The Laughing Jesus

With the provocative subtitle, 'religious lies and gnostic wisdom', this book is one response to the spiritual predicament of our time in which literalistic fundamentalism is having a pernicious effect not only on religion but also on politics. This work builds on earlier books by the authors which regard the life of Jesus as a symbolic teaching story. Although they analyse parallels with Middle Eastern vegetation gods, I am not personally persuaded that Jesus did not therefore exist. Having said that, I am in full sympathy with the thesis put forward, namely that it is time to go beyond the divisiveness of literalism to a realisation of the oneness of humanity and the consequent imperative of love. The authors are highly critical of narrow interpretations of man-made scripture, presenting instead a path to awakening that incorporates elements of Timothy's short book entitled Lucid Living. This book offers a path to awakening and increasing spiritual maturity.