The Mystical Beginnings Of Christianity Written by Dominic Daley B.A., graduate of Rudolf Steiner College “She who is to give birth to the greatest King The Sun of Righteousness Maria, Star of the Sea, approaches her rising today, Rejoice, ye faithful, and behold the Light divine!” —Fulbertus, Bishop of Chartres (990‐1028 A.D.) INTRODUCTION This course will cover the history of Christianity in particular from 330 B.C. to 330 A.D. There has been no time in the history of humankind when all social classes were prone to thoughts of religion, practiced religion, or strove more ardently after high ethical ideals, than in these six centuries. As for Christianity in the modern days, we will look at where we can find it and where it is heading in the future. We will not cover the basics of Christianity, per se, like the common stories of the Bible, or famous characters, for this is fairly common knowledge and easily accessible information in libraries and on the internet. Rather, we will look at the mystical beginnings of Christianity and its esoteric concepts in this course. A History of God: The 4,000‐Year Quest Of Judaism, Christianity And Islam (1994) by Karen Armstrong points out a path that 21st century Christianity might consider. She writes, “Judaism, Christianity and Islam each developed the idea of a personal God, which has helped believers to mature as full human beings.” This powerful idea of a personal God can be misused with poor judgment and can result in condemnation of others. These three monotheisms of different traditions have developed mystical practices that are grounded in the singular realization that our human idea of God is merely “a symbol of the ineffable reality of an eternal Truth.” As a result of modern, aggressively righteous religious beliefs that are actually “a retreat from god,” we see in our world today great discord rather than unity. Ultimately we have to evolve beyond the idea of a personal God who behaves like a father, to one who “works for us in the empirical age,” an age that requires global unity. The French Jesuit paleontologist Teilhard de Chardin in his book, Phenomenon Of Man (1955), reveals his vision of a universal unfolding of evolution. He writes about the phenomenon of the cerebral complexification of the human phylum, which concludes with the sudden appearance of a consciousness of self (the “threshold” of reflection). Then in a worldwide communication network of human thought, the noosphere, [mass consciousness] appeared, at the heart of which is an active and acting “Christ, the capstone of evolution,” a communicating with humanity occurs in a transcendent fashion, reaching toward the “Omega point” (the Kingdom of God). In the 1970s the Gaia Hypothesis, jointly proposed by Lynn Margulis and James Lovelock, opened exciting new prospects in biology and atmospheric physics. The Gaia Hypothesis is that the Earth is a living being, and very complex. The danger to the human race from our own actions and the living planet Gaia’s reaction to these actions might be fatal. The Gaia Hypothesis tells us that the human species is a part of a net, or web of cosmic life, and can be experienced in the symbiosis (interconnected, working together) of all species. If this knowledge can be grasped by humanity then we can together create a shared destiny. Note to readers: CE stands for “Common Era,” and is used in place of A.D., the abbreviation for “Anno Domini” in Latin or “the year of the Lord” in English, referring to the approximate birth year of Yeshua ben Nazareth (a.k.a. Jesus Christ). CE and A.D. have the same value but C.E is secular and is now considered politically correct for secular history. BCE stands for “Before the common era,” and replaces B.C., which means “Before Christ.” For this material, however, we will use B.C. and A.D. abbreviations, as this is religious material. Review of Literature (Exam questions are not drawn from the Review Of Literature section) This course could never have been compiled, edited, and written without the use of over 30 different scholar’s books and 18 websites with online articles. I wish to acknowledge them all for their rigorously illuminating efforts. Their breathtaking scholarship provided me with a rich bounty to draw from. All works found in this text are dully attributed to author/authors, and sources are given allowing students to pursue future studies of Christianity beyond this course. A History of God: The 4,000‐Year Quest Of Judaism, Christianity And Islam (1994) by Karen Armstrong explores the experience of God found in Judaism, Christianity and the Islam, from Abraham into the twentieth Christian Studies ©2005 University Of Metaphysical Sciences 1 century. Her fascinating book looks at the issue of God’s existence