Lost Christianity: A Journey of Rediscovery

I have to give some personal background to situate myself. I am a Hare Krishna devotee exploring Christianity again. This book was valuable because of its orientation. It is focused simultaneously on Needleman's personal journey to find the answers to some key questions about Christianity, and the development of a practical orientation which, I firmly believe, the reader will take away, never forget, and use. Among the fascinating people one meets are an Eastern Orthodox cleric, a mysterious Christian monk evidently from Egypt, and a Western Catholic priest - each of whom is onto something no one else seems to be. No superficial book this; for people who are serious and uncompromising in their quest for spiritual development on an ongoing basis. Practical, private, powerful; not doctrine. Engrossing. Turned it around and began it again; ordered several copies for friends.

I must agree with a previous reviewer who claimed that this book challenges the reader to re-think almost everything they understand about "lost" Christianity. Needleman does not present another work on Gnosticism, Christian contemplation, esoteric teachings, or hidden gospels; instead he indicates that a change of heart (an almost ontological change, and not merely one in thought and emotion) is necessary for even the most rudimentary Christian teachings to take root and become REAL in a person's lived experience. Professor Needleman's writing is superb, with insightful (DEEPLY insightful) comments abounding (in some places, I flagged one or two sentences per paragraph, which is rare). The only "drawback" is that it is up to the reader to find the spiritual guidance necessary to maintain the Question, to develop the unity of purpose needed to realize the Christian gospel (or any other wisdom teachings, for that matter). At least I have a clearer notion of what I am seeking and of what I need to make my Buddhist and Christian spiritual practices REAL. I am definitely going to reread this book. Highly, highly recommended.

This book is a must read for people of any faith (or no faith, for that matter). Having read other books by this author, and having learned much from them, I decided to give it a read. Granted, there was some skepticism ("Another book on 'lost' Christianity?"). These reservations ceased within a few pages. This book changed everything I've ever thought about the Christian faith (and I've read many of the "classics" on Christian esotericism). Jacob Needleman presents this book in two parts: part one, entitled "Three Christians" is devoted to examining the ideas of an Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and one other Christian. Part two is "The Lost Doctrine of the Soul" and covers many diverse areas of "intermediate Christianity". There are not many books which have moved and led me to re-think everything I thought I "knew" about Christianity as this one by Jacob Needleman. Very highly recommended!

His main premise is that Christianity has lost any real means of spiritualy transforming people. That the methods that teach us the "how to" have been lost or replaced with emotional indulgance pretending to be spirituality. As Needleman says "all real religions produce results." The inability for mainstream Chrisitian chruches to do that and even keep members is a sobering reminder that something has gone wrong within western Christianity. So professor Needleman turns to the more intact Eastern Orthodox Church and does this by using several contemporary Christian thinkers and some of the Orthodox Saints like St. Symeon the New Theologian and St. Gregory Palamas, Thomas Merton, Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, Gurdjieff, and Father Sylvan (it is debateble if Father Sylvan was real, but if he was, I sure hope Prof. Needleman publishes this man's manuscript, hint hint). To illustrate modern Christianity's plight.Though I have a problem with his inclusion of Gurdjieff. Gurdjieff teachings were not necessarily Christian per se. Gurdjieff advocated the path of the householder not the monk nor the priest. Christianity has no path for the householder who wishes to pursue theosis.He's right in my opinion, if you examine the Philokalia, though comments from St. Maximus the Confessor, or St. Symeon the New Theologian supports Needleman's assertion that methods once existed for transformation. Though not couched in our modern day verbage, but it's there if you can see. BTW Needlman illustrates this via St. Symeon's understanding on how to fulfill the Sermon on the Mount show just how far away we are from being Christians.But as Needleman implies it is not a continuous or living tradition like Sufism or Buddhism where the teachings can be passed on from teacher to student. Instead it is lost and sometimes someone is able to reconstitute "lost Christianity" though it dies again with the teacher. This is still the crux of the matter. He does'nt offer a solution to this though. He essentially puts the onus on the seeker. This is no "new age" tract by any means nor a how-to book. It is more along the lines of a question and search. Prof. Needleman does a fine job footnoting, and referencing writings for his argument. Not to mention being a fine writer to boot. But this book is a slow read because he covers concepts that quite unfamiliar to most. If you want easy to read get Chopra. I'd recommend this book to any Christian who's curious as to what happened to spiritual component in Christianity. He does not try to steer you to another religion as some suggested. But to re-examine it in a new light.Sadly like so many books of this kind it is out of print and instead we get Chorpa, Redfield and the Prayer of Jabez (sigh). I'd also recommend Man and Nature by Hossein Nasr for overview of what's happened to the west and modern Christianity. Waking Up by transpersonal psychologist Charles Tart on the pychology and mechanics of human perception, understanding, and waking up

Jacob Needleman has had the courage to re-examine the most basic assumptions about what Jesus intended to communicate, and he does so by sharing the most deeply held thoughts of several extraordinary Christian thinkers today. "All real religion produces results," Needleman writes, and the inability of many of the modern organized Christian churches to do that -- to transform the thought and lives of believers as radically as primitive Christianity did -- reflects the spiritual atrophy that only a rigorous re-thinking of the original Christian ideas can correct. This book can spark your own part in that re-thinking...