Book Description
Did rebel angels take on human bodies to fulfill their lust for the "daughters of men"? Did these fallen angels teach men to build weapons of war?
That is the premise of the Book of Enoch, a text cherished by the Essenes, early Jews and Christians but later condemned by both rabbis and Church Fathers. The book was denounced, banned and "lost" for over a thousand years-until in 1773, a Scottish explorer discovered three copies in Ethiopia.
Elizabeth Clare Prophet examines the controversy surrounding this book and sheds new light on Enoch's forbidden mysteries. She demonstrates that Jesus and the apostles studied the Book of Enoch and tells why Church Fathers suppressed its teaching that angels could incarnate in human bodies. Contains all the Enoch texts, including the Book of Enoch, and biblical parallels.
Fallen Angels and the Origins of Evil takes you back to the primordial drama of Good and Evil, when the first hint of corruption entered a pristine world-earth.
Contains Richard Laurence's translation of the Book of Enoch, all the other Enoch texts, including the Book of the Secrets of Enoch, biblical parallels
Customer Reviews:
Cant stress enough.......2007-10-03
Please don't take anything this woman says seriously. Just for fun is what I would call it. No not even that, Dangerous stupidity and conjecture for anyone who is uneducated I have read some of her stuff in the past and was in disbelief to hear her say that Jesus, God himself came to earth to learn from certain mystical religious groups in India and other places Give me a break. There are only three things God cant do, Lie. Die and Learn.
Here again, more of the same BS.
Quite interesting.......2007-08-21
Filled with interesting materials and ideas, however the author's writing style puts me right to sleep. A great writer can turn even the act of watching paint dry on the wall into a remarkable journey. Those authors that wrote Holy Blood Holy Grail should've written this book instead.
Great reference book.......2007-08-18
This book is a great reference book. If you have read the book of Enoch and any other fallen angels books, there are many crossovers, and some indifferences, overall though, this is the book that's easily readable.
This book covers many other books, so you can single handily buy one book and read 2-3.....
Definitely worth putting into your collection
Hard to Read, Author is bias .......2007-07-09
I bought this book because I thought it would help me with an understanding of the Book of Enoch. I am so disappointed that I wasted my money on this book. It is hard to read and the Author has way too much bias in her own "new age" ideas.
Fallen Angels & the orgins of evil.......2007-03-09
I could learn all ahe had to say by just re-visiting the Bible. Nothing new or thought prevoking in this book
Book Description
"A wonderful book... Ginzburg is a historian with an insatiable curiosity, who pursues even the faintest of clues with all the zest of a born detective until every fragment of evidence can be fitted into place." -- New York Review of Books
Customer Reviews:
Very Interesting.......2007-07-23
Researching within the archives of the Inquisition in northeastern Italy, Ginzburg came across a set of records describing the trials of an obscure miller from the Friuli area. Menocchio, as he was known, repudiated a wide variety of conventional positions on religion, on politics, and even on cosmology. The title of the book reflects Menocchio's unusual and somewhat naturalistic idea about the origin of the universe. In Counter-Reformation Italy, these ideas were not merely unusual, they were regarded as actually dangerous. Following his second trial, in which Menocchio was found to be backsliding, he was executed.
Ginzburg presents Menocchio as an autodidact synthesizing ideas from a variety of sources. Menocchio may have acquired some ideas from Anabaptist radicals who had been active in the Friuli. Other ideas seem to have come from an eclectic, though limited, array of books. As Ginzburg points out, this is an example of the impact of printing. It brought such books as Mandeville's travels and possibly even the Koran into the hands of a lowly miller. Most controversially, Ginzburg argues that many of Menocchio's ideas result from or were influenced by a common European peasant world view whose nature has been largely lost to us. This is an interesting hypothesis which Ginzburg defends very well but it can only be a hypothesis. Neither Ginzburg nor anyone else has the data to evaluate this idea properly. It may be simply that Menocchio was a village crank; an intelligent man with relatively unique ideas.
Regardless of the final interpretation, this well written book provides an interesting view of life in Counter-Reformation Italy.
A rare view into the mind of a 16th century miller.......2007-05-30
It is rare that we can see how common people thought 500+ years ago (another source is the Icelandic Sagas). This book shows that books were read by common people, not just the leaders. In this case, this miller got into a lot of trouble by reading. Lets hope that our current freedom of thought is not restricted in the future.
