Dan's Review - notices and comment on some current books and publications

Omens of Millennium: The Gnosis of Angels, Dreams, and Resurrection Harold Bloom. Riverhead Books - G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1996, hardcover, 255p., $24.95.

A penetrating effort to put several modern phenomena (the angel craze, near-death experiences and dreams as transcendenal messages) in historical and religious perspective. The author also explores the origins of Gnostic thought and its relationship to normative religious doctrines. He feels that we are indeed in the shadow of the Millennium and that it will have a special significance for American culture. Bloom, who is Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University and a distinguished scholar, clearly demonstrates a mastry of the subject. Although his style can, at times, be daunting Omens of Millennium should still be required reading for any student of modern American culture or Millennial thinking.

The Lost Gospel Q: The Original Sayings of Jesus - Consulting Editor, Marcus Borg, Introduction, Thomas Moore. Ulysses Press, 1996, hardcover, 128 p., $15.00.

Although no physical copy of the Q Gospel has ever been found, its existence is today accepted by a majority of Christian scholars. It would be the earliest Christian Gospel. The text is largely deduced from commonalities found in over two hundred verses from the Matthew and Luke Gospels. The majority of the material deals with Jesus' practical wisdom sayings. There are editorial notes concerning subtle yet significant translation interpretations and historical conditions that well compliment the text.