Review of The Gospel and the Zodiac, by Rev. Angus Parker
May 21st, 2009 by Bill
REVIEW BY REV. ANGUS PARKER
THE GOSPEL AND THE ZODIAC: THE SECRET TRUTH ABOUT JESUS.
Bill Darlison, Duckworth Overlook,
ISBN 978-0-7156-3691-6 (
Bill Darlison is a Unitarian Minister who thinks an actual, ‘historical’ Jesus is not essential to Christianity. (Any more than a ‘real’ God is for God-concepts, and, worship?) For Darlison, Christianity began as a mystery religion concerning personal transformation based on stellar iconography, (iconology?)
Darlison argues that Mark’s gospel is structured not so much historically as esoterically, intended to be read mythically not literally, the stories being dramatic presentations of spiritual developmental stages and holding ancient wisdom.
The study aims to find out Christianity’s character by interpreting the gospels in the light of the zodiacal culture in which they were created. Darlison touches on that as discerned in the Old Testament, particularly in the solar figure of Samson, Shimshon the sun-man.
In the ancient world, Darlison reminds us, astrology had status well above what might be expected. ‘The most persistent superstition ever to infect the mind’ (Franz Cumont) certainly persists in the works of Shakespeare, and even
Who is the man with the jar of water? – Mk 14:13.
For Darlison, no commentary explains the role of the aquifer in the gospel. He identifies him as zodiacal Aquarius and sees the themes of Mark in association with all the zodiacal signs, in correct order from Aries to Pisces. Thus can Christian spirituality relate to other faiths in a deeper macroecumenical way.
For the Jesus story as a collection of spiritual parables, sets us free from having to explain discrepancies and anomalies in Hebrew and Christian scripture, and from the ‘historical Jesus’ search. Darlison maintains that biblical “incredible” stories were written, sometimes with deliberate glaring errors, so that the reader would be led through imagination towards real meaning. Mark reworked verses from Psalms, he also drew on episodes of Odyssey and Iliad as models.
Darlison finds the zodiac our arcane story in myth, science, psychology and faith, and calls on theology, bible knowledge and theory and literature in support of his case. Not the least of his skills is his wide linguistic knowledge and the depth of his Greek.
“The Gospel and the Zodiac” is here recommended for brushing up on Mark and for getting to know more about astrology, myths and symbolism. It will be interesting to note the reactions of apologists and of liberals, and intriguing to read more of the researches and arguments of both.
Angus Parker
The reviewer is a Unitarian Minister.