Review of Literature
(Exam questions are not drawn from the Review Of Literature section)
This
course could never have been compiled, edited, and written without the
use of over 30 different scholar’s 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 found in this text are dully
attributed to author/authors, and sources are given allowing students
to pursue future studies of Christianity beyond this course.
A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest Of Judaism, Christianity And Islam (1994) by Karen Armstrong explores
the experience of God found in Judaism, Christianity and the Islam,
from Abraham into the twentieth century. Her fascinating book looks at
the issue of God’s existence and gives a great kaleidoscopic history of
religion, with an optimistic outlook toward humanity.
The Faith Of The Christian Church (1948) by Gustaf Aulen examines
and discusses a changing theology. It brings a new and realistic
approach to the biblical message, with an effort to see Christianity as
it actually exists in its unique place in the world. This work attempts
to liberate the Christian message so that it can appear again in its
original power and clarity.
The Phenomenon Of Man (1955) by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin,
who was born in 1881 in Sarcenat, Puy-de-Dôme, France, and died in New
York City in 1955. His scientific work included the discovery of the
Peking Man in 1929. He also conducted explorations in India, Java, and
China in 1931. This book focuses on mass consciousness or noosphere as
Chardin calls it. Chardin states, “He [Christ] has affected a threefold
synthesis of the material and physical world with the world of mind and
spirit; of the past with the future; and variety with unity, the many
with the one.”
In The Divine Milieu: An Essay On The Interior Life (1960) by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
The cover says, “Teilhard challenges standard definitions of faith as
practice or as direct interior illumination of the soul by God. His
concern is, rather to teach his readers how to see. Faith
demands awareness of the perceptual world as a subject, which ‘enters
vitally into the most spiritual zones of our souls.’ Illumination of
the soul is thus a product of the illumination of the world. True
vision becomes, in turn, a gift which enables us to pay attention to
the world, thereby enhancing its radiance.”
The Mind Of God (1992) by Paul Davies
re-examines the great questions of existence. In the process, it
provides an entertaining, provocative tour of recent developments in
theoretical physics. He ponders the reasons for the existence of the
universe. He covers the origin and evolution of the cosmos and the
nature of consciousness. In the end he does not support a belief in a
God, but rather that the tool of science can allow us to see into the
heart of nature, and that is the mind of God.
Healing Words: The Power of Prayer And The Practice Of Medicine (1993) by Larry Dossey, M.D.
15 to 20 percent of all cases in which the patient and others have
prayed for divine assistance, there is advanced healing. “Prayer says
something incalculably important about who we are and what our destiny
may be.” He examines prayer from a scientific point of view and brings
some understanding to the link between prayer and healing.
The Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates The Material World (1995) by Amit Goswami, Ph.D. with Richard E. Reed and Maggie Goswami
has to be one of my favorite books about how spirit and science can
come together in the 21st century. A must read for any psychonaut
interested in the interconnectedness of all life. Goswami covers the
paradoxes of being in two places at once, Schrodinger’s Cat and the
Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox. He concludes with a section on the
Re-enchantment of the Person with writings on Outer and Inner
Creativity, The Awakening of Buddhi, and Spiritual Joy. This is a great
book for coming to an understanding of the significance of quantum
physics and the nature of our souls’ consciousness.
Mary Magdalene: Myth And Metaphor (1993) by Susan Haskins is
a brilliant book about Mary Magdalene, written by a female theologian.
For two thousand years Mary Magdalene and the origins of Christianity
have been buried. This books explors the many myths and misconceptions
surrounding Mary Magdalene, one of the most significant figures of
ancient Christianity.
The Book Of Knowledge: The Keys of Enoch (1973) by Dr. J.J. Hurtak was
transmitted to the author from two 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. This work
defines the Keys of Enoch as acknowledging the Divine as more than a
God of Commanding (commandments); rather It is a God of Bestowing
(Gifts) to those seeking the Godhead. Hurtak writes that our physical
universe is a sub-structure of more sublime levels of creation working
through archetypal fractals or “divine letters” of thought-form
creation.
The Lord’s Prayer (1983) by Dr. J.J. Hurtak
is an exposition of the Scroll of Matthew 6:9-13. This 20-page work
shares with us the words of Jesus through the Gospel of Matthew. When
the disciples asked Matthew how to pray to the Father, he replied with
a ‘special formula’ that has come down through the ages and believed to
be the thought-forms of Divine Language. Hurtak writes that this prayer
is effective not only for the individual but for the collective of
humanity as well.
Earth Under Fire (1997) by Dr. Paul A. La Violette gives
scientific insight into the ancient myths from around the world, that
tell of humanity’s suffering through destructions by fire, flood, and
other catastrophes. It was recorded in legend a darkening of the sky
occurred, while the Earth started burning, culminating in the last
great flood. The Galactic cause of these events, La Violette
discovered, is an intense volley of explosively emitted cosmic rays,
from the center of our Galaxy. They bombarded our solar system with
light occluding particles of cosmic dust, which caused the global
catastrophe that decimated civilization at the end of the last ice age.
Forerunners And Rivals Of Christianity From 330 B.C. To 330 A.D. (1964) by Francis Legge
is a great book for understanding the growth and development of the
Christian religion. He covers the importance of the study of Christian
origins and the changes in viewpoint of Christianity as the progress of
science is introduced to the Western world. This book is possibly the
most informed historical rendering of the birth of early Christianity.
Mystics And Zen Masters (1967) by Thomas Merton is
a rich collection of writings. Celtic Monasticism is covered in the
chapter, “From Pilgrimage to Crusade.” Merton spoke of the idea of
pilgrimage as a geographical 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 without an inner journey,
and vice versa, it would be “best to have both.”
