Customer Reviews

Mysteries of Genesis (Unity Classic Library)

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First off I want to disclose that I never ordered this book (it arrived serendipitously in place of a very different book I ordered from an Amazon 3rd party seller), nor have I completely read it (I read the forward out of curiosity, decided to keep it, and have been dabbling in it a bit ever since), nor am I a Christian, or in any way an old testament student or scholar (my spiritual background and inclinations tends more towards Taoism/Vajrajana Buddhism, Jungian Psychology and experiential existential philosophy), yet I find myself interested in this book and author, and am writing this review because no one else has reviewed it although many copies are available in the used section, and the full text is available to read online for free, compliments of New Thought Library...

So what is it?

Charles Fillmore (1854 - 1948), was the founder of the Unity Church (part of the New Thought movement). According to Wikipedia, "He became known as an American mystic for his contributions to metaphysical interpretations of Biblical scripture." This church and movement went on to become a world-wide establishment.(The Wikipedia article goes on to give some interesting details about the man and his times.)

I'm not sure when this book was written, and from the table of contents it looks to be a typical seeming Christian treatise (covering Christian themes laid out in the first book of the Old Testament). Yet immediately in the forward it becomes clear we are listening to an inspired and unconventional modern mystic give his spiritualist interpretation.

"As presented in English translations there is little to reconcile Genesis with creation as revealed by modern geology... However more accurate translations of the Hebrew show that the literal reading of the English is often not warranted by the original text....the English Bible reads, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Fenton's translation renders it thus: "By periods God created that which produced the Suns; then that which produced the Earth." When we realize that God is mind (Spirit-mind), we see that this latter rendition is correct. God creates the ideas that form the things. Here we have the key that unlocks not only the mysteries of Genesis but the whole Bible."

Ah-ha! A bit of real insight into God, and our intimate relation to It. Fillmore then goes on to conclude;

"The truths in this book will be revealed to you through your own spiritual unfoldment. Spiritual things are spiritually determined. The spiritual revelations that you seem to get from books and teachers already existed as submerged experiences in your own soul. The essential truths have been worked out in this or previous incarnations, and when you were reminded of the buried idea it blazes forth as light from without. So all that you are or ever will be must come from your own spiritual achievements."

So here you have a very clear and concise expression of a fundamental truth of spiritual evolution. The author then goes on the look at Genesis, line by line, name by name, from this Universal gnostic point of view, (through his insightful early 20th century lens). A typical (random) example is this passage from page 279; "The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz. The name Teman means "prosperity," "abundance," "good faith." Teman denotes the realm of the subconsciousness, with its inherently rich stores of substance and good..."

There is plenty of food for thought and ever deepening esoteric studies here for the general Bible scholar, or mystically inclined seeker (no matter what your specific religious background) And as a non-Jew/Christian myself I find this both stimulating, affirming and enlightening - perhaps a possible intellectual distraction, but not if it is grounded in direct spiritual experience.

Such is the veil of God's ideas on Truth.