The background information concerning the pre-Jesus mystery cults is interesting and informative.
The rest of the book is the most poorly researched bunk I have ever read, much less heard of.
The authors' understanding and use of Greek is frivolous, reckless, and self-serving.
I am quite a 'liberal' when it comes to finding new meaning in the Scriptures, using liberal in the sense of free- and open-minded. But people have to present their case well. I almost couldn't finish this book once Freke & Gandy got rolling with their conclusions and interpretations.
True, mystery cults, Gnostics, and others DID exist, but it does not logically follow that the myth, person, or teachings of Jesus must have either come from such cults, nor purposely led to them. All it shows is diverse and multiple interpretations of religion pre-Jesus, and that such interpreting continued post-Jesus.

And if the reader investigates into the authors' current activities, they will find that Freke has started his own 'cult' built around this book. I'm not saying 'cult' in the negative sense, but it is very openly a religious community based on the 'mysteries'
What I AM saying is that this book serves as their evangelism tool. ( )

Christians not seeing that they in an institution (which includes the bible and who God and Jesus are) made by fallible human beings need read no further!

At one level book makes a commonplace argument in that Christianity like Judaism borrowed and incorporated a range of cultural themes and practices as it developed into the Roman Empire state religion. Given that it started as a end time radical Jewish sect and became a major social movement some borrowings were necessary. But it was one amongst more sophisticated and long standing philosophies and religionist traditions rather then the dominant force until state sponsorship. Christianity rather then the Goths etc destroyed and suppressed these measures.

At a more controversial level it questions how the cannon was formed and literal basis for its latter development. Again this despite the mid west bible belt this rises issues that Christianity has had to grapple with since the enlightenment and the cannon and the early church was formed out of 350 years if intersect struggle with one winning in the 4th century and the other voices suppressed.

This book brings back into the debate previously suppressed arguments. It also introduces the wider question of the conflicts within theistic faiths between its mystical and "mass" wings.

One of my criticisms of the argument is that individual-mystical approach turns the faith to a monastic structure as in Buddhism or into individual guru lead sects/movements so what about the majority whose ritualistic church or mosque services provide a religious experience and purpose? Quakers come from the mystical-individual tradition but never became a mass movement. Methodism did but quickly moved away from its mystical roots. Yet a Christianity of the book can become authoritarian, narrow and inward looking. And a Christianity of the spirit can be come elitist and aloof from ordinary struggles and pain.

The critical issue for me is how do we maintain the benefits of the two approaches in a more unified fellowship? ( )

http://www.vexen.co.uk/books/jesusmys... ( )

I was asked to review this by a friend, who was being told that it would revolutionise his view of reality, Christianity, etc.

Note my tag: alternative.

No....