How to Understand your Bible

As a distinguished scholar of esotericism and the ancient wisdom, Manly Hall sees Scriptures as fragmentary expressions of Eternal Law that have to be understood as a whole and therefore cross-referenced to other philosophies and religions. Here he takes key themes and passages from both the Old and New Testaments and interprets them in a broadly symbolic fashion. Although he is sceptical about the grounds for believing in the historical Jesus, he does analyse elements of the New Testament in considerable detail and shows how the church and Bible as we know them were shaped by history. In any event, he maintains that the life of Christ as set forth is an expression of the mystical path and can give us access to spiritual perception of divine truth. He points out that Tertullian and Augustine both express incredulity about the Gospels but believe because it is absurd and on authority. Perhaps one of the most striking insights (p. 106) is that the very words of the Lord's Prayer can be found in a slightly longer version in the Talmud. This should perhaps not surprise us since Jesus was a Jewish rabbi. In any event, there are plenty of stimulating interpretations for readers who want to enhance their understanding of the Bible.