonhadacommoninterestinthecommunityspossessions.Somebiblicalscholars believethattheEssenesandtheearlyChristianswereoneandthesamepeople. Theylivedinthevillagessurroundedbyalowwall.Theycultivatedgardensandnature.Esseneswere organized in a hierarchy. They lived pious lives in tune with the rhythms of the seasons, recognizing days of celebration, and dining with visitors. Other lived in the city, and their homes were used as inn and hospital. Healingthesick,hospitalityfortravelersneedingaroom,thiswastheEsseneway.Beingverywellorganized,the Essenestraveledtheroadsandspreadthenewsthroughoutthelands,countrysideandothercountries.Intheir extensivetravels,theEssenescouldeasilyhavecomeintocontactwithandbeinfluencedbyreligionsfromthe East,likeJainismorBuddhism. Other Essenes lived in monasteryschools situated preciselyat particular sites.They believed that these particularplaceswereinresonancewiththeknowledgeofthelandoflightandwiththedoorsthatexistbetween itandtheearth.TheEsseneswholivedinthesemonasteryschoolswereusuallyunmarried.Singlewomenwere intheEsseneCommunityaswell. Jesustaughtthatwhenagroupofpeoplegathertogetherfreelyaroundadivineideaandbegintowork onthemselvesinthedirectionofthisidea,then,ifthereareenoughofthem,theycarrywithinthemselvesallof humanity and they can bring into the world the divine idea and allow it to evolve. From the Essenes work emanated a communal, spiritual strength, like a sun in the soul of humanity and the earth. This sun, in turn, worksthroughouttimetoattractthedivineideaandtobringittolifewithintherealityoftheearth.AndGodsaid, Behold,Ihavegivenyoueveryherbbearingseed,whichisuponthefaceofalltheearth,andeverytree,inwhichisthefruit ofatreeyieldingseed;toyouitshallbeforfood.Andtoeverybeastoftheearth,andtoeveryfowloftheair,andtoevery thingthatcreepethupontheearth,whereinthereisalivingsoul,Ihavegiveneverygreenherbforfood:anditwasso. Genesis1:2930TheEssenestookgardeningseriously! WhatIsaGnostic? Stephan Hoeller states in an online interview at www.gnosis.org (1989) that the Gnostics posited an originalspiritualunitysothatthefollowingcharacteristicsmaybeconsiderednormativeforallGnosticteachers andgroupsintheeraofclassicalGnosticism: 1. As a result of the precosmic division the universe was created. This was done by a leader possessing inferiorspiritualpowersandwhooftenresembledtheOldTestamentJehovah. 2. AfemaleemanationofGodwasinvolvedinthecosmiccreation(albeitinamorepositiverolethanthe leader). In the cosmos, space and time have a malevolent character and may be personified as demonic beings separating man from God. The universe is a vast prison for man. He is enslaved both by the physical laws of natureandbysuchmorallawsastheMosaiccode.MankindmaybepersonifiedasAdam,wholiesinthedeep sleepofignorance,hispowersofspiritualselfawarenessstupefiedbymateriality.Withineachnaturalmanisan inner man, a fallen spark of the divine substance. Since this exists in each man, we have the possibility of awakeningfromourstupefaction. Whataffectstheawakeningisnotobedience,faith,orgoodworks,butknowledge. Beforetheawakening,menundergotroubleddreams. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 29

Man does not attain the knowledge that awakens him from these dreams by cognition, but through revelatoryexperience,andthisknowledgeisnotinformation,butamodificationofthesensatebeing. Theawakening(i.e.,thesalvation)ofanyindividualisacosmicevent. SincetheeffortistorestorethewholenessandunityoftheGodhead,activerebellionagainstthemoral lawoftheOldTestamentisenjoineduponeveryman. In Christianity As Mystical Fact: The Essence Of Christianity (1972), Rudolf Steiner writes about Gnostic experience and Jesus; One thing was clear to all Gnosis: one must come to terms with the idea of Jesus as a personalityDivinitywastakenfromhumanpersonalityandmustberecoveredinonewayoranother.Itmust bepossibletofinditagaininJesus.Themysticwasdealingwithadegreeofdivinitywithinhimself,andwithhis ownearthlymaterialpersonalityGnosisandallsubsequentChristianmysticismrepresenttheeffortinoneway oranothertolayholdofthatGodandtoapprehendHimdirectlyinthesoulItisthegulfbetweenknowledge and belief, between cognition and religious feeling.This gulf does not exist for a mystic inthe old sense of the wordAmysticofthiskinddoesnotwishtorecognizeaperfectGod,buthewishestoexperiencethedivinelife.He wishes to become divine himself; he does not wish to gain an external relationship to the Godhead. It is of the essence of Christianity that its mysticism in this sense starts with an assumption. The Christian mystic seeks to beholddivinitywithinhimself,buthemustlooktothehistoricalChristashiseyesdotothesun;justasthephysicaleye saystoitself,BymeansofthesunIseewhatIhavepowertosee,sotheChristianmysticsaystohimself,Iwill intensifymyinnermostbeinginthedirectionofdivinevision,andthelightwhichmakessuchvisionpossibleisgiveninthe Christwhohasappeared.Heis,andthroughthisIamabletorisetothehighestwithinmyself.InthistheChristian mysticsoftheMiddleAgesshowhowtheydifferfromthemysticsoftheancientMysteries.

EVILANDLUCIFER
TheMeaningof666 PatrickBellringerdiscussesinhisarticle666,PeopleOfTheLiethesubjectoftheMarkoftheBeastandthe number666.Hedescribes,LongagoanumberingsystemwasestablishedcalledtheRomanNumeralSystem.In that system 666 is deciphered as VI VI VI. In the Latin language this refers directly to; Vini, Vidi, Vinci. These words have the distinct meaning of: I came, I saw, I conquered. The Latin word Vini, has since changed spellingtoVeni.Thus,theabbreviationofVini,Vidi,Vinci,isVIVIVIor666.Thisnumberalsoappearsonthe frontorforeheadofthePopesBabylonianhatbandastestimonythatheisindeedthepresentEmperorofRome. ThisplacesthePopeinthedirectlineofJuliusCaesar,whowasPopepriortothebirthofJesus,from100B.C.to 44B.C. Heexplainsaboutthemark,inspiteofresistanceofChristianstotheMarkoftheBeast(666)beingplaced on a person. Most people have already accepted such a mark. The United States and other countries presently require everyone be assigned a social security number at birth. That number is used widely for tracking and identificationpurposes. Mr.Bellringerwarnsusnottobecomeparanoidaboutallthis.HebelievesSatanisdoinganexcellentjob throughourchurchesofteachingmindcontrolinorderthatChristianpeoplefeartheMarkoftheBeast.Hecalls itatrapofthinkingsoasmallnumbercanholdswayoveroursouls.Asforcondemningoursoulstohell,only wecandothatourselves.Bodymarksliketattooshavenothingtodowithoursouldestiny.Wearechildrenofa Divine God, touched and marked by God long before arriving on Earth. Like splinters of Gods mirror we are eachpiecesofGodsSpirit.Hewrites,GodhasalreadygiventousadivinenumberasHiscreations.Thosewho arenowpilgrimsoftheLightedPathwayhavetheirnamesenteredinGodsBookofLife.So,SatansMarkofthe Beastandthenumber666arereallynobigdeal!Bellringerintroducesthenumberingsystemthatgivesusthe number666.TheBibleindicatesthat6isthenumberofmanand/orSatan(666).UsingtheEnglishAlphabetand theBabyloniannumberingsystem(countingbysixes)andassigningmansnumber6tothefirstletterAofthe alphabet, a system was constructed giving each succeeding letter an increasing value of six. See the following chart: A B C D E F G H I J K L M 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66 72 78 N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 84 90 96 102 108 114 120 126 132 138 144 150 156 ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 30

Inthissystemnumberscarryacertainmeaning.Thenumber3isaneutralnumber,dependingonhowit isused,itmayhaveagoodoranevilconnotation.Thenumber6isthenumberofman(Satan)andthereforea negativeorevilnumber.Theflipsideof6is9,thus9isapositivenumberofthingsthataregood. In The End of the Millennium (2004) Richard Seddon shows how Steiner reveals the nature of Christs SecondComing.HeidentifiesTheBeastasSorath,[BeastinHebrew],theSunDemonoftheApocalypse,whose influencepeaksevery666years,fromtheyear666untilthepresentincluding1998.Steinersaidthatthisbeingor beastwilltrytopreventmankindfromseeingChristsmanifestationintheethericrealm.Thisiswhatcreatesthe antiChrist.Accordingtothearticle,TheSecondComingconsistsoftwoaspects:(1)themanifestationofChriston the etheric plane, and (2) the attainment of etheric vision on an individual basis.In his lecture The Ahrimanic Deception,Steinerdivulges,Deepdowninoursouls,weknowwhatistrue,becausewhenwesleep,ourspirit leavesourbody(theethericbodyremains,orelsewewoulddie),andexperiencesthespiritworld.Havingfalse beliefscreatesinnerconflict,asourceofmuchofthediscordfeltbymodernman.Thisdiscordmentionedby RudolfSteineraboutfalsebeliefsagaintakesusbacktothewordsofTheGospelAccordingtoMaryMagdalene TheSavioransweredandsaid,Hedoesnotseethroughthesoulnorthroughthespirit,butthemindthatisbetweenthetwo, thatiswhatseesthevision. Whileamarkdoesnotdictateourdestiny,itmayinfluencethewaywethink.Onesuchmarkinour societyisthedictionary.Thedictionarytellsuswhattheauthorwantsustobelieveconcerningthemeaningofthe wordsinourlanguage.ThemostcommonlyusedEnglishdictionarytodayisWebstersDictionary.Letustally thevalueofthelettersinthenameWebsters.(W138,E30,B12,S114,S114,T120,E30,R108,S114).When weaddedthemtogether,wearriveat666theMarkoftheBeast!WeacceptWebstersworddefinitionsand placetheminourmindsinthefrontallobeofourbrainorforeheadandwecarryourWebstersdictionaryin ourhandasaconstantreferencetoverifythemeaningofgivenwords.AndsowehavetheMarkoftheBeastin ourforeheadandinourhand.Howclever!Thiswouldappeartobeapartofthebeastsystem.IsWebstersthe personwhoisrevealedasTheBeastintheBibleinRevelation? MaybethereisanotherpersonintodayspropheciesthatismoreevilthanWebsters.LetustryKissinger (Henry). (K66, I54, S114, S114, I54, N84, G42, E30, R108) Surprise! Our total again is 666! Does Kissinger have such worldwide influence over world leaders that he is the Beast of Revelation? Note that the words, Websters Dictionary rate a 6 (negative) while Strongs Concordance rates a 9 (positive). Jesus and Christ separatelyeachratea3butputtogethertodenoteaspecificentitywhichisnothisnameatallJesusChrist they rate a 6 (negative). God is a neutral 3. Websters words for God (Yahuweh) rates a 6 as does Lord,buttheStrongsConcordancedefinitionforGod(Yahshua)ratesa3.Thenameiswrong.Theproper nameisLordGod(Yahshua)whichthenratesa9.IfyouacceptWebstersdefinitionforBiblicalwords,then youaccepttheMarkoftheBeast! ThesearesolelythethoughtsofPatrickH.Bellringer.Interestingspeculations,butperhapsnotsomething tobetakentooseriously,orshouldthey? So once again we ask what is the significance of Biblical referrences to The Beast and the number number666.ItseemsthatRudolfSteinerhasonceagainprovideduswiththetruthaboutallofthis.IntheEnd of the Millennium by Richard Seddon (www.transintelligence.org/articles/), we find out what Steiner revealed aboutthenatureofChristsSecondComing. ContinuingwithTheAhrimanicDeceptionSteinersaystherealChristmustbesoughttodaythroughall thatcanbegainedfromaspiritualknowledgeoftheworld.Heexplainsthatwearetobewaryofpeoplewho swearbytheGospelalonebutrejectallrealspiritualknowledge.Theywillformthebeginningofacongregation forAhrimanwhenheappearsinhumanshapeinthismodernworld.Therepulseofconcreteknowledgebrought byspiritualendeavorsbytheprofessionalsamonguswillbeinturnthehoststhatwilldevelopasadherentsof Ahriman.Steinerwritesthatthisisnowcomingtopass.Hetellsus,Itisthere,itisatworkinpresenthumanity andonewhospeakstomentodaywiththeknowledgeofspiritualsciencespeaksintoit,nomatterwhetherheis speaking on social or other questions. He knows where the hostile powers lie, that they live supersensibly and thatmenaretheirpoormisguidedvictims.Thisisthecalltohumanity:Freeyourselvesfromallthesethingsthat formsuchagreattemptationtocontributetoAhrimanstriumph! UnderstandingTheSignificanceOfLucifier SonowletusapproachthesubjectofLucifer.Letsexploresomeinsightsfromanesotericstudiesclass thatRudolfSteinerheldinMunich,Germany1912.ThetitleoftheworkisCosmicEgoAndHumanEgo:TheNature OfChrist,TheResurrected(thisisaprivateworkthatisunavailabletothepublic,1912)Iunderstandtheconfusion ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 31

regarding these subject matters so it is with the utmost attention to accurate scholarship that I give you the following material. Read it with an open mind, understanding a novel and different point of view about this fallenangelLuciferandtheworkofitshosts.ThefollowingareSteinerswords: Certainly it is fitting for the narrow, traditionallyformed Christianity to call Lucifer the devil, and to hatehim;buthewhohasanunderstandingofhumanevolutionknowsthattheLucifericprincipleworksinthe genius.ItistheLucifericspiritstowhomwereallyowetheforwardthrust,givenbecausetheyseektherebytheir own evolution, and through which we ourselves are enabled to grow out beyond our ego... We must free ourselvesfromnarrowness,fromallorthodoxChristianitywhichcallsLuciferonlyadevilworthyofhatred.We mustrecognizetheliberatingcharacteroftheLuciferprincipal,whichhasalsobeenordainedbythegoodgods; foritdrivesusoutbeyondourselvesduringtheEarthevolution... [Christ]isfittedtoleadtheindividualsoulbeingofmanmoreandmoretoitselfPractically,thatwill workoutinthefuturesothatthroughtheadmissionoftheChristprincipleintohumannature,thishumannature willbecomemoreandmoredeepened,willtakeupmoreandmorelightandliveintoitsownbeing;sothatthe humanbeingwillhavetofeelLightandLoveasbelongingtohisveryself. Asasidenote,interestingly,thenameLucifermeansBringerofLight.Somespeculatethatinsome waysLuciferisafriendofhumankindbecauseitisLuciferwhowonhumankindtherighttoknowwhatGod knows,evenifthatwilltakemillenniaofevolutiontoachieve.Intheprocessofdoingthat,humankindwillgo throughmuchtrialanderror,butwilleventuallyreachastateofGodselfandrealizationofthemysteriesofthe universe. TheApocalypse Margaret Smith writes in her online article that Armageddon represents the last struggle between the worldlyselfandthespiritualselfbeforetheybecomeasone.Shesays,DoomandgloomershavetakenSt.John theDivineliterallyeventhoughtheyareunawareofthesymbolismencodedintothelanguageinwhichitwas written.TheRevelationinvolvesaseriesofeventsthatoccurinthespiritualworldofthecosmos.Inthefirstpart oftheaccount,Johnseesthescrollwithsevenseals,eachwhichrepresentsanaspectofvengeancethatmustcome topassbeforethelastjudgement. Moderntheologiansareuntrainedintothemysteryofancientthoughtandtheyareunabletocontend withthecomplexitiesoftheApocalypse,forhimthisdivinemessageinthemysticalwritingsisunrealandhighly questionable.NobookhasbeensubjecttomorecriticismintheNewTestamentthanRevelations.Thefactisthat the whole Book of Revelation, no less than the Book of Job, is simply an allegorical narrative of the Wisdom Schoolsandthedescriptionoftheinitiationoftheinitiatehimself.InthiscaseSt.JohntheDivineistheKabbalist. Its quite possible that Revelation was written to appease the differences between early Christian and pagan religiousphilosophies. WhenthezealotsoftheprimitiveChristianChurchsoughttoChristianizepaganism,theinitiatesofthe WisdomSchoolsansweredwithacounteroffensivetopaganizeChristianity.TheChurchwonthebattlebutnot thewar:WiththedeclineofpaganismtheinitiatestransferredtheirsymbolstothenewlyemergingChristianity and therefore saved the priceless wisdom of the ages. The Apocalypse shows clearly the subsequent fusing or meltingofpaganandChristiansymbolismandconsequentlyisundeniableevidenceofancientmindsatworkin theformationoftheChristianGnostics. Luciferhasoftenbeenconsideredafallenangel,onewhofelloutofGodsfavorwhenhebegantohave hisownideasabouthowtogoaboutthings.However,itmaywellbethatLucifer(Satan)wasafriendlyforcethat gavemankindtheabilitytothinkfreelyandlearnintheworldofcauseandeffect.PerhapsLuciferisthename humanityhasgivenitsowntendenciestowardevilratherthanowningtheseitself. Daniels70thWeek:7YearsofTribulation Danielwrotehispropheciesduringthe70yearsthatthepeopleofIsraelwereheldcaptiveinthelandof Babylon.DanielservedaspartoftheroyalcourtofKingNebuchadnezzar,whoreignedinBabylonfrom605562 B.C.Thepropheciescameintheformofdreams,boththekingsdreamsandDanielsdreams.Anexampleofone ofDanielsprophesiesisasfollows: Andinthelattertimeoftheirkingdom,whenthetransgressorshavereachedtheirfullness,akingshall arise,havingfiercefeatures,whounderstandssinisterschemes.Hispowershallbemighty,butnotbyhisown power. He shall destroyfearfully.Andshall prosper and thrive.He shall destroy the mighty and also the holy people. Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart.Heshalldestroymanyintheirprosperity.HeshallevenriseagainstthePrinceofPrinces[theMessiah].But ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 32

heshallbebrokenwithouthumanmeans70Weeksaredeterminedforyourpeopleandforyourholycity,to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness,tosealupvisionandprophecy,andtoanointtheMostHoly(Daniel9:27). Thisperiodof70Weeks,or490years,isbrokenintotwoparts:aperiodof483years,whichconcluded withthecrucifixionofJesusChristin33A.D.,andone,finalsevenyearperiodthatleadsuptoArmageddon.This is where Christians get the sevenyear tribulation period, which is more accurately called the 70th Week of Daniel.The70thweekofDanielculminatesinthesecondcoming.

FAMOUSSAINTSANDOTHERPERSONALITIESINCHRISTIANITY
MarySophia,MotherMary The Flaming Door: The Mission Of The Celtic FolkSoul (1983) by Eleanor C. Merry gives us the following vision of some hearts deep brooding, born of the seafoam and the far horizons of the Western Isles. The originsofthestoryareunknown.Itbeginswithacertainsolitary,whosedwellingplacewasonahillsideofthe mainland,notveryfarfromIona,satonedayinmeditationgazingoverthecalmsea.Presentlyhesaw,risingup majesticallyintheairyclouds,theglorifiedgoldenhuedformofSt.Columba.TheSainttoowasinmeditation, and created in his thoughts a picture which by reason of the holy power in him that sent it forth, became endowedwithimmortalityandpurpose.ItwasapictureoftheVirginwiththeChristChildinherarms.Itfloated awayfromtheislands,cametowardthemainland,andspreadinlovelycolorsfarandwideovertheworld.Yetit wasmorethanapictureforitseemedtoutteritsmeaning:IamMarySophia,sentforthinthisimageoverallthe EarthtobringhealingtomenwhowilllosethepowertoseemeasIreallyam.IwillliveintheirArttilltheir thoughtsraisemeagaintotheKingdomoftheHeavenswhicharewithinthemonEarth. Inherbookmaterials,Merrycontinues,tellingusthatesotericChristianitysankundertheburdenofthe powerofRome.ManydevotedthemselvestothestrengtheningofthisImagination;butitgrewgraduallyweaker in proportion as the sublime figure of the Virgin became popularized in Art. But then a wonderful thing happened.Rafael,aboveallotherpainters,receivedthevisioninthepurestform,andhisSistineMadonnastill hasthepowertoheal.Hepaintedit,thisgreatestofallpictures,withinafewyearsoftheEuropeandiscoveryof America.Heplacedonrecord,asitwere,thecounteractingforcetotheforcesoftheDouble.Novalis,intheDiscipleof Sais,saysofgreatworksofArt:Itisasthoughtheymightshowmethepathtoaplacewhere,slumbering,lies theVirginforwhommyspirityearns. She continues asking the question Can we in this age whose mission it is to come to grips with the problem of evil, find the divine and pure Wisdom, Mary Sophia? Where is she to be found? Has she been banishedsofarandsoirrevocableinourlaboratories,andintheabstractmathematicalcalculationsofSpace?Has hervoicebeenstifledbyourideasthatmansbodyisamechanicalcontrivance,doomedtoanunfreeexistence upon a dying Earth? She ends the chapter asking if we can today find that faith of the old Celtic peoples, expressed in the lovely Sheiling Hymn, allowing it to become a living reality once again for a humanity of the twentieth(and,Imightadd,intoourpresenttwentyfirst)century. ThouFather!ThouSon!ThouSpiritHoly! BetheThreeOnewithusdayandnight, Andonthecrestedwave,oronthemountainside, OurMotheristhere,andherarmisunderourhead. OurMotheristhere,andHerarmisunderourhead. EleanorMerrytellsusinTheFlamingDoor:TheMissionOfTheCelticFolkSoul(1983),Oneofthegreatest of the Druid centers was where the Cathedral of Chartres now stands. The original church was raised above a cryptwhererestedanancientpreChristianDruidstatueoftheVirginwiththeChildinherarms.Hereyeswere closed. Prophetically, the mother of the world was represented as having already passed into her long sleep, waiting, like the old heroes of the West, to be awakened by the touch of a new Initiate, and IsisSophia would come again and kindle the light of cosmic wisdomonce more in the eyes of men. Notre dame de sousterre, the Virginoftheunderearth. Butalso,thisfigurewasaprophecyforanearerfuture.Atraditiontellshowmanycenturiesbeforethe IncarnationtheDruidsinChartresreceivedarevelationthataVirginwouldappearwhowouldbearaChild,and this Child would bring salvation to the world. So they built an altar in her honor, and wrote upon it Virgini pariture, the Virgin who will give birth. On the altar they placed a statue of her with the Child on her lap, foundedacultandofferedsacrificestoher.SimilartemplesconsecratedtotheVirginaroseinmanypartsofGaul. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 33