Microhistory of the masses.......2004-12-13
Borne of the microhistory genre, "The Cheese and the Worms" provides a glimpse into the life of a miller in medieval Italy. No ordinary miller is 'Menocchio', however, as he is inquisitioned for his radical religious philosophies. In a time and place where Catholicism was undoubtedly the religion of Europe, Menocchio harbored unique ideas about religious doctrine, the teachings of the Catholic Church, and man's purpose. Although some of his many ideas contradict others that he had, he was well-read and surprisingly well-educated for a man of his station. As Ginzburg says, though, we must look to the Protestant Reformation and the invention of the printing press as being major catalysts for such learning and religious evolution. Within the microhistory genre, "The Cheese and the Worms" is most fascinating when we ask the question: Was this an isolated phenonmenon or was this a reflection of many people's views? The answer, I suppose, lies with Menocchio, but there is still much to be gleaned from this book.
Well written, fascinating tale.......2002-05-13
Description of a miller with an intresting ('modern') cosmological belief whose rebellion in thought is prosecuted by the Taliban of that time, the Roman Catholic Church. Forced to explain his nonAristotelian views (and, if Ginzburg is telling the truth, he responded extremely well to the inquisitors' questions!), the miller outwits his arrogant, narrow-minded judges and so wins the reward of torture and imprisonment, losing his wife, family, everything in the end. Galileo, who had a higher social position and powerful protectors, suffered no worse than house arrest, in comparison.
Keep this book in mind.......2002-03-04
Anytime you want to tell yourself that the Catholic Church isn't that bad, just keep this book in mind. It is just more proof that the church is the most corrupt institution in the history of time. . .with that in mind. The book is very interesting, it deals with the trial of a smart man at the time who was accused of heresy. So throughout the trial we begin to realize how well read this man is and how well he has developed his ideas. It is a good case study of the life of a common man in 1599.
Book Description
If any group, which shared in the Christian mystery, possessed the esoteric secrets of the early Church, it was the Gnostics. This order preserved to the end the high ethical and rational standards which confer honor upon a teaching. The Church therefore attacked Gnosticism vigorously and relentlessly, recognizing these mystical philosophers as being the most formidable adversaries to the temporal power of Christian theology.
Customer Reviews:
Not For Beginners.......2007-06-28
If I were to recommend a book on Gnosticism to someone who knows little or nothing on the subject but would like an overview, this would NOT be the book I would recommend. That's not to say this book wasn't without it's merits but it's a little overly complicated and narrow in it's scope of understanding. It also was a little boring in parts and I found myself having to "push through" to the end.
I did gain a clearer understanding of ancient Gnosticism compaired with more modern Gnostic beliefs presented by authors such as Samael Aun Weor. This book was also very unique in that it dealt with a lot of the ancient symbology around Gnosticism which is something I've never seen before.
If you already have a basic understanding of Gnosticism and you're looking to expand your knowledge this book might be for you, If you want information about ancient Gnostic symbols this book is for you, If you want an introduction to Gnosticism I say look elsewhere.
Banal Regurgitations .......2006-06-26
Let's keep in mind that Hall wrote back in the 1930s and 1940s, when there was far less in print on esoterica than today. Still, Hall's book on gnosticism is overly complicated and terribly pedantic. One has the sense, too, that Hall is regurgitating received ideas. There is no hint of real scholarship, or of an individual approach to the material. I'm biased, however, by the fact that Hall fancied himself as a master of all esoterica, given the breadth of his writings. If I knew as much about anything as Hall knows about everything . . . Add to this Hall's fervent championing of freemasonry as a repository of real wisdom, and one has to wonder who Hall was, and where he got the ego to appoint himself as an authority on sacred teachings. There are far better books on gnosticism.
An Interesting Look at Gnosticism.......2005-11-29
Although I had heard of the term "Gnosticism" previously, I was never quite sure what it really entailed - all I knew was that it was some form of religion or spirituality. So I purchased this book with the goal of gaining an understanding of this form of esoteric christianity - and, after having read it, I think this is probably the best book I could have chosen for this purpose.
In "The Wisdom of the Wise Ones", Hall discusses the beliefs held by the Gnostics; the parallels between Gnosticism and both Eastern & Western philosophies; Alexandria - the seat of mysticism; what happened to Gnosticism; as well as the symbolism used by this group.
Here are some of the insights I gained re: Gnosticism:
*Gnosticism is a form of esoteric christianity
*Gnostics didn't take bible stories literally - instead, they searched for the hidden meanings
*Gnostics were very tolerant of other religions - believing that a person's religion was based on their current emotions & perceptions. In other words, we interpret things differently based on "where we are" at the time.
