Mysterical Christianity Homework

Questions For the Heart and Mind

Imagine a Christianity without the influence of original sin and the fall. If we remove "fall/redemption theology" from Christianity, what is left and what can be put in its place?

Without the fall there would be more and more temptation until there was a fall OR God would have removed Satan and removed temptation.  Without temptation there is not chance for us to practice our gift of free will, thus diminishing the gift to something that is worthless.  Temptation is thus necessary for us to fully use Gods gifts.  Also, we cannot experience Gods true grace unless we have sinned so bad that it overwhelms us. Since God is an all knowing God, He knew that we would fall.  I don't think that that is the issue, but rather what would we do after the fall.

Explain the connection between the traditional understanding of the Genesis narratives and our ecological concerns for Mother Earth. Why are the two connected?

God made the earth and then He gave it to us to manage, not to conquer. To manage means that you do your best to bring out the true glory of what it is that you are managing, a glory that you cannot conceive of in your mind, for it is not your personal gifts that you are nurturing.  When we nurture something (or someone) we often grow ourselves in ways that could not conceive in our minds.  In other words we grow in ways that we cannot imagine when we help others (including nature) to attain its potential (that God created)

How do you react to the possibility, as theorized by Gregg Braden, that you carry the message "God Eternal within the body" in your genetic code? 

Genetic means that it is carried from person to person and thus existed at the creation of mankind.  This very well could be the definition of human as compared to animal.  I also believe that this "genetic code" existed prior to the creation of Man, and is thus truly a part of God Himself.  The divine essence has always existed, however the unique human conscience (individual subjectivity of each person) is created at conception. Put the two together and you have humanity.
If this "God Code" is common to all humanity, how does it affect your understanding of current issues of world peace and justice? 

We are all brothers and sisters, and there is no such thing as a stranger, it is just that we may not be familiar with all of our brothers and sisters because of logistics.  We do not put each other down because we are different but rather that we want something that the other has and we want.  Very similar to siblings of the same parents living in the same home.
Become the storyteller of your life and create your own creation mythology. What would your creation story feel, look and sound like?

My creation story is very simple,  God takes a part of Himself and gives it to each and every person (I call this the soul, but lets not argue about semantics)  The purpose of life is to bring back this God given part of Himself back to where it came from (God), and then to bring with it the unique subjectivity that was created and matured over our lifetimes back to God as well.  We cannot do this ourselves, thus we need Gods assistance.  After God decided to give part of Himself to us, (prior to actually making our physical bodies), He created the universe, animals and plants in such a way to help us on our journey of bringing our souls back to Him, as well as to help us discover Him (through learning about the way the world operates- science), and at the same time to be challenged by creation in order to help us grow in  such a way that we can truly glorify Him who made us.

Mystical Christianity: lesson 19 (assignement)

Mystical Christianity: lesson 19 How is spirituality different from religion?     Spirituality is a much broader term than religion, that extends to philosophies and worldviews that would not normally fall under the heading of religion. Spirituality is not restricted by codified dogmas, but derives from within. Spirituality may coincide with religiosity, but not necessarily. One may be spirtual without being religious, or even religious without being spiritual. How would you define a mystic? Do you consider yourself to be a mystic? A mystic is someone spiritually, rather than religiously, oriented and who's understanding of truth come's from within, rather than from external authority. Yes, I do consider myself to be a mystic in my orientation, even if I've not had dramatic mystical experiences/visions. How do you experience the difference between your ego self and your True "I" Self? Although my True Self is too often overshadowed by my ego self, I experience my True Self as serenity, peace, oneness. This stands in contrast to my ego self which is often characterized by worry, anxiety and doubt. J.P.A.

Mystical Christianity: lesson 18 (assignment)

