Unveiling Christianity
Christianity had its beginnings in Judaism and in the life and teachings of a Jew who lived two thousand years ago in the town of Nazareth (in what is now northern Israel). Today, he is known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, but his original name was Jeshua ben Joseph, that is, Jesus son of his father Joseph. Jesus’ life and teachings provided the impetus for the early Christian religion. However, the most influential early Christian theologians tended to bypass Jesus’ fundamental teachings: love, forgiveness, peace, and the kingdom of God (Love) dwelling within each and every one of us. By the early 4th century CE, the Christian religion was largely ignoring the teachings of Jesus. Then, in 380 CE, the Roman Catholic Church had become the official religion of the Roman Empire, with profound social and spiritual control over the populace.
Unveiling Christianity is intended to help Christians who love and believe in Jesus and his teachings of love and forgiveness to understand that much of Christian dogma that emerged in the Christian religion is both untrue and in direct opposition to Jesus’ teachings.
Note: CE stands for Common Era, which began with the birth of Jesus.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1. Introduction to Christianity
CHAPTER 2. The Origin of God
CHAPTER 3. Hebrew Bible
CHAPTER 4. Biblical Archeology
CHAPTER 5. New Testament
CHAPTER 6. Critical Research on the Bible
CHAPTER 7. Reincarnation as Revealed in the Bible
CHAPTER 8. Kingpins of Christianity
CHAPTER 9. Original Sin
CHAPTER 10. History of Heaven and Hell
CHAPTER 11. The Delusion of Satan
CHAPTER 12. The Second Coming and the Afterlife
CHAPTER 13. Christianity: Religion of Fear and Hope
CHAPTER 14. The Christianity and Science Schism
CHAPTER 15. The History and Threat of Christian Nationalism
CHAPTER 16. Discover Jesus without Dogma
CHAPTER 17. Healing from Toxic Theology
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John, chapter 4:8
The Christian religion has impacted a significant portion of humanity for well over fifteen hundred years. The majority of Christians are Christians because of their parents’ influence. Christian dogma is unquestioned by most Christians due to their parents’ influence and because the dogma has been so prevalent in our culture—so many people believe it’s true, so it must be true. However, much of it is just not true. Churches have long ignored the truth that God’s Spirit dwells within every one of us, despite clear statements in the gospels affirming our divine nature… Click here for more…
How could God, who is eternal—without beginning or end, have an origin? Here we consider God historically, as having arisen from among a group of ancient deities. In this chapter, we discuss Christianity’s place among the major religions of today’s world and several aspects of the origin of the Christian conception of God. The sections are as follows:
- Religion in the Modern World
- Origins of Religion
- Yahweh and Associated Deities
- Countless Deities and Demons
- Who Represents the One True God?
- God as Love
Hebrew Bible
Upcoming
Biblical Archaeology
Upcoming
New Testament
Upcoming
Critical Research on the Bible
Upcoming
Reincarnation Revealed in the Bible
Upcoming
Kingpins of Christianity
Upcoming
Original Sin
Upcoming
The Delusion of Satan
Upcoming
History of Heaven and Hell
Upcoming
Christianity: Religion of Fear and Hope
Upcoming
Healing from Toxic Theology
Upcoming
U.S. Christianity Today
Upcoming
Jesus without Dogma
Upcoming
Unveiling Christianity References
Note: Book titles are linked to amazon.com, which offers numerous book reviews.
This library presents the following categories:
Ancient Israel
Romer, Thomas
by Thomas Romer, 303 pages (2015)
Thomas Romer is the Professor of the Hebrew Bible at the College de France and a professor at the University of Lausanne.
Video: Yhwh, a God of the Wilderness: A Biblical and Extrabiblical Investigation
Smith, Mark S.
by Mark S. Smith, 243 pages (2002)
Biblical Archeology
Dever, William G.
by William Dever, 280 pages (2006)
William G. Dever is a professor emeritus of Near Eastern archaeology and anthropology at the University of Arizona, a leading expert in his field.
Video: Prof. William G. DeverFinkelstein, Israel and Silberman, Neil Asher
by Professor Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman, 385 pages (2001)
Comparative Religion
Armstrong, Karen
by Karen Armstrong, 459 pages (1993)
by Karen Armstrong, 512 pages (2014)
Website: Charterforcompassion.org
Video: Karen Armstrong: 2008 TED Prize wish: Charter for Compassion
Freke, Timothy and Gandy
Jesus and the Lost Goddess: The Secret Teachings of the Original Christians
by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy, 336 pages (2002)
The Jesus Mysteries: Was the “Original Jesus” a Pagan God?
by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy, 368 pages (2001)
Timothy Freke is a best-selling author of more than twenty books and is an authority on world spirituality.
O'Donnell, James
Pagans: The End of Traditional Religion and the Rise of Christianity
by James O’Donnell, 288 pages (2016)
Rubenstein, Richard
When Jesus Became God: The Struggle to Define Christianity During the Last Days of Rome
by Richard Rubenstein, 288 pages (2000)
Wright, Robert
by Robert Wright, 565 pages (2009)
This book was one of three finalists for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction.