*They viewed spirit as the highest state of matter, and matter as the lowest state of spirit
*They saw human beings as the bridge between nature & God
*They believed that each soul ascends through successive stages of being - learning & growing along the way
*They saught to find the middle-ground between the 2 most prevalent theologies of the time - christianity & paganism
*They believed that it's the mystery, not the interpretation that's real (and our interpretation = our religion)
*They believed that everyone would grow & change over time, and as such, their interpretations (religious choices)would grow & change as well.
Through reading this book, I was also reminded that much of what we deal with today - such as violence, scams, war & conspiricies - isn't new. The people who lived thousands of years ago were dealing with the same things...
Overall, I found "The Wisdom of the Knowing Ones" to be quite interesting. So, if you are interested in learning about Gnosticism, or enjoy reading about ancient cultures, I would highly recommend it.
Book Description
For the first time, a genuine manual of the dreaded "left-hand path." Braving the new Witchcraft Panic that has swept the world, S. Jason Black and Christopher S. Hyatt have written a book that places the Western magical tradition --- and the Western psyche --- in perspective.
Sweeping aside both the historical fabrications of "neo-paganism" and the rampant mental illness of the religious right, Black and Hyatt explore history, psychology and anthropology to reveal the true "secret doctrine" of Western culture. This work confronts the reader with his own fears and inhibitions --- and carries him beyond.
Comprehensively illustrated, this volume contains a detailed history of European "Black Magic" and includes new editions of 17th and 18th century Grimoires with detailed instructions for their use. Extensively illustrated.
Customer Reviews:
Do not waste your money.......2006-01-15
If you are interested in useless historical gossip, then this book is for you. If you are interested in evocation and making pacts with entities, look further afield. No useful information is presented in these pages.
The intro to the book promises a lot and delivers nothing. Per usual Hyatt wastes dead trees on pyscho-babble. I am at the point, if I see his name on a book, I will run in the other direction.
The inclusion of grimoires that are freely available on the internet is just filler. If you really want to be informed on this topic and actually DO something, I recommend "Summoning Spirits" by Konstantinos. Some people like "Truth About Evocation Of Spirits" by Donald Michael Kraig. I have not read this book and would refer you to the reviews.
If you are more advanced, then Donald Tyson's works are excellent. Carroll Runyon has a book and a video of ritual magick.
I would add that there are "techno-mage" ways to do evocation that require absolutely no ceremonial ritual, take minutes to prepare and have given me excellent results.
Dont Be a Idiot.......2005-12-29
Please dont be a idiot, You really think you can command a Demon, and he will listen ? They are Farmore Powerful that you ever will be, go ahead, try and command one, the only thing you will succeed in is Getting your Self possesed, and loseing control of your body.
true you might be granted a demons power for a while, till he destroys your body that it is...... Demons are not the only way to power.
Demons are Being's with out bodys, they lust for a body to inhabit, Given the chance they will Take one, Dont give them that chance, unless that is, you want to give your body over to a psychotic and vengeful demon, once he has your body he will not respect it very much, try and gain your body back and he will destroy it. Its not very difficult to be possesed, Just be willing or Do some stupid incantation and summon some demon, and voila, your done, Have fun In hell !!
PS gave it one star cus i cant give it 0
Very enjoyable indeed.......2005-11-30
So you're a fan of controversial literature?
Good. Then I'm sure you've heard of New Falcon Publications, S. Jason Black, and Christopher Hyatt before. The latter has, among other things, published several books about Aleister Crowley and written the book The Psychopath's Bible, and New Falcon has a reputation of releasing works that are, to say the least, unusual.
But beware. Just because something happens to be unusual and controversial doesn't automatically result in it being something good. But in this particular case, it really is. Black, a practicing magician, and Hyatt, a super-smart intellectual, have written a book that is one half a history lesson in "black" magic, and one half a grimoire containing old notorious spells any serious student of the occult must have heard of at least once.
As with most other non-academic books (that is, books that are not published by a university publisher or written by "acclaimed" researchers) that claim to be historically correct, the bibliography is not as good as it could have been, and furthermore, the reasoning sometimes doesn't make very much sense. But despite these faults, the book is still very much worth the effort, in particular the first, historical section. The second part, containing magical instructions, is more difficult to read, and the rituals are not the easiest to perform. This is ok though, since the first part is such a great read. Or in other words, you can buy the book, more or less ignore the second part, and still not feel like you've been fooled in any way.
Christian Broadcasting Network said the book was "extremely disturbing", and The Black Flame thought that "This book is dangerous!". Better arguments than these are indeed hard to find, and alongside with the fact that it's not an expensive book I have only this to say:
GO GET IT!
Very enjoyable indeed.......2005-11-23
So you're a fan of controversial literature?
