Publisher's Synopsis
This book may be read as a folk-tale carrying a firm religious message. It is interesting from many points of view. Theologically, it has important things to say about one's firmness and steadfast belief in God - internally or externally - their eternal and never-ending search for the basis for this belief, and their willingness to accept the consequences for those beliefs. Socially, it unmasks the underlying and deep-rooted fountains of centuries of prejudices in developing the corpus of western religiosity as we now know it. It is the story of a historical journey of a traveler to observe the ever-changing Shadows in the Halls of Dreams into the innermost Chambers of The Hearts of Humanity. There were diversions on many occasions along his journey. Despite these diversions, he continued his journey while stopping and performing acts of human kindness which allowed him opportunities to witness important historical changes in the evolution of the Christian faith. His diversions were not at all illusionary; rather, they were the vivid underpinning of the human spirit. They were really our own annoyances which accompanied him as he journeyed across the pages of history at the dawn of the new faith. His diversions called attention to the true nature of his passion and unrelenting regard for life which underlined his encounters with overbearing conflicts and decisions he faced during his journey. While searching for material for this book, - although it may be read as folklore, it was no small part of my intention to enable readers to study the theological writings - including those outside the familiar corpus of our religious upbringing. My primary intention was to invite inquiry to give an open view of the controversies in which our ecclesiastical journey was engaged. I decided that perhaps a simple presentation of another viewpoint would also help the reader to tear away the accumulated cobwebs of centuries of error in their religious views with unsparing hands. The readers will recognize the large shadow of cognitive dissonance that has been cast over our libraries of knowledge where truth is stored. Thankfully, the Talmud and the Samarian Pentateuch are becoming better known and are living closer together. A simpler version of the Peshitta now offers the Syriac form of Eastern Aramaic for greater understanding. The Targums reflecting both Babylon and the Land of Israel have been translated for Aramaic-speaking Jews. The Alexandrian Septuagint (LXX) for Greek-speaking Jews is now quoted by the New Testament and the Apostolic Fathers. Jerome's Latin Vulgate of the Roman Catholic Church now showcases Middle Ages western Christianity. The Torah is opening for a clearer midrashic and rabbinic meaning. The redaction of the Mishna has insured continuity of details of the Jewish oral traditions dating from Pharisaic times. The Holy Koran, the Bhagavad Gita, the Rig Vedas, the Sutras, and the Upanishads are being explained in more comprehensive and sensible fashion to the modern mind. The Qumran Scrolls, authenticated with Flavius Josephus Antiquities now shed new light on the state of the Hebrews as they developed their texts at the turn of the first century. As you can see, the shadows are slowly beginning to inch toward each other tinted with faint rays of veracity and unfettered understanding. The journey ends with the finality of self-identification with the King by a life-long effort of giving service and love to the lowliest and most miserable aspects of humankind. At the end, the traveler realized that affirmation of spiritual awareness is consummated only in service.