TraditiontellsusfurtherthatwhenatlasttheDruidsfoundthatmanystrangewondersweretakingplacethey knewthattheSaviorhadbeenborn;theymadeahymnGloriosaDomina,andpubliclyworshippedtheVirginin theGrottowheretheCathedralofChartresnowstands.Thestatuehaslongsincedisappearedwereadbutthe inspiration of her presence remained; and for hundreds of years Chartres was perhaps the greatest center of culture,learning,andspirituallifeintheworld.Chartreswasaplaceaboveallotherswherethelastechoesofthe MysterywisdomoftheGreekslingeredonintheChristianityofthegreatPlatonists,untiltheendofthetwelfth century. St.JustinMartyr(120160A.D.) Justin was born into a pagan, Gentile family around 120 A.D. in Palestine. He studied the wisdom of Plato,Aristotle,andothergreatGreekthinkersandeventuallywastobecomeaprofessionalphilosopher.While studying philosophy by the seashore, an old man started a conversation with Justin about philosophy and religion.ThemanwasaChristianandspoketoJustinaboutJesus,andhowJesusfulfilledallthepropheciesinthe Jewish holy books. Justin decided to investigate the matter and realized that this was the wisdom that he had been seeking. Converting to Christianity, he started teaching. He lived in Ephesus then moved to Rome. He continuedwithhiswritingandspeakingabouttheChrist,evenappearingbeforetheemperorwithtwodefenses of the Christian faith. He became an influential teacher in the 2nd century. Unfortunately, a rival philosopher, enviousofhissuccess,turnedJustinintotheauthoritiesforhisbeliefs.Justinwasmartyredaroundtheyear165 A.D. ClementofAlexandria(150202A.D.) Clement was born in Athens, traveled widely and converted to Christianity. Origen was his pupil in Alexandria.Clement was a nativeofAthens and converted to Christianityafter meetingPantaenus, founder of the Catechetical School at Alexandria. He became head of the School around 180 A.D. For over 20 years he worked, teaching Christianity to the faithful. The Catechetical School gave students knowledge the Gospel of Christ and a sound liberal arts education. For Clement the science and philosophy of the Greeks was like the TorahoftheHebrews,preparingthewayfortheGospel.Withascholarlydefenseofthefaith,awillingnessto meet and discourse with nonChristian scholars, he established the good news of Christianity for the world of learning. He was executed in 202 A.D. Today Clement is found on both the Eastern calendar and the Anglican calendar. Origen(185/6A.D.254/5A.D.) Origen was only seventeen when he took over as Headmaster (didaskalos) of the Christian Catechetical School at Alexandria. Origen was native to Alexandria and is considered one of the greatest of all Christian theologians.HewasprobablyborninEgypttoaChristianfamily.Hewasfamousforcomposingaseminalwork ofChristianNeoplatonism,histreatiseOnFirstPrinciples,OrigenlivedduringaturbulentperiodoftheChristian Church.Persecutionwaswidespread.Littledoctrinalconsensusexistedwithinthechurches.Gnosticismthrived but Origen refuted its teachings, offering instead an alternative to this Christian system, one that was philosophically acceptable, but didnt have the mythological speculations of the Gnostic sects. Origen took whathecouldusefromthepaganphilosophyofhisera,forhewasamasteroftheGreekphilosophicaltradition, and melded its most useful teachings to the Christian faith. Origen composed biblical commentaries and gave sermons, but his import in the history of philosophy comes from his two works, On First Principles, and his treatise,AgainstCelsus. In On First Principles Origen establishes his doctrines. They include the Holy Trinity (based upon standard Middle Platonic triadic emanation schemas); a preexistence and fall of souls; the multiple ages and transmigrationofsouls;andtheeventualevolutionofsoulstoastateofperfectioninrelationtothegodhead.He is unique among Platonists because he introduced the history of this young religious belief system called Christianityintocosmologicalandmetaphysicalspeculations.Hebelievedresolutelyinthefreedomofeachand everysoulandrejectedthefatalismfoundintheesotericteachingsofthemysteryschoolsduringhistime. According to Origen, Gods first creation was a collectivity of rational beings which he calls logika. AlthoughOrigenspeaksofthelogikaasbeingcreated,theywerenotcreatedintime.Creationwithrespectto themmeansthattheyhadabeginning,butnotatemporalone.(Tripolitis1978:94).Further,Origenexplainsthat thenumberoftheserationalbeingsisnecessarilylimited,sinceaninfinitecreationwouldbeincomprehensible andunworthyofGod.ThesesoulswereoriginallycreatedincloseproximitytoGod,withtheintentionthatthey should explore the divine mysteries in a state of endless contemplation. They grew weary of this intense contemplation,however,andlapsed,fallingawayfromGodintoanexistenceontheirownterms,apartfromthe ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 34

divine presence and the wisdom to be found there. This fall was not, it must be understood, the result of any inherentimperfectioninthecreaturesofGod.Rather,itwastheresultofamisuseofthegreatestgiftofGodto His creation: freedom. The only rational creature who escaped the fall and remained with God is the soul of Christ.Thisindividualsoulisindicativeoftheintendedfunctionofallsouls,i.e.,torevealthedivinemysteryin unique ways, insofar as the meaning of this mystery is deposited within them, as theandric (Godhuman) potentiality,tobedrawnoutandrevealedthroughcooperationwithGod.AsOrigenexplains,thesoulofChrist was no different from that of any of the souls that fell away from God, for Christs soul possessed the same potential for communion with God as that of all other souls. What distinguished the soul of Christ from all othersandwhatpreservedHimfromfallingawaywasHissupremeactoffreechoice,toremainimmersedin thedivinity. Whatarenowsouls(psukh)beganasminds,andthroughboredomordistractiongrewcold(psukhesthai) astheymovedawayfromthedivinewarmth(OnFirstPrinciples2.8.3).ThusdepartingfromGod,theycameto be clothed in bodies, at first of a fine ethereal and invisible nature, but later, as souls fell further away from God,theirbodieschangedfromafine,etherealandinvisiblebodytoabodyofacoarserandmoresolidstate. Thepurityandsubtlenessofthebodywithwhichasoulisenvelopeddependsuponthemoraldevelopmentand perfectionofthesoultowhichitisjoined.Origenstatesthattherearevaryingdegreesofsubtlenessevenamong the celestial and spiritual bodies (Tripolitis 1978: 106). When a soul achieves salvation, according to Origen, it ceases being a soul, and returns to a state of pure mind or understanding. However, due to the fall, now no rationalspiritcaneverexistwithoutabody(Tripolitis1978:114),butthebodiesofredeemedsoulsarespiritual bodies,madeofthepurestfire. HeinrichSuso(12951366A.D.) A German mystic and Dominican friar, he was influenced by Meister Eckhart, whose writings he defended against charges of heresyHe emphasized detachment rather than mortification for his Christian practiceandwroteintheliteraryromanticcultoftheminnesingers.HewasknownasSweetSusoasaresultfrom his writings which include Das Bchlein Der Ewigen Weisheit [The Little Book Of Eternal Wisdom], an autobiographyandaguidetobeginnersinthespirituallife;andDasMinnebchlein(TheLittleBookOfLove). Andwhatsoeverheshallaskinmyname,thatIwilldo(14.13). SusowritesofasoulthatinquireswhatGodgivestothosewhostrugglespirituallytowardsthehighest goal. The answer is that at the highest stage of all, God gives them the three gifts of wishpower, peace, and unionwithGod.Thiswishpoweristobeunderstoodinthesensethatthehumanbeinghasstruggledthrough toagraspofthecosmiclawsthatflowcreativelythroughtheworldoutofthebeingofGod,sothatallthewishes hehasrisingoutofsuchaunioncannotbutbeinharmonywiththeselaws.Itisanactiveknowing,itiscreative, andthatisabletobringaneventaboutbecauseitisinlinewiththeforcesofthetruecosmicorder.Thatisour wish.InthesenseofSt.JohnsGospel,itmeansaskingforsomethinginthenameofChrist. St.ThomasAquinas(12251274) St. Thomas, considering the Aristotelean idea, writes: Sapientia est scientia quae considerat causas primasetuniversalescausas;sapientiacausasprimasomniumcausarumconsideratWisdom[i.e.philosophy] is the science which considers first and universal causes; wisdom considers the first causes of all causes, (MetaphysicsI,Lectureii). Thomas Aquinas lived at a critical juncture of western culture when the Aristotelian Corpus was being translatedintoLatin,bringingthequestionoffaithversusreasonintothedialogueofthephilosophers.Thomas was born in 1225 A.D. at Roccasecca, a hilltop castle from which the great Benedictine abbey of Montecassino located midway between Rome and Naples. At the age of five, he was put in the abbey, still in Montecassino. BattlesbrokeoutatthelocationandThomaswasremovedbyhisfamilytotheUniversityofNaples.InNaples, ThomasmadecontactwiththephilosophyofAristotleandtheDominicans.BecomingaDominicanhetraveledto Paris to study and then off to Cologne and studied with Albert the Great. Thomas then went back to Paris, to becomeaMaster,andsatinoneoftheDominicanchairsintheFacultyofTheology.Helivedinvariousplacesin Italy,includingthepapalcourtandDominicanhouse.HewascalledbacktoParistodebateLatinAverroismand HeterodoxAristotelianismforthenextthreeyearsbeforereturningtoNaplesin1274.Earlyinthisyear,whileon hiswaytotheCouncilofLyon,hebecameillanddiedonMarch7thattheCistercianabbeyatFossanova. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 35

St.FrancisofAssisi(12261271A.D.) St.Franciswasknowntohavereachedsuchstatesofblissandunionwiththedivinethathewouldbegin tofloatofftheground,orlevitate.Hewasablessingtoallhecameintocontactwith.St.FrancisofAssisidiedon Saturdayevening,October3,1226,Francisbeingtheninthefortyfifthyearofhisage,andthetwentiethsincehis conversiontoChristianity.FranciswascanonizedbyGregoryIX,July16,1228,twoyearsafterhisdeath.Thomas MertontheTrappistMonkwritesaboutSt.FrancisinhisMysticsAndZenMasters(1967)thefollowingcomments aboutthefamouspaintingofSt.FrancispaintedbyGiotto.Weseehisoutstretchedhands.Theyseemtotellusa storymuchlikeaface.Onehandisdownandopen,tohelp,orreceive.Itdisplayspeace,andthebirdstrusthis presenceandgivehimtheirattention.Theotherhandisraisedwiththreefingersfullyextendedandthelasttwo folded,symboloftheTrinityandmakingasignofthecross,blessingthebirds.HenotesthatthehandsofSt. Francis are surrounded in black, and that just possibly Giotto had the hands glowing, with healing energy radiating from them, and that the Church objected. Nevertheless the black silhouette around the hands is unnatural and out of character with Francis who is painted with a halo. G.G. Sill, A Handbook Of Symbols In ChristianArt(1975)definesthehaloasfollows.Halosarethevisualexpressionofasupernaturallight,amystical force... Halos form a symbolic crown. In ancient art, halos identified deities. In their circular shapes, their lightness and brightness, they resemble the sun.... The halo is the attribute of sanctity in Christian art, and identifiesimportantpersonages. In this famous painting the birds are portrayed as calm and standing near St. Francis. In life we notice howrareitisforwildbirdstoallowustogetclosetothem.Hisgarmentsaretouchingthebirdsastheytrusthim somuch.Jesussaid;lookatandthuslearnfromthebirdsoftheairMatt.6:2634.Lookatthebirdsoftheair; theyneithersownorreapnorgatherintobarns,andyetyourheavenlyFatherfeedsthem.Areyounotofmore valuethanthey?Andcananyofyoubyworryingaddasinglehourtoyourspanoflife?Andwhydoyouworry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomoninallhisglorywasnotclothedlikeoneofthese.ButifGodsoclothesthegrassofthefield,whichis alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you [O] you of little faith? Thereforedonotworry,saying,Whatwillweeat?orWhatwillwedrink?orWhatwillwewear?strivefirst forthekingdomofGodandhisrighteousness,andallthesethingswillbegiventoyouaswell.Sodonotworry abouttomorrow. St.BenedictofNursia(480547A.D.) BenedictwasbornatNursia(Norcia)inUmbria,Italy,around480A.D.HestudiedinRomebutbecame disheartenedbylifeinRomeandwithdrewtoasolitarylifeatSubiaco.Monkscalleduponhimtobetheirabbot, which he agreed to do, founding twelve communities over the next few years. His primary abbey was Monte Cassino,whichstandstothisdayandisthemotherhousetothenowworldwideBenedictineorder. His biographer, St. Gregory the Great, pope from 590604, does not record the dates of his birth and death. St. Gregory wrote about St. Benedict in his Second Book Of Dialogues. Gregorys purpose in writing Benedicts life was to inspire readers, but he did not really write about the particulars of Benedicts daily life. GregoryattemptedtoexplainthatthesaintsofGod,andinparticularSt.Benedict,werestillaliveandwellinthe ChristianChurch. Benedictdrewuparuleoflifeformonastics,arulehecallsaschooloftheLordsservice,inwhichwe hopetoordernothingharshorrigorous.Thisrulegivesinstructionshowtoorganizeamonasteryandwhatthe monksaretobedoingwiththeirtime.Anaveragedaywouldincludefourhoursinprayer(calledtheDivinum OfficiumtheDivineOffice),thenfivehourswasspentinspiritualreadingandstudy,withsixhoursoflabor,one hourwasgiveneating,andtheneighthourswerepermittedforsleep.TheBookofPsalmswassaidinitsentirety everyweekasapartoftheOffice. InBenedictstime,themonkswerebothworkersandscholars.Monks,afterspendingafewhoursdoing somelaborioustaskbyhandoftenwouldthinktothemselves,Theremustbeabetterwayofdoingthis.The result was a development of windmills and water wheels for eradicating the labor of grinding grain, sawing wood,andpumpingwater.Themonksalsointroducedtherotationofcropsandotheragriculturaladvances.The monksweredisplayingadignityforlaboringandtheimportanceofplanning. St.Bernard(10901153A.D.) The French churchman, St. Bernard of Clairvaux was a Cistercian monk, and founder and abbot of the monasteryofClairvaux.AtheologianandDoctoroftheChurch,hedominatedEuropethroughhiseloquenceand hiscounselingofpopesandrulers.OfanoblefamilyinBurgundy,Bernardwasatall,handsome,slenderyouth ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 36

endowed with great charm, a talent for eloquence, sensitivity, and a passion for learning. When he was 23 he persuaded two uncles, his five brothers, and about thirty other young nobles to enter the forlorn Cistercian monastery of Cteaux, founded in 1098 in a swampy area near Dijon. He chose it because, he said, I was consciousthatmyweakcharacterneededastrongmedicine. Theirrulescalledforlivinginsecludedcommunalprayerandadoration.Themonasterieswerefounded in very remote places, and the Cistercians were to become agricultural pioneers. Practicing a strict diet, plus a vowofsilencewhilepracticingtheirreligioustraditionsinausterechurchesandwearingsimplevestments,were themarksoftheCistercians. Bernard died at the age of sixtythree after forty years spent in the monastery. He had established one hundredandsixtythreemonasteriesindifferentpartsofEurope.Athisdeathhehadestablishedthreehundred andfortythreeintotal.HewasthefirstCistercianmonkplacedonthecalendarofsaintsandwascanonizedby Alexander III, January 18, 1174. Later, Pope Pius VIII bestowed on him the title of Doctor Of The Church. The Cistercianshonorhimtodayasthefounderoftheorderbecauseofthefarreachingactivitythathegavetothe OrderofCteaux. St.GregoryofNyssa(birthunknown385A.D.) St. Gregory of Nyssas date of birth is unknown. He died after 385 or 386 A.D. supposedly. He was educatedinAthensandinfluencedbytheworksofOrigenandPlato.HewasmarriedtoTheosebeia.Aprofessor ofrhetoric,hedroppedouttotobecomeapriestandhermit.Hismotherandsisteralreadylivedinmonasteries. HeistheauthoroftheAreopagitecorpus.InthisworkheconsiderstheOne,i.e.theabsoluteGoodnessorthe RealBeing,tobetheontologicalfoundationofeveryexistence.TheOne,orGoodnessItself,istheoriginof allgoodness.TheOneiseternallybeautiful,allthingspossesstheirexistence,eachkindbeingbeautifulinits ownmanner.TheOneisthecauseofexistence.ThiswasSt.GregoryofNyassasbeliefandteaching. Most of his writings treat the Sacred Scriptures. As an admirer of Origen, he applied constantly the latters principles of hermeneutics. Gregory was a great student of allegorical interpretations and mystical meanings, which he believed were hidden in the literal sense of texts. As a rule, however, the great Cappadocianstriedtoeliminatethistendency.GregorywriteshisTreatiseontheWorkoftheSixDayswhich followsSt.BasilsHexmeron.Anotherofhisworks,OntheCreationofMan,dealswiththeworkoftheSixth DayandwastranslatedintoLatinbyDionysiusExiguus. In his extensive writings he defends the unity of the Divine nature and the trinity of Persons. In his teachingontheEucharisthestrikesanoriginalcord,yethisChristologicaldoctrineisbasedentirelyonOrigen and St. Athanasius. History reveals that his most important writings are his large Catechesis, or Oratio Catechetica.ThisisadefenseinfortychaptersofCatholicteachingwhichisaimedatheathensandheretics.The mostextensiveofGregorysworksishisrefutationofEunomiuswrittenintwelvebooksandisadefenseofSt. BasilagainstthathereticEunomius,andalsoinsupportoftheNiceneCreedagainstArianism. HildegardofBingen(10981179) She was a remarkable woman, a first in many fields, at a time when few women wrote. Hildegard, known as Sybil of the Rhine, produced major works of theology and visionary writings. When few women were accorded respect, she was consulted by and advised bishops, popes, and kings. She used the curative powersofnaturalobjectsforhealing.Shealsowrotetreatisesaboutnaturalhistoryandmedicinalusesofplants, animals,treesandstones.Sheisthefirstcomposerwhosebiographyisknown.Shefoundedavibrantconvent, where her musical plays were performed. Although not yet canonized, Hildegard has been beatified, and is frequently referred toasSt. Hildegard.Revival of interest in this extraordinarywoman of the middle ages was initiatedbymusicologistsandhistoriansofscienceandreligion.TodaysNewAgemusicbearssomeresemblance to Hildegards ethereal airs. Her story is important to all students of medieval history and culture, an inspirationalaccountofanirresisiblespiritandvibrantintellectovercomingsocial,physical,culturalandgender barrierstoachievetimelesstranscendence. HerscientificviewswerederivedfromtheancientGreekcosmologyofthefourelementsfire,air,water, andearthwiththeircomplementaryqualitiesofheat,dryness,moisture,andcold,andthecorrespondingfour humoursinthebodycholer(yellowbile),blood,phlegm,andmelancholy(blackbile).Humanconstitutionwas based on the preponderance of one or two of the humours. Indeed, we still use words choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic,andmelancholytodescribepersonalities. Sicknessesupsetthedelicatebalanceofthehumours,andonlybyconsumingtherightplantoranimal, whichhadthequalitythesickpersonwasmissing,couldhealthybalanceberestoredtothebody.Thatiswhyin ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 37

giving descriptions of plants, trees, birds, animals, or even stones, Hildegard is mostly concerned in describing thatobjectsqualityandgivingitsmedicinaluse.Thus,Reyan(tansy)ishotandalittledampandisgoodagainst all superfluous flowing humours, and whoever suffers from catarrh and has a cough, let him eat tansy. It will bindhumorssothattheydonotoverflow,andthuswilllessen. Hildegards writings are also unique for their generally positive view of sexual relations and her description of pleasure from the point of view of a woman. They contain the first description of the female orgasm.Whenawomanismakinglovewithaman,asenseofheatinherbrain,whichbringswithitsensual delight,communicatesthetasteofthatdelightduringtheact,andsummonsforththeemissionofthemansseed. Andwhentheseedhasfallenintoitsplace,thatvehementheatdescendingfromherbraindrawstheseedtoitself andholdsit,andsoonthewomanssexualorganscontract,andallthepartsthatarereadytoopenupduringthe timeofmenstruationnowclose,inthesamewayasastrongmancanholdsomethingenclosedinhisfist. Shealsowrote,Strengthofsemendeterminedthesexofthechild,whiletheamountofloveandpassion determinethechildsdisposition.Theworstcase,wheretheseedisweakandparentsfeelnolove,leadstoabitter daughter. St.Teresaofvila(15151582) St. Teresa of Avila describes prayer in its sublimity as an intimate friendship, a frequent conversation heldalonewiththeBeloved.St.Teresaofvilawasa16thcenturySpanishmystic.Teresaofvilawasbornin 1515inthekingdomofCastileinSpain.Shewastheyoungestchildinherfamilyandbornintoanoblefamily. Whenshewassevenyearsold,Teresafledfromherhomewithoneofheryoungbrothers,inthehopeofgoingto Africaand receiving the palm of martyrdom. Whenbrought back she said;I want to see God, and I must die beforeIcanseeHim.Shethenbegan,withhersamebrother,Rodriguez,tobuildahermitageinthegarden,and wasoftenheardrepeating,Forever,forever!Teresalosthermotherattheageoftwelveyears.Herfatherplaced her in a boarding convent. The Sisters encouraged her to enter the Carmelite monastery of the Incarnation at Avila. From reading about her life we learn that at the age of thirtyone, she gave herself to God. Teresa experiencedavisionthatshowedhertheveryplaceinhelltowhichherveryminorfaultswouldtakeher.She wastoldbyOurLordthatallherconversationmustbewithheaven.ThiswasunsettlingforTeresaandshelived in distrust of her vision. Nonetheless, she was named Prioress at the monastery of the Incarnation. She had a calming influence on even the most hostile hearts and placed a statue of Our Lady in the seat she would ordinarilyhaveoccupied,topresideovertheCommunity. TheSuperiorGeneralgaveTeresaherfullpermissiontofoundasmanyhousesasmightbepractical.She foundedseventeenconventsfortheSisters.FifteenothersfortheFathersoftheReformwereestablishedwiththe aidofherfriendSaintJohnoftheCross.Journeyinginthosedayswasperilous,butnothingcouldstopTeresa fromaccomplishingtheholyWillofGod.Whenthecartshewastravelinginwasoverturnedonedayandshe hadabrokenleg,sheisreportedtohavesaid,DearLord,ifthisishowYoutreatYourfriends,itisnowonder Youhavesofew!ShediedOctober4,1582,andwascanonizedin1622. Afterninemonthsinawoodencoffinherbodywasperfectlypreservedthoughtheclothinghadrotted.A fineperfumespreadthroughouttheentiremonasteryofthenunsastheychangedherclothing.Partsofthebody wereusedasrelics,includingtheheartandherleftarm.Atthelastexhumationin1914,thebodywasfoundto remaininthesameconditionaswhenitwasseenpreviously,stillrecognizableandveryfragrantwiththesame intenseperfume.Thisisasignofaverydivinehumanbeing. St.MartindePorres(15791639) St.MartindePorreswasborninLima,Peru,in1579.HisfatherwasaSpanishgentlemanandhismother ablackfreedwomanfromPanama.Atagefifteen,hebecamealaybrotherattheDominicanFriaryatLimaand spenthiswholelifethere.Heworkedasabarber,didfarmlaborworkinthealmondgrovesandworkedinthe hospice and hospital. Martin had many graces bestowed upon him by the spiritual world. He was able to experienceaerialflightsandbilocation. St.Martinsloveforhumansandanimals,includingrodents,waswellknown.Hecreatedashelteranda catsanddogshospitalathissistershouse.StMartinwasanexceptionalpersonalityandoneofmyfavoritesaints tostudy.Hisspiritualwisdomshinesthroughhisactivitiesandisdemonstratedwithmanyexamples.Hesolved hissistersmarriageproblems,raisedadowryforhisnieceintheshortperiodofthreedaysandresolvedmany theological problems for the learned of his Order and for bishops. St. Martin was a close friend of St. Rose of Lima.SaintMartindiedNovember3,1639andwascanonizedonMay6,1962.HisfeastdayisNovember3. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 38

JacobBohme(15751624) Jacob Bohme (Boehme, Bohm, Behmen, Bome, Beme, etc.) is considered a central figure of Christian Mysticism.Hewasbornin1575atOldSeidenberg,thenGermanPrussia.FromTheWisdomOfJacobBohme(1994) by Arthur Versluis, we read that legends abound about Bhmes early life. It is said that he was visited by a strangerwhopredictedhisspiritualilluminationsinlaterlife.Wedoknowfromhisownwritingsthathehada profoundspiritualilluminationduringhistwenties,andthatalthoughheledafairlyordinarylaylifeasaman who married, had children, and worked as a shoemaker in Grlitz, Germany, (very near what in the twentieth centurywasdividedbytheironcurtainintoPoland),healsodevelopedveryprofoundinsightsintonatureand intothespirituallife.Hewrotedownhisinitialinsightsinordertokeepthemfreshforhismemory.Thenhe wrote a book entitled Aurora (1624). It began to circulate widely until the local Lutheran minister Gregorius Richter got a copy. Richter was incensed against Bhmes writings, perhaps not least because of Bhmes warningsagainstwhathecalledBabel,orthemereoutwardpretenseofChristianitywithoutanyinnerspiritual awakening. Richter persecuted Bhme for more than a decade. Bhme ceased writing or publishing further booksbecausehewaspressuredrelentlessly.LaterinhislifeBhmewasprevailedupontowriteagain.Hewrote verycomplexspiritualandcosmologicalworksandlettersofspiritualadvicetoseekers.In1624hedied.NowI enterintoparadise,weresaidtobehislastwords. Versluisconcludes,Bhmesgeniuslies,inpart,inhisabilitytoconveythisspiritualadviceinthelarger context of his spiritual understanding. Bhmes work reveals not only the human relationship to the natural world,butalsothehumanrelationshiptothespiritualrealms,mostnotably,tothevariousaspectsofthedivine. According to Bhme, during our brief lives on earth, we have the possibility of spiritual illumination that will haveprofoundramificationsforusintheafterlife.Forhim,ChristianityisnotmerelyBabel,oroutwardshow andbeliefinmerelyhistoricalevents,butaprocessofinwardtransmutationandillumination. St.Paul(160A.D.) PaulofTarsuswasknownoriginallyasSaulofTarsus,thenasSaintPaultheApostle.Heisconsideredby manyChristianstobethemostimportantdiscipleofJesusandthemostimportantfigureinthedevelopmentof Christianity.TheApostlePaulwasaJewfromGreeceofthattimeandhemadegreateffortsinhisepistlestothe RomanstoshowthatGodisforallthepeople,andnotonlyfortheJews.Godwasagoodhearteddivinityand theGreekphilosophershadpreparedpeopleforthisidea.Hetoldofatheraputictheology,tellingofaKingdom ofGodwithinusall. PaulisrecognizedbymanyCatholicsandallEasternOrthodoxChristiansasasaint.Pauldidmuchto advanceChristianityamongthegentilesandisconsideredoneoftheprimarysourcesofearlyChurchdoctrine. His Epistles form a fundamental section of the New Testament and it is believed by some in the Christian communitythatitwasPaulthatfirstmadeChristianityanewreligionandnotasectofJudaism. Paul had several major impacts on the nature of the Christian religion. First was the concept that the deathandresurrectionofJesussupersededthevalueoftheMosaiclaw,abeliefthatisoftenexpressedasJesus diedforoursins.Relatedtothisinterpretationoftheresurrectionwefindnexthisconceptsoffaith,whichhe explainsthroughhisexplanationofAbraham.Healsoaddressesrighteousnessandtheforgivenessforsins,using languagethatAugustineofHippolaterelaboratedoninhisformulationoforiginalsin. Pauls epistles are the earliest extant Christian texts written. In the New Testament his writings clearly expressthedoctrinethatsalvationisnotachievedbyconformingtoMosaiclaw,butthroughfaithinJesusChrist. PaulwasalsooneofthefirstChristianstoexpoundthedoctrineofChristsdivinitytothepublic. St.Photios(820891A.D.) St.PhotioswasapatriarchofConstantinople.HewasconsideredthegreatestofallByzantinepatriarchs. HewaseducatedinancientGreekliteratureandphilosophyaswellasChristiantheology.Hewasaprofessorof philosophyatthefamousUniversityofConstantinoplethefirstuniversity(orhigherschool)tobeestablished inmedievalEurope.TheWestatthistimewasstuckinthemireofthebarbaricDarkAges. St. Photios was born around 820 A.D. His parents, persecuted for defending icons, were exiled from Constantinople.HelaterbecameEcumenicalPatriarchofConstantinopleduringthemiddleoftheninthcentury. He is remembered for his defense of Orthodoxy against hereticalpapal practices of the time, hisabilityto love others, and for his meekness. He vigorously opposed the addition of the filioque clause to the Nicene ConstantinopolitanCreed,andwroteOnTheMystagogyOfTheHolySpirittopreservethepurityofourreligion andtohinderthosewhochosetopromoteanyotherdefinitionofdogmathantheunanimousandcommonfaith ofthepious. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 39

