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Son of Man: The Mystical Path to Christ
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Average Rating:  out of 17 Reviews
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Price: $15.95
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Sale: $4.99
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Manufacturer: Tarcher
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EAN (European Article Number): 9780874779929
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Number of Items: 1
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Binding: Paperback
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Author: Andrew Harvey
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Publisher: Tarcher
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Edition: 1st Trade Pbk. Ed
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Dewey Decimal Number: 232
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Publication Date: 1999-10-11
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Reading Level: 320
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Description: Andrew Harvey's Son of Man: The Mystical Path to Christ is a strange and wonderful book about learning to become like Jesus. Harvey, a scholar, poet, novelist, and translator (he's perhaps best known for helping incite a resurgence of interest in the 12th-century Turkish poet Rumi), draws on his extensive knowledge and experience of Christian and Eastern spiritual practices to create a profound and wide-ranging meditation on who Jesus was and why Jesus matters today. The connection between this book's beginning (a summary of historical-Jesus research) and its end (a series of meditations to help believers grow more Christ-like) is perhaps best summarized by the following passage, which also conveys the sweeping momentum of Harvey's prose: Paying attention to how Jesus acted and in what context and to what he really said--and not on the dogmas surrounding his divinity--can have the paradoxical effect of making us take him and his actions and words even more seriously and, above all, and in the highest, most urgent sense, practically. Son of Man is also profusely illustrated with haunting black-and-white photographs by Harvey's partner, Eryk Hanut. --Michael Joseph Gross
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Customer Reviews
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Review Summary: Revealing the Meaning of Jesus' Words... |
Date: 2006-06-16 |
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Details: Overall "Son of Man" is thoughtful, well-written book that attempts to reveal the true meaning of Jesus' words and way of life.
THE GOOD: Part I on "The Historical Christ" explores, via various sources (New Testamnent parables, gnostic sayings, and quotes from certain Christian apologists/scholars) the meaning of Jesus' words and actions with respect to women, rich and poor, power and politics of the world, organized religion (and its hypocrisy), and true discipleship. The author convincingly portrays a picture of the authentic Jesus, who respects women, who associates with the poor or destitute, who rejects the games of power and deception played by the scribes and Pharisees.
Parts II and IV provide a map for meditation and prayer based on writings and practices of Christian saints and mystics. It's a commendabe effort and worthy of study and exploration. Throughout there are examples of parables, gnostic sayings, and scholars' quotes as well.
THE BAD: Yes, I agree with other reviews as to some passages being corny, as for example the introductory "A Vision" with its rambling, flowery style (I am the furnace of love you must burn away in and become one with...I am the passion...I am the Child waiting to be born..." and so on and so on; then there's Part III on invoking the sacred feminine. The "editor" in me has trouble buying these. On the other hand, these areas are heavily oriented toward what is a more "gnostic" view of our relationship with God, and that is what I think the author is trying achieve: the belief in the individual's closer spiritual relationship with God, without the use of intermediaries such as the Church.
Four stars +, so I rounded the rating to five.
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Review Summary: Fascinating, driven portrait of Christ |
Date: 2004-05-28 |
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Details: While I don't think this book is quite enough to pass the bar as a historical work on the life of Jesus Christ, and at times is laced with New Age/Evangelist absurdity of the most corny variety, Harvey definitely has something here. His Jesus Christ is actually less different than the traditional one he imagines people have erected, but a political, social and personal revolutionary who deliberately rebelled against the dangerous atmosphere of his times to convey his message of unconditional love. Harvey harps far too much on his "Divine Feminine" concept, which while interesting is more idiosyncratic than relevant, but his enthusiasm for Christ's love of the disinherited, rebellious and suffering of all kinds is infectious. While one may be up in the air as regards faith and the divine, this book is a necessity notwithstanding. The quotes introducing each chapter are taken from the most diverse and obscure of sources, everyone from Boehme to Luther, Kempis to Griffiths. I hope Harvey doesn't go haywire with the the circle of believers he will undoubtedly attract and start some "Cosmic Christ" cult. |
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Review Summary: Great Work on Christ |
Date: 2003-12-31 |
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Details: This book is a very interesting book that points readers into looking at Jesus Christ as a non-dogmatic, unconditionally loving spiritual maaster and not the Christ that we here in churches...A religious leader out to propogate a religion and condemn non-believers of him.
