Timothy Freke Peter Gandy

Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy's 1999 book, "The Jesus Mysteries," posits that early Christianity originated as a Greco-Roman mystery religion. They argue that the figure of Jesus was not a historical individual but rather a syncretic creation, synthesized from the archetypal "godmen" of pagan mystery cults, particularly Osiris-Dionysus. According to their "Jesus Mysteries thesis," these pagan cults, including those of Osiris, Dionysus, Attis, and Mithras, featured dying and rising deities whose narratives were foundational to the Jesus myth.

Freke and Gandy suggest that Gnosticism represented the original form of Christianity, emphasizing its mystical and allegorical interpretations. They contend that orthodox, or "Literalist," Christianity emerged later, rewriting history to establish its primacy and discrediting Gnostic traditions. The authors claim that Emperor Constantine's political motivations led to the suppression of Gnosticism and the establishment of "Literalist Christianity" as the Roman state religion, accompanied by the destruction of opposing texts.

The core of Freke and Gandy's "Jesus Mysteries thesis" lies in drawing parallels between the canonical Gospels' depiction of Jesus and the reconstructed myth of Osiris-Dionysus. They compile a narrative of Osiris-Dionysus from various pagan myths, presenting him as a divine savior born of a virgin mother, miraculously conceived, born in humble circumstances on December 25th, and associated with shepherds. This figure, they claim, performs miracles like turning water into wine, rides a donkey triumphantly, dies as a sacrifice at Eastertime, descends to the underworld, and resurrects on the third day, ascending to heaven. His followers partake in a ritual meal of bread and wine, symbolizing his body and blood, and await his return as a judge. Freke and Gandy assert that Christianity began as a Hellenized Jewish adaptation of these pagan mystery religions, with initiates learning allegorical meanings through "Outer" and "Inner Mysteries," similar to the Eleusinian Mysteries or Mithraism's serial initiations.

Freke and Gandy propose that a division occurred within early Christianity, with those who only experienced the "Outer Mysteries" eventually forming an exoteric movement, possibly under Constantine in the 3rd century, to align with Roman state religion. They suggest that groups retaining the "Inner Mysteries," whom they identify as "Gnostics," were suppressed and labeled as unorthodox. The authors contend that Gnostics preserved the original mystical teachings and initiations, which "Literalist Christians" misrepresented. They argue that evidence, such as the Gospel of Thomas, suggests Gnostic texts predate those in the New Testament. Freke and Gandy claim that Constantine favored "Literalist Christianity" for its political utility in unifying the empire under a single deity, leading to the persecution of Gnostics and the establishment of what would become the Roman Catholic Church.