Good. Then I'm sure you've heard of New Falcon Publications, S. Jason Black, and Christopher Hyatt before. The latter has, among other things, published several books about Aleister Crowley and written the book The Psychopath's Bible, and New Falcon has a reputation of releasing works that are, to say the least, unusual.
But beware. Just because something happens to be unusual and controversial doesn't automatically result in it being something good. But in this particular case, it really is. Black, a practicing magician, and Hyatt, a super-smart intellectual, have written a book that is one half a history lesson in "black" magic, and one half a grimoire containing old notorious spells any serious student of the occult must have heard of at least once.
As with most other non-academic books (that is, books that are not published by a university publisher or written by "acclaimed" researchers) that claim to be historically correct, the bibliography is not as good as it could have been, and furthermore, the reasoning sometimes doesn't make very much sense. But despite these faults, the book is still very much worth the effort, in particular the first, historical section. The second part, containing magical instructions, is more difficult to read, and the rituals are not the easiest to perform. This is ok though, since the first part is such a great read. Or in other words, you can buy the book, more or less ignore the second part, and still not feel like you've been fooled in any way.
Christian Broadcasting Network said the book was "extremely disturbing", and The Black Flame thought that "This book is dangerous!". Better arguments than these are indeed hard to find, and alongside with the fact that it's not an expensive book I have only this to say:
GO GET IT!
Let's Make a Deal.......2005-11-13
In an authentic Pact with the Devil, the demon manifests and
signs the Pact with their Magickal Sigil. The Red Dragon, a
very powerful grimoire mentioned in Pacts With the Devil,
bears the Sigil signature of Lucifuge Rofocale, and thus its
great power as a grimoire. Another such grimoire is the original
Black Book of Faust, which bears the Astral signature of
Astaroth. Signing the back of a piece of paper yourself with
the demon's "sigil" doesn't do it. The formula for creating
a "Pact Meeting" with the Devil or his associates is unknown
to the author's of this book, because it has not been in any
print for a long time. Also, some of the drawings are a little
crazy, particularly the one that shows Lucifer appearing like
what seems to be a modern rock star. This aside, I gave this
book five stars because it is much better then most other
modern magickal grimoires, sincerely and interestingly
written, and also is a compact place to find well-done
summaries of some of the older grimoires.
Customer Reviews:
Unusually clear explanation of revisionism.......2007-07-30
In this short book, Bishop Allison gives the meaningful clarity that today's Christians need to discern whether or not certain popular trends in our churches are congruent or incongruent with the historic gospel of Jesus Christ. So many of us take for granted the traditions from which we come. Yet, even our "good" churches have toyed with these "incorrect beliefs" and we too often embrace them because we have not deliberated on our theology. We live in our embeded theology (that which we have been taught) and do not see the ultimate consequences of wrong belief.
The reality of the Incarnation and its significant in a world that knows much suffering impacted me personally a great deal. One of the many deriviative heresies that result from not living in light of this spiritual truth is the abysmal lack of the theology of suffering by Christians for those who preach a "prosperity gospel". Allison also brings to light many other such important realities.
His explanation of how heresy is closely allied with truth, but actually a counterfit of it is very helpful. It is also helpful to see how much of wrong belief stems from a few simple premises that when accepted lead us into many practices and traditions that ignore what Jesus taught and what God had long revealed through his scriptures.
I commend this scholarly work to all who wish to sharpen their discernemnt of their own Christian camp to make certain that they have not bought into practices that quickly at their heart take us away from a relationship with they one true God. This is not a book that you will read only one time and put in your library. You will come back again and again to keep learning. Every page is filled with significant insight which is as relevant to our 21st century churches as it was to those in the first and second century. I have to rate it with five stars.
Today's Heresy is Hidden and Latent Phenomenon.......2005-07-30
"One of the great values of secular philosophy - in this it is not unlike heresy - is the stimulus it gives to Christian thinkers to rethink their position." Colin Brown
Quastiones Disputatae:
"Heresy lies in the sense assigned, not in the word written (in scriptura); and the guilt is that of the expositor not of the text." Hilary of Poitiers
Heresy, according to the eminent theologian Karl Rahner, in his authoritative Essay, "On heresy," was described as, "heresy today is not so much a formulated, false religious doctrine as a hidden and latent phenomenon. Its peculiar danger is to remain implicit, not as a former times to be expressed in explicit propositions.
It may indeed coexist with a verbal orthodoxy and an anxious, 'correct' care never to express views that might conflict with the official doctrine. In the form of moral attitudes, moods and points of views, heresy today is not necessarily directed against the faith; it may even spring from Christian opposition to heresy or outmoded views. (About the book)
Cruelty of Heresy:
In an interview about his book, retired Bishop C. F. Allison warns about the cruelty of heresy, explaining;
Q: What is it that makes heresy a cruelty to Christians?