The Flaming Door: The Mission Of The Celtic Folk-Soul (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 this an incredible read. She
covers ancient sagas and legends that holds the secrets of initiation.
“The Celtic mysteries of old are the signature of our immortality. They
are the ladder upon which Christian faith may mount to the stars.”
Dream Yoga And The Practice Of Natural Light (1992) by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu
is about developing lucid dream consciousness. In this work we learn
about Dzogchen, the realm of enchanting self-awareness where we can
reach liberation. The emphasis in the book is placed on specific
exercises that allow a person to develop awareness in their dream
states. Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche is one of the great Tibetan
dream mastery teachers in the world today. I highly recommend this book.
The Gnostic Gospels (1991) by Elaine Pagels gives
us new insights into the Essenes, their practices, and the 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, while considering alternatives for redemption as contrasted
with our current Judaeo-Christian tradition. Along with the Dead Sea
Scrolls, these Gnostic materials are the most illuminating
archeological textual finds of the 20th Century.
The Second Man In Us (1977) by Maria Roschl-Lehrs
is truly a beautiful book. She writes of a deeper life and the second
man in us all and how to bring it to birth in ourselves. She is well
versed in the gift of significant dreaming and dream consciousness.
Man, she tells us, is standing at the riddle of life.
The Great Religions By Which Men Live (1961) by Floyd H. Ross and Tynette Hills,
covers all the great religions of the world. The following questions
are addressed in this work: What is the meaning of human life? What am
I? What is the difference between right and wrong? What is the nature
of God? What happens after death? This book is recommended for anyone
interested in the history of world religion.
The World’s Religions (1995) by Huston Smith
is highly readable, and it is a detailed and absorbing account of the
inner dimensions of the great world religions, including Tibetan
Buddhism, Sufism, and Christian teachings. We learn that for the
greater part of human history, religion was experienced tribally and
was virtually timeless. In recent decades we have seen a revival of
interest in the divine feminine and earth based spirituality.
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,
Rudolf Steiner began a series of lectures announcing the advent of
Christ’s appearance in the sphere of the earth’s etheric or life body.
The earth is infused by the Christ’s living presence and a new, natural
clairvoyance will become increasingly common as we enter the 21st
century, he tells us. “The Christ will become a living comforter,” we
can see the etheric Christ as He is here now. This is a great series of
lectures, which I highly recommend.
The Archangel Michael: His Mission And Ours (1994) by Rudolf Steiner
is a series of 23 lectures. They call us to heed the Archangel Michael
because the Archangel “cannot fulfill his mission without humanity’s
cosmic vocation of freedom, individuality, and love. Human beings, too,
depend on Michael for the fulfillment of their task…His great
joy is helping those who of their own free deed enter the ranks of
those collaborating in the great work of the invisible.” Steiner tells
us in this series of lectures, now in print, that the Christ may be
thought of as sunlight, while Archangel Michael as the reflected
sunlight. We learn in this book that Jehovah can be thought of as the
Moon being that is worshiped by the ancient Hebrews known to them as
Jehovah-Michael. Steiner tells us that Michael was the countenance of
Jehovah and the Archangel by which Jehovah revealed himself to the
ancient Hebrews.
The Stages Of Higher Knowledge (1967) by Rudolf Steiner
is a small 58-page booklet of spiritual attitudes and exercises for
developing a spiritual path. He covers the four stages of knowledge. He
also describes how a student experiences three higher stages of
consciousness: Imagination, Inspiration, and Intuition. Steiner says,
“Just as Imagination may be called a spiritual seeing, so may
Inspiration be called a spiritual hearing.”
The True Nature Of The Second Coming (1971) by Rudolf Steiner is
a small work of 2 lectures contained in 72 pages. We learn that “The
Second Coming” consists of two aspects: the manifestation of Christ on
the etheric plane, and the attainment of etheric vision on an
individual basis.
The Fourth Dimension: Sacred Geometry, Alchemy And Mathematics (2001) by Rudolf Steiner is a must read for any student of Christianity and metaphysics who wants to navigate the inner planes of experience.
Theurgy And The Soul (1994) by Gregory Shaw
is a study of Iamblichus of Syria (240-325 A.D.) whose teachings set
the final form of pagan spirituality prior to the Christization of the
Roman Empire. Gregory Shaw focuses on the theory and practice of
theurgy, the most controversial and significant aspect of Iamblichius’a
Platonism.
The Woman With The Alabaster Jar (1993) by Margaret Starbird
explores history, ancient symbolism, medieval art, psychology, and the
Bible. Her book contains evidence from medieval art and artifacts
regarding the heresy of the Holy Grail and Mary Magdalene. She
concludes a “sacred union” was originally at the heart of the Christian
Gospels.
Julian’s Gods: Religion And Philosophy In The Thought And Action Of Julian The Apostate (1995) by Rowland Smith is a treatment of Julian’s thought and action with respect to Greek/Hellenic culture and religion.
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 never-before-revealed stories
about the biblical figures Abraham, Jacob, and Enoch. We have here a
rich collection of texts that bring us transmissions of illuminating
ancient doctrines about the angels. These writings, claiming to be
revelations of these angels themselves, include the Archangel Michael.
This is a great work and I highly recommend it for future study.
The Urantia Book (1995) is channeled material that states that Urantia
is an ancient name for the planet earth. It is a large book with over
two thousand pages and almost 200 individual essays that reveal
information about God and other supernatural beings. It also covers the
history of the universe and the planet Earth.
Man’s Eternal Quest (1975) by Paramahansa Yogananda is
a volume of 58 essays that focus on applying 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
interconnectedness of all life. Yogananda is considered the father of
yoga in the West. This anthology of inspires and encourages the student
on this path of self-discovery.