I read Jesus Through Pagan Eyes: Bridging Neopagan Perspectives with a Progressive Vision of Christ, by Rev. Mark Townsend in almost one sitting (with a dinner break.) I found myself agreeing with Rev. Townsend more than disagreeing. He is a Christian and a Druid, and he really seems to be attempting to bridge the gap between Pagans and Christians, which is, in itself, very refreshing. It has a preface by Barbara Erskine, and a foreword by Matthew Fox.Part one of the book consists of seven chapters devoted to his personal beliefs about Jesus. He talks about the three different aspects of Jesus: The historical/human Jesus, the divine Jesus, and the Cosmic Jesus. He believes they are three different personas, and the second one is the interpreted Jesus by the church. The third one is the Jesus that is within all of us. Personally, I think Jesus just is Jesus -- more complex than any human being living today -- yet less complicated. The church complicates God much more than God needs to be complicated. The "Cosmic Christ" he refers to could also be the third member of the Holy "Trinity" -- the Spirit. The Spirit is within all life in the universe (or potential universes). The Spirit binds it all together. More precisely the Spirit is love, as I have stated before. I put Trinity in quotes, because I honestly believe that the Goddess is a fourth member of this divine family, as separate and distinct from God, as Jesus is from God.However the second persona is interesting. I think Rev Townsend refers to the God Christians have created to some degree.I think Reverend Townsend thinks the disciples took more liberty with Jesus' words than they did as well. Rev. Townsend thinks that Jesus couldn't possibly have pointed out that He is the son of God. I disagree with this point as well. Only God could have been humble, yet pointed out that He is God at the same time. God really isn't self-effacing; He is just not proud.....God has been married before, or was planning to marry Mary, Jesus' mother. The suspicion so many have that God was married before (whatever aspect of God you wish to discuss) is correct. God is not a hypocrite. God expects us to marry the people we sleep with and/or plan to sleep with. Mary did not want to marry God after becoming pregnant. That is why He covered Mary's sin. She did not get pregnant because it was "divinely ordained." It was not a conception without pleasure..... And she could still have been considered a virgin, because, well.... God doesn't make love to the body. Jesus makes love with my soul instead. That is why Jesus says He is sin.Rev. Townsend doesn't believe that Jesus rose again in the flesh. I must disagree with that as well. Jesus could raise Himself from the dead -- no problem for God to do. Not hard for the creator of this mess in the first place to do. He also doesn't seem to believe that the only way to God is through Jesus and I agree, on one level, this seems very true. But Jesus is with us all, and doesn't care what name you call Him, so long as He can have a relationship with you. So on another level, it isn't true at all.Other than those few points, I find myself agreeing more than disagreeing with Rev. Townsend.Part Two of the book is a collection of fifteen essays from respected Pagan clergy. Rev. Townsend didn't want to include Christo-Pagan perspectives. I found myself surprised at some of the actual reverence many of the Pagan authors had for Jesus. Part Three is a collection of shorter interviews with thirteen Pagan Elders including Selena Fox, Janet Farrar and Kerr Cuhulain. Most of them seemed to think a Christo-Pagan path is legitimate. A couple did not think that was really possible....Personally Jesus was one of the first that talked about Heaven. Someone in the book had a problem with Jesus saying that the Kingdom of Heaven was going to come about in His generation or the next.... Well the Kingdom of Heaven has been since before the Earth was created. The original statement was a bit cryptic, yet not inaccurate if you look at it a certain way. I agree with the author in that Jesus likes it when people think outside the box..... I also agreed with the author that the Kingdom of God is all around us. It just requires seeing the world with new eyes.... or being reborn to put in different words.Rev Townsend found a way to explain the Kingdom of God very well, and I applaud him for that. For the Kingdom of God encompasses Heaven but is much more than just Heaven. In that, I know that many people in the churches have those ideas confused.....Before reading this book I had many questions that couldn't be answered by sheer logic, faith, or any one approach, even when trying to totally engage with another's beliefs. It was like trying to put a many-piece puzzle together without knowing what the final picture would look like. Until now, I had figured out the enormous 'borrowing' that the Abrahamic religions had done from their earth-based Pagan roots. Never-mind demonizing those roots along the way in the name of politics, power and assets. Don't get me wrong, mine is a Christian upbringing of sorts, scared to death of the 'evil' departures from the church (as taught by the church).Then, along comes 'Jesus Through Pagan Eyes' (after having gotten well into reading some of the other works by the Pagan elders highlighted in sections 2 and 3). First Mark Townsend dissects (creates a trinity!) Jesus into 3 parts: the human guy who lived; the Christ of the church and doctrine; and the universal or "cosmic" Jesus. Okay- now I get a lot of it because in 3 buckets it makes more sense: the flesh & blood who walked the earth and is part of history; the stories, canon, rules, and stuff that gets you in trouble when you can't help but stray; and the universal that makes sense to those who study eastern philosophy, or like me, believe that "God" (or the "Source") is bigger than our religions. "Who" gets to be "right"?-- LOTS of wars have been fought over this, huh? Well maybe (just maybe) there is isn't just "one" "right," and Mark Townsend has found a way to raise the question, without alienating bunches of people (and on purpose). The common threads are there if one looks as he does in this book (pgs. 67-68) -- For example, the winter solstice falling in the darkest part of the year becomes a celebration of light returning, as Christmas celebrates light (Jesus was most likely born in Spring), as the Hindu celebrate Diwali and Jewish Chanukah; all celebrations of light.There are many 'ah-ha' moments in reading this book in that the pieces of the scattered puzzle come together so eloquently. The author's style is nicely conversational, and academically well footnoted. I will check out the suggestions for further reading in the back. I too enjoyed Bishop Spong's 'Why Christianity Must Change or Die,' but this book goes further and without condemning. In a world that seems to become more divided over politics, religion, or any other 'excuse,' this book dares to show us there is a cross roads and it's right in front of us if we're willing to open our minds to the possibilities. It also poignantly illustrates how our own 'growth' comes from the 'challenges' we face in life-changing events. (How, as the author says, the light only escapes through the cracks in the jar with the candle in it. I really like that story.)Quoting Fr. Richard Rohr (p.93): "You're doing God and the gospel no favour to project all of this power onto Jesus, and therefore suck it out of the rest of the universe." Now with that tidbit, I'm not saying 'the butler did it,' but there's a whole lot of context to go read and enjoy. This is not at all a typical book on theology or philosophy, but it's sure to enlighten the minds that are open to it (and perhaps many who may think they aren't). And you don't need to leave your beliefs outside the cover!Not wicked, heretical or evil- very theological and affirming. As a retired Christian pastor, if we only know one spiritual path it’s hard to distinguish our culture from our faith. I learned a lot about Jesus in this book, things I knew in my heart all along. We are not mere observers in the world, we are participants. Once we can know and feel how we are part of the problem, it’s much easier to become a part of solution.