Customer Reviews

Son of Man: The Mystical Path to Christ

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Andrew Harvey is an excellent writer who has covered everything from outposts of Buddhism in Ladakh to transalations of the Sufi genius Rumi. In this book,which arches at being a modern version of The imitation of Christ,he puts forth of image of Jesus as THE mystic,the Alpha and Omega of existence.It succeeds much of the time.The historical Jesus presented is lacking somewhat, though the book picks up in part 2, the mystical Christ. Some people,especially those of a literal bent, wuould be slightly put off in the section Christ and the sacred feminine.The final section of the book, The Direct Path to Christ is a series of meditations and "exercises",which are worth the price of the book alone.Mr. Harvey believes that we need no intermediaries between us and God, and that Jesus shows us this way. The traditional harrangue against Christianity is softened by Mr. Harvey's genuine passionate love of Christ. There are lovely phtographs by Eryk Hanut throughout, which actually enchance the pleasure of this book. Not an easy read,{Mr. Harvey rarely is}, this is a book menat to be read and taken slowly, to draw deeply from this source. This book is quite beautiful, and is and important addition to any spiritual library. This is an important and wonder-filled book, and is hugely recommended.

I listened to the audio version of this book and so had the opportunity to hear the author read his own work. Andrew Harvey is an extremely passionate and learned man. His insights into the subject of Jesus, both Historical and biblical are fascinating. I would definately recommend this book if you are interested in a different viewpoint on Jesus.

Having said that that though, I did find, (as some of the other reviewers did as well) that Andrew Harvey's view of the story was simply another form of fundamentalism; albeit fundamentalism from a mystical stand point. Harvey continually points out that the feminine aspect of the Christ consciousness are completely dismissed by the traditional view of the Church. I agree. However, Harvey completely dismisses the Masculine aspect of the Divine and in fact Harvey goes as far as suggesting that all evil and darkness are in fact masculine. He makes the claim that without bonding to the feminine, that the masculine is just chaos and darkness. Again, I agree with him on this point, however if that in fact is true then the converse of that must also be true. The feminine would be incomplete and chaotic without it's polar opposite. Andrew Harvey may agree with me on that topic but there is no evidence within his writings to suggest that he does. He tirades against patriarchal society and the suppression of women as a divine force. I think he's right. Conventional religion has long denied that the feminine energy of the Divine was equally important as the masculine. Harvey seems to suggest that a matriarchy would be flawless and without the same problems as a patriarchy.

The book is really worth reading for it's refreshing and interesting view of the traditional story of Christ. But Harvey is as intolerant of the masculine as the traditionalists are of the feminine.

This is just another vew of the story. It should be read with an open mind and with the understanding that it is as bias as the traditional version.

This book is a very interesting book that points readers into looking at Jesus Christ as a non-dogmatic, unconditionally loving spiritual maaster and not the Christ that we here in churches...A religious leader out to propogate a religion and condemn non-believers of him.
Of course, this book will not be accepted by all since it can be seen as overly liberal and unconventional. How? Since Mr. Harvey is primarily out to paint a portrait of a loving, mystical Christ that could never have even intended to be deified and who mainly wanted to teach a love based spirituality, the author uses quotes from many unconventional sources like the Gnostic Gospels (Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary, Secret Book of James, Gospel of the Savior and others). That unto itself will spark some controversy for this book.
Mr. Harvey's Christ has a through-line of that of an enlightened master, say a Buddha of Nazereth, so it is with that Christ in mind that he writes and he pulls from many Christian sources to keep in line with this mystical, unconditionally loving Christ.
What this adds up to is for those that are spiritual 'seeker' types who are lovers of Light and seeing spirituality through Oneness and an Eternal Truth of Unity without dogmas you'll find this book extremely fascinating. For those "fundamenalist" types, you'll either brush this book of as some kind of new age concoction or it'll make you reconsider some of your preciously held beliefs about who Jesus Christ was.
There are some very well written chapters on: Jesus' Message, Jesus and family, Jesus and women, Jesus and the rich, Jesus and religion, Jesus and his Disciples and other topics. Mr. Harvey shows us through Jesus teachings how he promoted love, humility and acceptance in all these areas.
Another nice bonus is that the book has some beautiful Christ based meditations.

This book is unique in that the author is a scholar, well rounded spiritual teacher and poet all at the same time. The author manages to be remarkably intuitive and speak from the heart while always remaining centered and intelligent, not just "way out there". The book is rooted enough in research to deserve to be considered a serious work on Christ (although, many will disagree with me because of the uncommon philosophies put forth). The book has a heartfelt-poetic quality to it while simultanously being very scholarly which is extremely rare. Even though I consider myself to be an open minded spiritual seeker that always saw Christ as a great teacher of Unity, I never saw Christ's teachings with the depth of Mr. Harvey's book. Very enlightening.

Andrew Harveys new book Son of Man is a masterpiece, for years I have been reading books on Christ, but this book tells us all how we can live as Christ did. Written so all can understand, Harvery doesnt waste our time with words and ideas that are to far off to understand. His thoughts and ideas are very close to the Unity Church. A must read for all who know that Christ lives within all of us.

