The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity

Overall I enjoyed this book. The text was very readable and engaging. The story of the authors' journey across Europe to discover mushrooms in sacred art read like a well-paced thriller. They spent quite a bit of time on their backstory with their experiences of psychedelic substances, which set the scene for their interest in finding the importance of mushrooms in Christian art. The reason I give it a 4 star instead of 5 is that after presenting all this backstory and the handful of depictions of mushrooms, the end of the book seemed to fall off this kind of precipice. They had a chapter that discussed the possible use of entheogens in Jesus' time based on loose readings of the for canonical gospels and some of the Gnostic gospels and then just sort of said that's it, where should this study go from here? The rest of the book read like a study proposal and suggestions for decriminalizing natural psychoactive substances, which I thought was a departure from the main point of the book.

Considering there aren't many books on the subject matter, I appreciate the authors attempt to write a book on the subject. The book is an easy read, grade school. Many examples the author uses and credits himself with are plainly obvious or painfully blown out of porportion. I recommend reading it but grab a used copy, it isnt worth $20.

Like the other very favorable reviews (most here are), I find this book enlightening and, after reading the last chapter calling for the formation of a committee of diverse backgrounds to further assess the authors' findings and conclusions, quite possible a very important book. I already think it is but would like to follow what an eventual cross-pollinated committee would find. Being a retired university professor and one trained in academic research, I very much like the way the authors (one of which is an academic and the other a therapist) use specific criteria for their observations to be admitted as evidence. The observation journey to parts of the world are fascinating as well as Julie's photographs of the observations being admitted for evidence. I am 67 years old but as early as 4th or 5th grade I thought much of what I was hearing in our Methodist churches had to be symbols and should not be taken literally. But I now live in the 'bible belt" of the US and find that most people here do take things very literally from their translation of the bible and what their preachers tell them. I hope that Jerry and Julie's book continues in the trend of offering something to enlighten Christians to other views, which they can confirm or refute on their own. But at least the world has a fascinating and well written set of hypotheses and conclusions to consider. I look forward to following their further work.

It's a page-turner! I'm impressed by the impeccable scholarship and research that went into this work. "The Psychedelic Gospels" is an entertaining delight of thought-provoking exploration. Beyond the years of study that underlie the story, there's a feeling of synchronicity and synergy. It's a love story, as a husband and wife make discovery after discovery, leading to a reconsideration of the foundations and roots of Christianity. This is an authoritative and fascinating contribution to the study of human religion; particularly with regard to entheogens and their place in spiritual practices worldwide. I love the sense of shared exploration, and especially the amazing art revealed. The mysticism and ritual of sacred psychedelic symbolism woven into early Christian artworks are mind-blowing, hidden in plain sight. With this book, we join an unimagined journey.

A wonderfully researched book with abundant source photos that should prove beyond any doubt that there was an esoteric psychedelic community in Christianity for well over a thousand years. A practice that presumably still has adherents in the private sphere. The narrative is strongly reinforced by the results of the FDA's approved research at John Hopkins that gave 36 non illegal drug using religious people a strong dose of psilocybin, the active ingredient from these mushrooms. The goal was to see if a true mystical could be reliable produced in this manner and it did for about two-thirds of the participants. The visible return of interest in mysticism cannot but enrich the contemporary religious experience in a very important ecumenical manner. The authors are due much thanks and appreciation for their explorations.

I finished this book in one day - yes, it is that good! It is easy to read, very informative, and most importantly, makes a cogent, articulate, and well-documented (with photos!) case for the presence and toleration of psychedelic mushrooms in early Christian history. The book is written in a very human, conversational style without being overly academic nor pretentious. I cannot recommend this book enough. Orthodox Christians be warned - this book raises some very real and troubling questions about the ethics and behaviour of the Catholic Church, ones which we (Westerners) are still grappling with today. I would also recommend in conjunction with this John Marco Allegro's "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross" as well as "Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality" by Gordon Wasson, although these aren't necessary to comprehending the themes of this book; they simply cover similar ground and the crossover is easy (I have read all three). Cheers!

This is an interesting study of the possible use of entheogenic mushrooms within the context of Christianity. Drawing evidence from European Christian art and manuscripts, the authors make a fairly convincing case for mushroom use in medieval Europe.

Fabulous book

Very enjoyable read, food for thought

Religion is integrated into every persons world picture in one way or another. Here is some informationthat might broaden your horizons. Various natural substances that alter perception have always been present in the environment. Modern " religions " do more to control and contain consciousness than expand it , and re-writeand edit along the way to accentuate their own vested interests. Shaman of every culture have traditionallyexperimented with altered realities to obtain insights and visions. These authors present compelling , well organized and documented evidence of the use of magic mushrooms in early Christianity. For instance , one of the most interesting facts to me is that dried amanita muscaria mushrooms when added to water turn it red. Was itthe addition of dried mushrooms that " turned the water into wine " ? If you understand the principle of Occams' Razor you can extrapolate that one for yourself. Basically , they had a spiritual event akin to a modern rock concert. No wonder everybody " got off " on it. The book is full of similar revelations and is a must read.

The premise of this book is probably rather controversial which makes sense given that it shakes the foundation of one of the world's major religions.However, when approached with an open mind this book has many great points to support this premise. Even more so when able to see some of the evidence in real life, which I was fortunate enough to be able to do last summer, I have to thank the authors for inspiring a great road trip by the way.Besides laying out arguments and “looking through Soma eyes” what makes this book great is the relationship between the authors, Jerry and Julie Brown. As readers we get to travel along with them on this journey and through many wonderful anecdotes and stories, this book is much more than scientific research, it's a fascinating story about a married couple traveling together while looking into a very interesting aspect of Christianity's origins.“We drove by fields of golden sunflowers bordered by elegant rows of poplar trees. We loved the absolute freedom, untethered from televisions and telephones, from grinding cycles of bad news. The unpredictability of changing plans at a moment's notice to chase down rumors of enigmatic frescoes. But most of all, we relished the adventure of traveling with a purpose. To be sure, it is liberating to put a knapsack on your back, to be a vagabond, wandering any way the wind blows. But for us it was much more rewarding to be on a quest, ears, and eyes ever alert for clues, for a glimpse of angels in the architecture.”This is what makes this book such an enjoyable read, a combination of a personal journey and compelling evidence.The overall message of this book is as intriguing as it is profound, posing a valuable question about our history and culture. I would recommend it to anyone even if they're skeptical about the premise.