#45: Esoteric Christianity
the essence of the Christian religion
was never entirely written down,
nor would it ever be available
to the majority of believers"
-Brian Riggs, from
The Storm in Alexandria
Contents
Editorial
by Jay Kinney
2
Up Front
4
Forum
8
News & Notes
Zecharia Sitchin; the secrets encoded in reverse speech; the creator of the "Bible Code" speaks out.
14
Introduction: Popular Mystery
by Richard Smoley
Are the secrets of Christianity all out in the open?
16
Encounter with the Uncreated
by Theodore J. Nottingham
How the Christian mystical path sets out a way of realizing higher consciousness.
22
The Storm in Alexandria
by Brian Riggs
The issues that faced the third-century Church Father Origen highlight the long struggle between knowledge and dogmatism.
28
Boehme for Beginners
by Cynthia Bourgeault
The great German mystic Jacob Boehme is renowned for the difficulty of his writings. What's the best way to approach them? Experientially.
36
Working on the Inner Side: The GNOSIS Interview with Nicholas Whitehead
by Martha J. Shultz
A lively conversation about Christianity, magic, initiation, and the mystery of the redemption.
41
Looking for Celtic Christianity
by John Carey
Was there an independent Celtic Church in the early Middle Ages that was brought to heel by Rome? In a word, no.
46
The Secret Church of John
by Charles A. Coulombe
An inquiry into the legend of the "hidden Church of John" said to exist above and beyond the outer Church.
54
A New Order of Priests
by Sara Draper
A peek into the little-known Christian Community and its relation to the teachings of Rudolf Steiner.
60
Brothers in Light and Blood
by James Burbank
For New Mexico's "Penitent Brothers," Holy Week is a time for recreating the Passion of Christ.
65
Book Reviews
- The Soul of Shamanism: Western Fantasies, Imaginal Realities by Daniel
C. Noel
- Disruption by David Applebaum
- H.P. Lovecraft: A Life by S.T. Joshi
- Patterns that Connect: Social Symbolism in Ancient and Tribal Art by Carl Schuster and Edmund Carpenter
- The New God-Image: A Study of Jung's Key Letters Concerning the
Evolution of the Western God-Image by Edward F. Edinger
- Anatomy of the Spirit: the Seven Stages of Power and Healing by Caroline Myss
- Psi Explorer (CD-ROM) by Mario Varvoglis
- Exchanges Within: Questions from Everyday Life Selected from Gurdjieff
Group Meetings with John Pentland in California, 1955-1984 by John
Pentland
- Qur'an, Liberation, and Pluralism: An Islamic Perspective of
Interreligious Solidarity against Oppression by Farid Esack
- The Lord of the Dance: An Essay in Mysticism by Anthony Duncan
- The Practice of Ritual Magic by Gareth Knight
- Patterns in Magical Christianity by Nicholas Whitehead
About our cover:
Sunday by Katherine Ace. The artist can be reached at (503) 274-2543 or by e-mail at katace@europa.com.
