| Title | : | The Gospel of the Second Coming |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1401918387 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781401918385 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published October 1, 2007 |
This gospel will shock academics and Christians alike. It makes the extraordinary claim that the long-awaited “Second Coming of Christ” has already happened; and it also explores the intimate relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, his “Beloved Disciple.”
And, perhaps most controversial of all, it reveals Jesus as a Gnostic master with a zany sense of humor and an upbeat message. As Jesus says himself in the text: “Death is coming. Life is foreplay.”
The Gospel of the Second Coming Reviews
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Perhaps I need to read more of Freke and Gandy's commentaries on Gnosticism to get a fuller picture of their philosophies, but this book didn't impress me. I felt like Freke and Gandy's understanding of Gnostic literature and its historical context were elementary at best. The continued reference to Mary of Magdala as a penitent prostitute showed a somewhat juvenile understanding of a topic that has been resolved for quite some time. There is no evidence that Mary Magdalene and the prostitute named Mary were the same person. The "muddle of the Mary's" was even commented on by John Paul II, who called Mary of Magdala the apostola apostolorum (The Apostle of the Apostles) and admitted that Pope Gregory's reference to her as a prostitute was incorrect.
Additionally, the Monty Python-esque comedic approach to this topic was really forced. Even as a practicing Gnostic and a HUGE Monty Python fan, I wasn't amused as often as they would've liked me to be.
I found myself rolling my eyes way too often while reading this book to recommend it to anyone. If I had submitted this book to any of my writing classes in college, I would've been laughed out of the classroom. You don't set the mood of the reader by telling them that a particular song should be the soundtrack. You set the mood with well-written sentences, designed to create an emotional reaction.
Topical references are okay, but they can date your book and diminish its relevance pretty quickly if used incorrectly. Such is the case with this book. Even the reference to G.W. Bush and Osama bin Laden sleeping together was passe.
So, I really can't recommend this book, even for folks with a burgeoning dissatisfaction with their experience with traditional, mainstream religion, to whom (I think) this book was written. -
IMHO The Best of Freke and Gandy
I read this once but it is showing up twice in my reading challenge.
I absolutely love this book. I have never sat through a book where I laughed and cried right through it. I mostly cried the last 4 chapters, I don't know why I cried. It's a lot to take in for someone who was raised Anglican, switched to Pentecostal in my teens then back to Anglican throughout my adult life. In my 50s confirmed Roman Catholic then back to Anglican again. Always searching for truth. I love these authors, amazing how they get the message out there in such an easy relatable way. If I ever believe anything in my life it is the books written by these 2 authors. Happy that I don't have to feel guilty about not getting up and going to church or not bowing my head to pray to air. Awesome read for all seekers of the truth. -
I listened to the audio book - thought it was hilarious!! Although I don't know if the humor would mean as much for people who don’t already have some familiarity with the New Testament.
In this book, the character Jesus, dialogues primarily with Peter, Mary, Paul, and a few others. He pretty much tells them that we’ve interpreted everything wrong. Jesus says that his own story was taken straight from ancient myths and was wrongly transformed into the massive religion it is today. There’s a good combination of history, ancient mythology, and of course, lots of humor all woven together. -
Wow. This is one that will shift your world view. Made me hungry to read the research behind this one - so I went and got the 2 previous books by Freke & Gandy. It's a story about the second coming of Christ, a witty satire based on the research on the original Gnostic Christians.
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Wow. This is one that will shift your world view. Made me hungry to read the research behind this one - so I went and got the 2 previous books by Freke & Gandy. It's a story about the second coming of Christ, a witty satire based on the research on the original Gnostic Christians.
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I have never laughed so much whilst reading a book. This was really quite amazingly funny! A great read!
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Re-informative.
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Compelling!
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If only I could get inside the Vatican archive...
