So did anyone else notice I was gone for a long time? I hope not, because that would mean that people are actually reading this thing, and that would be awkward for me. Oh God, I’m disappointing my fan base!
Right now, I’m actually reading a fantastic book called The Pagan Christ: Is Blind Faith Killing Christianity? by Tom Harpur, a former Anglican minister. It’s an extremely well-researched book that offers insight into Christianity and how literal you should really take the Bible. What I like most is that the author encourages a metaphorical and allegorical reading of the Bible, which allows believers to really internalize the message of the Bible. It’s more pantheistic, in that God is in everything and the Divine “made flesh” happens in all of us, as opposed to just one person who lived 2000 years ago. The story of Christ is allegorical, therefore, and translates into the possibility for all of us to become “Sons/Daughters of God” through our spiritual belief.
It’s an amazing book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who’s interested in this type of thing. I’ve always loved studying different religions, but this is the first time I’ve read a book on Christianity that really caught my eye. It’s not disparaging of Christianity, though–on the contrary, the purpose of the book is to return Christianity to a more fulfilling, spiritual tradition that doesn’t rely so heavily on strict, literalist interpretations of what really amounts to mythology. The author is really sincere about his research, but it’s not a boring read at all. It’s lively and energetic. I really like this guy’s style (and I really wish he had written the Church History books I had to read last Fall in school). It’s accessible to the average reader, but it’s not dumbed-down either.
And, by the way, I’ve been drinking tonight so you’ll forigve me if I’m rambling. Which I am. I tend to do that when I drink. Maybe if I drank and blogged all the time this blog would be more interesting. Note to self: drink and blog more often.
