Many years of study of Christian origins have convinced some of us that it is impossible to be absolutely certain historically of any objective fact relating to the life of Jesus as handed on by tradition. -from the Foreword How much of the New Testament gospel story is true? This is the stunning question posed-and answered-in this provocative volume, first published in 1903 and just as startling today as it must have been a century ago. Mead, considered one of the greatest thinkers on the origins of Christianity and a renowned expert on Gnostic and Hermetic literature, considers the story of Jesus from a theosophical outlook, one that embraces the unifying, enlightening philosophies that underlie all religions. His explorations of the unclear boundaries between history and myth-and how they affect the modern Judeo-Christian traditions, practices, and beliefs-is a thoroughly humanistic one of immense value today, as we struggle to balance faith with secularism in our society. Also...