Rating: 
Summary: The truth often hurts but it is seldom unjust. -mc
Review: I do not claim to be a scholar. I am, however, an investigator and I base my observations on facts, not innuendo and emotion. As a result, I will often check out references because I really do not have a preconceived notion as to what a piece should be saying in advance of my having read it. This book is one of the best researched books I have ever encountered. Its conclusions are founded in a rock solid logic and reasoning whose only detractors would be those with a vested interest in maintaining a myth for their own prideful commitment, power or greed. I read this book with a mind to finding error. Had I found a discrepancy I would have, in fairness, listed it, but I did not. Religion is a construct of man's insecurity and here is the proof.
Rating: 
Summary: psuedo scholarship
Review: This book does a very good job of assembling the evidence against Christ, but the conclusion is false. The author presents an enormous amount of evidence claiming that Christ is not a historical figure, but a rehash of earlier myths. She claims that Christ along with Buddha, Osiris, Hercules and all the other gods and saviours were inventions of the ancient mystery schools. She lays stress on Egypt as being the foundation of all of these myths. There are numerous problems with her thesis that either she does not know or does not adress in the book. She correctly notes that religions appear to be teaching pretty much the same thing. That is, there are crucified saviours, eucharistic teachings and the rest that predate christianity. Also there are numerous accounts of a flood, the creation of the first man in other religions and creation stories that are very similar to the bible. The author then claims that the bible itself was written from pagan sources. Actually the exact OPPOSITE is the truth. It is the pagans who borrowed from the hebrews and their teachings, whether oral or written. This explains the similarities between the religions. Hislop in his book the Two Babylons does an excellent job in stating that other religions are a corruption of a true religion. Intrestingly, the author cites this book in her sources. The corruption of a true religion would make sense out of other religions and their similar accounts of biblical events. As to the claim in her book that india is one of the oldest religions in the world, how does she explain that some gurus in india, trace their lineage to the biblical Abraham? If the mystery schools are the source of all these myths, where did they get their knowledge? Where did the mystery schools get their knowledge of Nirvana, Karma and the endless powers of the mind? Would Christians give their lives in death to a myth? There is nothing stopping God from appearing as Buddha, Christ or anyone else. Nor do these teachings contradict one another. The Bible itself says that God speaks to man in many ways and that as a man thinks in his heart so is he. The author also does not present the arguments against her thesis, which is the fundamental principle of all scholarship and scientific thinking. If she had presented the arguments against her case and tried to refute them, this book would be taken more seriously. But as it stands, it in no way, can lay claim to scholarship.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Awesome!
Review: Like a "thief in the night" Acharya rips away the security blanket of the Christian...leaving them exposed to the hard and cruel reality that their faith is based on a sham, a scam, a grand conspiracy. Impeccably researched, Acharya arrives at stunning, and fact-based, conclusions... This is one book that will stand the test of time! A must-read for anyone serious about the world we live in and the deceptions, distortions and lies that pass as truth.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a scholarly work
Review: This book pretends to be a scholarly work, with extensive footnotes. However, the notes for the most part reference other writers skeptical of Christianity, rather than first sources. It's annoying to read that some early church father said something and find the reference is to a modern writer. She also has a reference to the Egyptian Book of the Dead that could not be found in searches of two on-line copies of that work, so other references then become suspect. One can't check everything, and Acharya's credulity on some paranormal topics (batteries encased in "geodes"; pre-Columbian old-world visitation of the new; astrology) matches that of Christian believers in the "shroud" of Turin.S is quick to judge theories of the "historical Jesus", but hers is just one more theory as to the origin of Christianity. Admittedly hers is more likely than that the Gospels are true, but then so are various other theories, some with, and some without, a real historical Jesus. Plus she mixes in all those far-out theories that have nothing to do with Jesus or Christianity. The reader would be better directed to more scholarly popular writers, such as Robin Lane Fox, Elaine Pagels, John Shelby Spong, G.A.Wells, Randel Helms, and Isaac Asimov (this latter's Guide to the Bible).