ForhisstandagainstthechurchofRomeSt.PhotioswasforcedtobecomePatriarchofConstantinople. HetookhisworkseriouslyandwenttoworkasamanofGod.Oneofhisactivitieswastocorrecttheerrorof Pope Nicholas of Rome, who enslaved the people of the West with threats of condemnation to hell for disobediencetothepope.WritingtoNicholas,NothingisdearerthantheTruth.Inthesameletterhenoted,It istrulynecessarythatweobserveallthings,butaboveall,thatwhichpertainstomattersofFaith,inwhichbuta smalldeviationrepresentsadeadlysin. Photioswasascholar,clearly.Heisbelievedtoberesponsibleforanewcodificationofcanon(church) law, the Collection of 14 Titles, and probably for a new legal code, the Epanagoge, which spelled out a new importanceforthepatriarchwithrespecttotheEmperor.PhotiosispossiblybestknownforconvertingtheSlavic peoples.ItwasPhotioswhoin862A.D.wentintothesemibarbaricMoravianSlavs(intodaysCzechoslovakia), to convert them. Cyril (or Konstantinos) and his brother Methodios, two Greeks from Thessalonia, who were fluentintheSlavoniclanguage,translatedtheGreekliturgyintoSlavonic.ThetranslationskepttheSlavstiedto ConstantinopleinsteadoftoRomewhichalsosoughttheSlavsconversionbutwouldnotpermittheliturgytobe translated into Slavonic. Photios also converted the Bulgars who were undecided between Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy. It was Photios conversion of the Moravians and Bulgars, through the work of Cyril and Methodios,thatlaterledtotheByzantineconversionoftheRussianSlavs. Photios established a patriarchal school in Constantinople for the education of priests in literature and philosophy as well as in theology. He was considered by the Roman Church as the archheretic, the one most responsiblefororiginatingtheschism(split)betweentheChurchesofRomeandConstantinople.Heformulated the Orthodox Greek charges against innovations (kenotomies) in doctrine and practices of the Roman Church. It taughtthedoctrineoftheflioque(thattheHolySpiritproceedsfromboththeFatherandSon),contrarytoexplicit pronouncements of the early Ecumenical Councils that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, (Ekporevetai ek tou Patros) a belief considered necessary in the view of the Orthodox in order to preserve the unitarynatureofGod.TherecanbeonlyonefundamentalarchicsourcefortheGodhead,nottwo.Ifthereare twosources,therewouldineffectbetwoGods.However,pluralismintheChurchcanbeattributedtoPhotios. Because of his work, human beings were allowed freedom of expression living their oneness of faith by local customsandlanguageaccordedbytheregionofthelandthattheylivedin.Religioustraditionscouldbereplaced with a freedom of expression and a faith in unity. The different expression, alternative (n) does not hindertheunity()oftheSpiritsgrace. St.Augustine(354430A.D.) St.AugustinewasbornonNovember13,354A.D.inTagaste,Algeria.Hisparents,PatriciusandMonica, belonged to the financially imperilledmiddle class. They werewell enoughoff, and hadeducationalambitions fortheirson,buttheyweretoopoortofinancethoseambitionsthemselves. Attheageof17theyouthstalentsmadeCarthageanecessaryplacetolive.Notlongafter,hisfatherdied andhismotherwasleftwithmodestresources.AugustinemetayoungwomaninCarthageandhadasonwith her.ThiswomanwaswithAugustinefor10yearsbutwedonotknowhername.Eventuallyhehadtogiveher upforasocietymarriageinMilanwherehewriteshisheartranbloodwithgriefasshewentofftoAfricato enteraconvent.TheirsonwasnamedAdeodatus,andhestayedwithAugustineuntilanearlydeathtookhimin hislateadolescence. The zeal for philosophy led Augustine to join a religious cult from Persia that had planted itself in the RomanworldasarivalofChristianity.ItwascalledthecultofManicheism.Augustinewaspulledbetweenthe conventionalpleasuresofanadolescencelivedtothefullandtheconventionaldemandsofphilosophy.Forthis reason, Manicheism offered something refreshing and comforting. Augustine was not to blame that he felt this way,theManicheestoldhim.Securitycouldbehadwithoutsacrifice,andguiltremovedwithoutatonement. SomeManicheefriendsarrangedanauditionbeforetheprefectofthecityofRome,apompousandinept pagannamedSymmachus,whohadbeenaskedtoprovideaprofessorofrhetoricfortheimperialcourtatMilan. Augustinereceivedthejobandheadednorthtotakeuphispositioninlate384A.D.Atagethirty,Augustinehad wonthemostcherishedacademicchairintheLatinworldandasaresultgainedreadyaccesstopoliticalcareers. Augustinestalentsbecameclearbylaterachievements.Hisfastclimbtoeminenceasaprofessorprovesthatif Augustinehadstayedinthepubliclifehecouldhaveachievedadvancementtoveryhighpoliticaloffice. Nonetheless,hegraduallybecameconvincedofthetruthoftheChristianfaith,thoughhewasunableto breakoutofhiscruelslaverytolust.Hisprayersreflectthis,Lord,givemechastity...butnotyet.Hefinally giveshislifetoGodafteralongtime.OnedayhewasprayinginthegardenandheheardachildsingingTake ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 40

andread!Takeandread!AugustineopenedtheNewTestamentandreadSt.PaulsLettertotheRomans(13:12, 13). It reads, Let us throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness; not in sexual excess and lust; not in quarreling and jealousy.RatherputontheLordJesusChristandmakenoprovisionforthedesiresoftheflesh.Welearnthathe ismovedtoadeepconversion.HetoldhisfriendAlipiushehadresolvedtofollowtheLord,andthetwo,both converted,wenttotellMonicathegoodnews.Theyearwas386A.D.Hewasthirtyone.Aftersevenmonthsof preparation,AugustinewasbaptizedbySt.AmbroseattheEastervigilin387A.D. JamesODonnellsonlinearticleElementsofChristianity:Augustine,(www.ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/twayne/ aug2.htm),tellsus,HiselevationtotheBishopricofHippoin395gavehimfullpowerstopreachandteachin the church. Not long after, he characterized the bishops life as one divided between looking after his flock, snatchingalittlerestwherehecould,andmeditatingonthescripture. AugustinereturnedtoAfricaatage35andsettleddownatTagastein389A.D.withafewfriendstoform amonastery;whereAugustinewashappy.ButAugustinewasatalentedindividualandyearslater,whileona visit to the coastal city of Hippo Regius, he found himself virtually forced into the priesthood by the local congregationwhorecognizedhistalent.Thestorygoesthathebrokeintotearsastheylaidhandsonhiminthe church,asAugustinehadavoidedcitiesthatneededbishopsforsometimenowandlivedinfearofjustsucha fatehappeningtohim. Augustinebeginswiththetrinityforhisbeliefs.HisperiodinthehistoryoftheChurchiscriticalashe livedattheendofthecenturythathadworkedoutthechurchsbasictrinityortrinitariandoctrineswhichwere establishedasChurchdoctrineattheecumenicalcouncilsofNiceain325andConstantinoplein381,bothcovered in this course. It was these councils that allowed Christians to have a universal vocabularyin whichwhat they believedaboutthetrinityofGod,Christ,andtheSpiritwasclearlyandconciselystatedwithouterror. In 391 A.D. Augustine was called to the priesthood as an assistant to Valerius, bishop of Hippo. In a house adjoining the church he again established a place of monastic prayer, accompanied by St. Alipius, St. Evodius,St.Possidius,andothers.Intheyear395hewasmadebishopandwhenValeriusdiedAugustinewas madebishopofHippo.AugustinewroteabouttheChristianfaithinhisyearsasbishop.Hisworksincludedthe Confessionsinwhichhetellshisstoryofconversion,andTheCityOfGod,aphilosophicalanalysisoftheworlds historyshowingittobeguidedbyGod. Conscious of his duty, Augustine soon began to write four books on scriptural interpretation, which comestousashisChristianDoctrine(395A.D.)Thefirsttwobooksandpartofthethirdwerewritten395/396A.D. while the remainder was added c. 426/427. The main point that Augustine makes in Christian Doctrine is that divinerevelation,theinterventioninhumanaffairsbyapowerprecedingthehumanbeinginreasoning,isthe necessary prerequisite of Christian theology. Perhaps when that revelation has dawned on humanity then the doctrinesofChristianitycanbetakenonthefaithofarationalfaculty,themind. Augustines primary belief from an ancient point of view was his insistence that communication is far moreimportantthanelegance.Tobestylishisonethingtobeintelligibleisagreaterthing.Whatistheuseofa perfectspeech,heasks,thattheaudiencecannotfollow,whenthereisnoreasonforspeakingatallifthepeople wearetalkingtodonotunderstandus?(4.10.24)Tohearthepreacherbutnottheteacherthatwastheproblem, according to Augustine. He stated that late Roman education had nothing to say, or that it said a lot of nothing.Headvocatedadiligentnegligence,andhewasconsciousofthelackofmeaningineducationatthis time.Augustine,aspreacher,preferredadirectstylebothartfulandlucid.Augustinenamesthethreelevelsof style.Theyarethehumble,theordinary,andtheelevated.Thesesuggestionsweremadetopointoutthatthere wasmorethanonewaytopreachtheWord,andthatpious,scholarlyteachingsfellondeafearsinthehumble andtheordinarypeople. In 426, he had his successor elected, hoping to find time to write. He found little time, however, since soonthereaftertheVandalsinvadedAfrica.DuringthesiegeofHippo,onAugust28,430,Augustinediedofold age.ShortlyafterhisdeaththeVandalscapturedthecity.Notlongafter,theycapturedCarthageandestablished akingdomthatlastedacentury. TothisdayAugustineisprobablythemostquotedofallthesaints. St.JoanofArc(14121431A.D.) Joan of Arc was born at Domremy in Champagne, probably on January 6, 1412. She died at Rouen on May30,1431.ThevillageofDomremylayupontheconfinesofterritorywhichrecognizedthesuzeraintyofthe Duke of Burgundy, but in the protracted conflict between the Armagnacs (the party of Charles VII, King of ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 41

France),ontheonehand,andtheBurgundiansinalliancewiththeEnglish,ontheother,Domremyhadalways remainedloyaltoCharles. JacquesdArc,Joansfather,wasasmallpeasantfarmer,poorbutnotneedy.Joanseemstohavebeenthe youngest of a family of five. She never learned to read or write but was skilled in sewing and spinning. The popular idea that she spent the days of her childhood in the pastures, alone with the sheep and cattle, is quite unfounded. All the witnesses in the process of rehabilitation spoke of her as a singularly pious child, grave beyondheryears,whooftenkneltinthechurchabsorbedinprayer,andlovedthepoortenderly.Greatattempts were made at Joans trial to connect her with some superstitious practices supposed to have been performed round a certain tree, popularly known as the Fairy Tree (lArbre des Dames), but the sincerity of her answers baffled her judges. She had sung and danced there with the other children, and had woven wreaths for Our Ladysstatue,butsinceshewastwelveyearsoldshehadheldalooffromsuchdiversions. Itwasattheageofthirteenandahalf,inthesummerof1425,thatJoanfirstbecameconsciousofherlife purpose by hearing voices. She later came to call them her counsel. It was at first simply a voice, as if someonehadspokenquiteclosetoher,butitseemsalsoclearthatablazeoflightaccompaniedit.Lateron,she clearly discerned in some way the appearance of those who spoke to her, recognizing them individually as St. Michael (who was accompanied by other angels), St. Margaret, St. Catherine, and others. Joan was always reluctanttospeakofhervoices.Shesaidnothingaboutthemtoherconfessor,andconstantlyrefused,athertrial, tobeinveigledintodescriptionsoftheappearanceofthesaintsandtoexplainhowsherecognizedthem.None theless,shetoldherjudges,Isawthemwiththeseveryeyes,aswellasIseeyou. JoanofArcwasburnedatthestake,condemnedasawitch,butherlegendlivesonandinspiresmany. AngelusSilesius(16241677) TheCherubinicWanderer:Part2,God InalleternitythereisnolovelierTone ThanwhenmansheartsoundethwithGodinUnison.47(I.279) Nowthis,nowthat,thoustrivsttoshape WiththineownIforinstrument. Ah,wouldstthoubutletGodshapeall.48(IV.143) AngelusSilesiuswasaGermanmysticoftheCounterReformation.HewasbornandbaptizedJohannes Schefflerin1624intheprovinceofSilesia.In1653,heconvertedtoCatholicismfromLutheranismandspentthe rest of his life avidly trying to reconvert the people of Silesia. Today, however, he is known primarily for his mysticalpoetry,castprimarilyintheformofAlexandrines,whicharesimple,rhymedcouplets.Ofcourse,they losemuchintranslation,andmanyseemquitenave,butthedepthoffeelingcannotbedenied,andmanymore canbeseentoapproachhaikuandothershort,mysticalpoetryfromaroundtheworld. Hepublished,in1657,twopoeticalworks.TheSoulsSpiritualDelight(HeiligeSeelenlust)isacollection of approximately two hundred religious songs that have found their way into Catholic, and Protestant hymn books. The Cherubic Pilgrim (Der Cherubinische Wandersmann) is a collection of more than sixteen hundred rhymedcouplets,fullofdeepreligiousthoughtexpressedinpoeticform. St.Dominic(11701221) FromtheDominicanCentralwebsitewelearnthefollowingaboutSt.Dominic:hewasthefounderofthe FriarsPreachersandwasbornofaCastilianfamily.Hisearlyyearswereuneventful.Whenhewasabouttwenty sixhebecameoneoftheCanonsregulars,whoformedthecathedralchapteratOsma.In1206theturningpoint ofhislifecame,whenhisbishop,Diego,becameunofficialleaderofapapalmissiontothehereticalAlbigenses, whowerefirmlyestablishedinLanguedoc.ThebishopchoseDominicashiscompanion.Theylivedsimply,in poverty,andundertookdiscussionswiththeiropponentsforwhichtheypreparedverycarefully.Thesemethods contrasted with the formality and display of the official missioners, and a house of nuns founded at Prouille becamethecenterforthenewpreachers.ThedeathofBishopDiegoattheendof1207coincidedwiththemurder ofthepapallegatePeterdeCastelnaubytheAlbigenses.PopeInnocentIIIorderedamilitarycampaignagainst theirleader,CountRaymundofToulouse.Therefollowedfiveyearsofbloodycivilwar,massacre,andsavagery, duringwhichDominicandhisfewfollowersperseveredintheirmissionofconvertingtheAlbigenses. In1215DominicestablishedhisheadquartersinToulouse,andtheideaofanorderofpreachersbeganto takeshape.Theywereabodyofhighlytrainedpriests,boundbyvowswithemphasisonpoverty,anddevotedto theworkofpreachingandteachinganywhereandeverywhere.TheenterprisewasformallyapprovedinRomein 1216, and in the following year the founder sent eleven of this brothers, over half the total at that time, to the ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 42

UniversityofParisandtoSpain.HehimselfestablishedfriariesatBolognaandelsewhereinItaly,andtraveled tirelesslytosuperintendthenascentorder,preachingashewent.St.Dominicalwaysgaveimportancetothehelp ofwomeninhiswork.OneofhislastundertakingswastoinstallnunsatSanSistoinRome.Anotherwastosend thirteenofhisfriarstoOxford. St. Dominic was a man of remarkable attractiveness of character and broadness of vision. He had the deepestcompassionforeverysortofhumansuffering;hesawtheneedtousealltheresourcesofhumanlearning intheserviceofChrist.HisconstantreadingwasSt.Matthewsgospel,St.PaulslettersandtheConferencesofSt. John Cassian. The order that he founded was a formative factor in the religious and intellectual life of later medievalEurope.Itsdiffusionisnowworldwide.ThissaintwasthesubjectofthesongDomininquethatwas sopopularin19634.Hisemblemsareastarandadogwithatorchinitsmouth.

OtherFamousChristianThinkers
SirIsaacNewton(16421727) LetuslookatthelifeofanotherChristian,SirIsaacNewton.Hewasamathematician,physicist,andone oftheforemostscientificintellectsofalltime,buthewasalsoapracticingChristian.IsaacNewtonwasbornat Woolsthorpe,nearGranthaminLincolnshire.There,heattendedschoolbeforeheenteredCambridgeUniversity in1661.HewaselectedaFellowofTrinityCollegein1667,andLucasianProfessorofMathematicsin1669.He remained at the university, lecturing until 1696. In these Cambridge years, Newton was at the height of his creativepower.Hesaidthat1665to1666(spentlargelyinLincolnshirebecauseofplagueinCambridge)wasthe prime of my age for invention. During two to three years of intense mental effort, he prepared Philosophiae NaturalisPrincipiaMathematica(MathematicalPrinciplesofNaturalPhilosophy)commonlyknownasthePrincipia.It wasnotpublisheduntil1687. NewtonalsowroteaboutJudaeoChristianprophecy,anddeciphermentwasessential,hethought,tothe understanding of God. Newtons book on the subject, which was reprinted well into the Victorian Age, represented lifelong study. Its message was that Christianity went astray in the 4th century AD, when the first Council of Nicaea propounded erroneous doctrines regarding the nature of Christ. The full extent of Newtons unorthodoxywasrecognizedonlyinthepresentcentury.AlthoughacriticofacceptedTrinitariandogmasand the Council of Nicaea, he possessed a deep religious sense, venerated the Bible and accepted its account of creation.InlateeditionsofhisscientificworksheexpressedastrongsenseofGodsprovidentialroleinnature. NewtonhopedthathisentireworkinphysicswouldinspirementobelieveinGod.Hestated,WhenI wrotemytreatiseaboutoursystemIhadaneyeuponsuchprinciplesasmightworkwithconsideringmenfor thebeliefofadeityandnothingcanrejoicememorethantofinditusefulforthatpurpose. He spends the first part of his book showing that while many of the other books of the Old Testament contain a wonderful and sacred history of Gods dealings with men, the Book of Daniel holds a special place, containingmanydetailedrevelationsdirectlyfromGodaboutthekingdomsoftheearth.Thosekingdomscanbe traced in history, verifying the foreknowledge of God. Even in his day people doubted the authenticity of the book(andofcourseevenmoresotoday)butasfarasNewtonwasconcerned,anyonewhorejectedtheBookof Daniel rejected Christianity. An angel must fly through the midst of heaven with the everlasting Gospel to preach to all nations, before Babylon falls and the son of man reaps his harvest. Quoting Rev. 14:6, Newton continues, For as the few and obscure Prophecies concerning Christs first coming were for setting up the Christianreligion,whichallnationshavesincecorrupted,sothemanyandclearPropheciesconcerningthethings to be done at Christs second coming are not only for predicting but also for effecting a recovery and re establishment of the longlost truth, and setting up a kingdom wherein dwells righteousness. The event will prove the Apocalypse, and this Prophecy, thus proved and understood, will open the old Prophets and all togetherwillmakeknownthetruereligion,andestablishit. PierreTeilharddeChardin(18811956) AsSirJulianHuxleywritesinTheIntroductionToThePhenomenonOfMan(1955),simplybylookingatthe factsofPierreTeilhardslifewillgiveusabetterunderstandingofhisthought.Pierrewasbornin1881,thefourth childofeleven.Atage10hewenttoaJesuitCollegeinAuvergnewherehegrewuponthefarmwithhisfather,a gentlemanandsmalllandowner.Hisfatherwasalsoanarchivistwithaninterestinnaturalhistory.Attheageof 18,PierredecidedtobecomeaJesuitandenteredtheorder.Sixyearslater,at24yearsold,hewassenttoteach physics and chemistry at a Jesuit College in Cairo, Egypt for three years. He then moved to Sussex, England where he studied theology for four more years. Pierre Teilhard became a Jesuit priest in 1912. His main ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 43

inspiration up to this point in his life was reading Bergsons Evolution Creatrice, inspiring him in his life long passion for both the facts and theories of evolution. While living in Egypt, Teilhard experienced the spark of divinelifeintheEgyptiandesert.Thisforcehebelievedwaspresentthroughoutalloftheevolutionaryprocess.It guides,shapingtheevolutionarythrustasmuchasthemechanisticforcesofthephysicalscienceshebelieved. In Toward A Science Charged With Faith: Chapter 5, God and Science (www.crosscurrents.org/chardin.htm) CharlesP.Hendersonisusedasareferrenceforthisonlinediscussion.Teilhardwouldlatercodifythisforceinto twodistinct,fundamentaltypesofenergy,radialandtangential.RadialenergywastheenergyofNewtonian physics.Thisenergyobeyedmechanisticlaws,suchascauseandeffect,andcouldbequantified.Teilhardcalled radialenergytheenergyofwithout.Tangentialenergy,ontheotherhand,wastheenergyfromwithin,inother words,thedivinespark. Henderson goes on to explain that Teilhard described three types of tangential energy. In inanimate objects, he called it prelife. In beings that are not selfreflective, he called it life. In humans, he called it consciousness. As Teilhard began to observe the world described by science, he noticed that in certain things, suchasrocks,theradialenergywasdominant,whilethetangentialenergywasbarelyvisible.Rocks,therefore, arebestdescribedbythelawsthatruleradialenergyphysics.Butinanimals,inwhichtangentialenergy,orlife, is present, the laws of physics are only a partial explanation. Teilhard concluded that where radial energy was dominant, the evolutionary process would be characterized by the traditional scientific laws of necessity and chance.Butinthoseorganismsinwhichthetangentialenergywassignificant,theforcesoflifeandconsciousness wouldleadthelawsofchanceandnaturalselection. PierreTeilharddeChardin,saysinTheDivineMilieu:AnEssayOnTheInteriorLife(1960),Allaroundus, torightandleft,infrontandbehind,aboveandbelow,wehaveonlytogoalittlebeyondthefrontierofsensible appearancesinordertoseethedivinewellingupandshowingthrough.Butitisnotonlyclosetous,infrontof us,thatthedivinepresencehasrevealeditself.Ithassprungupuniversally,andwefindourselvessosurrounded andtransfixedbyit,thatthereisnoroomlefttofalldownandadoreit,evenwithinourselves. Bymeansofallcreatedthings,withoutexception,thedivineassailsus,penetratesusandmouldsus.We imagined it as distant and inaccessible, whereas in fact we live steeped in its burning layers. In eo vivimus. As Jacob said, awakening from his dream, the world, this palpable world, which we were wont to treat with the boredomanddisrespectwithwhichwehabituallyregardplaceswithnosacredassociationforus,isintrutha holyplace,andwedidnotknowit.Venite,adoremus. Chardin is not an official saint, but he is considered by many to be one of the most unique thinkers in Christianthought.Somewouldcallhimasaintwhileotherswouldcallhimblasphemous. It was at the height of his career in paleontology, while he was studying bones and fossils in northern China(in1927)thatTeilhardwrotewhathecalledalittlebookonpietydesignedtoconveyboththesincerity andtheorthodoxyofhisfaithtohissuperiorsinRome.InthisbookTeilhardspeaksofTheDivineMilieu.Itsvery titlesuggestshistheme:thewholematerialworldasthesettingforaprofound,mysticalvisionofGod.Itisinthe worlditself,asitisseenthroughtheeyesofscience,thattheworkingsofGodaremostapparent. Needless to say, writing this type of material did not reassure the religious authorities in Rome, for Teilhard affirmed the material world as a source of mystical illumination. Though Teilhard did not directly criticizeanyspecificdoctrinesofthechurchinhislittlebookofpiety,thisworkconstitutesanassaultuponthe skeletalsupportsoftraditionaltheology.Teilhardwasjustasprovocativewhenhewastryingtoreassureaswhen hewastryingtostirupdebate.Earlyon,hedescribeshisbookintwosentences,whichwereintendedtoconvey the modesty of his position but in reality contained a theological time bomb. Teilhard says that he intends no morethantorecapitulatetheeternallessonsoftheChurch,buthegoesontoassertthatheisactuallyteaching the church how to see! As a scientist and an individual thinker, he is suggesting that the primary source of religioustruthistobefoundinthematerialworldratherthaninthemagisteriumofthechurch.Inarealsense,it shallbesciencewhichshowstheologyhowtosee.Itshallbethepersonalexperienceofasinglepriest,whichwill indicatetothehighestecclesiasticalauthoritieswhatisessentialinCatholicteaching. Teilhardtriedtoaccomplishthedifficulttaskofturningtheologydownsideup.Hetriedtodemonstrate thatthematerialworld,theworldofrocksandtrees,starsandplanets,plantsandanimals,ratherthanbeingthe neutralsubjectofscientificinvestigation,wasinfactthesoilfromwhichwouldspringanewvisionoftheholy. Theverysubjectmatterofpuresciencewasnothinglessthanamirrorinwhichonecouldseereflectedthefaceof God. Hence Teilhard did not succeed in calming the anxious theologians at the Vatican, and they were rightly worried.Hehadraisedthematerialworldtoalevelofimportanceithadseldomheldfortheologians,Catholicor ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 44

