The transition from a Pagan civilization of great antiquity to our Christianized one is historically denoted as “The Dark Ages.” Why “dark”? What was lost?
Not in His Image tells the story of that loss. It exposes the most massive campaign of cultural genocide in human history. It probes—as no other book before it—the hidden roots of the ecological crisis that now threatens life on the planet. This investigation leads deep into the realm of the predator reality in which we now live, engulfed and lost to the point of either denial or impotent fury. And it shows how predators and prey have become locked into a vicious cycle of collusion.
Not in His Image tells the story of that loss. It exposes the most massive campaign of cultural genocide in human history. It probes—as no other book before it—the hidden roots of the ecological crisis that now threatens life on the planet. This investigation leads deep into the realm of the predator reality in which we now live, engulfed and lost to the point of either denial or impotent fury. And it shows how predators and prey have become locked into a vicious cycle of collusion.
Not in His Image describes the rich spiritual world of pre-Christian classical Europe—the Pagan Mysteries, the Great Goddess, Gnosis, the myths of Sophia and Gaia—and its future as a force for re-balancing our lives and reconnecting to the earth. In his riveting account of who the Gnostics really were and what they were protesting against, John Lash identifies who we once were, and what has become of our original genius. He describes the decisive arc of history from the dawn of the Christian Era to the present moment of global terror, a trajectory driven faith-based violence and fundamentalist politics. No scholar has yet plumbed the depths of the Nag Hammadi Library for the profound cosmological myth of our origins and our intimate bond with Gaia, the living planet.
The Gnostic story of the Wisdom Goddess, Sophia, is directly counterpoised to the one Christianity and other monotheistic religions teach us. It explains why a species made in the image of the Father God cannot live peacefully on earth. In Sophia we discover the true foundations of deep ecology. For those of us perplexed by the state of the world and the plight of the planet, Not in His Image gives us back our true story, a myth to guide us beyond faith-based violence toward a sacred ecological path for the future.
John Lamb Lash, a true heir to Mircea Eliade, is the foremost exponent of the power of myth to shape our lives and history itself. He is a co-founder and principal author of Metahistory.org. He has written a number of books including The Seeker’s Handbook (Crown), Twins and the Double (Thames & Hudson), The Hero—Manhood and Power (Thames & Hudson), and Quest for the Zodiac(Starhenge Books). The author lives in Europe.
The Gnostic story of the Wisdom Goddess, Sophia, is directly counterpoised to the one Christianity and other monotheistic religions teach us. It explains why a species made in the image of the Father God cannot live peacefully on earth. In Sophia we discover the true foundations of deep ecology. For those of us perplexed by the state of the world and the plight of the planet, Not in His Image gives us back our true story, a myth to guide us beyond faith-based violence toward a sacred ecological path for the future.
John Lamb Lash, a true heir to Mircea Eliade, is the foremost exponent of the power of myth to shape our lives and history itself. He is a co-founder and principal author of Metahistory.org. He has written a number of books including The Seeker’s Handbook (Crown), Twins and the Double (Thames & Hudson), The Hero—Manhood and Power (Thames & Hudson), and Quest for the Zodiac(Starhenge Books). The author lives in Europe.
You can buy "Not in His image" book here
NIHI 01 - Introduction and overview of John's book on the Sophianic vision of the Mysteries and the future of belief.
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NIHI 02 - The virus of Salvationist religion.
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NIHI 03 - The telestai, shamans and seers who created the classical civilization of Europe and the Near East.
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NIHI 04 - A special talk on the Goddess Sophia and the reclamation of pagan wisdom as a path of sacred ecology.
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NIHI 05 - ET and the Archons. The second part of the Sophia story describes the bizarre cyborg species produced by Sophia's plunge, and their effect upon humanity.
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NIHI 06 - Heresy - the Challenge of Heresy. John will describe the campaign to destroy the Mysteries, and explain why Gnostic teachings were regarded as so threatening - and still are today. This talk also considers the distortion and disinformation around the subject of Gnosticism, making it difficult to approach for most people.
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NIHI 07 - About Magdalen and Jesus. A discussion of the two key figures in the New Testament, with insight on the Gnostic identity of both. Compares the Dead Sea profile of Jesus with the Nag Hammadi writings, and considers the Pagan background of the Magdalen figure.
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NIHI 08 - The enigma of the Mesotes. An intimate discussion of one of the most baffling and universal mystical experiences known to humanity. John explains his special view of the Mesotes, or 'mediator', and how it changes our view of Christ.
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NIHI 09 - Gaia-Sophia. A discussion of the parallels and correlations between the Sophianic vision of the Mysteries and modern Gaia theory. Combines scientific and mystical viewpoints on evolution.
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NIHI 10 - The Healing Myth. A summary of Gnostic teachings on the Sophia, with emphasis on the healing effect of Her Story, the divine power of the Organic Light, and the quest for a new image of humanity.
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