The Gnostic Mystery [Paperback]

Randy Davila (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2008

An ancient mystery in todays Middle East . . . Jack Staunton, an American businessman, makes a pilgrimage to war-torn Israel in hopes of rekindling his Christian faith. While traveling with his friend Punjeeh, an ER doctor from Jerusalem, Jack acquires an ancient scroll written by the Gnostics, a mystical group of early Christians, and his spiritual quest takes an unexpected turn. The scroll makes the startling claims that the Gnostics were the original followers of Jesus, and that they retained secret knowledge of Jesus that was not included in the Bible. With the help of the ingenious Chloe Eisenberg, a professor of Philosophy and Religion, Jack and Punjeeh navigate the dangerous terrain of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in an attempt to decipher the puzzle of the scroll and bring the Gnostics revelations about Jesus to light. Threaded with the searing realities of today's Middle East, The Gnostic Mystery is packed with historical facts about the Christian religion. The thrilling mystery makes a compelling case that the origins of Christianity are far different than we believed . . . until now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Gnostic Mystery combines the shrewd detective work of The Da Vinci Code with the mystical illumination of The Celestine Prophecy in one spellbinding story that is sure to shake Western readers to their core, regardless of their religious background. Randy Davila uses fiction to tell the truth—and it is an eye-opening experience." —Alberto Mijangos, artist and spiritual teacher

About the Author

Randy Davila graduated with distinction from the Classics, Philosophy, and Religion department at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, where he co-founded and wrote for the award-winning publication The Free Press. His spiritual short stories have received the Place of Peace award. Davila lives in Boerne, Texas, with his daughter Mia. This is his first novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Hierophant Publishing; First edition (September 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981877109
• ISBN-13: 978-0981877105
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #903,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Randy Davila graduated with distinction from the Classics, Philosophy, and Religion department at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, where he co-founded and wrote for the award-winning publication The Free Press. His spiritual short stories have received the Place of Peace award. Davila is also the CEO of Hampton Roads Publishing Company. He lives in Boerne, Texas, with his daughter Mia. This is his first novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plausible fact disguised as fiction., May 23, 2009

By 

Peggy Ullman Bell "Peggy Jay" (Delaware, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gnostic Mystery (Paperback)

The Gnostic Mystery is an intriguing tale that challenges the long-held beliefs of millions on all sides of the Middle East conflict.

I thought it unfortunate that the strong first paragraph is followed by some confusion as to whether this was to be a new meeting or reunion between protagonist Jack Stanton, and Professor Chloe Eisenberg. I did not feel that the flashback literary device worked well as an opening for this novel. Nevertheless, the technique caused no discomfort as the story progressed.

Although presented as fiction, The Gnostic Mystery reads as well documented fact complete with an extensive bibliography. Some readers will be shocked and confused by the concepts presented. The profoundly devout, may slam the book down mid-sentence or throw it at a wall. While others will devour every word with enthusiasm and appreciate it for the fine example of the Socratic Method that it is.

I recommend The Gnostic Mystery to those last without reservation, and I look forward to Devila's next.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good account of the Gnostic religion., April 14, 2009

By 

Jennifer "Jennifer D." (Warren, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gnostic Mystery (Paperback)

This book was truly enlightening. I enjoyed it from the very beginning.

Having not been raised in any specific religion I'm a little lost when it comes to some of the stories and characters in The Bible. I do know the basics and the older I get, and the more I read, I'm beginning to piece together a fuller understanding of The Bible.

I had never heard of the Gnostics before reading this book. So I was coming to this one with a complete open mind. I think that is part of why I enjoyed this so much. The revelations made about Gnostic beliefs and current Christian beliefs seemed plausible to me. But, again I have a limited knowledge of The Bible, and an even more limited relationship with it.

This was not an action filled book. The things that the characters did was kind of a sub story, at least in my opinion. The main story was really a historical account of the Gnostics. There is a plot and there are things that happen that move the story along, but these events are not integral to the story.

I think this was very well written and I didn't get the feeling that it was trying to discredit modern Christian beliefs. I think the book takes the stance of: Here's some things that happened in The Bible and here's what people believe about them. One more than one occasion it is mentioned that just because it is believed that some don't count The Bible as an accurate historical account does it make Jesus' teachings any less valuable? I would say that it doesn't, but that's just my opinion.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Religion 101, October 10, 2008

By 

Galen D. Kaufman (TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gnostic Mystery (Paperback)

Davila does us all a huge favor with this accessible story about how Christian dogma came to be. There is plenty of factual meat backing up the heavy meal his characters serve. It will be a painful but then refreshing read for some, while others will cry heresy...a familiar refrain that should help those others think twice. The thing I find so inspiring, however, is that the lessons coming out of the story sync beautifully with the core lessons of all seekers, i.e. there really is a common wisdom out there to know and discover. So don't be disheartened, those of you who might be 'afraid' to read such things. You are in for a terrific journey.