Protestant. In a more candid statement of faith, written at the request of his confidant and colleague Bruno de Solages,rectoroftheInstitutCatholiqueinToulouse,Teilhardputtheissueonapersonal,evenconfessionalplane: If,astheresultofsomeinteriorrevolution,IweretoloseinsuccessionmyfaithinChrist,myfaithina personalGod,andmyfaithinspirit,IfeelthatIshouldcontinuetobelieveinvinciblyintheworld.Theworld(its value,itsinfallibilityanditsgoodness)that,whenallissaidanddone,isthefirst,thelast,andtheonlythingin whichIbelieve.ItisbythisfaiththatIlive.Anditistothisfaith,Ifeel,thatatthemomentofdeath,risingabove alldoubts,Ishallsurrendermyself. WemustnowaskwhatledTeilhardtobelievesodeeplyintheworld,andwhatintheworldisworthyof belief in the first place? For the vast majority of us, the material world provides the raw material for scientific research,notmysticalillumination.Yethereisaprofessionalscientistworkingatthefrontiersofresearch,partof an international team of geologists, paleontologists, and anthropologists, writing from an outpost of science in northernChina.Heboldlyasserts,IfweChristianswishtoretaininChristtheveryqualitiesonwhichhispower andourworshiparebased,wehavenobetterway,nootherway,even,ofdoingsothanfullytoacceptthemost modern concepts of evolution... Surely, the solution for which modern mankind is seeking must essentially be exactlythesolutionwhichIhavecomeupon.OnecaneasilyseewhyTeilhardraisedcriesofalarmwithinthe hierarchiesofboththechurchandtheacademies. Ralph Abraham is one of the founders of chaos theory and coauthor of The Web Empowerment Book: A World Wide Web Primer. In an online interview, Ralph Abraham says, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in the early 1920s,whileconductingresearchintheEgyptiandesert,scratchingaroundfortheremainsofancientcreatures, had a vision. He turned over a stone, dusted it off, and suddenly realized that everything around him was beautifully connected in one vast, pulsating web of divine life. Teilhard soon developed a philosophy that married the science of the material world with the sacred forces of the Catholic Church. Neither the Catholic Churchnorthescientificacademy,however,agreed.Teilhardspremise,thatrockspossessedadivineforce,was seenasflakybyscientistsandoutrighthereticalbythechurch.Teilhardswritingswerescornedbypeersinboth camps. TeilharddeChardingetstoolittlecreditforthequalityofhisinsights.Hewassuccessfullydeprivedof his influence by the popes. Throughout the 40s and 50s, the Catholic Church was on the verge of excommunicating Teilhard. But the philosopher was committed to his perspective, refusing to stop writing or leave the Church. As his problems with the Church escalated, Teilhard became something of a cause clbre withinhissmallcircleinEurope.TheChurchrespondedbyforbiddinghimtopublish,andpostedhimtoChina, where he lived in a state of semiexile, trekking through the Gobi desert and developing his philosophy in isolation.(Hispaleontologicalstudiescontinuedtocirculateandwerehighlyregarded.)Therestofhisworkwas notpublisheduntilafterhisdeathonEasterSunday,1955,whenitcausedasmallstirinthetheologicalworld.It wasreadwidelyforonlyashorttime.Inthepostmodernclimateoftodaystheology,Teilhardisonceagainout offavoramongtheologists,evolutionarybiologists,andscientists,whoviewhisworkwithderision. ThomasMerton ThomasMerton,wholivedfrom1915to1968wasanAmericanwriterandTrappistmonkatOurLadyof GethsemaniAbbeyinTrappist,Kentucky.HiswritingsincludesuchclassicsasTheSevenStoryMountain(1941), which remains in print after more than fifty years,NewSeeds Of Contemplation (1974)andZen And TheBirds Of Appetite(1968).Mertonistheauthorofmorethanseventybooksthatincludepoetry,personaljournals,collections ofletters,socialcriticismandwritingsonpeace,socialjusticeandecumenicism.Heisdistinguishedamongmost contemporary spiritual writers by the depth and substance of his thinking. He distilled the best ideas and concepts of the best theologians, philosophers and poets throughout the centuries, from both the West and the East.HepresentedtheirthinkinginthecontextoftheChristianworldview. ThomasMertoniswidelyacclaimedasoneofthemostinfluentialAmericanspiritualwritersofthepast century.Thousandsofreadershavedrawnstrengthfromhiswordsaswellasthewitnessofhislife,whichwas essentiallythelivingoutofacontemplativevision.Hisautobiography,TheSevenStoryMountain(1978)appears onlistsofthe100mostimportantbooksofthecentury. RudolfSteiner RudolfSteinerwasborninAustriain1861.Hereceivedrecognitionasascholarwhenhewasinvitedto edittheKrschnereditionofthenaturalscientificwritingsofGoethe.In1891,SteinerreceivedhisPh.D.atthe UniversityofRostock.Hethenbeganhisworkasalecturer.Fromtheturnofthecenturytohisdeathin1925,he ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 45

deliveredwellover6000lectures.Hewrotefiftyworksprovidinganunderstandingofthehumanbeingandour placeintheuniverse. Among the activities springing from the work of Rudolf Steiner are the Waldorf Schools, BioDynamic Farming and Christology. Steiners Anthroposophical Society funds and operates homes for the treatment of mentallychallengedchildrenaswell.Musictherapy,dramaandspeechareworkedwithaswell. Christian metaphysical thinker Rudolf Steiner gave a lecture in Europe in 1923 on the nature of Love AndItsMeaningInTheWorldHespeaksaboutthesignificanceofApostlePaulsdeclaration,NotI,butChrist inme.NowmancansodirecthisinnerlifeastolettheChristimpulsecometoflowerinhim;hecanletChrists lifeflowandbreathethroughhim.Hecanabsorbthestreamwhichhascometousfrompreearthlylifeandbring ittofruitioninhislifeonearth. Afirststageinthereceptionofthisstreamconsistsinmannoticingthatataparticularpointinhislifehe feels something flowering and coming alive in him. Previously it sat under the threshold of his consciousness, andhenoticesforthefirsttimethatitisthere.Itrises,fillinghimwithinnerlight,innerwarmth,andheknows that this inner life, inner warmth, inner light, has arisen in him during life on earth. He acquires a greater knowledge of life on earth than was his birthright. He learns to know something which arises within his humanityduringhislifeonearth.AndifmanissensibleofthelightandLife,ofthelovearisinginhim,andfeels theretheflowing,livingpresenceoftheChrist,hewillreceivestrengthtograspthefullyhuman,thepostearthly, inthefreeactivityofhisownsoul.ThustheMysteryofGolgothaandtheChristimpulseareintimatelyboundup withtheattainmentofhumanfreedom,ofthatconsciousnesswhichisabletosuffusewithinnerlifeandwarmth, ourmerethinkingthatisotherwisedeadandabstract.TheexhortationKnowThyselfbringyourhumanityto fruitioninyourowninnerlife,hasbeenaddressedtohumanitythroughalltime,andisstillinforcetoday.But the experience of Christ in man is essential to our own day. It takes its place alongside the injunction Know Thyself,andmustbegivenitsfullweight. MatthewFox MatthewFoxisaspiritualtheologianwhowasanordainedpriestsince1967intheCatholicChurch.He now holds Masters degrees in philosophy and theology from Aquinas Institute and a Doctorate in Spirituality, summacumlaude,fromtheInstitutCatholiquesdeParis.Aliberationtheologianandprogressivevisionary,he wassilencedbytheVaticanandlaterdismissedfromtheDominicanorder.Afterdismissalhewasreceivedasan EpiscopalpriestbyBishopWilliamSwingoftheDioceseofCalifornia. SteveTurnerinterviewedMatthewFoxforThirdWayinJuneof1995andalsoprintedthearticleinthe (UK)Times8/25/95.Heexplainsthetraditionoforiginalblessing,ratherthanoriginalsin.Hegoesontoexplain in the interview that the idea of Original Sin was not used until the fourth century, by Augustine. It is the tradition of the great mystics of the West: Hildergard, Francis, Aquinas, Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, it is the traditionoftheanawimitself.ItdoesnotfitintotheempirebuildingambitionsofChristianity. MatthewFoxgoesontosaythattheexperienceofthedivineallaroundusandthroughusiswhatitsall about.ExistenceisHolyanditsaboutbeginningourspiritualjourneywithaweandwonderinsteadofguilt.Its aboutdiscoveringthedeepdowngoodnessinthings.Christisaliveinallthingsandallthingshaveabeing,and asaresultarebearersoftheHoly.HetellsMr.Turnerthatwhenthehumanbeinggetsoutofbalance,cancer cansetin,evenAids.Wedontknowenoughaboutthebiologicaltalesofouruniversetopassjudgement. MatthewFoxisaskedbySteveTurnerifbeautyandterrorgotogether.Hereplied,Absolutely:thatsthe meaningofthecrucifixion.ThatsthebeautyofChristianityandoftheCosmicChrist.Christisinthewoundsas wellasthelight.Continuing,Foxmakesananalogyusingphysics,explainingthattheprotonisfoundinevery atomoftheuniverse.John1statesthesame,thatChristisaliveinallthings.HeshareswithustheGermanmystic Hildergards quote that every creature is a glittering mirror of divinity. Fox states emphatically, Thats the CosmicChrist. Herecountstheterrorofhumanhistory,empiresthathavecomeandgone,andyes,ourreligiousfolly. OurgreatleaderslikeGhandi,MartinLutherKing,andmanyothersstandingforhumancompassion,havebeen assassinated. Fox says, If you cannot acknowledge the Holy in things, the holy in all things, the sacred in all things, and the right for all things to be here far beyond the human agenda, then we are involved in a self destructivepath.Hebemoansthefactthatwearethefirstcivilizationtosetupadesacrilationworldsociety.He tellsustolookatthepsychologyindustryandpharmaceuticalcompanies,tryingtopumpalittlelifeintothese depressedsouls.HelooksatentertainmentinAmericaandthefactthatwearelivingvicariously,slippinginto couchpotatolifestyles.Hefearsthedesiretolivewillevaporateifwedonotchange.Theconsequencesofthis ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 46

desacrilation of life are ultimately dragging all species down with us on Earth today. It is imperative that we recoverasenseofthesacredorhewarns,wellneverknowwhatlifeisaboutandwellhavenothingtoteach ouryoungpeople. MatthewFoxsaysinthisonlineinterview,IwouldliketoseeChristianitymovefrombeingareligion,to being a way of life and spirituality again. It doesnt have to be a religion anymore. The empires are over. An awakening of the human species is called for, he feels, and the Gospels, along with the Christian mystical tradition, can help us. We need to become aware of the Cosmic Christ, which means recognizing that every beinghaswithinitthelightofChrist.Thisisasourceofbothrevelationandreverence.Ifwehavethatawareness wecannolongertakethingsforgranted.Thegraceofgratitudeiswhatwillsaveusfromanecologicalcrisisand themalaisethatisuponusnow.Thetheologianmakesthepointthatpeoplelivetheirwholelivesexternallyand thisinturnallowsforaddictions.Theeconomicsystemitselfisbaseduponfeedingtheseaddictions,hesurmises. Hewarnsthatthespecieshastodobetter. He also touches on the good works that Christianity accomplishes, like charities, prison programs, shelters,foodbanks,theseareallcharitableworksthatotherreligionscouldemulate.Christiancharitiessetthe standard,andmetaphysicianswoulddowelltofollowthisexample.

DENOMINATIONSOFCHRISTIANITY
Bythelate20thcentury,ChristianityhadbecomethemostwidelydisseminatedfaithonEarth.Virtually no nation has remained unaffected by the activities of Christian missionaries, although in many countries Christians are only a small fraction of the total population. There are over 34,000 different denominations of Christianity found on the planet today. Currently there are over 12,000 in North America alone. Most of the countries of Asia and Africa have Christian minorities, some of which, as in India and even China, number severalmillionmembers.TheconcentrationofChristiansarestillfoundinWesterncultures.Eachmajordivision of ChristianityEastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism are covered in this section of the course. Christianity covers the full spectrum of religious traditions, from the Amish who have chosen to withdraw from the world, setting aside modern conveniences such as electricity and automobiles, to the UnitarianswhomostChristiansdontevenconsiderChristiansbecausetheydonotbelieveineithertheconcept of Jesus being the son of God or part of the trinity. From January18th through the 25th, each year, however, a revival is happening in Christianity with a Week of Universal Prayer of Christians for Christian Unity. Anglicans,Catholics,Orthodox,Protestants,LutheranandCalvinist,allprayinthespiritofSt.Paul.Itwouldtake a great book to cover all the branches of the Christianity tree today. The information for the 12 denominations coveredhereinsomecasesisprovidedverbatimfromtheOntarioConsultantsOnReligiousTolerancewebsite (www.religioustolerance.org). It is possibly the most comprehensive site today for researching different denominations of Christianity. On its index page it states that this site is dedicated to promoting religious freedom,toleranceanddiversityaspositiveculturalvalues.Theurlisprovidedforyourfuturestudiesifyou wouldliketoknowmoreaboutthevariousdenominationsofChristianity. Amish There is no consensus on exactly where the Amish fit within Christianity. Some consider them conservativeProtestants.MostAmishwouldprobablyconsiderthemselvestobeAnabaptists.J.GordonMelton, headoftheInstituteForTheStudyOfAmericanReligion,classifiesthemaspartoftheEuropeanFreeChurchFamily along with Mennonites, Brethren Quakers and other denominations. The Amish movement was founded in Europe by Jacob Amman (1644 to 1720 A.D.), from whom their name is derived. In many ways, it started as a reform group within the Mennonite movementan attempt to restore some of the early practices of the Mennonites. ThebeliefsandpracticesoftheAmishwerebasedonthewritingsofthefounderoftheMennonitefaith, MennoSimons(14961561),andonthe1632MennoniteDordrechtConfessionOfFaith.TheAmish,whosplitfrom Mennonites,generallylivedinSwitzerlandandinthesouthernRhineriverregion.Duringthelate17thcentury, they separated because of what they perceived as a lack of discipline among the Mennonites. Some Amish migrated to the United States, starting in the early 18th century. They initially settled in Pennsylvania. Other wavesofimmigrantsbecameestablishedinNewYork,Illinois,Indiana,Iowa,MissouriOhio,andotherstates. Thefaithgrouphasattemptedtopreservetheelementsofthelate17thcenturyEuropeanruralculture. They try to avoid many of the features of modern society by developing practices and behaviors which isolate themselvesfromAmericanculture. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 47

Membership in the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church and other Amish denominations is not freely available.Theymaytotalabout180,000adultsspreadacross22states,includingabout45,000inOhioandsmaller numbers in Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York and more. About 1,500 live in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Almost all members are born into and raised in the faith. Converts from outside of the Amish communitiesarerare.SomeAmishgroupshaveaveryrestrictedgenepoolandareexperiencingseveralinherited disorders. SeventhDayAdventists The origin of the Seventhday Adventists (SDAs) can be traced to the Millerite Movement of the 19th Century. This movement was largely responsible for what has been called the Great Second Advent Awakening. WilliamMiller(17821849)wasafarmerwhosettledinupstateNewYorkafterthewarof1812.Hewasoriginally aDeist(apersonwhobelievesthatGodcreatedtheuniversebuthasnotbeenactivelyinvolvedsince).Aftertwo yearsofprivateBiblestudy,MillerconvertedtoChristianityandbecameaBaptistlayleader.Hewasconvinced thattheBiblecontainedcodedinformationabouttheendoftheworldandtheSecondComingofJesus.Healso realizedthathehadanobligationtoteachhisfindingstoothers.In1831,hestartedtopreach;thenextyear,he wrotearticles.In1833,hepublishedapamphletonendtimeprophecy.In1836,hisbookEvidencesFromScripture AndHistoryOfTheSecondComingofChrist(1843)waspublished. He expounded on Natural hygiene, raw food diets, water fasting, a vegetarianism diet, and an admonitiontodonoharmtootherformsoflife.WecanseesomeofthesamelifestyletodaywiththeSeventh DayAdventiststhatwaspracticedbytheEssenes2,000yearsago. Baptist TheBaptistsformoneofthelargestProtestantdenominations,withworldwidemembershipofnearly35 million.ThefollowingdistinguishtheBaptistsfromotherProtestantcommunions:(1)Theirinsistenceonbaptism ofadultbelieversonly;(2)Theirconcernforfreedomofspeechandconscienceandforfreedomfrominterference byanycivilorecclesiasticalauthority;(3)TheprimacytheyseektogivetoScriptureinmattersoffaith,doctrine, andmorals.(4)Theauthoritytheygivetothecongregationinchurchaffairs. Forerunners to the Baptist tradition were the Anabaptist congregations, settled in Holland in the early 17th century with groups of Puritan Independents, or Congregationalists that fled from England to Holland. Baptism for adults only was accepted at this time. Returning to England, this group formed the first Baptist congregation in 1611. Shortly thereafter, Roger Williams (1639) formed the first Baptist congregation in Providence, RI. The Baptists grew rapidly in the United States. The democratic, informal, Scripture centered, relativelyuntheologicalmodeofBaptistservicewasidealforanyunsettled,rural,orfrontiersituation.Thusthe South, the Midwest, and the Far West were heavily populated, more than were the Northeast or the Middle Atlantic,byBaptists,apatternthatremainstruetothisday. On the other hand, because of their emphasis on freedom of conscience and personal beliefs, the importanceofChristianlifeandworks,ratherthanonritual,theirdistasteforcreeds,dogmas,andecclesiastical authority, Baptists have also been leaders in theological and social liberalism. Many Baptist seminaries and churches are known for their liberal theology, style of worship, and social attitudes. Baptists were consistently important leaders in establishing the ecumenical movement of the early 20th century. In the controversies that have dominated 20th century American religion, the modernistfundamentalist, the social gospelindividualist, andtheecumenicalexclusivistcontroversies,Baptistshaveappearedinleadingrolesonbothsides. ChristianScience Mary Morse Baker Eddy (18211910) founded Christian Science. She was raised in a strict, deeply religioushome,fromwhichshederivedherlifelonginterestinChristianityandtheBible.Shehadbeenplagued with ill health through her childhood and into adult years. This motivated her to study alternative methods of healing, which deviated from the then current medical techniques, which had failed her. Shortly after her first marriage,herhusbanddiedandshebegantostudyanumberofhealingministries.Sheremarriedin1853inan unsuccessful attempt to gain control of her son who had been placed in another home by her family, who believedthatshewasphysicallyincapableofcaringforhim.Attheageof41,shesoughtacurefromahealer, Phineas P. Quimby (18021866). Quimby had been a clockmaker, with relatively little education, but he had developed a method of natural healing that involved techniques of hypnotism and animal magnetism. He emphasizedtheroleofthehumanmindinachievingbodilyhealth.Quimbyfeltthatthekeytohealinglayinthe confidencebythehealerinthepatientsrecovery,andalsointheconfidencethepatienthasinthehealersability. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 48

Mrs.Eddy(assheisreferredtobychurchmembers)wasastudentassociateofQuimbyuntilhisdeathin 1866.Herhealthinitiallyimprovedunderhiscare,butshelatersufferedarelapse.Shortlyafterwards,shefellon anicysidewalkandseverelyinjuredherself.Somedidnotexpecthertosurvive.Onwhatshebelievedtobeher deathbed, she read one of Jesus healings. She suddenly realized that healing comes not from internal bodily processes,orfromthepowerofapersonsmind,butfromtheDivineMind,God.Shewasinstantlycured! Mrs. Eddy withdrew from society for three years in order to concentrate on a deep search through the Bibleanddiscoverpreciselyhowherhealinghadtakenplace.Shewishedtosharethisknowledgewithothers, andtogivethemthetoolstotakeawaysinandachievehealth.Mrs.Eddythenwrotehermainbook,ScienceAnd Health, later called Science And Health With Keys To The Scriptures. The book has since been published in 17 languages,andisavailableinEnglish,Braille,onaudiocassettesandCDs. MessianicJudaism MessianicJudaismisareligiousmovement,whosemembershipisprimarilymadeupofethnic/cultural Jews.TheydifferfromReform,Conservative,OrthodoxandUltraOrthodoxJewsconcerningtheirbeliefsabout the Messiah. This difference is sufficient for Morton Klein, the President of the Zionist Organization Of America (ZOA),tohaveallegedlydeclaredthataMessianicJewisaformerJew. TherearemanyreferencesintheHebrewScripturestothecomingofaMessiahwhowouldinspireJews inIsraeltoriseandthrowoffoppressionfromoccupyingmilitarypowers.MostJewsbelievethattheMessiahhas yettocome;MessianicJewsbelievethatYeshuaofNazarethwastheexpectedMessiah.(YeshuaiscalledJesus ChristbyChristians.) MessianicJewsconsiderthemselvestobefullyJewish.TheymaintainaJewishlifestyleoffaith....[they] celebrateallofthebiblicalholidays(i.e.Passover,Succot,etc)aswellasmanyofthecustomswhichareconsistent with the Scriptures. An Evangelical Protestant wing of Messianic Judaism has also accepted Yeshua (Jesus Christ)astheMessiah.TheyhavealsoadoptedthetheologyofEvangelicalChristianity.Someaddanadditional criteria: the belief that God wants the Jewish people to remain a distinct and obedient nation until the end of time. Messianic Jews retain their Jewish symbolism, heritage, culture, seasonal days of celebration and many details of religious observance. They also regard themselves as an integral part of the Body of Messiahwhat countless conservative Christian denominations refer to as the Body of Christ. The followers of Yeshua have accepted and worship him as Lord and Savior. The doctrinal statement of the Christian Jew Foundation, for example,isindistinguishablefromthatofotherEvangelicalfaiths. Messianic Bureau Internationals essay, Why You Need Messiah, similarly supports Evangelical Christian beliefs when it states, Those who hear and place their trust in Him [Yeshua] as Savior and Lord are rescued (redeemed)fromthecurseofsinanddeathandwillliveeternally.ThefullpromisewillappearwhenMessiah returnsandtheresurrectionofthedeadtakesplace.IfyoudonotknowYeshuaasyourMessiahand/orSavior, youcanreceiveHimnowbyconfessingyoursinstoHim,thenaskingHimtocomeintoyourlifeandmakeyoua newperson.YourentrywaytoGodsthronewillbemadeclearandyoucanthenlearnallthatHisWordsays, becauseyouwillhavethestrengththroughHispresenceinyou. What might be called a Jewish Christian wing of Messianic Judaism closely resembles the Jewish Christianmovement.ThiswasthegroupofreformmindedJewswhowerefollowersofYeshua.Theyformeda group in Jerusalem immediately following Yeshuas execution around 30 B.C. under the leadership of James, Yeshuasbrother.TheyworshipedandofferedsacrificesintheTemple;theycircumcisedtheirmalechildren;they followed all of the Jewish festivals; they observed Jewish dietary laws. Later, around 36 B.C., Paul introduced PaulineChristianitytotheGentiles. EasternOrthodoxChurches:TheEasternLiturgicalFamilyOfChristianity The Eastern Orthodox Church consists of a communion of autocephalous, (ecclesiastically independent) Christian faith groups which (1) Recognize the four Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem.(2)RecognizethePatriarchofConstantinopleasfirstamongfourequals.(3)Acceptthevalidityofthe firstsevenEcumenicalCouncils.(4)RegardOrthodoxyasthetrueChurchofChristonEarth. It consists of churches in: Nine countries where Eastern Orthodoxy is the dominant religious body: Bulgaria, Belarus, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine. Ten countries where Orthodoxy plays a smaller role are: Albania, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Japan, Latvia, Lihuania, PolandandtheU.S. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 49

The Orthodox Church has an Episcopal organizational structure. Consecrated bishops are the chief ecclesiastical officers in each diocese. They, in turn, ordain priests. The church believes in the Apostolic SuccessionthattheconsecrationofitsbishopscanbetracedcontinuouslybacktoJesusapostles. The Orthodox Church is often referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church. This is not strictly true, becausenotallOrthodoxchurchesareeastern.TheyrefertotheirorganizationastheHolyOrthodoxChurch, or the Orthodox Church of the East, or by the name of the specific church, such as Greek Orthodox, or RussianOrthodox. RomanCatholic Roman Catholicism has been a decisive spiritual force in the history of Western civilization. There are more Roman Catholics in the world than there are believers of any other religious traditionnot merely more RomanCatholicsthanallotherChristianscombined,butmoreRomanCatholicsthanallMuslimsorBuddhistsor Hindus. They venerate saints and the mother of Jesus. The host during their communion service is said to becometheactualbodyofChrist,thewinehisactualblood,whenblessedbythepriest.Thepapacyistheoldest continuingabsolutemonarchyintheworld.Tomillions,thepopeistheinfallibleinterpreterofdivinerevelation andthevicarofChrist. The Roman Catholic does not pray to saints to ask them to predict the future or use any preternatural means. The Catholic prays for their help in praying to God for us. One must ask for assistance, the Roman Catholic believes. The act of necromancy, or communicating with the dead, forbids Catholics from communicatingwithspiritsinordertofindoutthefuture.TheCatholicusesnomagicatall.RathertheRoman CatholicpraysfortheSaintsintercessionintheindividualslife. ScripturesdepictGodspeopleinheavennotonlyintercedingforthoseonearth,butacceptingprayers fromthosepeopleonearthwhoareinUnitywiththebodyofChrist.RomanCatholicismestablishedabeliefthat thebodyofChristisnowhereintheearthandisintimatelylinkedwithbrothersandsisterswhoareinheaven.It is the Catholic opinion that to pray to them is effective because they are the just men made perfect who are witnessesforus,andlendusaid(Hebrews.12:12,23).Jesuscalledthepeopleinheavenaliveandtheyexpress joywhenthebelieversbecomefollowersofChrist(Mk.12:24,27,Lk.15:7).Thoseinheavenareconstantlymaking prayers, and are concerned for those on earth (Rev. 5:810, 6:910, 11:1314, 19:18) and we also see specific examplesofprayerofnamedindividualsinheavenwhointercedeforthoseonearth(Jer.15:1,2Macc.15:1216). TheeffectofprayerisvirtuallyguaranteedfromaRomanCatholicspointofview.Hebrews12:23says that we come to the spirits of those just men made perfect, and we know that in the epistle of James that the prayers of the righteous are of great power (Jm. 5:1618). Roman Catholic Christians have an active ongoing dialoguewiththesaintsinheaven.Theybelieveandknowfromfirsthandexperiencethatprayersdomuchgood. ThePentecostal The Pentecostal family of denominations form one branch within conservative Christianity. A major definingfeatureofPentecostalismistheirbeliefinGlossolalia,ortheabilitytospeakintongues.Anotheristhe unusualfreedomandspontaneityexhibitedduringtheirreligiousservices.Otherwise,theirbeliefs,practicesand socialpoliciesaresimilartothoseofotherconservativeChristians. Pentecostalism is a highly fragmented family within Christianity. One source lists 177 separate denominations Pentecostalism is a relatively modern branch of Christianity. It grew out of the Holiness movement, which in turn had roots in Methodism. Robert Longman Jr. has listed a number of mid to late 19th centurywritingsfromwithintheHolinessmovementwhichlaidthefoundationsforPentecostalism.Duringthe last two decades of the 19th century there were reports of xenoglossia breaking out at revival meetings, particularlyinNorthandSouthCarolina.Xenoglossiaisthespeakingofaforeignlanguagebyapersonwhohas no familiarity with it. For example, an American with no ability to speak any language other than English suddenly becomes capable of speaking fluent German. There may also have been some instances of glossolalia (ecstaticspeech),whichmightormightnorbeintelligible. Theyear1899sawagreatriseinreligiousfervoraspeoplespeculatedaboutthesecondcomingofJesus and the end of history as they knew it during the year 1900. Many books were written about the power of the Holy Spirit. Charles F. Parham, a Holiness preacher and head of the Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas conductedarevivalmeetinginthatcity.AgnesOzman,aMethodist,shockedthemeetingbyspeakingfluentlyin a number of foreign languages that she had never previously learned. This happened on January 1, 1900. This eventisoftenregardedasthefoundingofthePentecostalmovement.Somedayslater,manyspokeintongues. ThenParhamdidaswell. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 50

