Book Review and Giveaway: Contrary to Popular Belief by Neil Anthes

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge,froAuthoright Marketing & Publicity,  for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own.




Welcome to our spot on the tour, today!

This new thought-provoking novel  is inspired by Christian faith, and the quest for truth, 
and comes out next week.

Synopsis:

Did early Christianity evolve from Roman culture and customs? Was it based on truth?  Were the social issues of the early Roman Empire a driving force to adapt old customs to a new philosophy?

A young Hebrew man seeks answers beyond his religious traditions by spending fifteen years travelling and studying spiritual principles in India and Alexandria, Egypt. Upon returning to his homeland his message of self-awareness is feared by the elders and Temple priests. At the same time the ruling elite in Rome are determined to use this controversy to their advantage. Keen to find a solution to the social and economic issues that have developed after their relentless conquests of foreign lands, they find that the young man's spiritual message can be altered to suit their needs.

Contrary to Popular Belief is a thought-provoking novel inspired by Christian faith, and the quest for truth. 

Book Excerpt:

The Teacher has recently returned to his village after fifteen years of travel and study. After much reflection, he decides to start giving Lessons beyond his immediate village. He has just finished his first lecture.

Teacher ended the first session; he wanted his listeners to ponder on this concept. He knew it was foreign and not everyone would want to abandon the ways of their ancestors and traditions. His culture viewed God as outside of the human dimension, who would deliver them to the Promised Land somewhere in the desert. He was saying the opposite. Our Creator was found within the heart of each and every being. The Promised Land was a state of being or awareness one could achieve by following the True laws of Nature, the laws of the Creator. He acknowledged the comfort the past brings to current life and its value for stable cultures. However, he also knew it was smothering the individual spirit. Each person needed to learn that a life of health, happiness and true self-expression is created by a connection with his inner divine source.

Jeshua walked quietly back to the village. The elders said he was opening up the minds and hearts of the people. He remained silent. He thought of Matthos and realized he may have to accelerate his plan. Gatherings in any of the provinces always attracted the attention of the Roman soldiers. His fear was not for himself, for he would accept whatever fate would be decreed upon him. His concern was for the survival of Truth. The Lessons must be copied and hidden in the well. It would take some time, but he felt Matthos could work accurately and quickly. Perhaps Thomas could help when he was away from teaching the young children. The challenge would be to get enough papyri from other villages or the traders passing by.

Review:

First off, this is a NOVEL. It is NOT meant to be fact or history. It takes the missing portion of the bible,m in reference to Jesus' teenage years, and looks at that time period, and what MIGHT have happened. It has long been surmised that Jesus might have traveled, and been exposed to other teachings that might have shaped his own. Anthes supposes those travels to be from Egypt and Syria. Using historical references, Anthes creates his settings so accurately, you almost feel like you're 'reading' a movie! His 'prophet' if you will is names Jeshua, and is a 'teacher', and not seen as the Son of God.

With this novel, Anthes also questions what was going on 'back at home' with the Romans during that 'missing time period. As we all know, Christianity helped to fuel the end of the Roman Empire, but this book takes on the question of '"Did it?", or "Did the Empire just convert itself by making convenient use of a prophet's death?". This is where it is best to remember it is a NOVEL. For Anthes takes the tack of Brutus not only destroying all written reports of his Jeshua's teaching, but deciding to use a little 'divine intercession' and myth making, to formulate the beginning of the 'Christian' religion, as a way to bring the villages back together, and to keep the Empire intact, instead of erupting and tearing apart from civil unrest.  It's not a theory that hasn't been broached before, but when faced with the ancient scrolls of Qumran, it is up to the reader to think about their beliefs and what they feel is the truth. 

THIS IS A NOVEL. It is not presented as fact, and for those who like to check out other theories, to 'know of what is being said', this is a viable way to do so, as the book is a quick read. Being informed is better than being ignorant, and as the Jesuits taught me, you have to know the other side's thoughts, to better be able to dispel them! So taken in that vein, this is a good novel to check out, and maybe urge you to do some historical digging for yourself!

Purchase:

Giveaway:

One reader will win this review copy!



About the author:

Neil Anthes is a retired small business owner and international business manager. He graduated from the University of Waterloo in Canada with a bachelor of science degree. He is a semi-professional photographer and currently lives in the Southern Interior of British Columbia Canada. This is his second book. The first, Moments in Time, Reflections on Personal Mystical Experiences, was published in 2014. Website: http://www.neilanthes.com/

Comments