Christ is represented in Son of Man as an anarchist, a revolutionary, and the human embodiment of unconditional love. No dogma, no church heirarchy, no fanatical fundamentalism. But radical self honesty and spiritual evolution that requires conviction, commitment, and work. This book presents a nice mix of Orthodox and Gnostic wisdom and frames it in the context of universal love.

Once again, Andrew Harvey has given us a masterpiece;His rich wisdom, incredible knowledge and practical exercises bring the path of 'the son of man' alive in an exciting new way. Harvey opens wide the centuries-old treasure house of Christian mysticism. This is one of the best books ever written on the subject;One need not agree with all of Harvey's opinion to enjoy his clear-cut, always fascinating prose and his wildly ecclectic assemblages of evidence.Andrew Harvey is the greatest mystical writer of his time.

I found A.Harvey presentation refreshing and presented some areas for reflection. I do not believe he moves beyond the modern scholarship nor radical as some might first interpret.His interpretation of the parables are not radical, but more clearer in modern thinking, at least for some to accept. He certainly inspires a person to relect or challenge their participation in THE KINGDOM of GOD in relation to the world as we find it today and it's needs.

Overall "Son of Man" is thoughtful, well-written book that attempts to reveal the true meaning of Jesus' words and way of life.

THE GOOD: Part I on "The Historical Christ" explores, via various sources (New Testamnent parables, gnostic sayings, and quotes from certain Christian apologists/scholars) the meaning of Jesus' words and actions with respect to women, rich and poor, power and politics of the world, organized religion (and its hypocrisy), and true discipleship. The author convincingly portrays a picture of the authentic Jesus, who respects women, who associates with the poor or destitute, who rejects the games of power and deception played by the scribes and Pharisees.

Parts II and IV provide a map for meditation and prayer based on writings and practices of Christian saints and mystics. It's a commendabe effort and worthy of study and exploration. Throughout there are examples of parables, gnostic sayings, and scholars' quotes as well.

THE BAD: Yes, I agree with other reviews as to some passages being corny, as for example the introductory "A Vision" with its rambling, flowery style (I am the furnace of love you must burn away in and become one with...I am the passion...I am the Child waiting to be born..." and so on and so on; then there's Part III on invoking the sacred feminine. The "editor" in me has trouble buying these. On the other hand, these areas are heavily oriented toward what is a more "gnostic" view of our relationship with God, and that is what I think the author is trying achieve: the belief in the individual's closer spiritual relationship with God, without the use of intermediaries such as the Church.

Four stars +, so I rounded the rating to five.

Andrew Harvey has been able to synthesize all that I have been researching for the past year. My journey has taken me to the writings of Merton, M. Basil Pennington, Theophan, Keating, Thomas a' Kempis and books about Francis of Assisi. Suddenly, in one rich tome, Harvey brings together an entire years worth of information between the covers of a single book! Those who dismiss this book out right are either uncomfortable with the author's life-style or too terrible rigid in their dogma. For those interested in the mystical aspect of Christianity, this book is a must read. Going into any reading experience thinking you will agree with everything the author says will always lead to disappointment. Go into it, instead, for what you can glean out of it.

Harvey's purpose in this book is to offer a model for "the authentic full-grown Christ-consciousness" which he believes has been obscured for two millennia by a Christianity "full of weakness and mistakes and not a full-grown Christianity springing from the spirit of Jesus". The first part -"The Historical Christ"- is an historical introduction to this essentially mystical book, to which Harvey brings his well-known passion, enthusiasm, ecstatic vision and exalted language. Unfortunately, these qualities that serve him so well in his mystical writings can hardly replace a rigorous historical methodology which is lacking in his analysis of the Historical Christ. Harvey is essentially a mystic, not an historian, and he allows himself a large margin of liberty to manipulate the historical evidence to fit his mystical purposes. "The Historical Christ" reads more like a mystical exaltation than an historical account. On the first reading one may be overwhelmed by Harvey's ecstatic language, but a second careful reading reveals a sea of contradictions, distortions and misrepresentations. Although he recognizes that "many comforting myths have to be surrendered, along with the belief in the total veracity of the Gospels themselves", Harvey is not willing to let go of those central myths of traditional Christianity that he finds comforting to his own speculations. His human Son of Man turns out to be as infallible as the divine Son of God, and his interpretation of Jesus' sacrifice is hardly reconcilable with his own interpretation of Jesus' original teachings. As a result, Harvey's new model suffers from the same flaws and contradictions that have afflicted two millennia of Christianity and cannot possibly fulfill the promise of "a full-grown Christianity springing from the spirit of Jesus". This book may well be a source of inspiration for those who are mainly interested in the mystical aspects of Christ and can be commended for some inspiring interpretations of Jesus' original teachings. However, because of Harvey's mystical bias and the negligent manner in which he refers to historical evidence as well as his apparent indifference to the logical implications of his exalted statements, it cannot be considered a serious study of the historical Jesus. For a detailed review with concrete examples of Harvey's errors and contradictions, link to members.aol.com/adarec/sonofman.htm or email adarec@yahoo.com.