A Bit More of References for Cynthia and Readers

Cynthia asked about references, and I want to mention some of seminal works which have informed me:

You can find several texts online by Gerald Massey. His vitriol against the church may be hard to stand, but his insights into the ancient Egyptian myths are worth a careful reading.

It might be telling of the kind of reader I am, but Col. J. Garnier's The Worship of the Dead or the Origin and Nature of Pagan Idolatry and Its Bearing Upon the Early History of Egypt and Babylonia was a page-turner for me. You can find it free online, or please buy, if so inclined, from Kessinger Publishing (www.kessinger.net). The thing is, this is real ancient history and the spread of religion throughout civilization. Even if it is not your cup of tea, read chapter 17, "The Moral Aspect of Paganism," pages 352-365.

Speaking of Pagans, there are Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy who wrote The Jesus Mysteries and Jesus and the Lost Goddess. Again, this is real history and--spoiler alert--the "lost Goddess" is our oneness with God. Turns out that at least some "Paganism" is the real Christianity.

Oops. Almost forgot to mention Christian Lindtner's Theory that Jesus is Buddha (http://jesusisbuddha.com/). It was Lindtner who convinced me that the author of the Gospel of Mark was a Buddhist Missionary. It is "completely obvious" to me now. After you read about Emperor Ashoka, you will probably get it too. By the way, Garnier (above) notes that Gautama wanted to become a Buddha before he was enlightened, so how did he know that there even was a Buddha to become? Garnier suggests that NOAH was the first Buddha, and we all should become like him!

The Mythic Past by Thomas L. Thompson makes it pretty clear that the Bible is not a record of secular history. Makes it pretty clear how stupid and ignorant we are as Christians, too. Thick, small print, no pictures, and brilliant.

Rabbi David A. Cooper's God is a Verb: Kabbalah and the practice of mystical judaism changed everything for me. It is not just that we are one with God or that we are God; it is that we are the action of "God": we are the ACTION of the Ineffable! We God. Truly mind-blowing. Interestingly, very much the same was suggested by Frank C. Laubach in Channels of Spiritual Power in 1954(!). What is interesting about it is that Laubach did not learn this from studying the Kabbalah or Baal Shem Tov and the sages; he got it from his personal devotional life and his practical experience as a missionary.

God is a Verb (above) along with Aryeh Kaplan's Jewish Meditation are the two books which most heightened my view of the Ineffable.

I cannot skip C. H. Dodd's Apostolic Preaching and Its Development. The authors of the scriptures grew, too. In chapter three, Dodd explains how Paul woke up from expecting a future physical return of Christ to a present awareness of him expanding within.

And within us he is, which is why John wrote the book of Revelation. Worthy is the Lamb by Ray Summers explains why that--"Worthy is the Lamb"--is the message, the whole message, of Revelation.

I cannot say that C. F. Rehnborg's Jesus and the New Age of Faith is a reference book, but it is a brilliant apologetic against the apologetics of nut-case Bible thumpers. It is one of the soundest analyses of the New Testament I have ever found. The book was a private printing from the C. F. Rehnborg Literary Foundation, 5600 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park, California 90620. Rehnborg--he founded Nutrilite--saw that the New Testament was about something real . . . but terribly mishandled by the church. That is why he called for a new age of faith, one built upon the REAL thing the Bible is talking about, the Life that is Jesus in us. I have found three copies, gave one to my Pentecostal Baptist friend when he became a Rabbi. I keep it where I can see the title every time I enter my study. Jesus and the New Age of Faith is the byline of my life.

Another title displayed just so that it reminds me of my fault is J. B. Phillips' Your God Is Too Small. Women used to embroider "Home Sweet Home" to hang on the wall. Every home should have an embroidered "Your God Is Too Small" in its living room. Tell me there isn't a market for that.

All these along with Neville Goddard's books and lectures have formed my present frame of mind and understanding. I am sure there are others, but I am not going out to the garage to dig through boxes of books right now.