The Jesus Mysteries: Was the 'Original Jesus' a Pagan God?

Description

The myth of Dionysus bears some resemblances to the the story of Jesus Christ. It compares with the biblical story in the following ways: Dionysus is God made flesh and is hailed as the "Saviour of Mankind" and the "Son of God"; his father is God and and his mother is a mortal virgin who afterwards becomes worshipped as the "Mother of God"; he is born in a cowshed; he drives out demons, turns water into wine and and raises people from the dead; and he rides triumphantly into town while people wave palms to honour him. The date revered by the first Christians as Jesus' birthday was originally that of Dionysus, also the three day Spring Festival of Dionysus celebrating his death and resurrection coincides with the Christian festival of Easter. The last Supper and the Eucharist also parallel Dionysian rites.

Timothy Freke has been a student of world spirituality for over twenty years. He has travelled extensively and received instruction from masters in many different traditions. As well as lecturing and teaching, he has also worked as a bereavement counsellor at his own centre in Somerset. Among his publications are Lao Tzu's Tao te Ching (Piatkus, 1995), a contemporary rendering of this ancient masterpiece, The Complete Book of World Mysticism (Piatkus, 1997) and The Zen Koan Card Pack (Godsfield Press, 1997).

'Rarely have the roots of Christianity been disentangled to such disturbing effect. I shall never be able to read the gospels in the same way again.' ROGER BOULTON, presenter of Radio 4's The Sunday Programme 'A provocative, exciting and challenging book.' The Rt Revd JOHN SHELBY SPONG, Bishop of Newark