Interrogatio Iohannis The Secret Book Of The Cathars And Apokryphon Iohannis The Secret Book Of John

Modern text research shows that biblical tradition often does not at all correspond to real historical events. This lessens neither the inner significance of the Bible nor of true Christendom, for, true Christendom is more than just a religion: It is the spiritual Sphere of Life that embraces all Worlds with all their Mysteries. Some results of modern research as collected and presented here in a dense form,clearly contradict canonical narratives, and might provoke different reactions: from condescendent shaking of heads to apalled outcries. But neither will diminish their validity. After 2000 years of nominal Christianism it is now time to animate truly spiritual Christendom. This new Christendom is, on one side, a renewal of the classical antique Mysteries, with the Christ Jesus as the last and greatest Avatar of the "Sun Spirit descended to Earth" as the "Redemptor of theWorld", and on the other, a complete renewal of religious thinking and feeling of humans, everyone now being summoned to realize their potential "microcosmical Cristos" in today's spiritual freedom with its world-wide new paradigmata. The two texts published here in best possible accuracy, are especially important because, combined with a deeply founded introduction, they at last publicly present the world of faith of the true Arch-Christians of the first centuries, and their comprehension of events "from Bethlehem to Golgotha". Based on said insights, the book here in hand undertakes to define a new Christendom for a new Era: A Christendom that must not just be believed in sheepish obedience, but lived out of mature consciousness and in a daily effort of every single human. Its purpose is to encourage a large number of people to experience this new Light, Truth and Life. Numerous book-references, many in part extensive notes, and a number of full-page images show the credibility of the new view, and enlarge the usual dogmatic picture.- A book that, read in a leisurly pace and with open soul and heart , may bring about new clarity and a new vivid faith for the old message. German edition: Same title, ISBN: 9783907103050

The question of the reality of Cathars and other heresies is debated in this provocative collection.

Reincarnation in America: An Esoteric History surveys the complex history of reincarnation theories across multiple fields of discourse in a pre-American context, ranging from early Greek traditions to Medieval Christian theories, Renaissance esotericism, and European Kabbalah, all of which had adherents that brought those theories to America. Rebirth theories are shown in all these groups to be highly complex and often disjunctive with mainstream religions even though members of conventional religions frequently affirm the possibility of rebirth. As a history of an idea, reincarnation theory is a current, vital belief pattern that cuts across a wide spectrum of social, cultural, and scientific domains in a long, complex history not reducible to any specific religious or theoretical explanation. This book is cross-disciplinary and multicultural, linking religious studies perspectives with science based research; it draws upon many distinct disciplines and avoids reduction of reincarnation to any specific theory. The underlying thesis is to demonstrate the complexity of reincarnation theories; what is unique is the historical overview and the gradual shift away from religious theories of rebirth to new theories that are therapeutic and trans-traditional.

In this commentary, Simon Gathercole provides a detailed analysis of the most controversial of all early Christian apocrypha, the Gospel of Thomas.

This is the most exhaustive study ever written on the history and origins of Baphomet, worshipped by the Knights Templar. This investigation into the roots of the figure deals with Gnosticism, Hermeticism, alchemy, demonology, Cabalism, Sufism, the Yezidis, the Mandaeans, the Assassins, Freemasonry, witchcraft, Satanism, and biblical mysteries.

This document is a collection of Logia, a harvesting of about 114 "Sayings of Jesus" together with a prologue which stresses the esoteric character of the sayings and attributes their recording and preservation to the apostle Didymus Jude Thomas. Many of the sentences are identical with the Logia of the Synoptic Gospels or are closely related to them. Nevertheless, there are differences of detail which merit discussion and can often be elucidated as due to a particular source or tradition. The other sayings on the contrary are "extra-canonical". Among these are certain "agrapha" which are already known or can now be recognised in ancient or mediaeval literature from patristic, gnostic, Manichean or even Catharist sources. In particular the sayings written in Greek, which are found in more or less mutilated form in three papyri from Oxyrhynchus appear with certain variations but assembled and arranged in similar manner in three different parts of "The Gospel according to Thomas". It is probable that extracts from apocryphal gospels such as the "Gospel according to the Hebrews" and the "Gospel according to the Egyptians" are also preserved in it. Besides this, the collection comprises many Logia which are quite new and have never before been seen.