The Secret Religion is a compelling and educational exploration of the evolution of religion in Western societies, focusing on the enigmatic esoteric tradition of Christianity known as Gnosticism. Why was this an important book for you to write?

In my first book, The Obelisk and the Cross, I asked three existential questions; where did we come from? Why are we here? What happens when we die? Unfortunately, I found no clear answers evidenced in any of the western spiritual traditions. But I did discover an underlying theme that permeated (and still permeates) beneath all faith traditions – the choice between universal salvation and personal enlightenment.

How much research did you undertake for this book and how much time did it take to put it all together?

The book is the culmination of over 15 years of theoretic and field research.

What is one thing that you hope readers take away from The Secret Religion?

What we believe and how we act on those beliefs are two of the most important and personal choices each of us makes in the journey of our lived existence. If we strip away the supernatural aspects of the Christ myth and disregard the institutional constructions that arose after him, all that remains is a story of someone born in poverty and raised in obscurity, who dedicated his life to being a voice for the oppressed and abused. His works and words give people the hope of something better, something more than mere servitude and survival. Jesus rebelled against organised religious sects and political structures and gave hope to the hopeless so that the struggles of life are not in vain. This is the tangible legacy given to us by the ‘Jesus of history’. If seen through this perspective, the story of the human Jesus is part of a greater narrative that puts the individual at the centre of all things.

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