Customer Reviews

Bloodline of the Holy Grail

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Before the popular media latched onto the 'controversial' plotline proposed in the phenom novel 'The DaVinci Code', there were many other books that already investigated some of the dangerous ideas that Dan Brown played with. There were two books that, for me, were the heavy hitters; 'Holy Blood and Holy Grail', the fascinating yet ultimately unconvincing look into the connection between the life of Christ and Southern France, and Gardner's 'Bloodline of the Holy Grail'.

'Bloodline' is an extremely intriguing book. I devoured it relatively quickly, and overall quite enjoyed it. Gardner puts forth the same sort of heretical ideas 'Holy Blood' did, including the possibility that Jesus survived the crucifixion, possibly married Mary Magdelene, and had children whose ancestors make up some of the most important figures in royal history. It does this while tracing a meandering legacy from their union to modern day, and includes the bloodlines links to the Arthurian legend, Tarot imagery, Freemasonry and early American history.

As fascinating as this all is, the book really stands on precarious legs. For one, Gardner is happy to provide footnotes for already established facts, yet the more intriguing details are simply stated. The author can easily tell us the name of Christ's daughter, a piece of knowledge that would be explosive if provided with evidence, but in no way documents where this information came from. It's quite easy to be caught up in teasingly naughty tidbits like this (I found myself giving out nanosecond-long gasps) but the reader should quickly realize that much of the 'history' mentioned is not backed up at all. The author also never explains the importance of the bloodline or his theories. If Christ wasn't the Son of God as proposed by the author, then why should we care who His great grandkids were? Gardner seems to show the crowd the ball he caught, but never runs with it. The books other weakness lies in the often bulky geneaologies presented. Pages upon pages of dry information take up the book, especially in the later chapters.

However, for all its plot holes, the assertions made never fail to spark curiosity. Definately the book will spark the imaginations of its readers and will cause many to ask questions. 'Bloodlines' never proves anything, with the exception that the ideas presented create a highly entertaining read. If you can get past the endless lists ( the book has more 'begats' than the Bible) and questionable conclusions, 'Bloodline of the Holy Grail' is a fun read.

In Laurence Gardner's 'Bloodline of the Holy Grail', we are provided with a story, or theory that will make many readers uncomfortable. After reading some of the other reviews of this book I think it best to make some points that may help future interested buyers. To start with, when one studies history one should never take anyone's word on anything, regardless of sited sources. Look up the sources yourself, and do the research. Secondly, be aware of the sources you are referencing, and be objective. In this case this will be near impossible for those whose faiths are brought into question. It was once said that seeking knowledge, or truth is like looking into a black pit. And sometimes one may find something looking back. This is the case for all those that base their reality on dogmatic faith. It has also been said that knowledge is the enemy of faith. Having studied the Torah, Talmud, King James Bible, and the Gospel of Thomas I have my own opinions of the early church, and the world that Jesus lived in. I would caution all readers of this or any other text to understand that books like history are written by humanity. And often, even with the greatest of intentions only a part of the truth is captured within their pages. It is up to you the student of life to find this portion of truth, and then fill the remaining void. Just because the Bible said this, or that happened, it does not mean that it really happened the way it is documented within its pages. And just because Mr. Gardner says this or that may of happened does not make it so either. Do your own research. Find evidence for any stated `fact' then make your own judgment. For those that judge blindly, or without thought are the true murderers of the truth. 'Bloodline of the Holy Grail' is a good read, and will cause many to start questioning history, and religion for the first time. As for this reader, I look forward to many years of my own research, and thank Mr. Gardner for his efforts.

If you have strong faith (Catholicism, Christianity) and believe in the literal written and fundamental English translated language of the Bible, this book is not for you. It is principally for theologians and historians, who accept Jesus to have been a human man and not divine. He altered the course of history, that is for sure and established Christianity from his native Israel into present day Western society. Gardner quotes from sources that are rare and hard to find, older books from medieval sources, and uses art and tarot cards and the myth of Arthur and the Holy Grail in their connection to the truth about Jesus. He proposes that he was of the Qumran community (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found) and he married Mary Magdalene. He did not die on the cross and instead had someone else die in his place. From Magdalene, he was given a lineage, many of which lived their life as early Christian priests. This I can believe, but the claim that kings and queens of France and England (the Stewarts, etc) were descendants of Jesus/Mary is only a desire to claim "divine right of kings." This book is full of mystery and realism, that it can be like cracking a code to seperate fact from fiction. That is our job to do. Nevertheless, let the faithful be faithful. Believe what works for you. This is a great book. Changed my way of thinking. Look for his other books revolving around the Grail.