and gives a great kaleidoscopic history of religion, with an optimistic outlook toward humanity. The Faith Of The Christian Church (1948) by Gustaf Aulen examines and discusses a changing theology. It brings a new and realistic approach to the biblical message, with an effort to see Christianity as it actually exists in its unique place in the world. This work attempts to liberate the Christian message so that it can appear again in its original power and clarity. The Phenomenon Of Man (1955) by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who was born in 1881 in Sarcenat, Puy‐de‐ Dôme, France, and died in New York City in 1955. His scientific work included the discovery of the Peking Man in 1929. He also conducted explorations in India, Java, and China in 1931. This book focuses on mass consciousness or noosphere as Chardin calls it. Chardin states, “He [Christ] has affected a threefold synthesis of the material and physical world with the world of mind and spirit; of the past with the future; and variety with unity, the many with the one.” In The Divine Milieu: An Essay On The Interior Life (1960) by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. The cover says, “Teilhard challenges standard definitions of faith as practice or as direct interior illumination of the soul by God. His concern is, rather to teach his readers how to see. Faith demands awareness of the perceptual world as a subject, which ‘enters vitally into the most spiritual zones of our souls.’ Illumination of the soul is thus a product of the illumination of the world. True vision becomes, in turn, a gift which enables us to pay attention to the world, thereby enhancing its radiance.” The Mind Of God (1992) by Paul Davies re‐examines the great questions of existence. In the process, it provides an entertaining, provocative tour of recent developments in theoretical physics. He ponders the reasons for the existence of the universe. He covers the origin and evolution of the cosmos and the nature of consciousness. In the end he does not support a belief in a God, but rather that the tool of science can allow us to see into the heart of nature, and that is the mind of God. Healing Words: The Power of Prayer And The Practice Of Medicine (1993) by Larry Dossey, M.D. 15 to 20 percent of all cases in which the patient and others have prayed for divine assistance, there is advanced healing. “Prayer says something incalculably important about who we are and what our destiny may be.” He examines prayer from a scientific point of view and brings some understanding to the link between prayer and healing. The Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates The Material World (1995) by Amit Goswami, Ph.D. with Richard E. Reed and Maggie Goswami has to be one of my favorite books about how spirit and science can come together in the 21st century. A must read for any psychonaut interested in the interconnectedness of all life. Goswami covers the paradoxes of being in two places at once, Schrodinger’s Cat and the Einstein‐Podolsky‐Rosen Paradox. He concludes with a section on the Re‐enchantment of the Person with writings on Outer and Inner Creativity, The Awakening of Buddhi, and Spiritual Joy. This is a great book for coming to an understanding of the significance of quantum physics and the nature of our souls’ consciousness. Mary Magdalene: Myth And Metaphor (1993) by Susan Haskins is a brilliant book about Mary Magdalene, written by a female theologian. For two thousand years Mary Magdalene and the origins of Christianity have been buried. This books explors the many myths and misconceptions surrounding Mary Magdalene, one of the most significant figures of ancient Christianity. The Book Of Knowledge: The Keys of Enoch (1973) by Dr. J.J. Hurtak was transmitted to the author from two beings of Higher Superluminal Intelligence. A greater unity is called for and must occur between the scientific and spiritual paths in order for us to solve the problems of Earth. The keys of Enoch are kabbalistic modes of thought. This work defines the Keys of Enoch as acknowledging the Divine as more than a God of Commanding (commandments); rather It is a God of Bestowing (Gifts) to those seeking the Godhead. Hurtak writes that our physical universe is a sub‐structure of more sublime levels of creation working through archetypal fractals or “divine letters” of thought‐form creation. The Lord’s Prayer (1983) by Dr. J.J. Hurtak is an exposition of the Scroll of Matthew 6:9‐13. This 20‐page work shares with us the words of Jesus through the Gospel of Matthew. When the disciples asked Matthew how to pray to the Father, he replied with a ‘special formula’ that has come down through the ages and believed to be the thought‐forms of Divine Language.