Many would dismiss the idea of Christianity before Christ as being ridiculous without looking at any evidence. Yet some church fathers have admitted that the Christian religion did in fact exist before the Christian era, including St. Augustine himself who said, "The very thing which is now called the Christian religion existed among the ancients also, nor was it wanting from the inception of the human race until the coming of Christ in the flesh, at which point the true religion which was already in existence began to be called Christian." This is an important book for those interested enough to look at valid research. It approaches the subject from a general church view and a Gnostic point of view, plus chapters on The Hebrew Scriptures, Non-Jewish Evidence, The Sun-God of the New Testament, and Sun-God Worship in the Days of the Fathers. A man named Jesus may still have existed, but a number of pagan mythologies involving the sun may have been added into the story of his life in order to bring the more stubborn pagans of the time into the Christian fold. This timeless story should not diminish Christianity, but should enhance it with a deeper spiritual value for those willing to shed a strict dogmatic viewpoint. It can be difficult to fully understand our older religions because of their age and the changes that occur over time, but this book goes back to uncover some of the more interesting elements that are shown to exist. It fits well for the more modern world, as we continue to gain a better understanding of ourselves and the origins of our beliefs.
