India in Primitive Christianity

.His theory will be thought-provoking for Buddhists and Christians alike. Lillie explores some of the same issues which John Robertson targets in Pagan Christs, particularly the evolution of sacrificial rites into symbolic forms. He is not a believer in the historicity of either Jesus or Buddha, and he pokes a lot of holes in the normative chronology of Buddhism. Lillie is also trying to open up an additional front here, by attempting to reduce much of Indian mythology to a multiplication of forms of Shiva. This is a radical view which blurs some of the efficacy of this book. He also, curiously enough, ignores the parallels between the Christ and Krishna stories, which many others have remarked on.On the whole, this controversial thesis is an enjoyable read, and a rare attempt by a free-thinker to confront the issue of diffusion of religious concepts from India to the Near East." (Quote from sacred-texts.com)Table of Contents Publisher's Preface; Introduction; S'iva; Baal; Buddha; "the Wisdom Of The Other Bank"; King Asoka; The MahÂyÂna; Avalokitishwara; The Cave Temple And Its Mysteries; Architecture; The Essenes; The Essene Jesus; More Coincidences; Rites; Paulinism; Transubstantiation; Ceylon; Alexandria; Ophis And The Serpents; Descent Into Hell; GlossaryAbout the Publisher