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Summary: The christ con (the greatest story ever sold)
Review: This book and the author's sedulous research shows not only the great historical blunders of our 'so-called historians,but proves the falisty the myths,delusions and half truths of the "true" mind control manipulators- the 'clergy,and people in power ie. kings,politicians,madmen,dogma keepers etc.We would be best to remember Sir Karl Popper's vision:abosolute truth can never be established,because it would require a infinite number of tests, and that absolute falsity 'can' be esablished since a statement in absolute form is falsified once a single exception is found. The calculation and veneered altuism of the past,the agendas,idealolgies,power plays,egotism,and plan out psychotica that polarize and control us and makes us feel helpless are slowly starting to sour and erode. Acharya shows over and over the falsity of our historical truths and gives us a gift in the message.Will we will not hear it?.POLITICS AND RELIGION ARE SELF SERVING.Finally people are starting to wake-up out of their illusion.With brave people like Acharya leading the way with this spiritual dynamite and jackhammering.Maybe we can start thinking for ourselves instead of giving our power away to the fat belly church and the thieving state. Surely the power freaks will not like this book!
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Summary: Exciting and Provocative
Review: The further one goes into this book, the more one recognizes how vast is the mythological background of the ancient world that the modern era has completely lost sight of. Those who imagine that the Gospel story represents singular historical events are in for a shock when they realize the degree to which the Christian myth of Jesus of Nazareth was a reflection of mythical motifs and traditions which saturated ancient and even prehistoric cultures. There is barely an original or virgin bone in Christ's body, and Christians in the early centuries were regularly assailed by pagan detractors who accused them of reworking old ideas and copying from a host of predecessors. The other thing the reader comes to recognize is that Acharya S has done a superb job in bringing together this rich panoply of ancient world mythology and culture, and presenting it in a comprehensive and compelling fashion. Moreover, she grabs the reader from the first page and doesn't let go. Her style is colorful, bold, occasionally (and justifiably) indignant, even a touch reckless at times, but never off the track--a little like an exciting roller coaster ride. It may take a fair amount of concentration to absorb all this material, but even if you don't integrate everything on first reading, the broader strokes will leave you convinced that the story of Jesus is simply an imaginative refashioning of the mythological heritage of centuries and that no such man ever existed. She covers a wide range of interesting and provocative topics, with plenty of stimulating insights. Especially effective is her attention to elements of the Old Testament that one doesn't usually encounter in biblical studies: astrology in the bible, the mythological nature of much of the Old Testament material, the falsity of the idea that the Hebrews were monotheistic, even a chapter on Sex and Drugs. She delves into Egyptian and Indian precedents for the possible derivation of many of the bible's traditions. When she ranges even further afield and notes the astonishingly widespread commonality of certain religious and cultural motifs from one end of the planet to the other, extending back into very ancient times, we are on intriguing if speculative ground, but for the most part the author simply lets the data speak for itself, and readers can draw what conclusions their own adventurous spirits might wish. As for her detailed picture of how Gospel elements closely conform to astrological and mythological symbols in the atmosphere of the time, or how the story of Jesus parallels the features of other savior gods: if even half of these things were in the minds of the Gospel writers when they fashioned their symbolic tale (to which one could add the midrashic borrowing of passages from the Hebrew scriptures to provide so much of the Gospel structure, its 'events' and even their wording), there can be no doubt that such writers were well aware that their work had nothing to do with history. There are those who have expressed some uncertainty about the scholarship which originally presented some of the subject matter dealt with in this book, since much of it comes from the 19th and early 20th centuries. But there is a prominent reason why today's researcher is inevitably thrown back on this early period of investigation. The so-called History of Religions School was a feature of that period, represented by such luminaries as Reitzenstein, Bousset and Cumont, and other, less famous scholars. Its conclusions about the relation of Christianity to the thought and religious expression of the time, especially in regard to the mystery cults and even solar mythology, proved very unpalatable to mainstream New Testament study. That was also the period of intense examination of the idea that no Jesus had existed at all (J. M. Robertson, Arthur Drews, the Dutch Radical School, etc.). The result was a backlash and a circling of the wagons, creating a fortress mentality against such scholarship for the latter three-quarters of the 20th century. As a result, there has been little recent investigation of that History of Religions material, especially sympathetic investigation. Acharya may draw to some degree on that older scholarship, but while certain aspects of it are necessarily a little dated, one of the things which struck me in her quotations from it (and more and more of it is now being reprinted) is how perceptive and compelling most of it continues to be. We sorely need a new History of Religions School for the 21st century, to apply modern techniques to this important ancient material. Perhaps this book will help bring that about.
Rating:
Summary: Okay Reading. But...
