Jesus the Wicked Priest by Marvin Vining © 2008 Bear and Company ISBN
978-159143081-0 243 pages Paperback $16.00 U.S.)
www.BearandCompanyBooks.com
The topics of the origins of Christianity and their relation****p to the
Essenic community as ****trayed in the scrolls discovered around Qumran in
1947 and afterwards are still being debated more than sixty years after
first coming to the attention of the world. There have been hundreds of
books written - scholarly and popular - which have been praised,
condemned,
and ignored. Why review another book on this theme? Because this author
makes an effort to present his premise in terms understandable by the
"common man."
While his approach to, and understanding of, the information contained in
the scrolls and its application to understanding Christian origins is
definitely in the minority (or "dissenting") camp , it has the advantage
of
being couched in non-academic terms. By the same token, however, it
suffers
from reliance on personal opinion and interpretation. He is, at least,
honest enough to acknowledge the work of his predecessors, even as he
picks
over their work to decide what he can cite to bolster his arguments.
Unless the reader in intimately familiar with Judeo-Christian writings of
the first few centuries of the Common Era it may be difficult to assess
the
validity of some of the arguments put forth by Mr. Vining. Still,
information is presented which appears to show the inter-connectedness of
religions world-wide. And he does make an effort to stress the message OF
Jesus as opposed to the beliefs ABOUT Jesus; and that is an effort to be
encouraged.
Mr. Vining, at least, is honest in his picking and choosing which works of
his predecessors he accepts and which he rejects, even if the basis for
such
acceptance or rejection appears to be personal belief rather than
something
more concrete and provable.
Ultimately, when dealing with matters of faith (which religion is)
personal
belief is the final validation of "official" belief. Many people pay lip
service to a religion, with nothing more to bolster it, while others
believe
"heretical" thoughts based on personal experience.
While this is a book aimed at a Christian audience, it does offer some
perspective on Pagan beliefs in the early Common Era. Whether or not you
find it useful in your own understanding of Christian origins, it should
encourage an open-minded approach to religion in general.
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