Allison - It panders to our worst inclinations
Q: What can church members do to counter the heretical drift of their hierarchies?
Allison - First of all is to realize that our hierarchies have often been captured by single-issue folk who are not committed to the historic faith and are imposing their issue in an attempt to commandeer the denomination. I don't think you ought to subsidize something that is destroying and apostatizing the church.
Q: What are some of the consequences when the church fails to protects its members from heretical teachings?
Allison -The church becomes very neurotic. When you have a self-esteem doctrine in which the church's function is to help people feel good about themselves, then you turn the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector upside down, and Jesus is teaching bad hygiene when the masochist beating his breast is justified rather than the upstanding man who feels good about himself.
Book Appraisal:
"I know of no other book that so strongly points out the practical consequences of theology. Far from dry theoretical speculation, the heart of life's meaning and experience was at stake." ( matt, the reading room)
"The Cruelty of Heresy, a very readable text of fewer than two hundred pages. The book's format is wonderfully well expressed and full of memorable examples and analogies from everyday life." (A reader)
The burning of books this creed occasioned in order to establish the primacy of the One Book should be reason for any reader to weep. Roger R. Easson, who rated the book a lone star, utilized the history of the development of Church dogma very ably to criticize the South Carolina Bishop, "Yet Allison dismisses this history of horror by asserting that it is in reality the heretics who are cruel. If this weren't such a serious subject, this book might almost be comic. If you want to know why we Christians need to hang our heads in shame, read this book and be astonished at the overbearing narrow-minded, amnesiac quality of this defender of our faith."
Bishop C. FitzSimons Allison
Born and raised in South Carolina, C. FitzSimons Allison retired as Episcopal bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina in 1994. Between sojourns in his home state, Allison received a Ph.D. from Oxford, served as a pastor in New York City, and wrote several books, in addition to the one reviewed.
Great Explination of Christology.......2003-01-19
Most of the heresies of the early era of the Church were concerned with the nature and person of Christ Jesus. This book delves into the contraversies that surrounded the definitions of the Ecumenical Councils and the key theologians that proposed both hetero and orthodoxy. I know of no other book that so strongly points out the practical consequesnces of theology. Far from dry theoretical speculation, the heart of life's meaning and experience was at stake. Sound over dramatic? Read it for yourself and find out!
Other books of interest may include: "The First Seven Ecumenical Councils" by Leo Davis; "Fathers and Heretics" by Prestige; the works of Georges Florovsky; "INcarnation:Myth or Fact?" by Skarsaune; "Christology" by O'Collins. Enjoy!
A Critical Book For Modern Christians.......2002-07-19
If you are a parent who has ever watched the painful consequences of wrong thinking in your children, you will immediately recognize the value of this book. While this concisely written book is historically accurate and highly beneficial as an introductory work on ancient heresies, it is profoundly valuable for its actual intended purposes: (1) to highlight the fact that heretical opinions are cruel to those who hold them, and (2) to alert and warn the reader that ancient heresies have a way of reappearing in modern forms. If a reader keeps in mind these dual purposes, this book is extremely valuable. It is cogently written in a readable style and its tone is pastoral. Moreover, it is highly practical. It increases the apologist's arsenal with the information that wrong thinking about theology hurts people. Not only are there serious theological implications to holding heretical views, but such views will hurt you, and the last thing a modern Christian wants is discomfort and pain. So, this book is a timely reminder that we should beware of thinking wrongly about God.
Counterfeits are cruel........2002-02-13
Mr. Eason reviewed this book and said "It is astonishing to hear an Episcopal Bishop regard the 'pillars of Jerusalem,' as Paul called those who knew Jesus and continued to worship in the temple as they waited for him, heretics, judaisers! "
This is simply not the case. Paul argued, successfully, that the Gentiles did not need to convert to Judaism first and then to Christianity. The Judaisers that Paul complained about disagreed with not only Paul but with the Elders who met in Jerusalem as recorded in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles 21:19-25. They only required that the Gentiles refrain from eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols, from drinking blood, from eating meat from a strangled animal, and from sexual immorality. Following this decision by the leaders, they, still honoring Jewish practice, participated in a ritual cleansing and Temple sacrifice without any qualms. (Acts 21:26) There was no expectation that the Jews who believed in Jesus should suddenly abandon their Jewishness. There was only a decision that the Gentiles did not need to adopt Jewish practices in order to become beneficiaries of the Messiah Jesus.