One of Parhams students, an AfroAmerican named William Seymour started a home church in Los Angeles,CA.ItwasattendedbymembersofthetwoBaptistchurchesandoneHolinesschurchinthatcity.On April 9, 1906, Seymours landlord, Edward Lee, and closest coworker, Jennie E. Moore broke out in tongues. Attendanceincreasedprecipitously.Thismadeitnecessarytofindnewquartersinwhichtoholdtheirmeetings. TheyrentedanemptywarehouseonAzusaStreetinLosAngelesandfoundedtheApostolicFaithMission. ThemovementspreadtoothercitiesinCalifornia,andintotheNorthwesternandSoutheasternsections oftheUS.Manychurcheswereorganized,particularlyamongimmigrants.SomeHolinesschurchesswitchedto Pentecostalism. The movement subsequently spread across North America, and finally blanketed much of the world. Until 1914, the movement worked primarily within the Holiness churches. But increasing friction motivatedthePentecostalstoformtheirfirstdenomination,theChurchOfGodInChrist.Althoughthemovement wasraciallyintegratedinitsearlyyears,whiteclergysubsequentlylefttoformtheAssembliesOfGod. Quaker Quaker history begins in the mid Seventeenth Century. This period saw the political revolution in EnglandthatsubsequentlyleadstoourCivilWar.Thescientificrevolutionfollows,withchangeoccurringinthe religions and thinking of humanity, we learn to question our leaders thinking. Science produces Galileos wisdom of the ancients to the world. Aristotle studies the skys mechanics and celestial bodies while Ptolemy studies the motion of the planets. And yes the entrenched thinking of the church was threatened with these discoveriesofscience.Thechurchtriedtosuppressthesefindings. The year was 1620 when a group of religious dissenters from Holland sailed to America in the Mayflower.HistorianshavecalledthistheCenturyofDissent,aperiodinhistorythatsawpeoplenotwilling toaccepttheestablishedauthoritysdictates.Rather,theyclaimedtherighttoinvestigateforthemselveswhatthe truthis.Soweseeinscienceandinreligionthatpersonalexperiencesastheobserverwerecomingforwardinthe mind of humanity. Dissatisfied with the Church and unable to dissent freely, Quakers formed small groups meeting to worship and talk. They became known as Seekers. Leaderless at this time, the loose knit group of believerslackedinspiration.TheleaderarrivedbythenameofGeorgeFox. When George Fox arrived in 1652 it became known as the birth of Quakerism. Traveling around the country,preachingforfiveyearsandspreadinghismessage,hewaswelcomedbysomebutopposedbyothers. HewasjailedinDerbyonchargesofblasphemyandtreatedharshly.Hedidnotstartanymovementatthistime. InMayof1652inLancashirehehikeduptoPendleHill,nearClitheroe.Hikinginthosetimeswasnotdonefor leisureorfun,andthesiteGeorgeFoxpickedtohiketowaswellknownasahauntforwitchesbackthen.Fox wasanunpredictableindividualthoughandfoundtheviewfromthesummitofPendleHillinspiring.Thenhe hadavisionofagreatpeopletobegathered. A significant visit occurred at Swarthmore Hall in a large house occupied by Judge Fell and his wife Margaret. Both liberal in outlook regarding religious matters, Margaret Fell welcomed George Fox into their home and was quickly converted to his teaching. Meetings followed in the Hall and because of Judge Fells positionofauthorityinthecounty,thegroupmeetingswerenotharassedbytheLaw,acommonpracticeinthose days. Swarthmore Hall became the headquarters of the Quaker movement. From here, the early Quaker missionaries,insmallgroups,spreadthenewmessagetootherpartsofthecountry. Lutheran Most Lutheran churches accept conventional Protestant theology. This version of Christianity is distinguished by a belief that the Bible is the inspired word of God, the priesthood of all believers, a belief in infantbaptism,asungliturgy,andanemphasisonfaithinGodasthebasisofChristianexperience.Thefounder, Jan Hus had a vision (his name means goose). A swan is the traditional symbol of many Lutheran congregations.InEurope,LuthersRoseisthepreferredsymbol.LegendhasitthatwhenHuswasbeingburned atthestakehesaid,Todayyouburnagoose,butinahundredyearswillcomeaswanwhosevoiceyouwillnot beabletostill.OnehundredyearslaterMartinLutheremergedintothepublicarena. LutherissaidtohavepostedhisNintyFiveThesisonthedooroftheCastleChurch,Wittenberg,onOct. 31,1517,theeveofAllSaintsDay,whichisthetraditionaldateforthebeginningoftheReformation.Lutherwas aGermanpriestandscholarwhosequestioningofcertainchurchpracticesledtotheProtestantReformation.He is one of the pivotal figures of Western civilization, as well as Christianity. By his actions and writings he precipitatedaspiritualmovementmuchlikeJesusdidinhislifetimeandwastoyieldnotonlyoneofthethree ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 51

major theological branches of Christianity along with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, but was to becomeasocialseedbedforcenturiesafterhisdeath. MusicisaveryimportantpartoftheLutherntradition.MartinLuthersaid,Whyshouldthedevilhave allthegoodtunes?HehimselfcomposedAMightyFortressIsOurGod(EinFesteBurg).Lutheranchurches are generally active musically, with choirs, childrens choirs and bell ringing. J.S. Bach, a famous classical composercomposedmusicspecificallyfortheLutheranchurch. Protestant OneofthemanyobjectionsthatProtestantshavetoCatholicsprayingtosaintsisthatitisimpossiblefor those in heaven to hear us. Another claim is that by saying that Saints in heaven can hear us, we are claiming omnipotenceoromniscienceforthem.TheCatholicpremisebehindprayingtosaintsisthatsaintsinheavenhave moreabilitiesthanwedoonearth,andtheirspiritscanrespondtoourprayers,evenifmanypeoplearepraying to them at the same time. The Protestant premise is that they are unaware of what is happening on earth, thereforeitdoesntdoanygoodtopraytothem.Whosepremiseiscorrect?Traditionshowsusthatprayersto saintswereperformedfromtheverybeginning.TheOrthodoxChurchpraystosaints.TheCopticChurchprays tosaints.TheCatholicChurchpraystosaints.TherewerenoProtestanttypeobjectionsinprayerstosaintsbythe earlyFathers.So,sinceProtestantsdonotaccepttheauthorityoftradition,Iwilloperateontheircriteriaofusing theBibletoestablishtheanswertothisquestion. In 1517, the Protestant Christians came into being with differences from the Catholic church. The Catholicslikedornateandelaboratechurchesandchurchservices.TheProtestantskeptitsimple.Themovement thatbeganinnorthernEuropeintheearly16thcenturywasareactiontoRomanCatholicdoctrinesandpractices. RomanCatholicism,EasternOrthodoxyandProtestantsbecamethethreemajorforcesinChristianity,andthere were series of European religious wars in the 16th and 17th century, and especially in the 19th century. Protestantismspreadthroughouttheworld.WhereverProtestantismgainedafoothold,itinfluencedthesocial, economic,political,andculturallifeofthearea. TheEncyclopediaBritannicatellsus,ProtestantsbelievethathumansarejustifiedbeforeGodbygraceand through faith, and it was this grace through faith that separated the first Protestant reformers from the Roman Catholicism of their day. And despite the subtle differences that rose in the various Protestant church bodies, devotiontothisteachinghasbeencentraltoProtestantismthroughoutitshistorySacramentaldoctrineexists among Protestants, but most limit the number to the two sacraments of the Gospel, baptism and Holy Communion. TherearemanygroupsincludedinProtestantismthatmightnotbethetruedefinitionofProtestantism. The Encyclopedia Brittanica explains: A great variety of doctrinal views and politics exist among socalled Protestants,andnotallWesternnonRomanCatholicChristiansacceptthelabelProtestant.SomeAnglicans,for instance,stressingtheircontinuitywiththehistoricRomanCatholicchurchandtheirdistancefromProtestantism, haveaskedforaseparatedesignation.Courtesysuggeststhatsuchappealsbetakenseriously.However,habitsof speechandsociologicalusagetendtopredominate,anddespitetheirobjectionsthesegroupsareusuallyincluded intheProtestantcluster. TheUnificationChurch Reverend Moon and Mrs. Moon are heads of the Unification Church, and have also founded and supported dozens of initiatives for world peace, such as the InterReligious Federation for World Peace, The InternationalFederationforWorldPeaceandtheWomensFederationforWorldPeace.Theteachingthatguides the Unification community is known as the Divine Principle, which Sun Myung Moon wrote over a nine year periodfromresearchingtheBible,thespiritualworld,andthenaturalworld. Reverend Moon was born in a period of brutal Japanese occupation in the 1920s. His family was well respectedfortheirgenerosityandhisreligiousfoundationswereacombinationoftheancienttraditionsofKorea andofmessagesbroughtbyChristianmissionaries.AccordingtoReverendMoon,onEaster1936hewasindeep prayerandJesusappearedtohim.Jesusthenaskedhimtocompletetheresponsibilityleftunfinishedsincethe originofhumankind. TheDivinePrincipleisdividedintothreesectionswhichare,Creation,Fall,andRestoration.Itsaysthat GodsoriginalidealisexpressedinthethreegreatblessingsfoundintheGenesisaccountofhumanorigins.Dr. FrankKaufmannexplainsfurtherintheSourcebookOfTheWorldsReligions(2000),Tobefruitfulisunderstood asthecommissionforeachpersontoperfecthisorheruniqueindividualitybyunitingmindandbodyandbeing infullunionwithGod.Theseperfectedindividuals,manandwoman,weretomultiply,formingfamiliesbornof ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 52

theunconditionalloveofahusbandforhiswife,ofawifeforherhusband.Theideaisthatthiseverexpanding familyshouldhavedominion,andbeginaperfectecologicalrelationshipwiththenaturaluniverse. The first human ancestors did not achieve this ideal, they violated Gods commandment and ate the forbiddenfruitbyengaginginphysicallovewithoutreceivingGodsblessingtodoso.TheArchangelLucifer playedapartinthisactofdisobedienceanditcreatedthepersonageofSatanandboundthefirsthumanswith him.SalvationprovidencerevealsGodsworktofirstrecreatetheconditionstobringfulfillmentoftheoriginal three blessings, and to liberate the descendants of Adam and Eve from their bondage to Satan. Dr. Frank Kaufmannexpandsonthisbysaying,ThistaskconstitutesthemissionoftheMessiah,whobyfulfillmentofhis ownresponsibilityobeysthecommandmentandfulfillsthepurposeofcreation.ThusJesuscamebothasAdam andastheSaviortofulfillthethreeblessingsandtoliberateallofhumankind.Thefaithlessnessofthosearound Jesusledtohiscrucifixion,thuspreventinghimfromhisopportunitytofulfillthethreegreatblessings. Jesus told of a second coming. He knew that the original will of God, the three blessings, were still unfulfilled.SunMyungMoonclaimsthatthisisthemissionJesusaskedhimtofinishfulfilling.Hecameasthe returnofChristattheendofWorldWarII,in1945,andwasrejected.WhenthisoccurredReverendMoonhadto start a religious community to carry out the mission of Christianity and serve as the Bride of Christ. The community became known as the Unification Church, it was founded in 1954. In 1960 Hemarried Hak Ja Han Moon,andbelievedthathewasfulfillingtheoriginalmissionofTrueParentsforthefirsttimeinhumanhistory. Members of the Church and members of other religions have their marriages blessed by Reverend and Mrs. Moon. They believe this gives them the potential of becoming True Parents. The Unification Church does not strive to be just an enduring religious body. The Unification Church believes they exist to teach the Divine PrincipleandhelpintheeffortoftheTrueParentstofreelygivetheblessing. TheUnitarianUniversalistChurch Thisassociationisthemoderninstitutionalembodimentoftwoseparatedenominationsthatcamefrom movementsandfaithtraditionsthatextendbacktotheChristianReformationera,aroundthe14th16thcenturies A.D. and well beyond. The convictions of Universalists have been found as early as the church father Origen, declaringthateverythingincreationwouldultimatelybedrawnbacktoitsdivinesourceandthatnoonewould be forever excluded. Unitarian thought has been a recurring heresy within the established church since the 1st centuryoftheChristianera,becauseofitsconvictionthatGodisultimatelyandabsolutelyOne.TheRoumanian Transylvanian Unitarian Church is more than four centuries old and originally stems from the skeptical and evangelicalrationalistmovementsthatwerewithintheRomanCatholicChurchandtheopennessengenderedin theReformationera.IntheSourcebookOfTheWorldsReligions(2000),Rev.DavidA.Johnsonexplainsthisfaith: [Its]struggles,andthatofSocinianisminPolandandtheLowCountriesbecamefertileseedinggroundforthe beginningsofBritishUnitarianthoughtandstructure. Having its own primary roots in the liberal Christian movement within New Englands old Puritan establishment is American Unitarianism. A formal break from that tradition produced the American Unitarian Associationin1825. Thebeliefthatoriginalsinfatallyflawsallhumancharacter,aCalvinistdoublepredestination,andthe doctrineofthefullandabsolutepersonhoodofeachmemberoftheTrinityissomethingthattheUnitarianfaith rejected.TheyinsteadaffirmthejustandlovingcharacterofGod,themoralandreasoningcapacityofallpeople, workingoutonessalvationthroughbothdiligenceandGodsgrace,and,aboveall,oneGod. Their institutional roots are in the Radical Reformation, intertwining with the histories of several movements,suchasAnabaptist,Separatist,andPietist.AnoffshootoftheWesleyanMethodists,theUniversalists first organized separately in Britain. The beginnings of the Universalist Church of America first started with a gathering in September of 1793. It found supporters mainly in Protestants disaffected by the bitter sectarian enthusiasms of much of American Protestantism, having theologies that condemned the great mass of humankindtoeternalperdition.Manypeoplewhodidnotbelievethatafieryhellawaitedallthosewhodidnt havetheproperfaithandsalvationjoinedtheUniversalistsduringthelargerevivaleraofthelate18thandearly 19thcenturies. BoththeUniversalistandUnitariandenominationshadchurchpoliciesandorganizationalstructuresthat were democratic in nature. They rejected absolute and binding statements of faith, and affirmed freedom of personal belief within the disciplines of democraticcommunity,as wellas the freedom ofeach congregation to decidehowtheywouldexpresstheirfaithandworship,andchoosetheirownclergy.Thesetwoassociationsof churches were unitarian in theology even before they merged in 1961. In the last few decades the Unitarian ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 53

Universalist Association has grown into an international association of churches with congregations in several countries. ThismovementisveryopenandencompassespersonsofliberalChristianpersuasions.Theirritualisas diverse as their congregations and some may include any number of different ceremonies, a Jewish high holy days service, a tea ceremony, a Muslim Prayer, a Hindu Festival Of Lights, or a Wiccan ritual in a Unitarian Universalistchurch.Nosinglesymbolhasbeenassignedthem,butinrecentyearstheflamingchalicehasbecome themostfrequentlyused,andoriginatesfromthemovementthatspreadfromthemartyrdomofJanHusinthe 13thcentury.IntheSourcebookOfTheWorldsReligions(2000),Rev.DavidA.Jonsontellsthisstory:Theflamein thecommunioncupsymbolizedtheenduringflameofhisfaith,burningupfromthechalice,togetherformingthe shapeofacross.Overtime,theflamingchalicehasbeenreshapedinmanyformsascongregationshaveusedand adaptedit;itsmostcommonmeaningtodayisthelightofknowledgeandthesearchfortruth. Unitarian Universalism is a small, gradually growing religious body that is loosely connected to ProtestantChristianity,althoughmanymembersseethemselvesasseparateanddifferentfromthattradition.The UUAisastrongsupporteroftheInternationalAssociationForReligiousFreedom,aninterfaithorganizationwith seventy member groups in more than twentyfive nations, and is a member of a new coalition of Unitarian movementsworldwide.

CHRISTIANPRAYER
Unlikeprayers,mantrasarenotnecessarilybasedonmeaningsofwords,butontheenergyinherentina sound. It is that energy, and not the meaning of the sound, that mantras draw their power. Ancient languages suchasSanskrit,Hebrew,andAramaicarebelievedtobeenergybasedlanguages.TheHebrewmystics,likethe Vedic gurus, thought of the spoken word as alive and as a unit of energy charged with power, according to WilliamBarclayscommentaryontheGospelofJohn.Itisthoughtthatthevibrationsofthesoundofeachword in the mantra evoke certain specific vibrations andenergies within us, muchlike the vibration of a tuning fork makingothertuningforksofthesamefrequencyvibrateinunison PaulandPrayer Pauls contribution to the revolutionary success of prayer is well known. He was a Clinician of Jewish origin,andwasbornatTarsus,acrossroadstownsituatednotfarfromAntalya.AlthoughproudofhisRoman citizenship(heisknowninTurkishbyhisLatinnameofPaulus),hehadneverthelessreceivedaclassicalGreek education. It was this background, combined with his outstanding abilities and talents, which undoubtedly helpedPaulbreaktheshellofthenewreligion. AlthoughhealsopreachedChristianityoutsideAnatolia,itwasinthisregionthatPaulwasmostactive. HesucceededinspreadingChristianitythroughpaganAnatolia,whichatthattimewasstillacountryofclassical Greekculture. PaulteachesusthatnoonecansaythenameofJesusexceptbytheSpiritofGod.Tosaythenameof Jesusistoexpressaprayer,asoaring,aliftingupofthesoultowardstheFather,forthetrueutteranceofthis Nameisanact,ayes.Thisyescanechofarwithintheunexploredregionsofourspiritualbeing.Itmaybe partial,oralmostcomplete,withouteverbeingabletoreachtruecompleteness.ThemoreweImploreGodtostrip usofourselvesthemoreweenterintothedivinesurrender(Hewholoseshislifeshallsaveit),themoreable webecometohearChristprayinginusbyhisSpirit. An ineffable change takes place by which our prayer is stripped to be reclothed in his prayer. In the silenceofourlisteningsoul,ourattachmenttohimisaffirmedwithourwholewill,notonlyinourwords,feeling anddesires.Themorewefindourselvesinhim,inwhomwetrulylive,orheinus,inwhomhetrulylives,the moreeffectualdoesourprayerbecome,sinceitishewhopraysinus,freefromourburdenofself.Suchastateof mind is the work of God, gift of the divine generosity: it is a pearl of great price, bought at the royal price of renunciation.Itsetsusattheantipodesofinertpassivityofthespirit.Vocalprayer,eitherprivateorpublic,will bepermeatedbythisattitude,providedthatitcanbesurroundedbydeepsilence,andhaveacertaindeliberation ofutterance. Catholicdoctrineonprayerandhealing Catholicdoctrinedictatesthatprayersmustgothroughsaintsinheavenfirst,notstraighttoGodthrough humans.Saintsareprayingforus.Onemaysay,thoseareonlyprayersofthoseonearth!InRevelation5,the contextisheaven.AtGodssidethereare24eldersinheaven.TheyrepresenttheChurchinheaven,sincetheyare withtheLamb.Inverses910,weseethatnotonlyaretheyreceivingprayersfromthoseonearth,buttheyare vitally concerned with what is happening on the earth. The prayers of the saints are only for those on earth ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 54

praying.Thosewhodonotprayarenotrepresented.Thus,prayersarecomingfromthoseonearth,goingdirectly to the saints in heaven, and they in turn present prayers to God. Thus, regardless of how this passage is interpreted,thispassagereflectsCatholicdoctrine. SayingTheRosary ItisbelievedthatoneshouldpraytheRosaryregularly.OurLadyevenaskedustopraytheRosarydaily whensheappearedatFatima.StLouisdeMontfortinhisbookTheSecretOfTheRosary(1976)tellsusthatwhen wepraytheRosarywithothers,wedonotprayandreceivethegracesofonlythatoneRosary.Hebelievesthatif wepraywithanotherperson,thenitisasifbothhadsaidtwoRosaries.Praywith100othersanditisasifone hadsaid100Rosarieseach! Tosaytherosary,beginbymakingthesignoftheCross.Then,holdingthecrucifix,recitetheApostles Creed.ThisisfollowedbyanOurFatheronthelargebead,aHailMaryoneachofthethreesmallbeads,and thenGloryBeToTheFatheronthechainbetweenthethirdsmallbeadandthemedal.Thefifteenmysteriesare divided into three groups: the Joyful, the Sorrowful and the Glorious. Commence with one of the sets of five mysteries, moving around the beads. At the beginning of each decade, state the intentions for which you are praying, state what the particular mystery is and then commence on the prayers while thinking about that mystery:OneOurFatheronthelargebead,oneHailMaryoneachofthetensmallbeadsandthenoneGloryBe ToTheFatheronthechainbetweenthelastsmallbeadandthenextlargebead. HailMary HailMary,fullofgrace,theLordiswiththee; blessedartthouamongstwomen, andblessedisthefruitofthywomb,Jesus. HolyMary,MotherofGod, prayforussinnersnow andatthehourofourdeath. Amen. OurFather(alsoknownastheLordsPrayer) OurFather, Whoartinheaven, HallowedbeThyName. ThyKingdomcome, ThyWillbedone, OnearthasitisinHeaven. Giveusthisday, Ourdailybread, Andforgiveusourtrespasses Asweforgivethose Whotrespassagainstus. Andleadusnotintotemptation, Butdeliverusfromevil. Amen. (ThisinformationontheHolyRosaryisprovidedbyCatholicpages.comwebsite) TheLordsPrayer AvinuShebaShamayyim:OurFatherWhoartintheheavens. When Jesus was asked by his disciples, How should we pray? the Lords Prayer (also known in CatholicismastheOurFatherprayercitedinthepreviouslinesbeforethisparagraph)waswhatJesusgavethem asanexampleinLuke11:1.AllsortsofofficialChristianprayersandrecitationshavebeenstructuredinthesame format as the Lords Prayer. The first two lines give praise (hallowed be thy name, the second two lines show surrendertoGodswill(thywillbedone),thenexttwolinesaskforwhatiswanted(dailybread),thenthereisa requestforforgiveness(forgiveusourtrespasses),andfinallyanaffirmationtobegood(deliverusfromevil). TheLordsPrayerisknownbyheartbyalmosteveryChristian,andisatreasuredpartofJesusteachings. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 55

 Dr.J.J.HurtakwritesinhisTheLordsPrayer(1983)thatthisDivineLanguageofTheLordsPrayercan move our consciousness towards spiritual growth. The first step in this unfoldment of consciousness Hurtak writesistoacknowledgeourOnenesswiththeeternalFamilyofLightthatexistsinallheavens,asharingofthe sameGod,andthesameDivineMind.WeareabletopraytoourCreatorintheimageofwhomwearecreated withthislivingWord.ThewriterexplainsthatinmostBiblestodaythetranslationsheavens(plural,Hebrew: shamayyim;Greek:ouranois)iswrittenoutandreplacedwiththesingulartenseheaven:OurFatherWhoartin heaven.Asaresultthemanyhierarchiesanddimensionspointedoutintheoriginallanguagevibrationsofthe prayerhavebeenlosttothisconsciousorunconsciousmistranslation. Avinushebashamayyim.Thisholy,sacredlanguageisgiventotheevolutionaryenergymatrixthatexists in the many heavens (shamayyim) with its eternal capstone, the House of Many Mansions (Hebrew: hekaloth). Theprayerallowsallwhosayittoconnectwithalllevelsofcreation.Jesusknewhisworkwasnotlimitedto this world alone, but was opening gates to communications between the higher and lower vibratory rates and dimensionsfoundinHisCreation,all24dimensionsaccordingtoHurtakinTheLordsPrayer(1983). This cosmology of consciousness, as Hurtak so eloquently states, allows us all to pass through these dimensions,even ones capturedand controlled bythe lower hierarchy. Thiscontrol of the lower dimensions is referredtointheRevelation(Apocalypse)ofJohntheDivineandalsofoundintheOldTestamentwritingand prophecyofDaniel.Itisrevealedinthesescripturesthatitwasonlythroughtheintercessionandcooperationof Archangel Michael along with the higher Hierarchy that the Office of the Christ could save the lower material worldsfromthefallenHierarchies.WelearnfromthisscholarthatthefallenHierarchyattemptedtobreakupthe DivineLanguagesystemthatconnectedabovewithbelow.

OtherChristianPrayers
PrayerofSt.Jude O most holy apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Makeuse,Iimploreyou,ofthatparticularprivilegegiventoyou,tobringvisibleandspeedyhelpwherehelp isalmostdespairedof.CometomyassistanceinthisgreatneedthatImayreceivetheconsolationandhelpof heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (state your request) and that I may praiseGodwithyouandalltheelectforever. Ipromise,OblessedSt.Jude,tobeevermindfulofthisgreatfavor,toalwayshonoryouasmyspecialand powerfulpatron,andtogratefullyencouragedevotiontoyou. Amen. ThePeacePrayerofSaintFrancis OLord,makemeaninstrumentofThyPeace! Wherethereishatred,letmesowlove. Wherethereisinjury,pardon. Wherethereisdiscord,harmony. Wherethereisdoubt,faith. Wherethereisdespair,hope. Wherethereisdarkness,light. Wherethereissorrow,joy. OhDivineMaster,grantthatImaynot somuchseektobeconsoledastoconsole; tobeunderstoodastounderstand; tobelovedastolove; foritisingivingthatwereceive; itisinpardoningthatwearepardoned; anditisindyingthatweareborntoEternalLife. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 56

PrayerofMotherTeresaofCalcutta(19101997) Giveusaheartasbeautiful,pure,andspotlessasyours.Aheartlikeyours,sofullofloveandhumility. MaywebeabletoreceiveJesusastheBreadofLife,tolovehimasyoulovedhim,toservehimunderthe mistreatedfaceofthepoor.WeaskthisthroughJesusChristourLord.Amen.