Video: The Evolution of God | Robert Wright | Talks at Google
Dead Sea Scrolls
Vermes, Geza, (Translator)
Translated by Geza Vermes, 698 pages (2012)
Early Christianity
Ehrman, Bart D.
by Bart Ehrman, 307 pages (2011)
by Bart Ehrman, 294 pages (2008)
by Bart Ehrman, 326 pages (2020)
How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher
by Bart Ehrman, 416 pages (2014)
by Bart Ehrman, 326 pages (2016)
by Bart Ehrman, 294 pages (2003)
by Bart Ehrman, 342 pages (2003)
by Bart Ehrman, 256 pages (2005)
by Bart Ehrman, 335 pages (2018)
MacMullen, Ramsay, Ph.D
by Ramsay MacMullen, Ph.D, 183 pages (1984)
Dr. Ramsay MacMullen has authored over a dozen books.
Pagels, Elaine, Ph.D.
by Elaine Pagels, 189 pages (1988)
by Elaine Pagels, 257 pages (2005)
by Elaine Pagels, 182 pages (1979)
by Elaine Pagels, 214 pages (1995)
by Elaine Pagels, 244 pages (2012)
Dr. Elaine Pagels in an American historian of early Christianity and author of New York Times bestselling books. She and her books have received many prestigious awards. She is the Huntington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University.
Pryse, James Morgan
by James Morgan Pryse, 106 pages (1904)
James Morgan Pryse was a publisher, author, and a theosophist who published several books on religion in the 1900s.
Spong, John Shelby
by John Shelby Spong, 416 pages (2016)
by John Shelby Spong, 342 pages (2013)
by John Shelby Spong, 316 pages (2007)
by John Shelby Spong, 315 pages (2005)
by John Shelby Spong, 267 pages (1991)
John Shelby Spong was a retired American bishop of the Episcopal Church, who had served as Bishop from 1979 to 2000. This liberal theologian and New York Times bestselling author has written over two dozen books on Christianity. He has received many awards, including the 1999 Humanist of the Year.
Wilken, Robert Lewis, Ph.D.
by Robert Lewis Wilken, 214 pages (2003)
Dr. Robert Lewis Wilken is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of the History of Christianity, professor emeritus at the University of Virginia. He is past president of the American Academy of Religion and author of ten books about Christianity.
Early Judaism
Friedman, Richard Elliott
Richard Elliott Friedman is a biblical scholar, author of multiple books, and winner of numerous awards and honors.
Website: RichardElliottFriedman.com
Video: Who Actually Wrote the Bible and What is the Origin?! [2019]
History of Christianity
De Rosa, Peter
by Peter De Rosa, 484 pages (1988, 2000)
International Best Seller
Freeman, Charles
by Charles Freeman, 432 pages (2002)
Website: csis.org/people/charles-freeman
Gonzales, Justo L., Ph.D.
by Justo L. Gonzales, Ph.D., 510 pages (2010)
by Justo L. Gonzales, Ph.D., 550 pages (2010)
MacCulloch, Diarmaid
by Diarmaid MacCulloch, 1,161 pages (2007
by Diarmaid MacCulloch, 792 pages (2003)
Diarmaid MacCulloch holds a Doctor of Divinity degree from the University of Oxford. He and his books have garnered many awards.
Nixey, Catherine
by Catherine Nixey, 315 pages (2017)
Named Book of the Year by The Telegraph, The Spectator, The Observer, and BBC History Magazine
Video: Darkening Age : The Christian Destruction of the Classical World
Shelley, Bruce L., Ph.D.
by Bruce L. Shelley, 541 pages (2008, 2013)
Scripture
Metzger, Bruce M. (Translator)
Translator Bruce M. Metzger; by NRSV Bible Translation Committee, 1,600 pages (1989)
This edition of the Holy Bible is most commonly preferred by biblical scholars today.
Meyer, Marvin W. (Editor)
Edited by Marvin W. Meyer, 844 pages (2009)
This is the English-language edition of the library of Gnostic manuscripts which were discovered in Egypt in 1945. Among the many Gnostic gospels and sacred texts is the Gospel of Thomas, which consists of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus.
Theology
Aquinas, Thomas
Augustine of Hippo
by Saint Augustine of Hippo – Illustrated, 1,184 pages (426, 2003) Penguin Classics edition
by St. Augustine of Hippo with translation by Maria Boulding, 304 pages (400, 2002)
Puryear, Herbert Bruce , Ph.D.
by Herbert Bruce Puryear, Ph.D., 262 pages (1992)
Spong, John Shelby
by John Shelby Spong, 268 pages (2009)
Trends in Christianity
Balmer, Randall, Ph.D.
by Randall Balmer, Ph.D., 120 pages (2021)
Barr, Beth Allison, Ph.D.
by Beth Allison Barr, Ph.D., 245 pages (2021)
Hedges, Chris
by Chris Hedges, 254 pages (2008)
Chris Hedges authored multiple books and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2002 as a reporter at the New York Times.
Video: A Conversation with Chris Hedges: Corporate Totalitarianism
Kruse, Kevin M., Ph.D.
by Kevin M. Kruse, Ph.D., 352 pages (2015)
Dr. Kevin Kruse is an award-winning author.
Website: KevinKruse.com
MacLean, Nancy, Ph.D.
By Nancy MacLean, Ph.D., 334 pages (2017)
Dr. Nancy MacLean is an award-winning author.
McCammon, Sarah
by Sarah McCammon, 310 pages (2024)
Nelson, Anne
by Anne Nelson, 394 pages (2019)
Anne Nelson has won multiple awards for her journalism, books and research.
Website: Anne-Nelson.com
Video: Anne Nelson: Inside the Radical Right’s Shadow Network
Seidel, Andrew L.
by Andrew L. Seidel, 338 pages (2019)
Website: AndrewLSeidel.com
Stewart, Katherine
by Katherine Stewart, 342 pages (2019)