Customer Reviews

The Gods of Reason: An Authentic Theology for Modern Hellenismos

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I should preface this review by saying that I am not a Hellenic Reconstructionist nor am I an expert on Ancient Greek Philosophy/beliefs (I am however am inspired in my practices by the Indo-Greek Kingdom of Menander I).

Timothy Jay Alexander's The Gods of Reason seems to me to be an interesting modern theology for Hellenic Reconstructionism that seems to be composed of a mix of Stoic, Neo-Platonist, and other Philosophic influences. Alexander tends to be a bit convoluted in places but overall it makes for a short and interesting read (and as with his previous works more than 1/2 the text is composed of appendixes of primary documents).

A couple of things about Alexander's text seem to be a bit troubling such as Alexander's tendency to make fairly sweeping generalizations at times such as on page 67: "We also accept, as the ancients did, that the gods are incorporeal and thus the Cosmos must be incorporeal. It may be pedantic, but this statement should have really said something along the lines of "as most of the ancients did" when making a statement such as this since in its original form it seems to completely ignore such Philosophers as Epicurus (whose 'Principle Doctrines' are included as Appendix I) who taught that the gods were corporeal and composed of atoms (but of a finer kind of atoms that gave them immortality).

Another thing I found troubling is that the book could cause some confusion between Alexander's theology and what he called the 'basic theology' in Hellenismos due to a lack of a clear definition of 'basic theology' when it is first mentioned.

Still overall it was a interesting and decent little volume.

I received The Gods of Reason, by Timothy Jay Alexander, because I was impressed with his previous books, Hellenismos Today, and A Beginner's Guide to Hellenismos. I began reading this book with some unease, as I knew that it was a theological and philosophical discussion. I am not an intellectual or a scholar, so I was worried that this work would be over my head.

Those that are interested in the delving into the deeper concepts of Hellenismos need not worry that this work is too complex or difficult. Mr. Alexander has an uncanny knack to be able to breakdown complex subject matter into easy to understand text. At the same time, the conversation is not watered-down, and I must warn the reader that this is not light reading. Mr. Alexander goes into great detail about subjects such as the nature of the world, virtue and vice, the soul and afterlife.

He explains quite well how the theology of Hellenismos and science go hand in hand, and makes it quite clear that science and religion are not at odds with each other from a Hellenic viewpoint.

I not only learned quite a bit from this book, but it also gave me the courage to start delving more deeply into the philosophers which, while not mandatory to practice Hellenismos, can certainly enhance and only help one understand different schools of thought.

As usual, the Appendix is full of wonderful information; Plato's Republic is my personal favorite.

I feel that the Gods of Reason is the best of the three books thus far, and I would highly recommend it for both experienced Hellenic Reconstructionists and those new to Hellenismos.

The book goes in to details and impresses me. He does not discriminate against other religions either. Very good read.

After reading The CR FAQ: An Introduction to Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism, I wanted to do alot more research on Reconstructionist religions, and came across this wonderful book, but I think I got it out of order. I am off to buy A Beginner's Guide to Hellenismos after finishing this review.

Timothy Alexander brings the wisdom of the ancients into the modern world. He seamlessly melds ancient philosophy with modern scientific theory, and does it in a manner that is easy to understand for the average person. I particularly loved the footnotes and listed references that could be found on almost every page. Most of all, he conveys a passion for his spiritual beliefs that actually had me excited to read the book. As a life-long practitioner of Wicca, I completely recommend this book to all Pagans, not just those interested in Hellenismos.

Very well written and well reasoned work. This is a good contribution to modern day Hellenismos :)

While this book was interesting, there were a few passages that showed the author's prejudice and ridicule of those that don't believe as he does.