The Emperor Constantine is a different subject. He very well have recognized the political and monetary benefit of recognizing Christianity and exploited it. It was a bold risk if it was done without any belief on his part. It may be offensive to think that Constantine was an insincere convert, but the recognition and legalization of Christianity ended the horrible persecutions and martyring of thousands of believers.
It is a testimony to the power of the orthodox message, that Christianity had spread to so large a percentage of the people of the known world even during so many years of brutal persecution.
There is no need for an alternate explanation of Jesus. It would obviously be cruel to substitute a cheap counterfeit for the real Jesus.
Book Description
Reveals the thread that unites the spiritual paths that have opposed orthodox religion over the centuries and the challenge they provide to the status quo
• Contains 40 essays by 18 key investigators of heresies and suppressed spiritual traditions, including Steven Sora, Ian Lawton, Jeff Nisbet, P.M.H. Atwater, John Chambers, and Vincent Bridges
• Edited by Atlantis Rising publisher, J. Douglas Kenyon
Following the model of his bestselling
Forbidden History, J. Douglas Kenyon has assembled from his bi-monthly journal
Atlantis Rising material that explores the hidden path of the religions banned by the orthodox Church--from the time before Christ when the foundations of Christianity were being laid to the tumultuous times of the Cathars and Templars and the Masons of the New World. Revealed in this investigation of the roots of Western faith are the intimate ties of ancient Egyptian religion to Christianity, the true identities of the three magi, the link forged by the Templars between early Christianity and the Masons, and how these hidden religious currents still influence the modern world.
This book serves as a compelling introduction to the true history of the heretical religious traditions that played as vital a role in society as the established faiths that continuously tried to suppress them. Born in the same religious ferment that gave birth to Christianity, these spiritual paths survived in the “heresies” of the Middle Ages, and in the theories of the great Renaissance thinkers and their successors, such as Isaac Newton and Giordano Bruno. Brought to the New World by the Masons who inspired the American Revolution, the influence of these forbidden religions can be still found today in “The Star Spangled Banner” and in such Masonic symbols as the pyramid on the back of the dollar bill.
Customer Reviews:
Ok but a bit haphazard and off subject at times.......2007-08-11
I was expecting more information dealing with the ancient religious practices, beliefs, how they were suppressed and by whom. Instead there was too much information about unrelated beliefs and subjects making the whole book seem scatterbrained. It also seemed a waste of pages to go on about "modern" new age practices that bare almost no resembalance to any ancient ways or beliefs. The ancient beliefs have been so scattered and corrupted over 1000's of years they have no real link with any of the modern ways written about in this book. Instead of wasting time about the less than honorable G. I. Gurdjieff who brough to us a corrupted version of secrets of the Brotherhood of the Sarmoung why not put the focus on the Brotherhood that may actually have some links to ancient religion. If we are wanting to continue to keep the forbidden religions alive, do we not want them with the least amount of corruption?
All that said there was new information to be learned in the book and it makes it worth reading, just don't expect a smooth ride.
Worse than Forbidden History.............2007-01-07
This was far worse than "Forbidden History" and I gave that one a 1 star. Some of the stuff in here was just plain silly.
One-of-a-kind survey of the nether corners of Western religious history........2007-01-06
Edited by Douglas Kenyon, the editor and publisher of the bimonthly journal "Atlantis Rising", Forbidden Religion: Suppressed Heresies of the West is an expose of hidden religions banned by the orthodox Church, from the time prior to Christ to the turbulent times of the Cathars and the Templars, to the Masons of the New World and much more. From connections between the roots of Western faith and ancient Egyptian religion, to the true identities of the three magi, to the real clandestine organization behind the secrets in the popular novel "The Da Vinci Code", Forbidden Religion covers a mind-expanding plethora of little-contemplated history affecting modern concepts of faith. Black-and-white photographs and a glorious section of inset color plates illustrate this one-of-a-kind survey of the nether corners of Western religious history.
Average customer rating:
- Entheogens: Professional Listing
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Scandal: Studies in Islamic Heresy
Peter Lamborn Wilson
Manufacturer: Autonomedia
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Customer Reviews:
Entheogens: Professional Listing.......1999-05-03
"Scandal" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy
Book Description
This book provides the first full single-volume scholarly account in English of the Waldenses and examination of the concept of Waldensianism from the late 12th century to the Reformation. Waldenses is the name given to diverse and widely-scattered groups of religious dissenters since the time of the movement's reputed founder, a rich citizen of Lyon called Valdesius, in the late twelfth century. Though living within the culture of the Catholic Church, these people doubted the holiness of its priesthood and questioned its teachings about the destiny of souls after death. The various strands of this movement emerged and endured over a long period of time. In consequence some earlier historians assumed, rather than demonstrated, that 'Waldensian' heresy remained one coherent phenomenon throughout its life-span. They also tended to neglect some of the transient or 'untypical' aspects of the movement. It draws on primary sources to consider each of the manifestations of the movement in turn. It examines connections in space and time through correspondence and tradition between the different groups of Waldenses. It also asks what were the common threads in certain characteristics of religious practice, linking in differing degrees all the forms that the movement took.