SPIRITUALPRACTICESFORESOTERICCHRISTIANS
In The Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates The Material World (1995), Amit Goswami, Ph.D. says, Meaning arises in the universe when sentient beings observe it, choosing causal pathways from among the myriadtranscendentpossibilities.Ifitsoundsasifwearereestablishingananthropocentricviewoftheuniverse, so be it. The time and context for a strong anthropocentric principle has comethe idea that observers are necessarytobringtheuniverseintobeing.Itistimetorecognizethearchetypalnatureofmankindscreation myths(foundintheBookofGenesisintheJudeoChristiantradition,theVedasoftheHindutradition,andmany other religious traditions). The cosmos was created for our sake. Such myths are compatible with quantum physics,notcontradictory. Hereisanexampleofaonepointedmeditationpractice:dodiaphragmaticbreathingandstayfocusedon yourbreath,especiallytheoutbreath,for15to20minutesdaily.Breathisveryimportant,astheBookofGenesis 2:7 suggests: And the Lord God formed Adam out of the soil of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breathoflife;andmanbecamealivingbeing.InHebrew,Aramaic,Greek,andSanskrit,thewordforbreath alsomeanslifeand/orspiritRuha(orRuach)inHebrew/Aramaic,pneumainGreek,andPranainSanskrit.Saythe wordRuhaaloudfirst,andthenrepeatitmentallyinsynchronywitheachbreathRuasyouinhaleandhaasyou exhale.Similarly,youcanusethewordAbwoon(Abwoon)orAmen(Aamen)insynchronywithyourbreathing. Abwoon means Father, the Breathing Life of all, the Source. Amen asserts focusing on the present moment. The sounds Yahwe and Alleluia are other mantras Christians and Jews may chant. Yesu and Yahshua are Aramaic/HebrewnamesforJesusandthosenamescanbeusedbyChristiansasmantras.IfJesusresonateswith youbetterthenuseJesus. Meditationisnowinthehandsofthepeopleandoutoftheexclusivedomainofthemonks.Thespiritual benefitsarereadilynoticeable,andnowthereismountingevidencethatwithregularpracticeofmeditationwe can experience health benefits like lowered blood pressure and heart rate, an improved immune system and mentalpeaceofmind.Brainwavechangesoccurduringdeepmeditativestates.Theinnerexperiencesevokedby suchneurologicalalterationsdoresemblethetranspersonalexperiencesofhistoricalmystics.Theseexperiences allow us to experience the unity of life and how we are connected to all humanity while in touch with this universalpartofourselves.Nuns,studiedduringmeditation,showthatthelocationofthebrainassociatedwith concentrationbecomesmorelively.Thebrainactivityinthearearesponsibleforasenseofselftendstobecome quiet.Theindividualwhomeditatestendstobemorealtruistic,considerateofalllivingbeingsandexperiences themasapartofhis/herownbeing. MichaelAngelus,ateacherofsoundandconsciousness,wrotethisabouttheYHSVHchant: The YHSVH (Yod Heh Shin Vav Heh) is the name for Jesus spelled in Hebrew. The name works best when used and pronounced the way it would have occurred in Hebrew. The vibration of the name in English (Jesus) may not be as effective. In the New Testament it states that the disciples cast out demons with the bibrationofthenameofChrist.ThesacredHebrewchantofYHSVHworksinrathermiraculousways. ThisDivineNameofYHSVH(YodHeShinVavHeh)alsorepresentstheIntelligentSpiritenteringinto theElementsandisthe5foldnameoftheDivine.TheDivinenamefromtheOldTestamentisthe4foldname, knownastheTetragrammeton;YHVH(YodHehVauHeh).ThisisDivinepowerexpressedthroughtheelements offire,water,air,andearththatcreatethefabricsoftime,space,andmatter.The5foldname,YHSVH,(YodHey ShinVavHey)utilizestheadditionofpureSpiritintotheElements,givinglife.YHSVH(sometimeschantedas Yeshua or Yehoshua) is seen as the God or the Divine life in matter. This YHSVH chant creates a living intelligenceofSpiritthatmanifestinmatter. In St. John of the Cross, Thomas Merton tells us that St. John of the Cross (www.cin.org/saints/jcross merton.html) spent time in prison, but reached bliss, even in the darkness of a jail cell. He writes like a poet, explaining, Only the saint and God can tell what distant echoes of an utterly alien everyday common life penetratedthedarknessofthejailcellandtheinfinitelydeepsleepofthepeaceinwhichhissoullayhiddenin God.Touchnotthewallbutthereligiouspolicecouldnotdisturbtheecstasyofonewhohadbeencarriedsofar ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 57

that he was no longer troubled at the thought of being rejected even by the holy! This again explains that transcendentplacethatwecanaccessifwesodesire. Mertoncontinuestoexplainthatnoonecanbecomeasaintwithoutsolvingtheproblemofsuffering. HestatesthatNoonewhohaseverwrittenanything,outsidethepagesofScripture,hasgivenussuchasolution totheproblemasSt.JohnoftheCross.Sanctity,hewrites,canneverabideamerelyspeculativesolutiontothe problemofsuffering.Sanctitysolvestheproblemnotbyanalyzingbutbysuffering.Itisalivingsolution,burned inthefleshandspiritofthesaintbyfire.HeconcludesthatScriptureitselfteachesthislessonwithProverbs17:3 Assilveristriedbyfireandgoldinthefurnace,sotheLordtriethhearts. TheSpiritualCanticlewaswritteninadungeon.ThefollowingisfromThomasMertonstranslationsof thewritingsofSt.JohnoftheCrosswhilehewasdetainedinprison. Makesusapurpletent, MyBelovedislikethemountains. Isbuiltofpeace. Likethelonelyvalleysfullofwoods Ourbediscrownedwithathousandshieldsofgold! Thestrangeislands Theriverswiththeirsound Fastflyingbirds Thewhisperofthelovelyair! Lions,hartsandleapingdoes Mountains,banksandvales Thenight,appeasedandhushed Streams,breezes,heatsofday Abouttherisingofthedawn Andterrorswatchinginthenight: Themusicstilled Bythesweetlyresandbythesirenssong Thesoundingsolitude Iconjureyou:letangersend! Thesupperthatrebuildsmylife. Anddonottouchthewall Andbringsmelove. Butletthebridebesafe:lethersleepon! Ourbedofflowers Surroundedbythelionsdens (fromthetranslationbyProfessorE.AllisonPeers.) MeditationPracticeForChristians Thich NhatHanh,a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and Zen Master, popularized walking meditation as a formofmindfulnessmeditationinAmerica.ItwasalsoameditationtheChristianmonksusedastheyperformed theirdailytasks.Whilewalking,practiceconsciousbreathingbycountingyoursteps.Hesuggeststhatyoucount thenumberofstepsyoutakeduringeachinbreathbysilentlycounting123asyoubreathein,andcountyour steps123asyoubreatheout.Thecountingwillhelpkeepyourattentionfocusedonthesynchronizedbreath step walking. When you have gained enough experience in walking meditation you can drop the counting practice. Mindfulness meditation can be practiced with any activity, having onepointed attention on walking, cooking, or gardening. Staying fully present in whatever you do is the important aspect of this meditation practice. Thismeditationtechniquemaysoundverysimpleandeasy,butinpracticeitiscomplexanditseffectcan bepervasiveandprofoundinonesdailylife.OneweekofintensivetrainingwithThichNhatHanhgavemeonly aglimpseofitsspiritualpotentials.ItshouldbementionedthatthisBuddhistmeditationhasnoreferencetoGod orsoul.ThegoalofthismeditationisnottofindGod,buttofindjoyinonesownlife,andtodeveloploveand compassionforallformsoflife.ThichNhatHanhremindsusthattheKingdomofGodiswithinus,butwehave tobereadytowelcomeit.ThosewhoconnectmindfulnesswiththepresenceofGodineverythingtheydocan experiencewhatSt.Pauldescribesasprayingceaselessly. What of active, onepoint focused meditation such as meditating on a selected imagery or a word? ThoughthereisplentyofliteratureintheJudeoChristiantraditiononContemplativeMeditation,werarelycome across books or instructions on onepointed meditation. Some religious people perceive it suspiciously and hostilely as though it were an unwelcome infiltration of religious faith. As a matter of fact, onepointed meditationdoesnotworkagainstanalytic/contemplativemeditation.Inreality,onecomplementstheotherand both methods have been practiced in Christianity. An example of one pointed meditation would be chanting Jesusname,asmentionedintheprevioussectionaboutYHSVH. People have different personalities and may use different tools for experiencing God. Some love ritualistic forms of worship, services with a community of believers, reciting prayers and singing devotional songsinunison.OthersprefersolitaryplacestofindsacredspacetocommunewithGod.JesusandTheProphets werenotagainstthosewhopracticedeithermethodofdevotion.JesusattendedSynagogueandtooktimealone ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 58

inprivatetoexperienceGod.Spiritualaspirantshavetofindoutthemselveswhatworksbestforthem.Thegoal ofmeditationistofindjoyinonesownlife,andtodeveloploveandcompassionforallformsoflife. ListeningToSacredSoundsAndMusic:AlternativeTechnologiesForSpiritualExperience IwouldliketosharesomeofmyownpersonalexperienceherewithAlphastates.Ihavediscoveredthat sacredmusic,chienergy,positiveemotionsandprayercanallhelpapersontowardspiritualliberation. I like the work of Steven Halpern and Jonathan Goldman in particular. Healing Harmony (2002) by JonathanGoldman,using9tuningforkssaidtobetheDivinefrequenciesofcreation,combinedwithhidden healingcodesheclaimshavebeendiscoveredintheBible.AlongwithachantingofYHSHV(YodHeyShinVav Hey), an ancient Name of the Christ which is claimed by the artist to resonate with Christ energy. The music carriesthelistenertostatesofAlphathatbothhealandliberatethesoul.Ilistentothissacredmusicwhilelying onmybackusingmyChiMachine. IalsoworkwithMindGear,alightandsoundmachinethatprovidesmewithvisualmindstimulation andentrainsmymindtoholdwavefrequencypatternssuchastheShumanresonancefoundat7.83Hertz.This frequencyislocatedbetweentheThetaWave37HzrangeandtheAlphaWave812Hzrange. JamesLovelockinhisGaia:ThePracticalScienceOfPlanetaryMedicine(2000)proposesthattheearthisa dynamic entity able to control its own life processes. Here is a new view about life of the earth, which has changedtheviewofourhumanpresenceontheplanettoday.Withlivingdescriptionsofthegeophysiologyof our planet, Lovelock claims that the earths biota, tightly coupled with its environment, acts (and has acted sincelifeonearthdevelopedcomplexity)asasingle,selfregulatinglivingsysteminsuchawayastomaintain theconditionsthataresuitableforlife.Thesystemincludesthenearsurfacerocksandatmosphere.Inparticular, itregulatesthechemistryoftheoceans,compositionoftheatmosphereandsurfacetemperature. ThisistheGaia(Earth)heartbeatthatLovelockwritesofat7.83Hertz.WhenIusemyChimachinein conjunctionwiththeSchumannResonancefrequencytheMindGearprovides,Icanexperienceabreachingofthe sublime,anexperienceofmyhigherself.Iexperienceaflushofpositiveemotions,andtheresultingbodyflushof neuropeptidesinmychemistrymovesmeintomytranspersonalselffoundinthe4th,5th,and6thdimensionsof timeandspace. Thesepracticesareextremelyhealingandtransformational.Withregularpracticeofspiritualtechniques like these we can experience health benefits like lowered blood pressure and heart rate, improved immune system,peaceofmindandeternalyouth.Brainwavechangesoccurduringdeep,meditativestates,andourdaily emotions, as we have learned. The inner experiences evoked by such neurological alterations resemble the transpersonalexperiencesofChristiansaintsandothermysticsthroughouttheages.Theseexperiencescanallow ustoexperiencetheunityoflifeandhowweareconnectedtoallhumanityandtheuniverse.Whileintouchwith thisuniversalpartofourselveswehavewisdomthattranscendsallworldlyknowledgeitself.

CHRISTIANITYANDSIMILARBELIEFSINMETAPHYSICS
Manhastwoeyes Oneonlyseeswhatmovesinfleetingtime Theother Whatiseternalanddivine. TheBookofAngelusSilesius RudolphSteinersaysinTheReappearanceOfChristInTheEtheric(1983),Wewillnowapplythelawof correspondencebetweenmacrocosmandmicrocosm,betweenthelargeandsmallworlds,toanotherimportant matter.Justasanordinarylife,wehaveourhumdrumdayswakingup,goingtobed,wakingupagain,going aboutourusualtaskssoitisalsointhefarreachesofspace.There,too,everythinggoesaboutitsusualcourse; therisingandsettingofthesunarerepeatedinaregularrhythm.However,justasthefamilysmethodicalpace isinterruptedwhenachildappears,completelynewimpulseentersearthlyexistencewithanewspiritualbeing, such as a comet, has the same effect in space. All material is the expression of something spiritual, and occult scienceisabletoindicatewhatliesbehindphenomena.Thewayinwhichmodernsciencetriestooccupyitself withcometsissimilartoaflyobservingtheSistineMadonna.ItcrawlsovertheMadonna,itcertainlyseesthe colors,seesaspotofredhere,aspotofbluethere,butbeyondthisitseesnothingatall. A man rises to true human dignity only when he grasps the depths of relationships that lie at the foundationofthespiritual.Peopleshouldnotrushsoblindlypastwhattheheavenlysignshavetoshowthem. Wisdom should inflame and enlighten its association both small and great. Take as an example of this the ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 59

wisdomfilledorganizationofananthill.There,thewholehasthemeaning;everyantfeelsitselftobeamember of the whole. Human beings, however, regulate their social life according to what each individual considers useful for himself. They run around each other senselessly, without understanding. Human life is really nonsensicalinmanyways. Whenever a person takes on an inner discipline, however, he makes himself ripe for what should be brought forward as a third fact: the possibility of looking out into the etheric with newly awakened faculties. TherethesoulwillseewhatPauloncesaw:ChristinHisethericbody.Withoutbooksanddocumentsthisgreat eventthesecondcomingofChristwilltakeplaceforthosewhohavemadethemselvesworthyofit.Itisthe obligationofanthroposophytoannouncethis.Therearealreadyhumanbeingswhosensethatwehaveovercome theDarkAgeandareapproachingamoreluminousera.TheAnthroposophistsmustwalkthispathconsciously. Anthroposophy must bring its fruits to humanity, so that souls are made capable of uniting themselves with Christ.Whetherthesesoulsinhabitaphysicalbodyornotmakesnodifference;Hehasdescendedtothedeadas wellastotheliving.ThegreatandsublimeeventofChristsappearanceintheethericthushassignificanceforall theworld. TheGoddessandMary Margaret Starbird, author of the The Goddess In The Gospels (1998) speaks about the process of her discovery of the lost goddess in Christianity. Her ideas are covered at www.awakenedwoman.com by interviewerSarada.IntheinterviewshesharesthefollowinginsightsthatIthinkmightbearsomelightonthe GoddessissueinChristianitytoday. In The Goddess in the Gospels you refer to synchronicities around the current pope, John Paul II, naminghimasthepopewhopresidesoverthetimeofthereemergenceoftheGoddess,andpredictingthathe couldreinstatethefeminineintheCatholicChurch.Sinceyouwrotethisin1998,doyoustillfeelthathewilldo this? Well, he brought the black Madonna image from Czestochowa, the patroness of Poland, in 1978. Everyonestartedlookingforthegoddesslikecrazyafterthat.Whatmademesadthough,isthattheyallwent searchingoutsideofChristianityforHer,intotheancientpastfortheimagesofthedarkgoddess,Isisandothers, whenShewasrightthereinthescripturesallthetime. ThefollowingisMargaretsdescriptionofTheBlackMadonnafromTheGoddessintheGospels. TheBlackMadonnaisamightypatroness!Butdowehaveanyinklingofthefullscopeofherreality?In southernFrancealonethereareseveralhundredBlackMadonnashrineswheresheishonoredastheVirginMary with her son Jesus on her lap. But the image of the beautiful dark mother is much older and far deeper than medievalChristianinterpretationsandtraditionsreflectedinthesestatues.Theimageofthedarkfemininegoes backtotheancientNeolithicrepresentationsofEarthastheGreatMother,theeternalvesselorGrail. LikethefaceofHelenthatlaunchedathousandships,itwasthedesecratedfaceoftheBlackMadonna ofCzestochowathatlaunchedmyquestforthelostGrail.InresearchingtheimageoftheBlackMadonnaandher ancientrenderingsinpaganmythandartifacts,IencounteredtheancientloreoftheTripleGoddessaswellasthe neglected and forgotten Bride and the cult and mythology of the Sacred Marriage. Taken together, these have become the cornerstone of my lifethe partnership mandala urging me to seek balance at every level of my experience. ButJohnPauldoesntunderstandallthis.ThesynchronicitythatIseerelatestoanoldprophecythatis wellknowninCatholicandIrishCelticcircles.Onehundredandsixteenpapaciesarewrittenabout,witheach onessignificance.Thenexttothelastone,JohnPaulIIs,isreferredtoastheeclipseoftheSun.Thinkingthat theSun/Sonofthechurchmightbeeclipsed,churchfathersworriedthatthefeminine,themoon,wouldeclipse the Sun/Son, the masculine. What they dont realize is that the eclipse of the sun symbolizes the conjunctional marriage,thesunandmooncomingtogetheritssobeautiful,apartnershipmodel.So,eventhoughJohnPaul mightnotbeawareoftheimportance,hehaspresidedoverthisperiodofawakening. SaradamentionstherisinggoddesscultureintheUnitedStates,withmanywomenlookingtotheancient pastforgoddessarchetypes.Metaphysicalbeliefssystemsincludethefeminine(Goddess)aswell. Yes,wouldntithavebeeneasierfromthebeginning,ingradeschooliftheydjusttaughtusthatJesus hadawife!Paulslettersaretheearliest,thefirst.Hesaysthattheapostlestraveledwiththeirsisterwives.Jesus sentoutdisciplesinpairs.WewithourChristianoverlaythinkofpairsofmen,butIthinkthathewassending outpairsofmenandwomen,couples,asmodelsofthewayitshouldbe.ThinkofNoahsArkforexample.He wastocollectpairsofanimals,notpairsofmales! ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 60

Themodelofthesacredunion,theheirosgamos,isthemodelforLife.IbelievethatJesuswastryingto incorporatethatmodel. Was Mary Magdalene the feminine counterpart of Jesus, the feminine side of God? Sarada, the interviewer,asks. Yes,theybecomecounselors,chaplains,fulfillallsortsoffunctions.Ahundreddifferentwaystheyfind toserve.Onceapriest,alwaysapriestitsacalling.Theyjustcannotofficiateatthemass.Ofcoursetheydosay mass,fortheirownfamiliesandfriendsathome.ItsliketheearlyChurch,breakingbreadtogether,meetingin peopleshomes.Nunssaymassaswell.Christwouldnthavemindedatall.Themainpointthoughistheblood royal,thesangraal,theHolyGrail.Thechalice,thecupofblood,istheancientsymbolofthewomb,thefeminine. IftheywouldjustrestoretheBridetotheBridegroom,everybodycouldlivehappilyeverafter.Eveninthefairy tales,thelostfeminineisexpressed.Theprinceisalwayslongingforher,searchingforthelostbride.Inthebook of Revelations they speak of the nuptials of the Bride. There are countless references to the wedding feast, the BrideandBridegroom,intheNewTestament. Itshardtochangeyoursoftware.Christianwomenreallywanttoknowthis.Togivethemasenseof their own being. Someone did a job on us, marginalized us. They stole Magdalenes voice and called her a prostitute.Thescripturespeaksofherashavingsevendevils.Really,shecouldhavebeenmanicdepressive. But the important thing is that she represented her oppressed people. They were an occupied territory, an oppressedpeople,andwomenweresubjecttorape.Nowondershewassick,herwholenationwassick. StephanHoellerinTheFeminineAndTheMultiCenteredGodImage(1989)shareswithusthat,Archetypes, on the other hand, behave very much as gods and goddesses might be expected to behave, and it must be remembered that many of these archetypal images are female. In this way the goddesses of the soul have reentered the arena of contemporary interest. Their triumphal march, initiated by Jung and acclaimed by mythologistssuchasKernyi,Eliade,andJosephCampbell,istakingplacebeforeoureyes. Continuing,hesays,SomemayaskifitisrealistictoexpectpeoplewhowerenurturedbytheChristian mythtoshiftallegiancetothedeitiesofHomerandXenophanes.YetmanyearlyChristians,especiallythoseof theGnosticvariety,sawnocontradictioninrecognizingthegodsandgoddessesascarriersofvalidimageryand power.TheChurchFathersdescribedhowAlexandrianGnosticscarriedthestatueofPersephoneinprocession fromanundergroundcrypttotheirchurchontheeveoftheEpiphany.EvenorthodoxChristiansacceptedthe form of Bacchus as a legitimate disguise for Christ. To this day, Catholicism is chastised by Protestants for worshipping Mary as a pagan goddess, and it can be argued that early Christianity represented an attempt to substitute a sacred polyarchy for the tyranny of the Old Testament God. We must also remember that the Kabbalah(calledJewishGnosticismbyGershomScholem)possessesapolytheisticmythinitstensephiroth,at leastthreeofwhichqualifyasgoddessesbyanyreasonablestandard. HebelievesthatthediscoveryandassimilationofearlyheterodoxChristianscriptures(suchastheNag Hammadi library) will also facilitate the revival of goddess figures within a new Gnostic Christian mythos. Goddesses such as Barbelo and Sophia, demigoddesses like Eve, Zoe and Norea, and heroines such as Mary MagdaleneareemergingfromexileandareawaitingreincorporationintoChristianscripturesandliturgy.Things haveneverlookedsogoodforarecoveryofourpolytheisticheritageandofourbeautifulandmightygoddesses ofold.OneevenfeelsthatChrist,theincarnateparadigmoftheFullness,wouldbepleasedbythecomingofa newpolytheism. Warning us, Stephan Hoeller says, Aeschylus, in his tragedy Aetnae, writes of Talia, daughter of Hephaestus.HavingreceivedtheamorousattentionsofZeus,thisdivinemaidenwaspersecutedbyZeusdivine consort,Hera.TosaveherfromharmZeushidTaliainthedepthsoftheearth,whereshegavebirthtotwosons, the Palikes, who to this day are responsible for emitting destructive streams of volcanic fire into this world. MarieLouisevonFranzremindsusthatifweforgetthegoddessesandgodstheywillburstforthfromthedepthsof theunconsciousindestructiveways. Heconcludesbysaying,Ourattachmenttothemonotheisticgodimagehascausedustorepressmany splendid archetypal deities. The wholeness, not only of our souls but of the world, requires us to invite these numinousbeingstotaketheirplacesinourreligiousandculturallives.Itwouldbebestifindoingthiswecould refrain from trying to evoke a monotheistic feminine deity fashioned in the image of Jehovah, our longtime afflictor. Nietzsches Olympians exclaim in Thus Spake Zarathustra, Is not just this godlike, that there are gods but no God?Towhichwemayadd,andthattherearegoddesses,butnoGoddess! ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 61