Review: People who "believe" and have "blind" faith will continue to do so regardless of what facts you put in front of them. Publicly most have made the commitment to give their lives to the lord. Whether the commitment made meats the daily actions of their life or not...they must hold to the presumed veracity of their lord and savior Jesus "the" Christ. The book under review here does much to shake the faith of those who exist along the periphery of beliefs in the Christian/Catholic Religions. Zealots will not be moved because REASON has no place in FAITH (for the most part). ALL of the deeds with the exception of a few sayings and miracles performed by "Jesus" were extant to his coming/creation. Readers would do themselves a favor reading a much more complete rendition of the pre/Christian history Gerald Massey, "Egypt Light of the World", "Natural Genesis", "The Book of The Beginnings", and "The Lectures of Gerald Massey". His works are fundamental in acquiring the clarity neccassary for developing an understanding of religion, typology, symbology, ritual....etc. Anything by Albert Churchward, Goddrey Higgins, and Alvin Boyd Khun will lend you and enormous understanding and knowledge of the religious practices throughout the world. The present book will no doubt inspire greater research into Christian histories by the faithful, the disgruntled, as well as the plain old curious.
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Summary: The Most Important Book Ever Written ?
Review: Is Acharya's book, 'CHRIST CONSPIRACY', the MOST important book ever written ? I would have to answer yes, and I can explain why. It goes like this: Most people would agree that the BIBLE is one of the MOST important books ever written, good or bad. Well if that is true, and Acharya's book DEMOLISHES the BIBLE, which it clearly does if you take the time to read it, then logically, Acharya's book becomes the MOST important book ever written. I used to be a HARD CORE Christian because I SOUGHT the TRUTH in all things. Well my desire for truth is so strong that when I found out that Christ NEVER existed, in large part with 'Christ Conspiracy's compelling presentation, THAT truth became VERY important to me because of the MILLIONS under the influence of what 'Christ Conspiracy' debunks. Acharya's book is the MOST potent and concentrated Knock Out punch to Christianity as well as all other similar religions [islam, judaism etc] I have ever read. It is extremely well researched and documented. When you read the book you will be able to look over thousands of years of history and really understand how all this could happen, partly due to misunderstanding, and partly due to intentional deception. The book explains EVERY detail in fascinating detail. There is no agenda in the book other than simple truth, as hard as it is for some to accept.
Rating: 
Summary: Bogus!
Review: This is the saddest book I've had the pain of attempting to read. A lot of this ladies assumptions are based on flat-out lies. She gives a lot of 'People do (or did) this, so Jesus obviously didn't exist.' sort of junk, which actually proves NOTHING! She cites people without giving references, with others she misquotes to the point of not being able to recognize the original quote! She often tries to reference the Catholic Encyclopedia, but picks and chooses that which she thinks will help her case but completely ignores (she doesn't even try to explain it away) the STRONG points that refute her comments. The fact of the matter is... this is her first book, and it shows... her book is horrible, her ideas are horrible and not worth the effort to try to even point out!
Rating: 
Summary: Great book...BUT!
Review: Acharya has written an absolutely stunning, devastating, and highly informative book surrounding the subject of how certain doctrines of Christianity were crafted, not through Divine revelation, but by human intervention. BUT! She makes two errors, in my humble opinion. First, on pages 81-82, she states that the name Yuz Asaf, a name many believe Jesus adopted after his survival of the crucifixion and subsequent travel to India, is the equivalent of the name Joseph. In point of fact, Asaf is a Hebrew word that means, Gatherer. Yuz is a corruption of the Hebrew name Yehoshuwa, or Yeshuwa, or Joshwa, all of which are forms of what would have most likely been Jesus' real name [certainly it WASN'T Jesus Christ, as that is a Greek name.] So, Yuz Asaf would mean, Jesus the Gatherer. The name is also believed to have been a peculiar colloquialism of the time that referred to lepers that Jesus cured, perhaps in his capacity as an herbal healer or healer of some kind. Secondly, she *assumes* that because a cabal borrowed pre-Christian mythological ideas and foisted them upon Christianity and the figure of Jesus Christ, that that proves that Jesus didn't even exist. Well, what it proves is that a conspiracy occurred to create a new religion, *in the name of Jesus*, but it does not prove that Jesus didn't exist. Jesus may very well have removed himself from the scene [as many now believe] after the event of the crucifixion and traveled Eastward to India, where, in fact, there do exist strong traditions that state that he spent his last days in India and lived to be 120 years old. In short, though doctrines were concocted in his name, this does not mean that he did not exist. But, aside from those two flaws, Acharya S's book is certainly must reading! --The Tomb Master--
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