Censoring God - The History of the Lost Books (And Other Excluded Scriptures)

Why isn't the Book of Enoch in the Holy Bible, even though Enoch is referenced multiple times? Why were texts considered sacred by many, excluded by others? Who made the decisions and why?

There are more than 50 books-some of which exist only in fragments while others are complete and whole-that are not included in the biblical canon. Why were they discarded? Most Protestant denominations settled on 66 canonical books of the Bible, while there are 73 for Roman Catholics and 78 for Eastern Orthodox adherents. Why are there these differences of opinion?

We are often taught that the Bible is, in the words of many religious catechisms, "the infallible word of faith and practice." In reality, the Bible can also be seen as a political document as much as a spiritual one. Ordained minister and theologian Jim Willis examines the historical, political, and social climates that influenced the redactors and editors of the Bible and other sacred texts in Censoring God: The History of the Lost Books (and other Excluded Scriptures). In analyzing why texts were censored, he uncovers sometimes surprising biases. He investigates enigmatic hints of Bible codes and ancient wisdom that implies a greater spiritual force might have been at work. Willis explores the importance of the Book of Enoch, its disappearance, and how it was rediscovered in Ethiopia. He analyzes over two dozen excluded texts, such as Jubilees and the Gospel of Thomas, along with the many references to books that we know about from fragments but remain lost.

Thought-provoking and provocative, Censoring God scrutinizes how sacred texts might have been used to justify the power of the powerful, including the destruction of sacred writings of conquered indigenous cultures because they did not agree with the finished version of the Bible accepted by the Church establishment. This important book looks at the human failings in interpreting God's words, and through a compassionate examination it brings a deeper understanding of the power and importance of those words. With more than 120 photos and graphics, this tome is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography provides sources for further exploration, and an extensive index adds to its usefulness.

List of contents

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

Part I: From the Lands of the Bible: Books that Didn't Make the Final Cut

Who Wrote the Bible?

The "Old" Testament

How Did the Old Testament become "Old"?

The Bible Code: Hidden Messages from Another Realm?

Hiding in Plain Sight: The Apocrypha

A Genesis Apocryphon

Enoch and the Watchers

Pseudepigrapha and Other Disguises

Other Gems from the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Lost Books of Eden

There Were Giants in the Land

The Great Flood

The Journeys of Abraham

Chariots of Fire

The New Testament

The Shadow of the Fourth Century

Treasures of Nag Hammadi

Out of Egypt

The Protoevangelium of James

The Gospel of Thomas

The Mysterious Mary of Magdalene

The Censored Gospel in Item 17,202

The Hidden Years

Shrouded in Mystery: The Enigmatic Shroud of Turin

Conclusions: A Personal Confession

Part II: Lost Texts from Forgotten Lands

The Mysterious Maya

The Aztec Story as Told by the Victors

Hopi Renaissance

Peru in the Mists of Time

Nature Reclaims the Amazon

Conclusions

Part III: The Song of Distant Voices

Corpus Hermeticum-The Lament of Hermes the Egyptian

Daniel's Dream

II Timothy-Saint Paul's Final Warning

The Apocalypse of Saint John

Conclusions

Of Gatekeepers and Censorship: Final Thoughts

Bibliography

Index

About the author

Jim Willis earned his master's degree in theology from Andover Newton Theological School, and he has been an ordained minister for over forty years. He has also taught college courses in comparative religion and cross-cultural studies. His background in theology and education led to his writing more than a dozen books on religion, the apocalypse, cross-cultural spirituality, and the mysteries of the unknown. His books include Visible Ink Press' Ancient Gods: Lost Histories, Hidden Truths, and the Conspiracy of Silence; Supernatural Gods: Spiritual Mysteries, Psychic Experiences, and Scientific Truths; The Religion Book; Hidden History: Ancient Aliens and the Suppressed Origins of Civilization; and Lost Civilizations: The Secret Histories and Suppressed Technologies of the Ancients. Willis resides in the woods of South Carolina with his wife, Barbara.

Summary

Why isn’t the Book of Enoch in the Holy Bible, even though Enoch is referenced multiple times? Why were texts considered sacred by many, excluded by others? Who made the decisions and why?

There are more than 50 books—some of which exist only in fragments while others are complete and whole—that are not included in the biblical canon. Why were they discarded? Most Protestant denominations settled on 66 canonical books of the Bible, while there are 73 for Roman Catholics and 78 for Eastern Orthodox adherents. Why are there these differences of opinion?

We are often taught that the Bible is, in the words of many religious catechisms, “the infallible word of faith and practice.” In reality, the Bible can also be seen as a political document as much as a spiritual one. Ordained minister and theologian Jim Willis examines the historical, political, and social climates that influenced the redactors and editors of the Bible and other sacred texts in Censoring God: The History of the Lost Books (and other Excluded Scriptures). In analyzing why texts were censored, he uncovers sometimes surprising biases. He investigates enigmatic hints of Bible codes and ancient wisdom that implies a greater spiritual force might have been at work. Willis explores the importance of the Book of Enoch, its disappearance, and how it was rediscovered in Ethiopia. He analyzes over two dozen excluded texts, such as Jubilees and the Gospel of Thomas, along with the many references to books that we know about from fragments but remain lost.

Thought-provoking and provocative, Censoring God scrutinizes how sacred texts might have been used to justify the power of the powerful, including the destruction of sacred writings of conquered indigenous cultures because they did not agree with the finished version of the Bible accepted by the Church establishment. This important book looks at the human failings in interpreting God’s words, and through a compassionate examination it brings a deeper understanding of the power and importance of those words. With more than 120 photos and graphics, this tome is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography provides sources for further exploration, and an extensive index adds to its usefulness.

Additional text

“Censoring God is about books that didn’t make it into the Bible: not just the Apocrypha but apocryphal gospels, different versions of the Genesis Creation story and much more.” – Fortean Times

Product details

• Authors: Jim Willis
• Publisher: Visible Ink Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.04.2021
• EAN: 9781578597376
• ISBN: 978-1-57859-737-6
• No. of pages: 336
• Series: Real Unexplained!; The Real Unexplained! Collection
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Christianity; RELIGION / Religion, Politics & State, RELIGION / Christianity / History, RELIGION / Biblical Studies / Bible Study Guides, RELIGION / Christian Theology / History