Seth Grahame-Smith, the esteemed author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, has given us a Christmas story. My soSeth Grahame-Smith, the esteemed author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, has given us a Christmas story. My son gifted it to me for Christmas, 2018, and, after making a half-hearted start at it then, I set it aside. In this, the holiday season of Pandemic, I picked it up again, and I am delighted that I did.
It is the story of Balthazar, the Ghost of Antioch, arch-thief, murderer, criminal of legend, who saves Mary, Joseph, and their new-born baby from the murderous rage of Herod in Bethlehem. Along with Gaspar and Melchyor, two other lesser criminals, he escorts the Holy Family on a two-week adventure to get them safely to Egypt.
Full of magic, Pontius Pilate and a Roman army and fleet, a disease-ridden mad king, lost love refound, and a magus, this tale is uplifting. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Sometimes Grahame-Smith's writing slips beyond his control, but his story-telling is wonderful. I cannot thank my son enough for gifting it to me....more
Remarkable insights and context about which the average modern day Christian would have no idea. Presentation is a bit dense and, sometimes, hard to fRemarkable insights and context about which the average modern day Christian would have no idea. Presentation is a bit dense and, sometimes, hard to follow....more
The Magus of Hay is the first book by Phil Rickman I have read. I must admit, the cover illustration dragged me in. This is the most recent (12th) in The Magus of Hay is the first book by Phil Rickman I have read. I must admit, the cover illustration dragged me in. This is the most recent (12th) in the Merrily Watkins series. The book features Nazis, neo-nazis, ritual murder, occultism, religious miracles, down-in-the-heel detectives, exorcism and exorcists, and a town that exists for books.
The Poisoned Pen is a mystery book shop in Scottsdale, Arizona. When there in January, I bought Phil Rickman's The Magus of Hay. I discovered that he The Poisoned Pen is a mystery book shop in Scottsdale, Arizona. When there in January, I bought Phil Rickman's The Magus of Hay. I discovered that he had also written this book and that it featured King Arthur, Dr. John Dee, and Glastonbury.
It may be Rickman's hand with occult mystery, his use of run-on sentences that fit context perfectly, or the fact that I have been to Glastonbury, climbed the Tor and sat in St Michael's, and drank from the chalice well. Whatever the combination of motives, The Bones of Avalon is, hands down, the best book I have read in a very long time. In addition to the above inducements to read it, the book features religion, the Reformation, Elizabethan politics, Nostradamus, hallucinogenic drug use, anthrax, herbalism, mysticism, murder, drug tinged sex, and a multi-layered mystery.
The Bones of Avalon is a magnificent book. I cannot recommend it too highly....more
The Jesus Seminar's attempt to get closer to the words of the historic Jesus resulted in The Five Gospels. For people interested in the historicity ofThe Jesus Seminar's attempt to get closer to the words of the historic Jesus resulted in The Five Gospels. For people interested in the historicity of Jesus and the birth and growth of Christianity, this book is absolutely fascinating. The book's introduction is key to the Seminar's approach to historicity and authenticity--it lays the groundwork for understanding the times and cultures of the world during the first and second centuries CE.
I cannot recommend this book to highly for thoughtful Christians, who seek to find the historic Jesus.
I have indicated that I finished reading this book. I'm not sure I ever will truly finish it....more
A mystery story on many levels, The Gospel of Judas recounts a the text's emergence from a two-thousand vacuum into the world of scholarship and questA mystery story on many levels, The Gospel of Judas recounts a the text's emergence from a two-thousand vacuum into the world of scholarship and questionable provenance. The gospel itself gives insight to one of the many gnostic texts proscribed by the early church fathers at the Council of Nicea in 325CE.
This work posits the existence of many gods and that Jesus must transcend the particular one in charge of planet earth, and who may be, let's say, not quite right. The gospel of Judas represents part of another of the lost Christianities that Bart Ehrman discusses in his work "Lost Christianities....more
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