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