Customer Reviews

Inner Christianity: A Guide to the Esoteric Tradition

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To appreciate my comments it is perhaps necessary to tell you a itlle bit of where I am coming from. I was raised in an essentially non-practicing Eastern Orthodox family, where the church was more of a cultural and identity institution. Combine this with the innate belief in the supremacy of rationality, and I was at a point where I believed that Christianity was nothing more than a social institution with rituals to just perpetuate itself.

Theologically, I felt that the doctrine of original sin was something I could not believe. I also became convinced of the reality of re-incarnation, that Karma is not a "punishment" meted out by a "judge", but a universal principle of justice flowing from the fact that we create our destiny because of what we will into our lives. I thought the "faith only" formula was a socially useful convention, but that it did not answer our needs as intellectually curious human beings. So overall, one can see that by this point, it was hard for me to say I was a Christian according to the orthodox definition.

This led me to read a lot of New Age, Buddhist, Hindu, Gnostic and even some channelled literature. If there was a thread combining these, it was that we are spiritual beings, who can realize our true nature through internal contemplation.

I found this book, curiously enough, in the metaphysical section at a Borders shop, and not among the other Christian literature.

To my mind, the esoteric tradition described in this book starts by acknowledging the gnostic path. That is, inner knowledge of God is possible. It extends this by stating the inner journey is a journey back to our oneness with God and with our true nature. Hence, there is no difference between creator and creation, but there is the illusion of separation because of the exercise of free will.

This book has allowed me to appreciate much more the Eastern Orthodox tradition I was brought up under. Even given its warts and all, the Eastern church focuses more on spiritual practice leading to inner knowing, on contemplation of unanswerable mysteries rather than on intellectual understanding.

Perhaps one of the commentators below is right - it is perhaps more "pre-christian" than christian. But, to my mind, that gives it more value, not less, as it points to a universality that both pre-dates and post-dates the emergence of Christ.

Overall, I really liked this book and would highly recommend it.

Inner Christianity give a new, powerful view of the Christian faith, its history and the work of self-transformation found within its teachings. Not pedantic, not preaching, just a clear, calm , non-sectarian guide to the inner meanings of Christianity. I have found over the years that Richard Smoley, who edited Gnosis magazine for many years, is one of the very best writers on (sometimes difficult) esoteric spiritual subjects, making them understandable without sacrificing intelligence or balance. I highly recommend this book.

Unlocking the wisdom of esoteric Christianity
In this thought provoking work, the author draws upon a wide spectrum of esoteric and mystical sources to demonstrate how multidimensional the Christian tradition really is. In simple language he brings to light the most profound wisdom of Christianity as a remedy for the loss of faith in these times.

The book concentrates more on the esoteric rather than the mystical strain and claim that the Bible was always meant to be read on several different levels. It is certainly true that the universal truths of esoteric knowledge are expressed just as much in Christianity as in any other tradition.

Part One explores the history of the hidden teachings with reference to hermeticism, kabbalah, Rosicrucianism, monasticism, the church fathers Clement and Origin, plus Rudolf Steiner and Carl Jung. He also looks at modern practitioners of inner Christianity like Stephan Hoeller.

Part Two: The Vision, considers issues like The World and The Fall, Salvation and Gnosis, The Second Birth, Cosmology, The Gospels and the Works of Christ, and the Feminine Face of God. Part Three: Expressions, investigates spiritual practices, love, evil, forgiveness, symbols, sacraments and the secret church.

The afterword includes a list of recommended books with comments, such as A Course In Miracles, Meditations On The Tarot by Valentin Tomberg, The Cloud Upon The Sanctuary by Karl von Eckarthausen, A Different Christianity by Robin Amis, The New Man by Maurice Nicoll and The Rose Of The World by Daniel Andreev. The book includes black and white illustrations, copious notes, a selected bibliography and an index.

I was at a point in my life where I could no longer hold to the evangelical tenets of faith which had underscored my spirituality for a lifetime. I felt as though I were in a vortex in the sea with the chunks of my faith floating around me. I didn't want to discard my faith; I wanted to find a new way to rebuild it. Richard Smoley's treatise on the inner way of esoteric Christianity answered every question that had been swirling around me. Inner Christianity was a guiding beacon in what had become a murky way, and I found myself on solid ground again. It is a book that I shall read again and again as I move along this continuum of faith.

In this beautifully written book, Richard Smoley provides a clear introduction to the rich and complex world of esoteric Christianity. As stated in the introduction of this "guide," the intent is to provide an accessible entry to the deeply intellectual and intuitive area of esoteric Christianity for the person who is perhaps not an expert in this area. Each chapter is a window that allows one to look into an aspect of the esoteric Christian tradition, complete with examples and exercises. The author opens profoundly difficult topics and unpacks their many layers and meanings, making it possible for the layperson to understand challenging concepts. He then points to a selection of Christian esoteric classics, for those who wish to build further on the foundation that he carefully and thoughtfully provides. And if one wants to continue their study, the bibliography is rich with readings that will take many years to absorb.