Customer Reviews:
An informative book for both scholars and laypersons.......2002-05-31
Euan Cameron has written a very informed history of the Waldensian dissent, using a lot of prime source material in such a way that it is for scholar and lay persons interested in church history a delight to read. It is well written and makes delightful reading. It is anything but a dry summary of facts. Both from the perspective of faith and history, this is a good book. It gives good unbiased information about a very interesting group of people at a turbulent time in church history. I highly do recommend it.
Book Description
-- Caroline Walker Bynum, Columbia University
This volume presents an extensive collection of Medieval sources for the history of the popular heresies in Western Europe.
Customer Reviews:
Why the High Middle Ages are called the Age of Faith.......2007-08-30
This is an excellent resource material providing source documents for anyone interested in knowing what all the fuss was about. However, do take the editorials with a grain or two of salt. For example, two documents attributed to the Cathars (a vindication of their beliefs and another concerning the Lord's Prayer) do not proove they were Manachians, or dualists of any type, although Wakefield and Evans take several pages to try to tell us why they were. The fact that these documents have very little references from Old Testament scriptures, or none at all, means only that the Old Testament was not relavent to these two subjects. Heresies of the High Middle Ages is a most important book for any one interested in the "age of faith."
Crucial primary source material on Cathars, Waldensians, others.......2006-09-05
This has not only reports of the heresy hunters on various 'heresies' of the middle ages, it has what remains of the literature of the Cathars: the version of the Ascension of Isaiah that they circulated amongst themselves, the Secret Supper of John which they had from the Bogomils, the bestowing of the Lord's Prayer and rites of consolatum, and the entire Book of the Two Principles which is a theological defense of radical dualism.
The Book of Two Principles is the only such work I have found that has attempted to provide a systematic, detailed, consistent, and well thought out philosophical and theological argument for dualism against one-source theories of 'mitigated' dualists, monotheists, or monists.
The work itself contains a much more developed and sophisticated philosophical/theological argument than what is found in the Zoroastrian Shkand-gumanig Vizar (Doubt-dispelling exposition)
A student of comparative religion who refers to dualism at all, in any way, really should read the Cathar Book of Two Principles, along with The Samkhya Philosophy translated by Nandalal Sinha, which is the other important Eastern dualist Philosophy that I have found, which is similarly thorough and well-thought out, well developed, well argued.
Ian Myles Slater on: Just the Facts (and Some Old Lies).......2004-08-23
Given the variety of best-selling novels based on real or invented medieval heresies and "secret doctrines," from the well-informed and ingenious "The Name of the Rose" (Umberto Eco, 1980), to the more recent, intellectually negligible (among other problems), "Da Vinci Code," not to mention supposedly non-fiction accounts of the Cathars and Templars (see below), a book like "Heresies of the High Middle Ages," absolutely stuffed with such things, ought to have been flying off the shelves. Right?
Well, that logic doesn't seem to apply. One good reason (there are bad ones) is that so many real medieval heresies seem to be mind-numbingly boring to moderns not already committed to a specific religious view -- noticed any big fights between secularists over receiving Communion from unworthy priests lately? And that is an issue moderns can grasp, without understanding the theological implications. Other heretical positions and movements are just plain weird and unattractive to most of us. The Catholic Church wanted celibate clergy, and regular fasting for lay people; the often-romanticized Cathars disapproved of food, sex, and just about everything else, for everyone, at any time (to over-simplify a bit).
And some still well-known and sensational "heresies" seem to have been invented as a convenient, non-refutable, accusation. The "blasphemies" and "crimes" of the Templars, despite a stream of lurid accounts and recent "discoveries," were made up for political and financial reasons; the King of France owed them a lot of money, and, like Saddam Hussein, figured that eliminating creditors was better than paying up, and a good way to acquire their wealth. Philip IV was furious to find their treasuries empty; perpetually short of cash, like most medieval monarchs, he had failed to grasp that the one-time military order of monks had been lending him, and others, a lot more than their spare change. So much for coded messages and maps to their secret vaults. Nothing to do, really, with demon-worship, or (as more recently alleged) possession of the Holy Grail (!), but a good example of what can be done with torture and propaganda. The Templars don't make an appearance in the index of this book, for good reason.