Do you believe that the soul of Jesus of Nazareth had previous incarnations, and if so, how does this change your view of traditional Christianity? Yes, although I'm hesitant to wholeheartedly subscribe to the term "incarnation" with respect to Jesus and the Christ Spirit. Incarnation suggests that the individual soul of Jesus (the human being) is the Christ which was incarnate in other individuals previously. This is, of course, one possibility. This scenario coincides perfectly with the Christmas story, i.e. that Jesus was the Christ from birth. Nonetheless there is another possibility: that Jesus was a highly evolved individual (meaning he had undergone many incarnations and had attained an advanced spiritual level) who attained Christhood in his lifetime. This scenario could be illustrated by the descent of the dove (Holy Spirit) upon Jesus at his baptism. So, we must ask ourselves whether the Christ is a being that incarnated in various individuals throughout history, or whether the Christ is a condition (comparable with Nirvana) that one attains at the culmination of one's spiritual evolution (meaning Christhood and Buddhahood are essentially the same). In other words, once you've attained a certain point in your spiritual evolution, the Christ Nature becomes manifest in you. Of course, I've felt for some time now that Jesus was not (is not) the sole manifestation of the Christ. But when I realized this, it radically changed my view of Christianity: I no longer so Christianity as a unique revelation that must be preached to those of other faiths in order for them to be "saved".  It is just one of many revelations, suitable to a particular time or place (or culture or temperament of people). What other incarnations, masculine or feminine, would you suggest for the Christ energy?             In addition to those mentioned in the lesson, the first that I would add is the Buddha (I was rather surprized that Buddha was not mentioned) – including not only the 'historical Buddha', but also other possible buddhas and bodhisattvas. I would also include both Mary Magdalene and Mother Mary (although I leave the door open to other interpretations of Mother Mary – perhaps as the feminine face of the Father, i.e. the Great Mother). What is the significance of proposing that Jesus of Nazareth was one of several incarnations of the Christ? This proposition has huge implications for religious unity. The Christ has manifested at various places and times under various forms and in ways culturally appropriate for the people in question. If we recognize this truth, that all religions spring from the same Source, all religious conflict will cease.   What are your beliefs regarding heaven and hell? For me, heaven and hell are metaphors for conditions created by human beings in this life. As for the afterlife, I believe that between incarnations souls spend a period of education (and possibly purification) in the Spirit World. For some this may resemble something like heaven or hell (or, purgatory), but this condition is only temporary (comparable to Buddhist ideas of heaven and hell – temporary states of rest or purification between incarnations). J.P.A.

Mystical Christianity: lesson 17 (assignment)

Mystical Christianity Course through the Universal Life Church Seminary

1.      In your opinion, why do bad things happen to good people? Among traditional Christians the answer given to this question is often "God is testing us". I, however, don't believe God imposes such tests. Karma is definitely involved, but not exclusively, and not necessarily individual karma. Because we live in a society with other people and in the natural world, we are subject to influences other than just our personal karma. For example, maybe we should consider collective karma of a particular group, nation or even of humanity as a whole, in addition to individual karma. But we also must consider the laws of nature, as well as cause and effect. For example, if a hurricane hits a certain region and kills many people, it's not because those individuals had some karmic debt to pay. Rather, it's a matter of human society being impacted by natural events. If a city is built in a hurricane (or earthquake, or tornado, etc.) prone area, it is not surprising if that city is impacted by hurricanes from time to time. This isn't anyone's fault (nor is it some retribution from God) – just the collision of natural processes with human society. To bring the same example down to individual terms, if someone stands in the middle of the road it is not surprising if that person eventually get hit. The fact that the person is hit does not mean God is punishing that person, or that karma from a past life is taking effect – it is just cause and effect in the natural world. Of course, cause and effect is intrinsically linked to karma. But all cause and effect is not necessarily moral. 2.      How do you resolve the ancient dilemma of how a loving and just God can allow tragic things to happen? There are two keys to this problem (the famous "problem of evil"): free will and rational natural processes. Free will requires that choices have consequences. If we cannot influence the outcome of something – for good, and yes, for bad – then we don't really have free will. Along the same lines, in order for our free will to be meaningful, our surrounding have to be rational, i.e. there must be rules. If God were to arbitrarily intervene in the world then we would not be able to make sense of the world as there would be no consistency. Thus, when humans have free will – with freedom to make either good or bad choices – it follows that others (humans, animals, the environment, etc.) may be negatively affected by the actions of some. Also, when nature functions according to set rules, it is inevitable that human activity and natural activity will collide at some point (see the above example). Also, the whole dilemma must be viewed from a cosmic perspective. What seems evil and tragic to us here and now, may look differently when view from afar (with consideration given to reincarnation, cosmic cycles, karma, etc.). 3.      Describe the way you see karma working in your life. It is very hard to see from up close.  The further removed we are from an event the easier it is to see the karmic aspect. For me, this often means that events (even those which at the time seemed negative) bring about unexpected results later down the road. I've found that even what seemed like relatively small decisions or insignificant events have led (usually through a chain of events) to drastic changes in my life's direction.   4.      Do you believe that karma is one hundred percent responsible for your current circumstances or are there other important factors involved? If so, what are they? No, not 100% -- neither from previous lives or this life.  I believe that the karma of those around me comes into play, as well as my personal decisions and those of the people I come into contact with. J.P.A.

