Jesus Christ, Sun of God: Ancient Cosmology and Early Christian Symbolism [Paperback]

David Fideler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1993

The early Christian Gnosis did not spring up in isolation, but drew upon earlier sources. In this book, many of these sources are revealed for the first time. Special emphasis is placed on the Hellenistic doctrine of the "Solar Logos" and the early Christian symbolism which depicted Christ as the Spiritual Sun, the illumination source of order, harmony, and spiritual insight. Based on 15 years of research, this is a unique book which throws a penetrating light on the secret traditions of early Christianity. It clearly demonstrates that number is at the heart of being. Jesus Christ, Sun of God, illustrates how the Christian symbolism of the Spiritual Sun is derived from numerical symbolism of the "ancient divinities."

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Quest Books (October 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0835606961
• ISBN-13: 978-0835606967
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #497,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I've read in a long time., November 26, 2001

By 

Ryan Morrison (SF, CA, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesus Christ, Sun of God: Ancient Cosmology and Early Christian Symbolism (Paperback)

It has become plainly obvious from the Christian commentary above that they do not like "secular scholars" revealing that Christian philosophy and theology is mostly built on Pagan ideas. The fact is that the above reviewers obviously missed the point of this book.

Fideler spends the first half of the book demonstrating that there is a deeply evolved amount of symbolism in the texts of the N.T. that started 500 years (give or take) before Christ's time (and likely farther back than that). Symbolism that is communicated in numerical metaphors, imagery, harmonics and in poetry and myth that express higher (ineffable?) concepts. With a fuller understanding of Logos, we understand why the "Word" is an inadequate translation and reinforces Plato's own observations on the problem with language. With Clement's symbols of the Dove and the New Song we see how old concepts such as Gematria became "modernized" under the Hellenistic church fathers - expressing new ideas in an ancient way.

One could take many things away from this book: a new appreciation for those Pagan philosophers the Catholic Church is not fond of, an appreciation for the similarities between scientific and mystical thought, or an understanding of the problems associated in literal interpretation of religious works. Fideler covers many things in this book - the only fault I find was that it wasn't twice as long!

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extremely important book, February 17, 2003

By 

Corey Wicks (Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jesus Christ, Sun of God: Ancient Cosmology and Early Christian Symbolism (Paperback)

I cannot stop recommending this book to those who are truly interested in the origins of Christianity. David Fideler's book provides solid proof that Christianity is as much of a Greek religion as it is a Hebrew religion. Rather than the common view that Christianity was pure and Hermetically sealed from outside "pagan" influences, exactly the opposite turns out to be true: that Christianity was pagan from the very beginning, that Christianity was a retelling of "pagan" Mystery Teachings, such as the doctrine of the Logos, as taught by Heraclitis, Plato, and others. This is one of those rare books that is so condensed with useful information that every page seems to make you say, "Wow!" And the content has such a depth that the more times you read through the book, the more you get out of it.

Hopefully this book will inspire more study along these lines, and certainly Fideler's book should be considered a classic amongst its field. I wish more people in mainstream Christianity had an open enough mind to allow themselves to read such books.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent work on the foundation of Christian Logos Teaching, October 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Jesus Christ, Sun of God: Ancient Cosmology and Early Christian Symbolism (Hardcover)

David Fideler is an excellent and able scholar of early Christian history, symbolism, and epistemology. This work is a treasure trove of mathmatical and geometrical information, as it links the 'New Song" of the New Testament with the timeless harmony of Orphic, Platonic, Pythagorean, and Kabbalistic number theory. While those thoroughly enmeshed in the 'only Christians have the truth through Christ our Lord Amen' paradigm will no doubt be horrified to read this text, we urge all Christians, Gnostics, Mystics, and people of learning and goodwill to give it the attention and praise it demands. On a less positive note, one could have hoped that David would have brought the practical point of all his knowledge out. Perhaps he himself does not perceive farther than the psychological and academic-paradigm-busting aspect--which is, in itself, enough of a recommendation. Be that as it may, this is not a book to miss.