Of course, this book will not be accepted by all since it can be seen as overly liberal and unconventional. How? Since Mr. Harvey is primarily out to paint a portrait of a loving, mystical Christ that could never have even intended to be deified and who mainly wanted to teach a love based spirituality, the author uses quotes from many unconventional sources like the Gnostic Gospels (Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary, Secret Book of James, Gospel of the Savior and others). That unto itself will spark some controversy for this book.
Mr. Harvey's Christ has a through-line of that of an enlightened master, say a Buddha of Nazereth, so it is with that Christ in mind that he writes and he pulls from many Christian sources to keep in line with this mystical, unconditionally loving Christ.
What this adds up to is for those that are spiritual 'seeker' types who are lovers of Light and seeing spirituality through Oneness and an Eternal Truth of Unity without dogmas you'll find this book extremely fascinating. For those "fundamenalist" types, you'll either brush this book of as some kind of new age concoction or it'll make you reconsider some of your preciously held beliefs about who Jesus Christ was.
There are some very well written chapters on: Jesus' Message, Jesus and family, Jesus and women, Jesus and the rich, Jesus and religion, Jesus and his Disciples and other topics. Mr. Harvey shows us through Jesus teachings how he promoted love, humility and acceptance in all these areas.
Another nice bonus is that the book has some beautiful Christ based meditations.
This book is unique in that the author is a scholar, well rounded spiritual teacher and poet all at the same time. The author manages to be remarkably intuitive and speak from the heart while always remaining centered and intelligent, not just "way out there". The book is rooted enough in research to deserve to be considered a serious work on Christ (although, many will disagree with me because of the uncommon philosophies put forth). The book has a heartfelt-poetic quality to it while simultanously being very scholarly which is extremely rare. Even though I consider myself to be an open minded spiritual seeker that always saw Christ as a great teacher of Unity, I never saw Christ's teachings with the depth of Mr. Harvey's book. Very enlightening. |
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Review Summary: love |
Date: 2003-09-13 |
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Details: Christ is represented in Son of Man as an anarchist, a revolutionary, and the human embodiment of unconditional love. No dogma, no church heirarchy, no fanatical fundamentalism. But radical self honesty and spiritual evolution that requires conviction, commitment, and work. This book presents a nice mix of Orthodox and Gnostic wisdom and frames it in the context of universal love. |
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Review Summary: Interesting but bias |
Date: 2003-01-07 |
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Details: I listened to the audio version of this book and so had the opportunity to hear the author read his own work. Andrew Harvey is an extremely passionate and learned man. His insights into the subject of Jesus, both Historical and biblical are fascinating. I would definately recommend this book if you are interested in a different viewpoint on Jesus. Having said that that though, I did find, (as some of the other reviewers did as well) that Andrew Harvey's view of the story was simply another form of fundamentalism; albeit fundamentalism from a mystical stand point. Harvey continually points out that the feminine aspect of the Christ consciousness are completely dismissed by the traditional view of the Church. I agree. However, Harvey completely dismisses the Masculine aspect of the Divine and in fact Harvey goes as far as suggesting that all evil and darkness are in fact masculine. He makes the claim that without bonding to the feminine, that the masculine is just chaos and darkness. Again, I agree with him on this point, however if that in fact is true then the converse of that must also be true. The feminine would be incomplete and chaotic without it's polar opposite. Andrew Harvey may agree with me on that topic but there is no evidence within his writings to suggest that he does. He tirades against patriarchal society and the suppression of women as a divine force. I think he's right. Conventional religion has long denied that the feminine energy of the Divine was equally important as the masculine. Harvey seems to suggest that a matriarchy would be flawless and without the same problems as a patriarchy. The book is really worth reading for it's refreshing and interesting view of the traditional story of Christ. But Harvey is as intolerant of the masculine as the traditionalists are of the feminine. This is just another vew of the story. It should be read with an open mind and with the understanding that it is as bias as the traditional version. |
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