Mystical Christianity: lesson 16 (assignment)

Have you ever had memories or experiences that your rational logic could not explain? Where do you believe the experience or information originated? Yes, I have had feelings (not exactly memories or experiences – more like impressions) of familiarity with certain places, music, foods, with which I had no prior contact. My best guess for explaining such familiarity is reincarnation. How would you define the concept of resurrection? For me, resurrection is rising to a new life after dying to a former one. Thus, after the death of our physical body we are born into the spiritual world – meaning that our "death" in one world is "birth" in another. Likewise when we leave the spirit world to reincarnate on the physical plane, the process is reversed. What do you believe regarding the pre-existence of the soul? I believe that human souls have all pre-existed in some form. This does not necessarily mean that everyone's soul had a previous human existence on this earth. Some may have come from evolved animals whose animal souls have crossed the threshold into the human realm. Others may originate from other worlds. We mustn't limit ourselves to this planet alone in conceptualizing reincarnation. As for me personally, I always had a strong sense of pre-existence even when the religious beliefs being taught to me said otherwise. As a child, thinking that there was a time when I didn't exist in some form was quite unbelievable to me. Thinking about when my parents were growing up, I felt sure that I existed somewhere or somehow – I couldn't accept that at that time I had no existence whatsoever. Are you a physical body having a spiritual experience, or a spiritual body having a physical experience? What for you is the difference? The difference lies in the essence of who we are. I believe I'm a spiritual    body having a physical experience, i.e. the essence of what constitutes "me" is spiritual. That does not mean, however, that the physical body is just an illusion or is not important in its own way. J.P.A.

Mystical Christianity: lesson 15 (assignment)

1. Do you believe it's possible to "throw out the dirty bathwater in Christianity and still keep the baby"? How would you define the "baby" and what needs to change? Yes, I do believe it is possible, especially on an individual level or through small spiritual groups – although the task is more daunting on an institutional and cultural level. This is mostly because the majority of people can no longer distinguish the baby from the bathwater. The "baby" for me is the esoteric core of Christianity – which essentially continues the ancient mystery traditions. This esoteric core teaches the mysteries of the soul and its reintegration with the Divine. The myths of incarnation, resurrection and ascension illustrate various aspects of the soul's journey. The "bathwater", however, is the literalistic interpretation of these myths as factual history and viewing them through the Old Testament lens of blood sacrifice and redemption from sin. This view causes people to rely on outside forces (Jesus dying for us), rather than look inward to the Christ within us. 2.Who is Jesus for you today in your life? For me, Jesus is a very powerful symbol of the Christ energy. I say "symbol" because I do not believe Jesus and the Christ are identical, even if, due to his highly evolved state, Jesus was a perfect vessel for the Christ. For me, Jesus is more idea than person. I don't deny the existence of a historical Jesus – nor am I 100% convinced of it (at least that such a historical Jesus was necessarily a single individual and not a composite of more than one mystical teacher). But it doesn't ultimately matter, because the idea of Jesus and the teachings conveyed through the character of Jesus are what is most important in my view. J.P.A.

Mystical Christianity, lesson 13 (assignment)

1.      What difference would it make in determining the origins of Christianity if the Gospel of Thomas truly pre-dates the Gospel of Mark and the letters of Paul?

If the Gospel of Thomas, with its obvious gnostic flavor, predates the Gospel of Mark and the Pauline epistles, it could further suggest a strong gnostic current very early in the Christian community – evidence that gnostic Christianity, rather than "orthodox" Christianity, may have been closer to the original teachings of Jesus. It could even mean that this Gospel was one of the sources of Mark (the famous Q document?), or that it drew on a common source with Mark. 2.      If the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke are not historical, how does this affect your feelings about celebrating Christmas? For quite some time I've not considered these accounts to be historical narratives – yet I continue to celebrate Christmas and continue to find deep meaning in it, albeit the meaning I derive from it is of a different sort than the meaning an orthodox Christian would derive from it. For me the Christmas story is a mythological narrative having less to do with the physical birth of a particular individual (Jesus/Yeshua) and more to do with a grand cosmic drama: the coming of Light into the world. This same narrative was common throughout the ancient world (with many deities and mythological figures being born on the exact same day – Dec. 25th) – a fact which, rather than undermining the Christmas story, actually reinforces it as a universal cosmic truth. The universality of this myth of the birth of Light into the world (reflected in nature, and key to mystical/esoteric teaching, i.e. the birth of the Light in us), releases the Christmas story from dependence on historical detail and on the existence or non-existence of a particular individual called Jesus of Nazareth, thus giving the story a potentially universal appeal beyond Christianity as traditionally defined. 3.      Who do you believe Yeshua ben Joseph was at the beginning of his public ministry? Assuming Yeshua ben Joseph was a real historical figure (and not a composite of several people, as some scholars have suggested, or an entirely invented figure), I think it is highly likely that he was engaged with mystic, esoteric, even gnostic groups – very likely the Essenes. J.P.A.