ArchangelMichael The current Age of Michael began in 1879 A.D. according to Rudolf Steiner in his book The Archangel Michael: His Mission And Ours (1994) He informs us in this incredible series of 23 lectures that in the English language we pronounce Michael with only two syllables, MYKUL, but the final syllable el, the name of God,isthelastsyllableofallthesevenArchangelsnames.Sayingitwiththecorrectthreesyllableswesay:Mi chaelorMEKAELL. TheChristianmetaphysicianSteinergivesusthefollowingneurallinguistictipinregardtoourlanguage patternswhenwespeakofMichaelWemustbecomeawareinthemidstofthisgreatMichaelAgethatwhatwe think and say becomes reality. Humanity lives in a time when anxiety, fear, and hate can become endangered species with a shift in consciousness from now on, due to this current Age of Michael. As the Perseid meteor showerspassby,SteinertellsusthatthisshowerofmeteoricironcanbepicturedastheironofMichaelssword withtheeffectsradiatingintoourverylifesbloodassmallminutetinymeteoritesintotheironofourhemoglobin. We serve Michael by overcoming the Dragon that is trying to grow to its full height and strength in todaysideas,whichduringthepastepochproducedmassconsumerismandrampantmaterialism,andinturn are now so persuasive as to engender a life of their own, living out into our futures unabated. To defeat this dragon means to stand in the service of Michael. That is the victory of Michael over the Dragon of world materialism. ElijahofTishbe TheProphetoftheChariotofFirelivedin870B.C.Heistheprophetwhostandsupforthepoorandlost souls of his land and defended those who suffered violence and injustice. The following insights to the significanceofElijahsrevelationsarefoundat(www//144000.net/chariot.htm).Isharethemwithyounow.Inthe GospelofMathew,JesustellsHisdisciplesthatElijah,whowastocomeaccordingtotheprophecyofMalachi,at thatmomenthadalreadycome,andthedisciplesunderstoodthatHewastalkingofJohntheBaptist.Hequotes Luke1:17,tellingusthatanangelappearsbeforeZachariastoannouncethat,regardlessoftheadvancedageof hiswifeandhim,asonwouldbegrantedtothembyGod...andheshallgobeforehiminthespiritandpowerof Elijah... ReincarnationofthespiritwasheldbymanyreligiousbeliefssystemsbeforethetimeofJohntheBaptist. WhenheisquestionedbypriestsandLevites(priestswereliketheSadduceansoflatertime)ifhewasElijah,the prophetanswered,Iamnot.AtthismomenthewasJohntheBaptist,butwithinhimwasthepowerandspirit ofElijahandJesuswouldlaterrevealthistotheapostles.Isaiah62:2seesthisincarnationtocomewhenhesays, andthoushaltbecalledbyanewname,whichthemouthoftheLordshallname... Refusal to accept the reincarnation or embodiment of the spirit of Elijah in John the Baptist which was accepted by most important early Fathers of the Church, does not deny the fact of this prophesy and its fulfillmentdidseemtohappen. PrayerandHealing I wish to mention here the work of Larry Dossey, M.D., Healing Words (1993). He writes about use of language and the natural, nonmiraculous psychosomatic cures brought on by words of warmth and love. The placeboeffect,and,morerecently,theneurochemicalconnectionsbetweenmoodandtheimmunesystemwhich when experienced with positive emotions, can in fact bring about spontaneous remission of cancers and other miracles.HealingWordsisdevotedtoprayerandhealing.Theauthorfirmlybelievesthatprayerbringsaboutreal andbeneficialeffects. Dr.JamesV.Hardt(www.biocybernaut.com/tutorial/alpha.html)explainswhatAlphaisandwhatmakes itappearanddisappearinourbrains.Yes,hesays,theAlphastatedoesappearandthendisappears.Itisnota constantandwehavetoapplyourselvestogetintothisstate,asitisnotalwayspresent.Indeepsleepthereisno Alphawithfearandangerchasingitaway.Deltaisexperiencedindeepsleep(sleepstages3and4)andThetais seeninlightsleepanddrowsiness(sleepstages1and2).Alphaisexperiencedwhenweareawakeandinastate of relaxation. When we close our eyes we go into Alpha, easy as that. If we experience positive emotions and attitudeswhileinAlpha,Dr.JamesV.Hardtbelieveswecancommunicatewithourimmortalitygenethatinturn communicateswithourchromosomenumber1,thusallowingusthetreasureofalonglivedyouthfulness.Betais experiencedwithstressinourlivesandmakesfordifficultmentalconcentration. Delta waves are the slowest oscillating waves (04 cycles per second). Theta waves oscillate somewhat faster(47cyclespersecond).Alphawavesoscillate813timespersecond.Betawavesoscillatestillfaster(1340 cyclespersecond).Therearemanyotherkindsofelectricalactivityinthebrain,especiallytheshortlivedevoked ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 62

potentials that occur when the brain responds to sensory input (like a sound, or a touch, or a flash of light). However, the four basic EEG waves of Delta, Theta, Alpha, and Beta constitute the standard lineup of EEG activity. Perhaps just the act of closing ones eyes in the act of prayer triggers the Alpha state where healing happens.Perhapsbeinginthealphastateiswhyprayerandhealingaresoconnected. Noosphere:TheNetOfConsciousness Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, writes in The Phenomenon Of Man (1955), We are not human beings on a spiritualjourney.Wearespiritualbeingsonahumanjourney.PierreTeilharddeChardinispossiblythemost inspiredChristianwriterofthe20thcentury.Unfortunatelymanythinkershavenottakenhisinnovativethinking seriously today. However, his work bridges science and religion, ushering in a new age of creativity and Christianityitself. TeilharddeChardinexplainsthattherearethreemajorphasesofevolutionhereonearth.Thefirstphase hebelievedstartedwhenlifewasbornfromthedevelopmentoftheearthbiosphere.Thesecondphasebeganat theendoftheTertiaryperiodashumanitydevelopeditsabilitytobeareflectivethinker.Withthinkingcomes communication and then the third phase of evolution occurred. This is where Teilhard gets metaphysical, believingthatathinkinglayerofthebiosphereisthisthirdphaseofevolutionanditiscalledthenoosphere (from the Greek noo, for mind). Starting small at first, this noosphere continues to grow, and will continue to grow,intheageofelectronics.EarthcrystallizationishowTeilharddescribedthenoospherearoundEarth,A glow rippled outward from the first spark of conscious reflection. The point of ignition grows larger. The fire spreadsineverwideningcirclestillfinallythewholeplanetiscoveredwithincandescence. He is describing a thinking membrane covering the planet, the living earth which we hear of so much today,Gaia,abiologicalentitywithabrain.Teilhardwrotethatthenoosphereresultsfromthecombinedaction oftwocurvaturestheroundnessoftheearthandthecosmicconvergenceofthemind.Thiscosmicmindisthe mind of God and all creatures are a part of this God. In a way, the noosphere could be thought of as mass consciousness. TeilhardwasavisionarywhoperhapssawtheInternetcoming50yearsbeforetheactualelectronicweb encirclingtheEarthtodayappeared.Theinternetitselfcouldbeconsideredanoosphereofsorts.Hevisualizeda vast thinking membrane coalescing into the living unity of a single tissue which envelopes our collective thoughts,experiencesandfeelings.InThePhenomenonOfMan,Teilhardwrote,Isthisnotlikesomegreatbody whichisbeingbornwithitslimbs,itsnervoussystem,itsperceptiveorgans,itsmemorythebodyinfactof that great living Thing which had to come to fulfill the ambitions aroused in the reflective being by the newly acquired consciousness? What Teilhard saw evolving for the world of the future was a collective organism of mind. The internet itself may not be a sentient noosphere in the true definition of the word, but it is at least a collectionofexperiencesandinformationmuchlikethemassconsciousness(noosphere)oftheentirehumanrace, past,present,andfuture. InthesectionTheIlluminationofthiswork,ThePhenomenonofMan(1955),PierreTeilharddeChardin informsus,Certainlyinourinnermostbeingwefeeltheweight,thestockofgoodorbadobscurepowers,the sortofdefiniteandunalterablequantumhandeddowntousfromthepast.Withnolessclarityweseethatthe furtheradvanceofthevitalwavebeyondusdependsonhowindustriouslyweusethosepowers.Howcouldwe doubtthiswhenweseethemdirectlybeforeusthroughallthechannelsoftradition,storedupirreversibly[in the] collective memory and intelligence of the human biota? Even under the influence of our tendency to disparagetheartificial,weareapttoregardthesesocialfunctionstradition,educationandupbringingaspale images,almostparodies,ofwhattakesplaceinthenaturalformationofspecies. Hecontinues,Inshort,thelivingbeingemergesfromtheanonymousmassesthroughradiationofhis own consciousness. His activity can be stored and transmitted by means of education and imitation. From this point of view, man represents an extreme case of transformation. Transplanted into the thinking layer of the earth,heredity,withoutceasingtobegerminalor(chromosomatic)intheindividual,findsitselfbyitsverylife centersettledinareflectingorganism,collectiveandpermanent,inwhichphylogenesismergeswithontogenesis. From the chain of cells it passes into the circumterrestrial layers of the noosphere. Hence we were not saying enough when we said that evolution, by becoming conscious of itself in the depths of ourselves, needs only to lookatitselfinthemirrortoperceiveitselfindepth,therebydecipheringitself.Freetodisposeofitself,itcangive oforrefuseitself.IfweareGoditself,wecanholdnooutsideinfluenceorentityresponsibleforoursuccessor failure. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 63

Bobby Metherne (www.doyletics.com/arj/cmfrvw.htm, 1998) touches on this evolutionary theme of the thinking layer of the earth: To understand the process that unfolds in the blossoming of a flower is to understandtheentireevolutionoftheuniverse.Forthisprocessofflowering,inwhichtheleafyplantreachesto createsomethingthatisunlikeitself,requiresittoreachintoahigherplane,theastralworld,forhelp,andwhen that help is bestowed on the plant, the flowering stage may proceed. What would a romance, a birth, or a weddingbewithoutflowers.Weallrespondtotheflowersastrallightandthisiswhatdrawsustousethemfor these significant events in our lives. Metherne writes that we humans are alwayslike the leafy plant reaching aboveourselvesfortheguidanceandassistancetomoveintoourfloweringstage.SteinerwritesinChristianity AsMysticalFact(1910)Toattaininsightistounfoldaneworgan,aneventcomparabletoaplantunfoldingthe colorofitsblossomoutofitsformergreenandleafystate. Paul Davies says in his book In The Mind Of God (1992), The great diversity of forms and substances foundinthephysicalworldreflectthelimitlessvarietyofintrinsicproperties.Setagainstthiswayoflookingat the world were the monotheistic religions. The Jews conceived of God as the Lawgiver. This God, being independentofandseparatefromhiscreation,imposedlawsuponthephysicaluniversefromwithout.Nature wassubjecttolawsbydivinedecree.Onecouldstillassigncausestophenomenon,buttheconnectionbetween causeandeffectwasnowconstrainedbythelawsofscience.Whenwelookattherelativelysophisticatedsociety ofGreekgods,wedonotfindthenotionofanallpowerfulcosmiclawgiververyevident.Creationismovedby the Gods rather than a God. Creation proceeds by committee rather than fiat. The view that laws are imposed upon, rather than inherent, was eventually adopted by Christianity and Islam too, though not without a struggle.St. Thomas Aquinas viewed the innate Aristotelian tendenciesas aspects of thenatural world which were providentially employed by God. However, in this cooperative enterprise, their basic character was inviolate. According to this view, Gods relationship with nature is that of a partner rather than that of the sovereign. However, Aristotelian ideas were condemned by the Bishop of Paris in 1277, to be replaced in later doctrinebythenotionofGodtheLawmaker. Newtonbelievedthatthedesigneroftheuniverseusedfixedmathematicallaws.Thedivinemachinewas constructedbyGoditself.ButdidthisDivineMathematiciansimplybuildthisworldandthenleaveittoevolve onitsown,totakecareofitself?DoesGodactuallywatchoveritsrunningfrommomenttomoment,daytoday? NewtonbelievedthattheuniversewassavedfromgravitationaldisintegrationonlybythegraceofGod,divine intervention. DescartesandLeibnizbelievedGodwasthefountainheadandthatrationalitythatopensthedoortothe understandingofnaturebytheapplicationofhumanreason,isitselfagiftfromGod.InRenaissanceEurope,the justification for what we today call the scientific approach to inquiry was the belief in a rational God whose createdordercouldbediscernedfromacarefulstudyofnature.Godslawscametobeseenasimmutable. PaulDavies,inhisbookTheMindOfGod(1992),saysthatthetraditionalGodofChristiantheologywas developed, for the most part, by St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century. For St. Thomas Aquinas, God is a necessary, timeless, immutable, perfect, and unchanging being on which the universe depends utterly for its existence, but who in contrast is completely unaffected by the existence of universe. There is difficulty relating thisGodtoachanginguniverse,auniversewithbeingsoffreewill. The global mind, the Net, that Teilhard wrote of in 1955, has come to pass. Teilhard was aware that evolution moves at a snails pace with dead ends and detours along the way. Connecting our neurons to the globalnetrisinginthenoospheretotheOmegapointofglobalunity,hewrote,expandsourownawarenessand allowsus toembrace ourcollective unfolding complexity together. Teilhards vision of the Net asa necessary component of humanitys assent on the evolutionary ladder is now all but proven. Now the earth needs all humanity to build the envisioned noosphere of Teilhard de Chardin. This group mind found on our Internet todaymusttranslatetoaninlivenedrelationshipwithourearth.Whenthishappens,PierreTeilharddeChardin inThePhenomenonOfMan(1955:293294,296)tellsus,wehavethebeginningofanewage.Theearthgetsanew skin. Better still, it finds its soul. This is definitely a metaphysical idea as well as an idea had by Christian thinkers. Hecontinues,AsearlyasinSt.PaulandSt.Johnwereadthattocreate,tofulfillandtopurifytheworld is, for God, to unify it by uniting it organically with himself. How does he unify it? By partially immersing himselfinthings,bybecomingelement,andthen,fromthispointofvantageintheheartofmatter,assumingthe control and leadership of what we now call evolution And when he has gathered everything together and transformedeverything,hewillcloseinuponhimselfandhisconquest,therebyrejoining,inafinalgesture,that ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 64

divinefocushehasneverleft.Then,asSt.Paultellsus,Godshallbeallinall.Chardinconsidersthisasuperior formofpantheismwithoutextraneousimplications. IftheworldisconvergentandChristoccupiesitscenter,thentheChristogenesisofSt.PaulandSt.John is nothing else and nothing less than the extension, both awaited and hoped for, of that noogenesis in which cosmogenesisasregardsourexperienceculminates.Christinvestshimselforganicallywiththeverymajesty of his creation Evolution has come to infuse new blood, so to speak, into the perspectives and aspirations of Christianity. Christianity shows itself able to reconcile, in a single living act, the All and the Person. Alone, it can bend our hearts not only to the service of that tremendous movement of the world which bears us along, but beyond, to embrace the movement in love In other words can we not say that Christianity fulfills all the conditionsweareentitledtoexpectfromareligionofthefuture;andthathence,throughit,theprincipalaxisof evolutiontrulypasses,asitmaintains? PierreTeilharddeChardininThePhenomenonOfMan(1955)sumsitupinthefollowing: i.Consideredobjectivelyasaphenomenon,theChristianmovement,throughitsrootednessinthepast andceaselessdevelopments,exhibitsthecharacteristicsofaphylum. ii.Resetinanevolutioninterpretedasanascentofconsciousness,thisphylum,initstrendtowardsthe synthesisbasedonlove,progressespreciselyinthedirectionpresumedfortheleadingshootofbiogenesis. iii. In the impetus which guides and sustains its advance, this rising shoot implies essentially the consciousnessofbeinginactualrelationshipwithaspiritualandtranscendentpoleofuniversalconvergence. SimilarToBuddhism RudolfSteinerwrites,inTheStagesOfHigherKnowledge(1967),aboutsomespiritualpracticesthatwecan use to become more selfaware. They are very simple and help us to locate that a spiritual center of gravity within.Steinertellsusthatwemustfirstbefullyconsciousineverythingwedo,beingattentivetodistinguishing betweenthatwhichiseverlastingandthatwhichistransitory.Forinstance,ifoneobservesaplant,observeitasit presentsitselftothesensesandmakeoneselffamiliarwithitsperisableaspectswhileatthesametimeobserving itseteralaspects.Onecannoticewhatwouldreappearinanewplantwhenthepresentplanthasperished.Thisis the first adjustment of ones perspective that must take place, the focus on that which is eternal even as it incarnatesintheperishable. Steinerssecondpointerthathelpsusbecomemoreselfawareisthattheheartmustbefocusedonwhat is valuable and genuine as opposed to the fleeting and the insignificant. His third pointer tells us that we should develop six qualities in particular: control of the thought world, control of actions, endurance, impartiality, trust in the surrounding world, and inner equilibrium. The first quality, control of the thought world,isattainedbylearninghowtostopthemindfromconstantlymoving.Mostpeoplehaveverylittlemastery ofthis,butitisessentialforbeingabletobetrulypresentandselfawareinanygivenmoment.Steinersays,Ifa higher world is to be approached, at least brief periods must be set aside in which one makes oneself ruler of ones thought and feeling world. The second quality, control of actions, is attained through selfdiscipline, vigilance, and diligence. This takes powers of self observation and the ability to notice when one is acting out incorrectly. The third quality, endurance, entails resisting whims, moods and pleasure seeking. He who seeks thepathtohigherknowledgemustbeabletomitigatejoyandalsogriefsurrendertopleasurableimpressions andalsopainfulexperiences;hemustmovewithdignitythroughbothItbringsmantothesteadycenterwithin theebbingandflowingtideoflifearoundhim. Thefourthquality,impartiality,suggeststhatweletgoofourpersonalopinionsandanyjudgmentsthat we might have. This is necessary to attain the open mindedness that is necessary for observing the world in a tolerantandacceptingfashion.Thiskeepsoneopentoallthatisunfamiliarandnew,thereforemakingitpossible to have new opinions. The fifth quality, trust in the surrounding world, entails believing that this is a friendly universewithalovingforcebehindit.ThisisatrustthattheGodselfhaseveryoneswellbeinginmind.Thesixth quality,innerequilibrium,addressesonesabilitytostaycentered,nomatterwhatisgoingon.Thehumanbeing mustfindwithinhimselfaspiritualcenterofgravitythatgiveshimfirmnessandsecurityinthefaceofallthat wouldpullhimhitherandthitherinlife. FaithHealing Faithhealingistheuseofsolelyspiritualmeansintreatingdisease,withtherefusalofmodernmedical techniques.Therearegroupsofpeoplethatbelieveinfaithhealingasthesoleinterventionmethodinanyhealth problem.ThetermisusuallyusedbyChristianswhobelieveGodhealspeoplethroughthelayingonofhands ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 65

and prayer. Faith healinghas not scientifically beenproven effective,although its practitioners often cite much anecdotalevidenceofcaseswhereithasbeensuccessful.Doctorsoftenascribeanysuccesstotheplaceboeffector tospontaneousremission.(Aplaceboisafakepillortechniquetotestwhetheracureworksornotinacontrol testgroup,partofthegroupreceivestheplacebo,andtheotherpartreceivestherealcure.)Somepeoplewill healwithorwithouttreatment.Itisnaturaltocreditthemostrecenttreatmentforthecure(thisformofreasoning iscalledposthocergopropterhoc). The majority of people who practice faith healing do so in cases of otherwise incurable disease. Faith healingcanposeseriousethicalproblemsformedicalprofessionalswhenparentsrefusetraditionalmedicalcare fortheirchildren.Insomecountries,parentsarguethattheyhaveaconstitutionalguaranteeofreligiousfreedom that gives them the right to refuse medical care and rely on faith healing, but many argue that because faith healinghasnotbeenproveneffective,itwouldbeunethicaltorelyonit.Doctorsconsiderittheirstrictdutytodo everythingthattheycanintheinterestsofthepatient.Iftheyjudgethatmodernscientifictreatmentsarerequired tosavethechildslifeorhealthitistheirdutytousethem,indirectcontradictiontotheparentswishes.Inthe year 2000, in Britain, a government ruling mandated that a child, against much protest from parents who preferredfaithhealing,betreatedbydoctors. Thebeautyofcontactingthesacredorder,whichdivinationissupposedtoputusintouchwith,isthatit allowsforachangedrelationshipwithinourselves.Asweworkwithdivinatorypractices,howarewetodoitin awaythatismodern,awaytothefutureratherthanbackintotheloopofthepast?Themysticalelementsofthis tradition were taken very seriously by the professional philosophers of the time. In the 3rd century B.C. Iamblichuspromotedthepracticeoftheurgicritualtorecoverthisexperientialaspectofphilosophytoprofound transforming theurgic experiences. The theurgist works like with like at the material level, with physical symbolsandmagic at the higher level. Mental and spiritual practices are, Correspondences of the divine in matter,thetheurgistthenstrivestoreachthelevelwherethesoulsinnerdivinityuniteswithGod.Thisiswhen healingmiraclesaretheproductofanaturalhealingprocess. NewHumanAbilitesandAwarenesses Humans are developing the ability to see the unseen and Shamballa (the spiritual worlds of the upper astralplanes).Thisprocesshasgainedmomentumoverthemostrecentdecades,particularlysincethemid19th century. Rudolf Steiner says in The Reappearance Of Christ In The Etheric (1983), We occupy ourselves with spiritual science so that these newly appearing facilities, which are at first barely perceptible, may not be overlooked and lost to humanity, and that those blessed with this new power of vision may not be considered dreamersandfoolsbutmayinsteadhavethesupportandunderstandingofasmallgroupofpeoplewhointheir commonpurposemaypreventthesedelicatesoulseedsandsoulqualitiesfrombeingroughlytrampledtodeath for lack of human understanding. Spiritual science shall indeed prepare the possibility for attaining this development. SteinersuggeststhatChristisnotgoingtoreappearintheflesh,butintheethericbodyinstead.Thisis perhapswhyhumanityisdevelopingthesenewabilitiestoseethatwhichwasformerlyunseeable.Anyonewho proclaimstobethereturnedChristinthefleshisnottobebelieved.Christwillappearintheethericbodyand only those who have developed the new abilities will be spared the confusion of not knowing the truth about Christsreturn. Steinercontinues,Wearethusapproachinganageinwhichmanwillfeelhimselfsurroundednotonly byaphysical,sensibleworldbutalso,accordingtothemeasureofhisknowledge,byaspiritualkingdom.The leaderinthisnewkingdomofthespiritwillbetheethericChrist.Eventhosefromotherreligionscanacceptthis event, for the Christ energy itself transcends all religions and belief systems. It will, in fact, be mans task to develop an understanding for the possibility of entering the spiritual world independently of any religious denominationbutsimplythroughthepowerofgoodwillItwillleadusintothatspiritualland,describedin ancientTibetanwritingsasaremotefairyland,whichmeansthespiritualworld,thelandofShamballa.Notina trancebutinfullconsciousnessmanshouldenterthislandundertheguidanceofChrist.Evennowtheinitiate can and must go often to the land of Shamballa in order to draw from there new forces. Later, other human beings,too,willenterthelandofShamballa.Theywillseeitsradiantlight,asPaulsawabovehimthelightthat streamed from Christ. This light will stream toward them, also. The portals of this realm of light will open to themandthroughthemtheywillentertheholylandofShamballa. ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 66

TheFourthDimension Themetaphysicalapproachtothistranspersonalrealm,thisHolyStreamofLightcanbeexperiencedin thandhigherdimensionsaccordingtoRudolfSteinerinhisTheFourthDimension:SacredGeometry,Alchemy the4 AndMathematics(2001).Hewritesthatwhenweconsiderwaterthathasbeenallowedtofreeze,thesubstanceis thesameyetwaterandiceareverydifferentinform.Heexplainsthatwecanimagineasimilarprocesstaking place with regard to the three higher human dimensions of selfawareness, feeling and time, and that these dimensions are reflected in the three ordinary dimensions in the physical world. Fourth dimensional consciousnessrealizesallbeingsasOneSelf. ThePleroma JohnLash(www.metahistory.org/lexicon)extrapolatestheGnosticmythologyofthePleromatothecentral bulgeofourgalaxy,whileatthesametimeproposingtherearemanyPleromas,asGnosticteachingsassert.He writes,HenceaPleromaisacenterofagalaxy,notthecenteroftheUniverseinitstotality.Iwouldnotpresume to say what or where the center of the Universe, the totality of galaxies, is, but based on current astronomical researchIcanconfidentlysaythatthecenterofthegalaxyweonEarthinhabitislocatedabout26,000lightyears awayinthedirectionoftheconstellationoftheArcher.Theexactpointofthegalacticcenterisnotknown,and cannotbeknown,becauseitisaregionratherthanapointsource.Astronomynowinformsusthatthegalactic centerisat278degreesoftheZodiacalSignSagittarius,or2678ontheEcliptic. In Gaia Hypothesis by Lynn Margulis and James Lovelock, the authors propose that the center of the galaxy is a vortex of massfree, highporosity light, including black light. These are Organic and Superorganic Light, respectively. Insofar as it can be described in terms comparable to anything we know, this light is a substance like foam from a fireextinguisher. The eruption of Pleromic Light is compared to an overflowing wellspringinGnostictexts.Thislightisnotonlyalivebutpossessedofintention. AeonsintheGnosticcosmology,JohnLashbelieves,areselfawarecurrentsinthecorelightfield.Heis convinced that Gnostic seers were able to communicate with the galactic center by standing in the wash of currentsfromthisOrganicandSuperorganicLight,beingabletoreceivetheseimpulsesandfrequenciesfromthe Aeons.Theywerecalledtheimmovableracebecausetheywereabletowithstandthestreamingofthiscosmic insightandrevelationwhileremainingstillwithoutturningawayorlosingonescenteroffocus. TheGnosticsrecognizedathreelevelorthreefoldcapacitytoreceivethisPleromicLight.(1)TheGnostic adeptattunestothepresenceofAeoniccurrentsoperatingwithinthenaturallightoftheEarthsatmosphere,(2) HeorshetunesintothestreamingofAeoniccurrentsfromthegalacticcoreintoourEarthsatmosphere,(3)The Gnosticadeptthenreceivesdirectlythecurrentsfromthegalacticcore.Lashinformsusthattheseerwhoisable to attune to all three levels was called Trimegistus, Thrice Great, a title for the supreme heirophant in the EgyptianMysterySchools. CosmicRaysFromTheCenterOfOurGalaxy(www.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GospJohn/19090701p01.html) In 1983, Paul LaViolette (www.etheric.com/GalacticCenter/Galactic2.html) presented evidence to the scientificcommunityindicatingthatGalacticcoreexplosionsactuallyoccuraboutevery13,00026,000yearswith majoroutbursts,andmorefrequentlywithlesserevents.Hesaysthatemittedcosmicraysescapefromthecore virtuallyunimpeded.AstheytravelinaradialpatternoutwardthroughtheGalaxy,theyformasphericalshell thatadvancesatavelocityapproachingthespeedoflight,withelectromagneticpulsesandagravitywavethat can trigger tsunamis, earthquakes and cataclysmic events on our planet. Paul LaViolette thinks this is what happenedtoAtlantisandcouldverywellbehappeningtoday. Cosmicraysareenergeticparticlescomingfromalldirectionsinspace,producingtheionizationinour atmosphere. Cosmic rays also have an extreme energy range of incident particles that allow for access and the availabilitytostudyaspectsoftheirfield,whichcannotbestudiedinanyotherway. Thesundischargesasignificantamountofthesehighenergyparticles.Solarcosmicraysoriginatein thesunschromosphere.Mostsolarrayeventsoccuraftersolarflares.Scientistsnowbelievethatcosmicrayscan affect our weather. Cosmic rays cause clouds to form in the upper atmosphere, after the particles collide with other atmospheric particles in our troposphere. A cosmic ray shower is the process of a cosmic ray particle colliding with particles in our atmosphere and disintegrating into smaller pions, muons, etc. which is called a cosmicrayshower. ThetraditionoftheSunPathrevelationswaslivedbytheancientPersiansastheylookeduptotheSun and addressed the high Sunspirit as `Ahura Mazdao The mystery traditions teach us that the soul who appearedinJesusofNazarethhadgonethroughvariousearlierincarnationsinvariousparts,andweareledback ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 67

