Customer Reviews

Living Gnosis: A Practical Guide to Gnostic Christianity

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Although the title describes the book as a "Practical Guide to Gnostic Christianity," the reader will quickly discover that the author, the founder and Master of the Sophia Fellowship, focuses the majority of his attention on that particular school of thought. That being said, Malachi does explain many fundamental tenets of Gnosticism that will be helpful to anyone who is curious about the subject of historic and contemporary gnosis. Malachi clearly points out profound differences between Gnostic and mainline Christianity. While Christian religions claim that the absolute word of God is contained in specific holy writings, Malachi explains that, "Any inspiration or revelation flowing through an incarnate human being will naturally be limited by the capacity of the individual's own knowledge, understanding and wisdom." Therefore, Gnostics understand that no matter how enlightened or inspired a writer may appear to be it is ignorance to, ". . .assume anything spoken or written by a human being is the `absolute word of God.'"

Malachi points out that spiritual insight is always received through the filters of the times and location of the receiver. While most Christian religions instruct their adherents to adapt themselves to a strict interpretation of a message written for another time and place, Malachi makes the point that gnosis, ". . . grows, evolves, and tends to assume whatever form is necessary to the time and place in which it appears." When reading an ancient text, Gnostics assume that some of the information will necessarily be obsolete and should be discarded. While this appears to be sacrilege to the literalist, Gnostics see this as a necessary component to spiritual growth. Readers will especially benefit from Malachi's repeated emphasis that gnosis is the result of personal spiritual experience. While this may be off-putting to those who prefer "spectator" religion, everyone hungry for direct spiritual experience will be encouraged by much of the information included in this book. Lee & Steven Hager are the authors of Quantum Prodigal Son: Revisiting Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Perspective of Quantum Mechanics

I'm an Episcopalian who's been discouraged by the itchy sense that there's a bigger picture in Christian faith than its religious traditions allow to be expressed or discussed. Anytime I feel and ask the harder questions, most faithful people who mean very well keep taking me back to what the Bible literally said. While I feel and experience the Bible to be the inspired word of God, I also know that there are other gospels and texts which didn't somehow make it into the approved version. What is Gnosticism saying and how might it deepen what I already believe and feel? Tau Malachi's works, more than any other source I've yet found, has grounded the bigger picture I've always intuited to be present. How the Divine Feminine can be incorporated into Christian tradition is probably the biggest help of all. Going to Mass now isn't the same! I feel so grateful for this and can't recommend it enough!

What an amazing work of written art!
This is such a wonderful book I can't tell you how much this book changed my life!
It provides the most sane veiw of the mystical side of Christianity that I know of so far. It is unique, in that, not only are there teachings about Jesus, the Crucifixtion, Resurrection, Mary Magdalene etc... but Tau Malachi also provides a set of extremely useful meditations, so that, a person has the tools to advance in the spiritual life to the degree that they wish, espesially when this book is coupled with the three other books that Tau Malachi has written, but this one definitley offers the best beginning. Most Everything that I have ever really wondered about spiritualy is contained in this book in one way or another. From elucidations of scripture to a teaching on the perfection of sucess.
An Absolutely lovely peice!

Until I read this book, I never knew that things like the Beatitudes and the ten comandments had such deep metaphysical meaning! It is so refreshing to read a book about Christianity that includes Mary Magdalene and has such deep insights into things that main-line Christianity tends not to question, like the nature of the conciousness, reality and the purpose of ignorance and evil. There are also several practices and meditations so that the reader can put the teachings in this book to work! all in all, a very well rounded overveiw of Christian Gnostic principles, and a wonderful addition to the library of any practioner of any wisdom tradition.
I Very Highly recomend this book.

I was absolutely amazed from the first page of the book.
The clarity with which Tau Malachi writes is stunning, he puts complex mystical principles such as the second coming and the Resurrection in a very Gnostic, very Christian but very understandable way. This is the perfect book for anyone who is new to Gnostic Ideas because it is easy to understand, and for those who may have a bit more experirence because within the easy-to-understand format, there are subtile and sublime myteries being spoken. I am in such deep gratitude for this book and the teachings contained in it! It completely changed my veiw on Jesus and Magdalene as well as the Bible as a whole. I have not read another book on Gnosticism quite as illuminating as this one.

I'd read a lot on Gnosticism up until now, but they were all scholarly intellectuals who seemed to have no value of mystical experiences or refer to the ongoing process of Gospel in OUR times. Mostly a bunch of people ponficating on Gnosticism from the outside. So this book is what I was waiting for!

I'm glad to know that there is a Living Tradition in the West with methods for getting connected to God in some practical ways! I'd always loved Christ and the Gospels, and I love the Gnostic Gospels, too. But between all the Religious dogmas and the academic pontifications, I was ready to throw the baby out with the bath-water. Thank God for LIVING Gnosis!

There's such a growing need within the West for books like 'Living Gnosis'. For they help inspire and guide the reader to birth a more educated and mature Spiritual path and unfolding. It is quite obvious that orthodoxy has stripped away much of the Heart of western Spirituality. Yet clearly, with books such as 'Living Gnosis' we can begin to re-think our Western model and view. This book is an excellent primer and introduction to Christian Gnosticism and its current practices as Living Gnosis.

This book offers a good intoduction to Gnostic Christianity, particularly to that of Sophian tradition. It will benefit those who are completely new to Gnosticism. I think beginners will get some profound effect from reading this book. Tau Malachi does an excellent job in explaining things in a way that is very easy to understand. Throughout the book he is very clear and consice and well organized. He only, however, touches the very surface on particular topics and does not go into greater esoteric teachings. From the title, I was expecting deeper teachings, a deeper practical guide. I felt the teachings where too light for my liking. He simply lays down the foundation on traditions and views in the Sophian tradition. He then leaves it up to the reader to decide for her/himself as to where to go with it. At the end of the book he provides a few techniques to help one succeed in life and that is just about as deep of an actual practical guide one will get from this book. I decided to give it 4 stars and not 5 because the title can be misleading. I think a more proper name would have been; Gnostic Christianity: An Introduction to the Sophian Tradition. Overall, a nice glimpse of Gnostic Christianity that is very good for beginners.

This is a wonderful book!! Very well rounded overveiw of Christian Gnostic principles. Very helpful insights on how to apply Gnostic Living in every day life. Highly recommend it!! Extremely useful meditations, Highly recommend all of Tau Malachi's books. They seem to all compliment one another. Must have for any library. Thank goodness for such work!

I recently read Tau Malachi's book, "Gnosis of the Cosmic Christ" and found the book the be most illuminating and highly esoteric. When I discovered this new book I found it to be the key to understand the more esoteric Gnostic books out there. This is a wonderful book for people who are new to Gnosticism or for the person who is well studied. I really enjoyed the grounded approach in this book, it makes it really easy to apply Gnostic living in every day situations. This really seems the key to Gnosticism, the ability to apply Spiritual experience and knowledge to life and living. I have found "Living Gnosis" very helpful in this way and highly recommend it.