For this reader, the book is a delight of riches that continue to unfold even after multiple readings of the book. For the serious seeker, this book can begin a life changing journey that will only deepen if the reader seeks to explore the many layers provided by Richard Smoley. He is a great teacher who speaks with a language that is simple and calm on the surface, while holding great depths of meaning under the surface.

As an evangelical christian, any hint of 'occult' being applied to christianity seems on the surface to be misguided and just plain wrong.

This book, with it's labrynth-decorated cover kept catching my eye though. 'Inner Christianity'. What could a book with that title be about?

Smoley is erudite and more, convincing.

Early christianity was pluralistic, primitive and from what I see, dogma-less and without creed.

The demarcation is that of outer and inner.

The outer is what I, and perhaps you, are most accustomed to, living in the United States.

But the inner, how rich and diverse a picture Richard Smoley presents!

And christianity is not the only world religion with an esoteric tradition.

Islam has it's own in sufism, for example.

As Mr. Smoley points out, the esoteric branches of the world traditions may have more in common with each other than with their own local external religions.

In this day of loud and the brash personalities who somehow manage to come to the fore in modern christianity, Mr. Smoley reveals a thread that has run through the faith since it's conception and before. The voice has just been more quiet and more still than what we have grown accustomed to.

Esoteric thought, is by its nature and definition non-dogmatic and to a certain extent "secret" or "hidden". So, writing a book on it is no doubt a bit like herding cats. But Smoley has done a good job of summarizing the history, writers and ideas that fall under the esoteric umbrella.

Those who have already read a bit on the subject will find that this book ties together a lot of concepts, which helped me to put in perspective where various groups and writers fit into the esoteric tradition.

Those who have read extensively on esoteric subjects will probably find this book too basic.

Note: if you are a "normal" christian and you believe the standard Christian doctrine and you happened upon this book without really knowing what the esoteric tradition is - then the thoughts in this book will probably seem like heresy - but read it anyway, you didn't happen upon this book by accident.

I would also recommend "Putting on the Mind of Christ" by Jim Marion, for those who are starting to get that feeling in their spirit that standard Christian doctrine doesn't quite add up and "there must be something more".

And if you do fall into this category I would caution you ahead of time to remember that there is no "official" esoteric doctrine or theology, but rather a whole variety of concepts and themes. Some will resonate with you and others will have no appeal. Just remember that all religious thought systems are metaphors for an underlying truth that can not be perfectly expressed in words, and that to a large degree "answers" are the poor person's spirituality. You will not find what you are looking for in this book or any book because ultimately knowledge of God is something to be inwardly experienced rather than read off of a page. However, good books on the subject will serve as signposts on the inward spiritual journey and have there value in that way.

Long before the Da Vinci Code and the furor that it generated, a number of serious scholars were examining some of the "lost" books of the Bible and an array of other sources that suggested that there was much to be learned about the early history of Christianity. Insights that would enrich our experience and understanding of the Christian message.

Richard Smoley, the author of this insightful and challenging book, is the former editor of the magazine Gnosis and, with Jay Kinney, also co-wrote another extremely interesting book: Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions.

He writes that, "In current Christian discourse, I see an enormous interest in the devotional side of the tradition, in prayer, contemplation, and mysticism. Indeed, Christianity has always laid great emphasis on the heart, the emotional life of the soul as it is lived in communion with God. No one could deny that this dimension is necessary on the spiritual path, but it is not sufficient. For the spirit to develop in a harmonious and integrated fashion, the pole of love must be counterbalanced by the pole of knowledge. It is this aspect that I see as most lacking in Christianity today. While there is no scarcity of theology and biblical scholarship - which has tremendous value in its place - almost all of it is at the outer rim of Dorotheus's circle, grappling with the details of the literal level and with truth in its most superficial form. Knowledge of the inner levels of experience has been for the most part forgotten. It is primarily this need that this book is meant to fill."

In other words he is proposing that a way to gain greater insight and understanding within the Christian tradition is by a synthesis of heart and head. Richard Smoley has seen that it can be such a mistake to bury the heart and soul of Christianity in rules and dogmas. They have their place, but cannot be the tail that wags the dog. As he shows throughout this book, the Christian message is far more subtle, profound and multidimensional than many people realize.

The book is extremely well written and includes Notes, a Bibliography and Index.

Inevitably anything suggesting change will draw criticism. But for anyone interested in deepening his or her spiritual experience, whether or not your orientation is Christian, this book has much to offer.

Highly recommended.

This is by far the best book I have read on the subject. For anyone wanting to understand the esoteric core of the Faith, you could confidently start here. Unlike many other writers on the subject, Richard doesn't throw the baby out with the bathwater and believers will find plenty to explore here. It will however require an open mind, especially from those of a more evangelical background, where the esoteric is often felt to be alien to or even against the teachings of Christ. Coming from that environment, I found the book refreshing and reassuring.

Inner Christianity by Richard Smoley is an engaging and very enjoyable place to begin exploring esoteric Christianity (which you won't find in many churches), and contains many useful ideas. It may serve as a springboard for further exploration. The less than casual spiritual "researcher" will eventually want to search for depth elsewhere, but this important book can begin to point the way.