tothetimewhenthisbearerofthelatername`JesusofNazarethhadattained,inthePersianworld,aremarkably high state of initiation and performed a work of the highest significance. The Akashic record shows how this individualityhadalreadyworkedinthespiritualworldoftheancientPersians,howhelookeduptotheSunand addressed the high Sunspirit as `Ahura Mazdao. We must realize that it was into the bodies of this individuality, who had gone through these incarnations, that Christ entered. What does that mean, `Christ enteredintothebodiesofthisindividuality?ItsimplymeansthattheChristusedthesethreebodiestheastral, the etheric, the physicalfor His life and work upon Earth. Steiner writes that all we think, feel and put into wordsdependsupontheastralbodythatweallhave,andthatitbearsalloftheseaspectsofourbeing. NeuralLinguisticProgramming(NLP) WelearnfromModelingTheWisdomOfJesus,RobertDiltsonlinearticle,NeuralLinguisticProgramming (NLP) began when Richard Bandler and John Grinder modeled patterns of language and behavior from the worksofFritzPerls,VirginiaSatirandMiltonH.Erickson,M.D.ThefirsttechniquesofNLPwerederivedfrom keyverbalandnonverbalpatternsGrinderandBandlerobservedinthebehavioroftheseexceptionaltherapists. Bandler and Grinders first book was titled The Structure Of Magic (1975) The implication of this title was that what seemed magical and unexplainable often had a deeper structure that, when illuminated, could be understood, communicated and put into practice by people other than the few exceptional wizards who had initiallyperformedthemagic. In the article, Dilts tells us, A number of years ago it occurred to me that perhaps a similar kind of modeling could be done with respect to the records of Jesus teachings and works of healing. My first study, CognitivePatternsOfJesusOfNazareth,exploredthestructureofthecognitivestrategiesemployedbyJesusinhis various works and teachings and how we might apply Jesus strategic thinking abilities to our own lives. A forthcoming work, Epistemology Of Jesus Of Nazareth, will explore the beliefs, values and assumptions that lie behind the wordsand works of Jesusas viewed from the perspective ofNLPand systemstheory. For the past severalyearsIhavebeenexaminingthereportsofJesusactsofhealingthroughthefiltersofNeuralLinguistic Programming, culminating in my seminars and video tapes on The Healing Patterns Of Jesus, and Modeling The WisdomOfJesus. Dr.J.J.HurtakTheAgeofMiracles(www.lightnet.co.uk/informer/interviews/hurtak0004.htm) Dr. Hurtak encourages all New Age thinkers to see ourselves as an unfoldment of a greater erathe AgeofMiracleswhichisalsopartofagreaterunfoldmentintotheAgeoftheHolySpiritandthroughwhich thedimensionsofvitalitywilltakeplacewiththereappearanceofwhattheKeyscallthecollectiveMessiahthe Cosmic Christ as the divine experience. Hurtak, like Pierre Teilhard de Chardin before him, emphasizes metanoiareferringtoitastheinnersubstancethatmustbechangedtoaChristedlife. ItisthepowerofHigherKnowledge(theworddatainthebiblicallanguage)directlyfromtheCreator that is able to influence humanitys behavior and qualities he believes. People in the 21st century will need an expanded wisdom to go along with their faith. This will lead to experiences that are beyond our dualistic world view we have today, and evolve into inclusive systems of knowledge that move beyond traditional intellectual and political bias. Today we are seen as nothing more than mechanisms to be easily manipulated. Historically, Hurtak shares with us, It was recognized that Faith (emunah in the Hebrew writings, pistis in Greek writings) is not enough in the world commons, which is why inspiring Wisdom writings were handed downthroughthecenturies,evenafterthecloseoftheNewTestamentperiod,fromPlotinusandNagarjunato Boehme to Barth in seeking answers to the perennial questions of Life and awaken themselves to the Infinite SplendoroftheDivine.HeconcludesbysayingthattheanswerswillcometousfromtheWisdomofourplace inthelargeruniversewhichweallhavecometounderstandisfullofmultiplelevelsofintelligence.Ourabilityto integrate our bodymindspirit in daily practice and helping ones fellow human beings with our spiritual insightsishowwecanlearntobeaspiritualfamily,oneworkingtogetherinahigherdivineplan. Time,SpaceAndPhysicalReality InTheReappearanceOfChristInTheEtheric(1983),RudolfSteinerwrites,Itisofcourseastrangefactthat man,inhisordinaryconsciousnessasaphysical,earthlyperson,experiencesclearlyonlyhissenseperceptions and his thoughts. Waking consciousness only exists in this perception and thinking. Feelings are actually only dreamt,andthewillisgenerallysleptthrough.Nopersonknowswhathappenswhenhejustraisesahand,that is,whenthewillplaysintohisbodilyorganism,inthesamewaythatheknowshisthoughts.Thereisalsothe ruleofthefeelings;althoughthisissomewhatclearerinconsciousnessthantheruleofthewill,itisstilldark;itis nobrighterthanthepictureswehaveinourdreams.Passions,emotionsandfeelingsareintruthonlydreamt; ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 68

theyarenotexperiencedinthelightofconsciousnessthatlivesinthesenseperceptionsandmentalpictures,and ourwillisnotexperiencedconsciouslyatall.Sowheredowegofromhere? IwishtosharesomequotesfromaRudolfSteinerlecturenowinprint,TheFourthDimension;Sacred Geometry,AlchemyandMathematics(2001).Steinerwasaskediftheconceptofthreedimensionalityappliesto thespiritualhierarchies,sincewespeakoftheirareasofdominion. Question:Canwesaythatahumanbeingsessenceisrealizedinspace?Answer:spaceitself,fromthe esotericperspective,mustbeseenassomethingproducedasaresultofcreativeactivity.Itscreationprecedesthe workingactivityofthehighesthierarchies,sowecanpresupposetheexistenceofspace.Weshouldnotimagine thehighestTrinityinspatialterms,however,becausespaceisacreationoftheTrinity.Wemustimaginespiritual beingswithoutspace,becausespaceisacreation. Question: Does time apply to spiritual processes? Answer: Certainly, but the highest spiritual processes in the human being lead to the concept that they run their course timelessly. The activities of the hierarchiesaretimeless.Itisdifficulttotalkabouthowtimecameaboutbecausetheconceptoftimeisimplicitin thewordstocomeabout.Instead,wewouldhavetotalkabouttheessenceorbeingoftime,whichisnoteasyto discuss. No time would exist if all beings were at the same level of development. Time arises through the interaction between a number of higher beings and a number of lower beings. In timelessness, various levels of developmentarepossible,buttheirinteractionmakestimepossible. TheTrinity ParamahansaYogananda,inMansEternalQuest(1975),writesinasectiontitledConceptsOfGodAnd Trinity Agree, Uniformed Westerners conclude that Indians as a whole worship idols. We worship only Brahman,spirit.TheconceptofoneGodisthesameinHinduismasinChristianitytheconceptoftheTrinityis also exactly the same in the Hindu and Christian scriptures. The Trinity is not a negation of the one God; it illustratesametaphysicaltruth,thattheOnebecameThreewhenGodmadethiscreation. InthebeginningwhentherewasnocreationtherewasSpirit.ButSpiritwantedtocreate,andbyHis wishfulthoughtHeprojectedagreatsphereoflight,orcosmicenergy,whichbecametheuniverse.Thatcosmic energyistheHolyGhost.Ghostmeanssomethingindivisibleandintelligent.HolyGhostreferstothespiritual vibrationorenergyofcreationinwhichtheintelligenceofGodisimmanentasChristConsciousness,theonly begotten Son, Gods pure reflection in creation. God the Father is the Intelligence beyond creation; the Son or Christ Consciousness is His Intelligence in creation, and the Holy Ghost is the intelligent vibration of creation itself.LongbeforeChristspokeofit,theTrinitywasdescribedintheHinduscriptures:Aum,Tat,Sat,Cosmic Vibration,ChristIntelligence,andGodtheFather. Paramahansa Yogananda says that the Bible tells us of Jesus Christs promise that when he was gone from this world he would send the Comforter, the Holy Ghost. He continues, saying, The Holy Ghost is the cosmicintelligentvibration,whosesoundistheAumorAmenheardindeepyogameditation.SaintJohnspoke ofitwhenhesaid,IwasintheSpiritontheLordsday,andheardbehindmeagreatvoice,asofatrumpet.That soundistheHolyGhost.InitsvibrationisourcomfortwerelivinginanewageinwhichGodsvoiceofcosmic vibration,ofAumorAmen,canbeheardfromtheendsofthetwohemispheresinthescripturesofKrishnaand Christ.ItwasinthelandofIndiathatKrishnaspokeoftheAumsoundanditwasanotherOrientalChristwho spokeofthissamevibration,callingitAmenorHolyGhost,asthemeansofcommuningwithGod. Heconcludes,sayingthatbyattuningourconsciousnessinmeditation,wehearandcommunewiththe Aum or Amen vibration in which we meet the great Comforter. In communion with the holy Comforter we realize the immanent Christ consciousness. In deeper communion with the Christ consciousness we realize we are one withGod. As soon as weknow the HolyGhost we know Christ consciousness.When weknow Christ Consciousness, we know that you and your Father, Cosmic Consciousness, are one. The divine Christ ConsciousnesshiddenineveryatomofcreationisthesameastheCosmicConsciousnessoftheFatherbeyond creation.First,wemustknowhowtocommunewiththeTrinity.Throughsuchcommunion,webecomeonewith Spirit;thenthereisnolongeraTrinity.Rather,Father,SonandHolyGhostareseentobeoneSpirit.

CONCLUSION
The Second Man In Us (1977) by Maria RoschlLehrs tells us, First of all there is the great cycle of transformationsalongeachindividualspathofdevelopment,thetransitionfromapurelyspiritualexistenceto physicallifeonearth.Theearthandtheuniverseworktogetherherealso,whenahumanego,readyforitstask onearth,takespossessionofthephysicalbodypreparedforit.Itsbodyoflightandwarmthapproachesunionat ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 69

birthwiththephysicalbodythatisalreadypulsatingwithlifeandhasbeenpreparedforitonearththroughthe workingsofdestinyastheseed,thebudforitsimpendingearthlyactivity. Thisbodyoflightandwarmthisinparticularthevehicleofapersonsindividuality.Ithasitsbeingin theworldofthespirit,andinitsspiritualstateitexistedintunewithentirelydifferentlaws.Thetransformations are enormous, which this spiritual being undergoes when it leaves the world of spirit to inhabit the world of matter. If we are to kindle true spiritual life on earth, if the light that unceasinglyincarnates from the spiritual intotheearthlyworldistowinthevictoryandprevail,thenwemustgraduallyextendourconsciousnesstothat worldwhichisthehomeofthespiritualsecondmaninus. We have already seen that the present epoch, as the first phase of the LightAge, stands out in human history.Initwearegraduallybeginningtoperceivetheforcescomingoutofourhomeoflight.Thesecondman in us is entering our consciousness more and more. If we understand him, we can experience this human metamorphosis,oratleastwecandivinesomegentleintimationsofit.Ifhumandevelopmentistocontinuein therightway,theoilmustbelitintheearthlylampinordertoshedlightandwarmthonthedeedsofmen.Thelamp mustnotbeleftstandingemptyanddark,whiletheoilwastesitselfinflameselsewhere. That is what we are struggling for. We must learn in full consciousness to unfold thoughts that are spirituallytrue,whicharemoreandmoreabletobuildabridgebetweenthesecondmaninusandourordinary earthconsciousselves.Thentheselivingthoughtswillbegintokindleoursoulexperience,andthegreathuman taskofourtime,themetamorphosisofconsciousness,willbecarriedthrough. Todayweliveinatimewhenhumanbeingswillsaythatitseemstothemasiftheysawsomethingin physicalmenlikeasecondman;yet,theprophetsofouragewarnusthatifmaterialisticconsciousnessgoessofar astodeclarethataspiritualscienceisunChristianoroccultnonsenseandattemptstothwartthisconsciousness of the spiritual world then people will not comprehend these capacities of clairvoyance or astral bodies. Again and again we are told that we must not miss this opportunity we have to rise up to Christ Consciousness to understandingthesecondmanwithinusall. On the subject of evolution, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin says in The Phenomenon Of Man (1955), If progressisamyth,thatistosay,iffacedbytheworkinvolvedwecansay,Whatsthegoodofitall?Withthat, thewholeofevolutionwillcometoahalt,becauseweareevolution.Eithernatureisclosedtoourdemandsfor futurity,inwhichcasethought,thefruitofmillionsofyearsofeffort,isstifled,stillborninaselfabortiveand absurduniverse.Orelseanopeningexiststhatofthesupersoulaboveoursouls.Inthatcase,thewayout,ifwe are to agree to embark on it, must open out freely onto limitless psychic spaces in a universe to which we can unhesitatinglyentrustourselves. Chardincontinuestoexplainthatbetweentheextremesofoptimismandpessimism,thenaturalprocess of life does not endorse a middle path. It is all or nothing when it comes to evolution. Evolution is, in some respects,involuntarybecauselifeisalwaysmovingtowardevolvingitselfevenifitdoesnotappeartothehuman mindinsuchaway.Evenseemingsetbacksarestepstowardevolvingintoabetterlifeform.Inthelastanalysis, the best guarantee that a thing should happen is that it appears to us as vitally necessary Lifehaving once beenliftedtoitsstageofthought,cannotgoonatallwithoutrequiringtoascendeverhigherThisisenoughfor us to be assured of two points of which our action has immediate need. The first is that there is for us, in the future,undersomeformoranother,atleastcollective,notonlysurvivalbutalsosuperlife. In conclusion we have learned that the evolution of the cosmos, earth, and man are undergoing transformations and the appearance of Christ in the history of humanity is part of that evolution. With consciousnessofspiritualrealitieswecometoabetterunderstandingofnatureinherspiritualaspect,butalso JesusChrist.Ingraceandfreedomwehumanbeingscannowmeetourdestiny.ThepoweroftheChristiswith usallandweneedonlylookintothecloudsaboveandtoourheartswithintoseeHimastheascendinglineof evolutionthroughthespiritualhierarchies.Wearealreadylivinginthereverseddirectionofnormalevolution forhumanityasouretherbodyisslowlypassingoutofthephysicalbody.Strideforwardwithconfidenceaswe developabeingwhoiscapableoflivinginfullconsciousnessonboththissideoflifeaswellastheothersideof thethreshold,thespiritualworld,asChristdid.WiththeArchangelMichaelleadingnationsforwardandChrist unitinguswithinbothourcosmicandearthlyconsciousnesswecannowentertheKingdomofGodtocreatethe CityofLovewithinourownselfawarebeingnessnow.

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Armstrong,Karen1994 AHistoryOfGod:The4,000YearQuestOfJudaism,ChristianityAndIslam.BallantineBooks,NewYork,NY Aulen,Gustaf1948 TheFaithOfTheChristianChurch.MuhlenbergPress;Philadelphia,PA Chardin,PierreTeilhardde1960 TheDivineMilieu:AnEssayOnTheInteriorLife.Harper;NewYork,NY Chardin,PierreTeilhardde1955 ThePhenomenonOfMan.HarperandRow;NewYork,NY Davies,Paul1992 TheMindOfGod.SimonandSchuster;NewYork,NY Dossey,LarryM.D1993 HealingWords:ThePowerOfPrayerAndThePracticeOfMedicine.HarperSanFrancisco;SanFrancisco,CA Goswami,AmitPh.D.,RichardE.ReedandMaggieGoswami,1995 TheAwareUniverse:HowConsciousnessCreatesTheMaterialWorld.G.P.PutnamsSons;NewYork,NY Haskins,Susan1993 MaryMagdalene:MythAndMetaphor.HarperCollins;NewYork,NY Hurtak,Dr.J.J.1973 TheBookofKnowledge:TheKeysOfEnoch.TheAcademyforFutureSciencesPress;LosGatos,CA Hurtak,Dr.J.J.1983 TheLordsPrayer.TheAcademyforFutureSciencesPress;LosGatos,CA Legge,Francis1964 ForerunnersAndRivalsOfChristianityFrom330B.C.to330A.D.UniversityPress;NewYork,NY Lovelock,James2000 Gaia:ThePracticalScienceOfPlanetaryMedicine.OxfordUniversityPress;NewYork,NY Merry,Eleanor1983 TheFlamingDoor:TheMissionOfTheCelticFolkSoul.FlorisBooks;Edinburgh,Scotland Norbu,NamkHai1992 DreamYoga.SnowLionPublications;Ithaca,NY Merton,Thomas1967 MysticsAndZenMasters.Farrar,StraussandGiroux;NewYork,NY Pagels,Elaine1981 TheGnosticGospels.VintageBooks;NewYork,NY RoschlLehrs,Maria1977 TheSecondManInUs.St.GeorgeBookService;SpringValley,NY Ross,FloydandTynetteHills1961 TheGreatReligionsByWhichMenLive.PremierBook;NewYork,NY Shaw,Gregory1994 TheurgyAndTheSoul.PSUPennStatePress Sill,GertrudeGrace1975 AHandbookOfSymbolsInChristianArt.Macmillan;NewYork,NY Smith,Huston1958 TheWorldsReligions.NewYork:HarperCollinsPublishers Smith,Rowland1995 JuliansGods:ReligionAndPhilosophyInTheThoughtAndActionOfJulianTheApostate.Routledge;NY,NY Starbird,Margaret1993 TheWomanWithTheAlabasterJar. Steiner,Rudolf1983 TheReappearanceOfChristInTheEtheric.AnthroposophicPress;SpringValley,NY Steiner,Rudolf1967 TheStagesOfHigherKnowledge.AnthroposophicPress;SpringValley,NY Steiner,Rudolf1972 ChristianityAsMysticalFact.AnthroposophicalPress;GreatBarrington,Mass. Steiner,Rudolf1971 TheTrueNatureOfTheSecondComing.AnthroposophicalPress;GreatBarrington,Mass. Steiner,Rudolf2001 TheFourthDimensionSacredGeometry,AlchemyAndMathematics.AnthroposophicalPress;Barrington,MA Steiner,Rudolf1994

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TheArchangelMichael:HisMissionAndOurs.AnthroposophicPress,GreatBarrington,Mass. Steiner,Rudolf1971 TheSunMysteryInTheCourseOfHumanHistory.OralLectureSeries,notpublished. Wise,Michael,MartinAbeggJr.,andEdwardCook1996 TheDeadSeaScrolls:ANewTranslation.HarperCollinsSanFrancisco,CA Yogananda,Paramahansa1975 MansEternalQuest.SelfRealizationFellowship;LosAngelos,CA LeViolette,Paul1997 EarthUnderFire.StarlanePublications;Fresno,CA (unnamedauthor)ChanneledMaterial1955 TheUrantiaBook.UrantiaFoundation,UversaPress;Chicago,IL

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Bratcher,Dennis2004,onlinearticle IAm.(www.cresourcei.org/IAM.html) Bordeaux,Edmond1981,onlinearticle TheEsseneGospelOfPeace:BookFour.(www.areneway.com/index_essene_gospels_of_peace.htmIt) Dilts,Robert1996,onlinearticle ModelingTheWisdomOfJesus.(www.nlpu.com/Articles/article5.htm) Dispenza,Dr.Joe2004,videoandonlinearticle TheBrainWhereSpiritAndScienceMeet.(www.ramtha.com/) Drob,SanfordL.2003,onlinearticle TheLurianicMetaphors,Creativity,AndTheStructureOfLanguage.(www.newkabbalah.com/FormProp.htm) Hardt,Dr.JamesV.2000,onlinearticle AlphaBrainWavesAndBrainwaveScience.(www.biocybernaut.com/tutorial/alpha.html) Hoeller,Stephan1989onlineinterviewfoundattheGnosisArchives GoddessesYes,GoddessesNo!TheFeminineandtheMultiCenteredGodImage.(www.gnosis.org/goddesses.htm) Hurtak,Dr.J.J.2004,onlineinterview,TalkSpirit TheBookofKnowledge:TheKeysofEnoch.(www.lightnet.co.uk/informer/interviews/hurtak0004.htm) Lash,John2002,onlinearticle BeyondTheTyrannyOfBeliefs.(www.metahistory.org/lexicon_P.asp#Pleroma) Merton,Thomas1952,onlinearticle St.JohnOfTheCross.(www.cin.org/saints/jcrossmerton.html) Seddon,Richard2004,onlinearticle EndOfTheMilleniumAndBeyond. (www.transintelligence.org/articles/EndoftheMillennium&Beyond.htm) Setzer,ClaudiaonlinereviewbyRamonK.Jusino,M.A.1997 ExcellentWomen:FemaleWitnessesToTheResurrection (www.members.tripod.com/Ramon_K_Jusino/magdalene.html) Steiner,Rudolf1910,onlinearticle ChristianityAsMysticalFact.(www.doyletics.com/arj/cmfrvw.htm) Steiner,Rudolf1921,onlinearticle TheSunMysteryintheCourseofHumanHistory.(wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/SunMys_index.html) Steiner,Rudolf1909,onlinearticle TheGospelOfSt.John.(www.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GospJohn/19090701p01.html) Steiner,Rudolf2004,onlinearticle TheAhrimanicDeception.(www.econcrisis.homestead.com/SecondComing.html) noauthornoted2004,onlinearticle TheProphetOfTheChariotOfFire.(www//144000.net/chariot.htm) OntarioConsultantsonReligiousTolerance(www.religioustolerance.org/

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ChristianStudiesExamQuestions
Name___________________________________________________Phone#___________________________________ Address____________________________________________________________________________________________
(Pleasesupplyname,phone#,andaddressasidentifyingfactorsforgivingcreditproperly)

1. 2. 3. 4. MosttheologiansandreligioushistoriansbelievethattheapproximatebirthdateofYeshuaofNazareth (Jesus)wasinthe: A. Spring B.summer C.fall D.winter AfterthedeathofJesus,bytheendofthe1stcentury,threemaingroupsofChristiansremained: A. PaulineChristians,GnosticChristians,andJewishChristians B. Baptists,ProtestantsandCatholics C. TrueChristians,FalseChristiansandNeutralChristians D. NeitherA,BorC JesusbelievedthatGodsenthisblessingstosomeandwithheldthemfromothers. ThekingdomofGodiswithinusall. T F T F IAmbecameafunctionalnameforGod. T F TheGaiaHypothesisisthattheEarthisalivingbeing,andverycomplex. T F From330B.C.to330A.D.noreligionsexistedatall. T F

5.

6. 7. 8. ParmahansaYoganandasuggeststhattheidealsofChristaretheidealsofthescripturesof: A. Africa B.India C.China D.NeitherA,BorC It is a common belief among scholars that Jesus Christ traveled in India before he became a spiritual teacher. T F

9.

10. TheconceptoftheSupremeBeingasatriune(threefold)wasaveryoldconceptinEgypt.TF 11. AlexanderTheGreatdidverylittletopreparethewayforChristianityandmonotheism.TF 12. TheCouncilOfNicaeawasheldin2003tocometoaunifieddefinitionoftherelationshipbetweenJesus andGod,FatherandSon. T F 13. TheHagiaSophiaisamagnificentlydecoratedchurchthatpreservedanumberofrelics,includingwhat theybelieveisthetruecross,thecrownofthornsandtheVirginsgirdleandrobe. T F 14. JesuswasbelievedtohavejoinedtheEssenesattheageof: A.33 B.18 C.21 D.NeitherA,BorC 15. InDecember1945,thirteenancientpapyruscodicescontainingfiftytwosacredtextswerediscoveredby themonksofSt.Pachomius.Thesesacredtextswerecalledthe: A. GnosticGospels B.NagHammadi C.TheBible 16. TheGospelofMarywaswrittenby: A.MotherMary B.MaryMagdalene C.St.Augustine ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 73

17. ThePistisSophiaisconsistentwithGnosticbeliefs. T F 18. TheDeadSeaScrollshavebeenverywellpreserved,amongthebestpreservedofalltheChristiansacred texts. T F 19. TheDeadSeaScrollswerediscoveredinelevencavesnearQumranandtheDeadSeaaround1947.How manyseparatetextswerefound? A.10 B.234 C.800 D.1,046 20. TheTorahconsistsof: A. TheFiveBooksOfMoses C. TheentireoldtestamentintheBible B. VariouswritingsbyJewishScholars D. NeitherA,BorC 21. AsfortheGospelsintheBible,itisbelievedthatJohnisthemostlikelytocontainthegospelmessagein itsleastembellishedform. T F 22. PythagorasfoundedacommunityinlowerItalyinthesixthcenturybeforeChrist.ThePythagoreanssaw thefoundationofthingsinnumbersandfigures. T F 23. TheEsseneswereanonJewishsectandwereavidmeateaters,believingmeatwasnecessaryintheirdiet inordertogetclosertoGod. T F 24. Thenumber666referstoVini,VidiVinciintheLatinlanguage,meaning: A. Icame,Isaw,Iconquered C. Ithink,Ispeak,Iam B. Ibelieve,Itrust,Isurrender D. NeitherA,BorC 25. 666isconsideredbyChristianstobethe: A. MarkOfTheBeast C. Thenumberforloveandcompassion B. Aluckynumber D. NeitherA,BorC 26. ThenameLucifermeans: A. OldandWise C. WisdomandKnowledge B. BringerOfLight D. NeitherA,BorC 27. MotherMaryisalsocalledMarySophia. T F 28. St.ThomasAquinaswasbornin1325A.D.inNaples. T F 29. SaintBenedictresidedprimarilyattheabbeycalled: A. TimasteMonastery C. NursiaMonastery B. MonteCassino D. NeitherA,BorC 30. SaintPaulisconsideredbymanyChristianstobetheleastimportantdiscipleofJesus,andhadnothingto dowiththedevelopmentofChristianity. T F 31. SaintDominicwasthefounderofthe: A. FriarsPreachers C. TheChartresCathedral B. LutheranBrotherhood D. NeitherA,BorC 32. Therearemorethan34,000differentdenominationsofChristianitytoday. T F 33. TheBaptistsformoneofthelargestProtestantdenominations. T F ChristianStudies2005UniversityOfMetaphysicalSciences 74

34. ChristianSciencewasfoundedby: A. Jesus C. St.Augustus B. MartinLutherKing D. MaryMorseBakerEddy 35. RomanCatholicspraytosaintstoaskforpredictionsofthefuture. T F 36. ThethreemajorforcesinChristianitywereRomanCatholocism,Wiccans,andProtestants. T F 37. In the section Christianity And Similar Beliefs In Metaphysics, according to Rudolf Steiner, the Age Of Michaelbeganin: A.1230A.D. B.1652A.D. C.4B.C. D.1879A.D. 38. Thenoospherecouldbethoughtofasmassconsciousness. T F 39. FaithHealingisaspiritualmeansoftreatingdisease,andGodhealspeoplethroughthelayingonof handsandprayer. T F

40. ThefourGospelsoftheBibleare: A. Matthew,Mark,Luke&John B. Leviticus,Exodus,Genesis&Psalms C. Corinthians,Romans,Hebrews&Revelations D. NeitherA,BorC 41. RudolfSteinerwasborninRussiain1861. p

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