Another reason for relative obscurity: this is a massive anthology -- seventy-some pages of general historical introduction are followed by 560 of translations of medieval texts, with short introductions in smaller print, with over 200 pages of notes and bibliography, and a final nineteen pages of index. It was originally intended (by Austin P. Evans) as part of a larger project, setting religious dissension in the Middle Ages, and the operations of the Inquisition, in their social and political settings. The actual book (as completed by Wakefield after Evans' death) is instead a well-organized mine of material on beliefs, reactions, and personalities, with no real parallel in English on anything like the same scale. (Edward Peter's 1980 "Heresy and Authority in Medieval Europe: Documents in Translation" is less than half the length, and has a different focus.)
Broken up into sixty main readings, many with sub-sections, "Heresies of the High Middle Ages" is a solid, responsible, unsensationalized, source-book, and not something to take to the beach (unless you are trying to keep up with course work).
It is, at a minimum, an invaluable companion to such long-standard books as Runciman's "The Medieval Manichee: A Study of the Christian Dualist Heresy" (1955) and Norman Cohn's "The Pursuit of the Millenium: Revolutionary Millenarians and Mystical Anarchists of the Middle Ages" (1960; several revised editions), and more recent studies, such as Cohn's "Europe's Inner Demons" (1975, revised 1993; on the conceptual overlapping of heresy and sorcery). It can, of course, stand by itself.
Certain chronological and theological aspects can be supplemented, on the generally (more) orthodox side, by Bernard McGinn's short anthology of "Apocalyptic Spirituality" in the "Classics of Western Spirituality" series (1979), which runs from the Church Fathers in the third century to Savonarola in the late fifteenth, instead of being limited to the "High Middle Ages."
The range of the term "High Middle Ages" varies from historian to historian. In this case, it includes Western Europe in the late tenth and eleventh centuries, with slender documentation for heretical movements; the slightly more detailed sources for the twelfth century; and the turbulent, and well-documented, thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, which are covered in considerable detail. Anyone not familiar with the Church History and dogma, and the main political events, of this period, should probably find and read a good standard textbook or two before plunging in. The editors did a good job, but they had to assume some prior knowledge.
Whenever possible, the quite varied unorthodox movements are allowed to speak for themselves. They range from merely dissenting from the practices of the hierarchy of the Church, to frankly anti-Church, to committed holders of actual theological differences, both obvious and (to modern ideas) amazingly esoteric. The historically prominent Cathars, or Albigensians, are well-represented (with a complete section, #56-60, pages 447-630; and frequent mentions in earlier portions), as are the Waldensians, with whom they are often grouped (see especially #30-38). (The Cathars were out-and-dualists in the Gnostic tradition, and took their alternate name from their one-time domination of the Albi region of southern France; they are historically connected to the Bogomil dualists of the Balkans in the earlier Middle Ages, and, just conceivably, to the actual Manicheans of St. Augustine's time. The Waldensians, when slander, rumor, and later Protestant approval are discounted, seem to have been more conventional critics of the wealth of the Church and its hierarchy.) But so are more obscure groups and individuals, such as the Amalricians (#44A & B), as surviving documentation allows.
Where their own documents are lacking, care is given to include the most responsible hostile reports (such as James Capeli, #49), as well as the more sensational accusations of ill-informed or simply malicious heresy-hunters, such as Guibert of Nogent (#9). The quality of these sources vary, since some writers drew on both their own experience and on rumors and earlier accounts, a clear example being Bernard Gui, an important inquisitor in the first three decades of the fourteenth century (#55, pages 373-445).
An invaluable book for the serious inquirer.
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Racial Blasphemies: Religious Irreverence and Race in American Literature (Literary Criticism and Cultural Theory)
Michael Cobb
Manufacturer: Routledge
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William Faulkner, James Baldwin, Flannery O'Conner, and Paule Marshall are among numerous influential American writers who tended to be irreverent, if not blasphemous, in their fiction. But rather than curse God, these authors cursed the racial hierarchies that too cleanly divide white and African American races in contemporary U.S. politics and culture. Racial Blasphemies, using critical race theory and literary analysis, charts the tense, frustrated religious language that saturates much twentieth-century American literature. Michael Cobb argues that we should consider religious language as a special kind of language - a language of curse words - that furiously communicates not theology or spirituality as much as it signals the sheer difficulty of representing race in a non-racist manner on the literary page.
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