The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore | Deepak Chopra

The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore | Deepak Chopra | Very interesting

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The Third Jesus: T...

	The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore Deepak Chopra Harmony, 2008 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 78 reviews view larger image
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Have It Your Way

Having grown up with a Protestant Christian background but having also expanded my viewpoint of Christianity to what some might call a more gnostic approach (I prefer not to label my spiritual leanings), I was intrigued by this new title from Deepak Chopra. I sensed that his discussion would be a blend of East meets West, and I was correct. I was particularly attracted by the subtitle, "The Christ We Cannot Ignore", as I thought it might introduce some new perspective based on his original thought processes. Although it is a compelling subtitle, I did not really find that theme explored in any way I was not already familiar with.

I am always interested in ideas that reference the early gnostic Christians and the documents known as the Nag Hamadi Library. The author uses many references to the Gospel of Thomas, which is part of the Nag Hamadi collection dating from 390 AD. After a discussion about the history and nature of gnosticism (or what is known about it based on the discovery of these ancient texts) he concludes at the end of the chapter titled "I am the Light" that "In the gospels themselves lie the materials for an inner journey that will be richer than anything offered by the Gnostics."

Having several Fundamentalist siblings I also realize that his arguments would not find an audience with them, partly because he makes liberal use of the Gospel of Thomas, which they do not consider part of the teachings of Jesus, and also because he makes conjectures about the meaning of scripture based on his own ideas and spiritual insight.

Let me say that I agree with his approach. I believe everyone needs to wake up and discern spiritual truth for themselves. Yet I know from personal experience that his message is unlikely to find receptive audiences among traditional Christians, who seem absolutely convinced that the only spiritual information given to us was in ancient times, never to be modified,updated or clarified by others who may be equally as receptive of spirit as those who first penned the ancient writings. And yet the subtitle suggested, at least to me, that this book might be able to do just that.

For those who have been on an independent spiritual path, or involved with the teachings of the Unity Church or the clairvoyant readings of Edgar Cayce, the ideas in this book will not be new, but the reader will find support for his or her own views in the author's presentation.

I was surprised to find that Deepak had a rather eclectic religious background, with considerable exposure to Christianity during his childhood in India. This lends him credibility but as I said already, his approach will most likely find receptive minds only among those who are already exploring spirituality outside the boundaries of traditional Christianity.

The first half of the book provides quotes from the New Testament and the Gospel of Thomas, along with his ideas about the meaning of the verses presented. His references mix it up, using the Gospel of Thomas freely, as if its authority is as widely accepted as the rest of the New Testament. While scholars have agreed that this may be the only book of either the Nag Hamadi collection or the Dead Sea scrolls that nearly made it into the canonical Bible, it is not accepted by many people, particularly the traditionalists I have described above. In my opinion, these are the very people who should be the ones "The Christ We Cannot Ignore" is targeting its message toward.

I enjoyed the second half of the book the most, in which he expounded on his own ideas about how to apply the teachings of Jesus, and upon the implications of repressed feeling and the damaging effect many Christian emotional archetypes produce. In fact I strongly related to it.

I found this book to be an interesting discussion of Christianity and the teachings of Jesus, yet at times a bit tedious. That said, as another voice that speaks out to show Jesus as a mystical and enlightened spiritual master, I applaud Deepak's effort. He has obviously done a lot of research, whether or not you agree with his conclusions.

Moonstone Star White is the author of High Way from Hell: Using Emotion to Fan the Fire of Enlightment.

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Very interesting

In my search to discover my own beliefs, I have found this book to be very provocative. Being brought up as a Christian, I am discovering that the notion of this particular way of looking at Jesus may be what is missing the church of today.

reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

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