Already being well-versed in the "Jesus Lived" conspiracy theory, there wasn't much in this book that was new to me, except for the more detailed and more speculative passages regarding the Gospels of Thomas contained in the Nag Hamadi scrolls, and some eyebrow-raising claims near the end - which I won't spoil.

What is unique about Gardner's take on the puzzle is his background as a Royal Genealogist and his claim his contacts have taken the story for granted, for centuries. Apparently, according to Gardner, everyone in the European nobility - or at least his circle, it seems - knew all along they were Christ's descendents.

Kind of brings a new twist to the Divine Right of Kings, don't it? In Gardner's world, the descendents of this bloodline are noble, dedicated public servants whose top concern is for the benefit of humanity.

Until I read this book, I was always fairly amused, if not bemused and intrigued, by the myth/legend/conspiracy theory so magnificently laid out by the authors of "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" almost 20 years ago, and the entire cottage industry it spawned. Gardner's assertions, however, that these nobles descended from Christ are somehow destined to lead and serve, becomes disturbing to a US citizen raised in the belief that our political system is based on democracy - especially in these times of uncertainty, and especially when the Catholic Church's feet of clay become more exposed with each scandal. If one knows where and how to search, one can easily find and trace the lineage of the almost half of US presidents who came from this very bloodline - right up to and including our current Bible-quoting President.

I am presently in the process of reading this book, but I have read many other works of the same genre, including "Holy Blood and the Holy Grail," "The Messianic Legacy," "The Templar Conspiracy," "The Tomb of God," "Rosslyn," "The Templar Revelation," and so forth. I am a Baptist Christian with quite ordinary (orthodox) theological leanings, yet I am quite intrigued with these books. They are, to put it simply, interesting. Yet, they all fall apart on the same ground, and that is their failure to respond, or even acknowledge, ANY of the scholarly argumentation supporting the historical veracity and textual integrity of the New Testament. They all assume, for example, that the canon of the New Testament was "fixed" (that is, politically manipulated, altered, traded off, etc.) at the Council of Nicea, and that there was no canon of a de facto nature before the fourth century. This is simply not the case. The council did make some official decision regarding the canon, but more by way of acknowledging what the churches had more or less embraced over centuries through the evolution of its life and practice. Indeed, many of the New Testament books were fully authoritative in the churches long before Nicea. People who are so impressed with this book and others of its genre really ought to look into New Testament scholarship beyond the skeptical traditions of German higher criticism. After all, folks, it was John A.T. Robinson himself who took a fresh look at the New Testament late in his career, and concluded that there was no real reason, other than philosophic inclination, to think that any book of the New Testament was written after 70 A.D.! (See "Redating The New Testament" and "Can We Trust the NewTestament?" Others I would suggest are: "The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?" by F.F. Bruce, "The Founder of Christianity," by C.H. Dodd, "The Evidence For Jesus," by James D.G. Dunn).
My point here is that nobody can evaluate what the "bloodline authors" say unless one has at least taken the time to consider authors in the areas of church history and biblical studies who do, in fact, defend the tradition on scholarly grounds. If we are talking about "open mindedness," then it works both ways.
Finally, I'd like to ask a question: let's assume that the "bloodline mythology" is true. If one believes that, then of what importance is Jesus at all? The only reason the person of Christ has had the influence we see in civilization is based on his being who the New Testament claims he is. If he was the ancestor of the Merovingian kings (who were as flawed as any other group of human beings) then what is the big deal? I really don't care if somebody in the Priory of Sion today is a descendent of Jesus. Under the premises of the bloodline theory, who are they other than just another group of pretentious, would-be world leaders overly enamoured of their ancestry? This, despite the pious perspectives on the meaning of the grail expressed by Laurenc Gardner.
Incidentally, I noticed similar patterns of notation as brought out by other reviewers. One of the "scholars" noted by Gardner was none other than Erik Von Daniken, and yes, other notes convey no additional information as to a source. This is shoddy, and the criticisms about this procedure well grounded. If anybody lost their faith as a result of reading this book, they were already looking for a way out.

Looking at the mixed reviews on this book, I must also make my own statement. Like one reviewer said, it's a magnificent book for the open-minded and heresy for the closed minded. The closed minded refers to the fundamentalist, Western Christian. Nevertheless, although this book claims to have changed the religious beliefs of one reader, you do not have to choose to believe, even if it's true. Everyone can follow their own path and if it works, then it is for the best. The author is an extremely intelligent, well-educated scholar, with expertise knowledge of history, mythology the Bible and political implications on religion. Writing in poetic, religious and mythic sounding prose, as well as historic, scientific and realistic terms, the author manages to construct a new level of knowledge concering the personage of Jesus Christ. Christ is presented here in all his glory, be it historic person or mythic. Whether you chose to believe the fact he was a real person, married, with children and a lineage that produced kings and queens is up to you. The mysteries are all each fascinating and each beautifully explored, as the author uncovers the truth about the Holy Grail myth and how it relates to Jesus and his foundation. I hope you give this book a try and open your heart as well as your mind. This book is for everyone who wants to seek spirituality and above all a closer proximity to the truth. Eventhough, mind you the truth is not objective and YOU are in the end, entitled to believe in your own truth. But this book and the subsequent other books, Realm Of The Ring Lords and Genesis Of The Grail Kings are all wonderful books full of a mosaic of history, medieval paintings and writings and above all a beauty closest to God.

