Son of Man: The Mystical Path to Christ

Let's face it, Christianity as we have known it is dead. It no longer has the mystery and power it held in the first few hundred years of its existence. And, it no longer has the shining magnificence it had in Europe when the great cathedrals were built. The only conspicuous passion left is in the fundamentalists who reject science and totally distort the teachings of Jesus. Even they don't have faith: they claim certainty. But the answer isn't secular humanism either. I find it shallow and remarkably naïve as to the full implications of nihilism. Though I have flirted with Eastern religions and paganism, I find myself coming back to Christianity, because no other religion could possibly have the subtlety and nuance of the dominant religion of my culture; my language of origin; or the art, literature, and poetry that made me who I am.This brings me to Andrew Harvey's SON OF MAN. If Christianity is to come alive again, it will have to be in a radically different form, and it will have to mean to us - at least emotionally - what it meant to the early Christians. Harvey treats Christianity not as THE way but as a way that works for him. Harvey infuses Christianity with passion, while in no way watering down or abandoning his remarkable intellect. With grace and lucidity Harvey links the two aspects of religion that interest me - mysticism and activism towards social justice - into natural and obvious aspects of the same reality. Harvey restores to our arid mindset a mythopoetic way of viewing reality that makes life rich and meaningful.Central to Harvey's thought is the vision of Mary as the Mother of God. She is the divine feminine, who gives birth to Christ in the physical world. The justice and compassion of God's Kingdom is not, for Harvey, pie in the sky. It is here. It is now. It is physical. And it needs birthing. All of us are called to work for peace, justice, compassion, social equality. Read the Magnificat in the first chapter of Luke. Mary was the archetypal radical, a great champion of social justice. In the name of God, she demanded - as her divine Son would also demand - that the rich and powerful stop standing on the backs of the poor. Mary was indeed that very person who is demonized daily by Glenn Beck and company. It is largely because of Andrew Harvey that I can once again call myself a Christian.

Son of Man, The Mystical Path to Christ by Andrew Harveyis a book filled with jewels of the Christian mystical tradition. Anyone who is hungry to know the Son of Man intimately will hungrily devour this gem on the mystical Christian path as practiced by the mystical saints.Discover deep, intimate revelations from the heart of a loving and compassionate God who hungers for his creation and runs after them with total abandonment within the pages of this book. Discover the heart of God through the lives of Christian saints who have known God as intimate lover and 'Beloved'. Saints such as Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Francis of Assisi, Mechthild of Magdeburg, St. Therese of Lisieux, Julian of Norwich, St. Catherine of Siena and many others who reveal glimpses of divine truth and ecstacy through their journals and writings.In a time of stife and division, this book celebrates diversity and unity in the One. This book is not just for Christians or for those following the Western Judeo path to illumination, it is for everyone who yearns to know God intimately and to experience the beauty and depth contained in His heart of flaming love for all His creation. A must read for those who are called to be 'lovers of God.' reviewed by author: Marie Atkinson.

Andrew Harvey is an excellent writer who has covered everything from outposts of Buddhism in Ladakh to transalations of the Sufi genius Rumi. In this book,which arches at being a modern version of The imitation of Christ,he puts forth of image of Jesus as THE mystic,the Alpha and Omega of existence.It succeeds much of the time.The historical Jesus presented is lacking somewhat, though the book picks up in part 2, the mystical Christ. Some people,especially those of a literal bent, wuould be slightly put off in the section Christ and the sacred feminine.The final section of the book, The Direct Path to Christ is a series of meditations and "exercises",which are worth the price of the book alone.Mr. Harvey believes that we need no intermediaries between us and God, and that Jesus shows us this way. The traditional harrangue against Christianity is softened by Mr. Harvey's genuine passionate love of Christ. There are lovely phtographs by Eryk Hanut throughout, which actually enchance the pleasure of this book. Not an easy read,{Mr. Harvey rarely is}, this is a book menat to be read and taken slowly, to draw deeply from this source. This book is quite beautiful, and is and important addition to any spiritual library. This is an important and wonder-filled book, and is hugely recommended.

Mr. Harvey is no doubt a very good student of the gospels and the times of Jesus. He has his opinions on the matter of Jesus but I don't buy everything he says. Myself I believe that the lost years of Jesus were spent in India and Tibet learning what he later taught. There is some proof of that but Mr. Harvey does not mention that at all. He thinks what Jesus taught it was in Jesus mind all the time. No way can we prove it one way or another.

It's nice to see a book written about the teachings of Jesus that isn't filled with all the dogma's of the church. It's amazing to see that most of the religious followers today and in the past, are doing exactly the opposite things Jesus was trying to help us avoid. He didn't want to be called a God, and he knew organized religion was only going to divide the people of this planet, and what do we do, we have a religion based around Jesus. I always say it's a good thing Jesus rose from the grave, otherwise he'd be turning over in it, so to speak. How could we mess up everything he was trying to teach?

Andrew Harvey's book explores the inner message of the life of Jesus, the Christ - a lived experience and a signposting of the way to realising Unity with the Source. Like Jim Marrion's book 'Putting on the Mind if Christ', Andrew's book re-focuses on the messages within the acknowledged and the gnostic gospels pointinc towards a change in consciousness required to realise the Christ dwelling within.

WOW AMAZING RESULT FROM ENORMOUS RESEARCH. AM RE-READING IT SEVERAL TIMES.

A wonderful spiritual read indeed.

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I know a good deal about esoteric Christianity, but I learned so much from this book non the less.It is a book worth reading many times, as it appears to work on different levels; the sort of book you pick up again and again and new insights come forward each time.Andrew Harvey, as usual writes with lucid passion, with knowledge, and with purpose.