From Egyptian mythology to Jewish mysticism; Rome and Greece to the druids and the gnostics; Tim Wallace-Murphy exposes a fascinating lineage of hidden mysteries and secret societies; continuing through the Templars; Rosicrucians; and Freemasons to our modern visionaries. This hidden stream of spirituality and that of sacred knowledge are inseparably entwined to form the single most important continuous strand in the entire Western esoteric tradition.This tradition exerted a seminal influence on the thinking of the builders of the great cathedrals; leading teachers in ecclesiastical schools; philosophers; playwrights; poets such as Shakespeare; Goethe; Blake; and W. B. Yeats; and on artists and Renaissance giants such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. It is also the root from which sprang alchemy and modern science.Now; as more people are looking to find information on the alternatives to dominant religions and dogmas that have told us what to think and how to behave; as faith has been questioned by religious scandals; economic meltdowns; and an increasingly sick planet Earth; Wallace-Murphy reveals the secrets of the masters; including invaluable spiritual insights into everyday life that have been hidden throughout the ages. He shows us who kept this spiritual tradition alive despite appalling persecution; so that we in the twenty-first century might benefit from its accumulated fruits and ennoble our lives.Hidden Wisdom will be of immense interest to readers of the number one bestseller The Lost Symbol as it explains much of Dan Brown's focus on the ancient mysteries.
#824898 in Books Isi Books 2004-03-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.16 x 6.86 x 8.70l; 1.44 #File Name: 1932236147306 pages
Review
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Spreading The Gospel of DemocracyBy A. SmithAmerican political Progressivism mixed with religious liberal groups and created a powerful combination in the decades preceding the First World War. God was with America; a "righteous" nation; and the nation had a heavenly obligation to spread its goodness to the world. One righteous nation would lead to another and another until all humanity could live as one. National barriers would dissolve; peace would reign.So was the thinking of the American Progressive movement leading up to the First World War as told in Richard Gamble's The War for Righteousness. It is an eye-opening story of a country not bothered by the tight bond between church and state. Americans at that time truly believed they were a Christian nation; God's agent of good with a responsibility to redeem the earth by taking God's righteousness to every corner. Christianity; Christian principles and Christian blessings would flow to the world through the United States; God's chosen people; and the blessing of righteousness would be delivered by the sword if not willingly accepted through the Word.The apparent success of the "American experiment" was viewed as God's revealed approval of her democracy. Since the defeat of the Southern Confederacy; God's blessing; it was concluded; resided with the victorious Union. The evil of slavery was vanquished; wealth (blessing) was available to those willing to work hard; and the country had reached her manifest destiny by expanding her borders to the Pacific Ocean. It therefore seemed obvious that America was God's special country; a nation set apart for a purpose. Since God approved of America; she could use herself as the standard to judge the world; but if the world did not agree; America would enforce her righteousness with the sword; for the world's own good. The democracy exampled by the United States was exalted as God's anointed form of government; and the old autocracies of Europe were by definition evil. Once the structures of the Old World were destroyed; America's righteous democracy would usher in a new era of world righteousness; peace and unity; with the United States as the humble world leader. America's willingness to fight selflessly for the world was an example itself of her righteousness; never mind the fact that men had to be drafted into "selfless" sacrifice via the Selective Service.The arrogance is astounding; and a reader cannot help but wonder how much of the progressive attitude of aggressive American superiority remains today. It wasn't enough for Americans to believe that they had the best nation in the world; they insisted on waging jihad to spread it to the rest of the unfortunate or unrighteous world. How have the progressive ideals affected current war policies? Is democracy truly a divinely ordained form of government? And if it is; ought we to forcefully spread it abroad? Gamble does not delve into these questions; but his book certainly causes a reader to ask them.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A Must ReadBy Mark CarltonMalcolm Muggeridge once observed that the "trouble with kingdoms of heaven on earth is that they're liable to come to pass; and then their fraudulence is apparent for all to see. We need a kingdom of heaven in Heaven; if only because it can't be realized."I have never come across a single volume that is a better illustration of Muggeridge's point that "The War for Righteousness.Gamble's book is important because Progressive Christianity; with its desire to build the kingdom of God on earth; is experiencing an amazing comeback in our time. While many fear the religious right history has shown us that the Utopian dream of the religious left is perhaps the greater danger. Gamble carefully documents where the kingdom builder took the nation the last time they held sway. The 125;000 Americans who lost their lives in their last attempt at kingdom building should serve as a warning not to be drawn into their "kingdom" rhetoric again.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Eric G. AndersonGreat