Mystical Christianity, lesson 12 (assignment)

1.      1. How would you define a prophet and who would you identify as a prophet in our day?   For me, a prophet is someone who brings an important, albeit usually uncomfortable, message to a certain group of people in a certain time. Prophets can be of the traditional spiritual sort (biblical prophets, gurus, etc.), but don't necessarily have to be. Someone today bringing to the world the uncomfortable message that we must change course in order to avoid the more extreme consequences of climate change would be a sort of environmental prophet. 2. Do you believe that archaeology and science can prove or disprove the Gospel message? Why or why not?   Neither archaeology nor science can either prove or disprove the Gospel message, because the truth of the Gospel, as far as I'm concerned, is rooted not in historical fact, but rather spiritual truth, which last outside and beyond history. If we approach the Gospel from a fundamentalist/literalistic perspective, the existence of a historical Jesus and the reality of a physical resurrection are of utmost importance – if Jesus did not exist or the resurrection did not happen (whether because Jesus died and remained dead, or because he survived the crucifixion) the whole basis of the Christian faith is destroyed.  This explains why fundamentalists often fear and oppose science.   If, however, we approach the Gospel from a mystical perspective (as did the Gnostics and as do esoteric Christians to this day), historical detail becomes less important, as the Christ message is allegorical and archetypal: the birth, death and resurrection of Christ embody eternal spiritual truths; events occurring in eternity, not in history. This message can neither be proved nor disproved by science or archeology.   3.      3. What role did the Apostle Paul play in the founding of Christianity? How would you characterize his teachings?   Paul is a very complicated figure. Some readings (orthodox) of Paul suggest intolerance, rigidity and moralism, while others (gnostic, mystery tradition) suggest more mystical, esoteric leanings. Yet, if we disentangle Paul from the orthodox interpretive tradition and the synoptic Gospels, we can see a more spiritual, universalized vision of the Christ teaching, detached from historical events and figures.   Whether we see Paul's message as an orthodox one or a gnostic one, it is nonetheless difficult to envision the Christian religion without Paul's writings. Paul's was so active in promoting his vision and such a prolific writer that some scholars have attributed the creation of the Christian religion to Paul. And given that Paul's writings are the earliest documents in the New Testament canon (thus having the potential to influence all the Gospels and other subsequent writings), it is practically impossible to reconstruct a Paul-less Christianity and come up with anything resembling today's Christianity (whether Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox).

Mystical Christianity lesson answers for lesson 22. Bob Koenig

 Questions For the Heart and Mind

1. Have you worked with the chakra energies of your body and if so, what have you learned and experienced?

I haven't as much yet, personally, though i've been told, even by my one time Sitar instructor, that I am very stiff.  Perhaps my seeker self is searching but bound up in past items that place junk in my aura.

2. What have you been taught about the role of sexuality? How has that affected your life and your spirituality?

Usually sex is either seen as dirty, or something your parents will never talk about (like mine didn't)  You usually hear of it as a term for married couples and having children. The rest is seen as unclean and pornographic.

Meeting a girl from my Church usually meant to me, that was was someone 'acceptable' ..not someone who would have dirty ideas.  Or, that my parents wished for me to find someone 'clean'. Spiritually, if one thinks of priests and nuns that are celibate, One thinks of sex as unholy. However, it is a way we create (like God) and become one with each other. 

1. How have you encountered your shadow self? Is your shadow your enemy or your friend? If an enemy, what do you need to do to bring reconciliation between you?

My Shadow self is often that part that others , can be a 'psychic vampire' upon. Finding some sore spot in yourself to taunt and lash out onto.  I don't see it as an enemy, just something that at times could hold me back, but might be a worthwhile voice to listen to, at times.

Bob Koenig