 Cover artwork for first edition | |
| Author | Tom Harpur |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Comparative religion |
| Genre | Religion, history, Christianity |
| Publisher | Thomas Allen Publishers |
Publication date | 2004 |
| Publication place | Canada |
| Media type | Hardcover, Paperback, E-book |
| ISBN | 0-88762-145-7 |
| 270.1 | |
| Followed by | Water Into Wine: An Empowering Vision of the Gospels |
The Pagan Christ: Recovering the Lost Light is a 2004 non-fiction book by Canadian writer Tom Harpur (1929–2017), a former Anglican priest, journalist and professor of Greek and New Testament at the University of Toronto, which supports the Christ myth theory.[1] Harpur claims that the New Testament shares a large number of similarities with ancient Egyptian and other pagan religions, that early Church leaders fabricated a literal and human Jesus based on ancient myths and that we should return to an inclusive and universal religion where the spirit of Christ or Christos lives within each of us.
The book was named the Canadian non-fiction bestseller of the year by both the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. It was later released under the title The Pagan Christ: Is Blind Faith Killing Christianity? in the United States by Walker Books and in Australia by Allen Unwin. It has also been published in five other languages: in Montreal (Le Christ païen) by Éditions du Boréal, in the Netherlands (De heidense Christus) by Ankh-Hermes bv, in Germany (Der heidnische Heiland) by Ansata Verlag, in Brazil (O Cristo Dos Pagaos) by Editora Cultrix-Pensamento and in Japan (異教キリスト) by Basilico.[2][3] In 2007, the book became the basis for a CBC documentary, and that same year, Harpur published a more scholarly sequel entitled Water Into Wine: An Empowering Vision of the Gospels.
- ^ [1] "The Leading Religion Writer in Canada ... Does He Know What He's Talking About?" by W. Ward Gasque
- ^ "The Pagan Christ - Tom Harpur".
- ^ "Thomas Allen & Son".