I agree with many reviewers that Bloodline stretches facts in many areas. It seems a lot of Gardners concepts are theories based on some fact. I have volumes on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Nag Hamadi tractates with non-canonical gospels which are much more to the point and would recommend those for anyone who wants to truly research Jesus outside of the 4 church sanctioned gospels. It is revealing what can be learned by looking outside what the church wanted their followers to know. I am giving the book 4 stars because even though I think much of the book is theoretical on the authors part, I found it an interesting book. I don't feel the need to read books that only tell me what I already believe. I have no need to read about things I already hold true and I don't dare to think I "know" the truth. As Socrates said, "I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing."

I, like many others, got interested in the whole subject of Jesus' marriage and children, possible cover-ups etc... after reading Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code". I made the mistake of making this the first book I read about the subject. This is one of the more radical books out there, so I would advise anyone interested in all this to work up to "Bloodline of the Holy Grail", after they have already got a foundation of what they believe from some of the more level-headed and fact-based authors. (N.T. Wright's "Who Was Jesus?" is a good one.)

After further exploration of the subject, it has become clear to me that many of the claims made in this book are based on half-truths, assumptions and exaggerations. However this book also has its rare moments of enlightening fact. I would recommend this book to anyone able to discern the enlightening fact from the obvious fiction. "Bloodline of the Holy Grail" is worth investigating, but don't make it your new Bible.

I purchased this book a week ago and hardly impressed by Mr. Laurence Gardner's extremely shoddy scholarship and laughable gullibility. The book reads more like a novel rather than a well researched historical book. Indeed, Bloodline of the Holy Grail is more novel than historical fact.

Let us begin by investigating the forwarder of this novel (which the author intends to market as the historical fact). Lawrence Gardner traces the supposed blood line of Jesus Christ to the HRH Prince Michael Stuart of Albany who in fact writes the forward to Mr. Gardner's book. So who exactly is this "Prince of Albany"? Well our "Prince of Albany" turns out to be a self-styled "Prince of Albany" (one among his numerous self-bestowed titles), an imposter born not of the Stewart bloodline (it ended with Prince Henry Cardinal Stuart in around 1806) but of common stock as Michael Lafosse of Belgian pedigree. No Scottish much less Stewart blue blood flows in this imposter's veins. A little background research by the perhaps gullible Mr. Gardner could have ousted Mr. Lafosse from his throne.

Using and placing exclusive emphasis on the Gnostic (heretical) writings which appeared between 300 A.D. and 500 A.D., far later than the Synoptic Gospels (60 A.D. -100 A.D.) further stretches the imagination. Testimonial evidence of the authenticity, devoid of imagined Catholic manipulation, of the Gospel texts speaks to the fact that all but seven verses of the of all four gospels can be constructed wholly by original works by commentators on the gospel who lived between 100 A.D. to 250 A.D. long before the supposed writing of the first Gnostic "Gospel". Rather the Gnostic gospels are nothing more than another piece of writing much like the Joseph Smith's Book of Mormon.

Mr. Gardner alleges without proof that Jesus Christ's apostles were princes, magicians and doctors (with the exception of Peter and Andrew). He gives these all apostles numerous aliases (with the exception of Peter who has none in Mr. Gardner's book) which quite frankly is confusing. The fact remains that the only apostle who had an alias, Simon (better known as Peter), is the only one devoid of an alias in Mr. Gardner's book!

In short Mr. Gardner seems to seek to capitalize on market trends in which any book with freemasonry underpinnings are faddish and hip. Hardly a launch platform for any historical research, Bloodlines of the Holy Grail is a shoddy novel that masquerades as honest historical research.

In summation poor novel, even poorer historical novel and a gullible charlatan for a novelist.

Gardner's book is a mixture of a little history mixed with huge doses of fantasy, along with a vitriolic anti-Catholic screed that is pushed continually and relentlessly throughout. I am not a Catholic, but found Garner's position to be very offensive and completely one-sided.

His theories on Christ, the apostles, the canon of the Bible, Mary Magdalene, etc. are so poorly done and so out of touch that they are laughable. He does have some interesting historical connections, and the genealogies are nice. But it is based on a foundation that is so speculative and poorly constructed that you wonder if anything from his book is worth considering.