A Gift for Christmas

Here is a reminder of a wonderful book by Mark Townsend. I have written a piece for it and am very pleased to have contributed to Mark’s thought-provoking work. Many regulars to this Blog will know Mark as a Christian priest with a strong affinity for Druidry. In ‘Jesus Through Pagan Eyes’ he shares his own progressive understanding of Christ but also draws upon a selection of Pagan writers to explore the subject from the perspective of modern Earth Spirituality. Here is some more information to whet your appetite…

As we approach Christmas and the celebration of the birth of the most famous man ever to live, perhaps it’s time for a new spin on a very old story. Perhaps it’s time to look one again at this timeless tale, but through a completely different set of eyes!

JESUS THROUGH PAGAN EYES is for anyone (Christian, Pagan, Agnostic or Other) who is open to insights that will shock, disturb and challenge many, and excite, delight and comfort many more.

It’s time to reclaim the ‘divine’ baby who was (understandably) thrown out with the church’s dirty bath water.

·        Preface by bestselling international novelist Barbara Erskine

·        Foreword by the world’s leading radical theologian Dr. Matthew Fox

·        Spellbinding essays and interviews from the most respected figures of the world’s Earth-Centred Traditions.

Endorsements

Mark Townsend is a priest whose understanding of God made it impossible for him to live inside traditional religious boundaries.  In this book he tells us why in a compelling and provocative way and in the process draws his readers into fascinating new images. This volume will make a major contribution to freeing Christianity to live in the world that is emerging.

Bishop John Shelby Spong

There are knowledge transmitters–and then there are “knowledge makers” who have the courage, skill, and experience to put things together in new and revelatory ways.  Knowledge makers re-configure our minds, our eyes, and our ears to receive bigger and better things.  Mark Townsend is doing just that.  We were not ready for Jesus, so some will not be ready for his followers either.  Please don’t be afraid!

Fr. Richard Rohr O.F.M.

For those of us who have discovered our spirituality outside churches, there remains the question of how to see and relate to Jesus, the man at the center of the religion that has dominated western culture and so infiltrated our sensibilities. Mark Townsend takes on the task of exploring this question as a fellow seeker, as a Christian enriched by Paganism, creating bridges and inviting us to co-create meaning from what has always been true and essential in the stories of Jesus and our own deep knowing.

Oriah Mountain Dreamer

This is a quite remarkable work, which reveals the figure of Jesus from most unusual and fascinating perspectives, likely to have value to convinced Christians, pagans and agnostics alike.

Prof. Ronald Hutton

Mark’s book Jesus Through Pagan Eyes is full of mystery and mysticism, with revelations that will mesmerize the readers. I love how he peels back the Christian layers to remind us Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi. Whether Pagan, Jewish, Christian or other you will be amazed and inspired by this book. 

Uri Geller

See here for what Amazon readers are saying. The book is consistently no 1 (paperback) and no 2 (Kindle edition) on the Amazon best sellers ranking within Paganism.

http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Through-Pagan-Eyes-Perspectives/dp/0738721913

Available in Kindle too.