"Leadbeater was one of the most prolific clairvoyants writing at the turn of the last century. His works have remained extant and popular in New Age circles. This new edition of Christian Gnosis brings attention to one of his lesser known topics of exploration, esoteric Christianity. Customers who were raised Christian and have had trouble reconciling metaphysical practice with hierarchical Christian tradition will be relieved to find a version of Christianity that allows them to embrace the teachings of Jesus and still practice magic" --Anna Jedrziewski, New Age Retailer “Christian Gnosis combines theosophical insight with esoteric ecclesiastical Christianity. It's a fascinating compendium of creative cosmology applied elegantly to the great questions of human existence.” --Andrew Philip Smith, author of A Dictionary of Gnosticism, The Gnostic: Journal and Publisher of The Bardic Press Then shall the candidate be bound upon the wooden cross . . . After the third day he shall be brought back from the dead and carried up to heaven to be on the right hand of Him from whom he came. Surprisingly, these lines are from an Egyptian initiation ritual thousands of years before the Christian drama. Linking the two is just one fascinating element in this profound introduction to esoteric Christianity, as timely today as when it was first published in 1920. Famed clairvoyant Charles Webster Leadbeater was a bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church, which preserves the sacraments while interpreting the scriptures with maximum freedom. He quotes St. Augustine himself saying that what we now call Christianity emerged at the very beginning of humanity as the one true religion. To access its transformative force, Leadbeater returns to original teachings and decodes its story symbolically as a guide for direct knowledge (Gr: gnosis) of the Divine. “As Christ had the Godhead behind Him, so have we the same power, although not yet unfolded as fully,” he says. “Nevertheless, it is only a question of development, and that development is certain.” With the authority of a scientist and a mystic, he addresses such topics as the birth of Christ in the heart; God’s utter love; divine grace; angelic help; the true meaning of salvation; and reincarnation and the evolution of the soul.