The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross

Synopsis

The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity Within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East is a 1970 monograph by philologist John Marco Allegro. Allegro proposes an etymology-driven reconstruction of biblical myth that treats Christian narratives as coded accounts of Near Eastern fertility cults that used psychoactive fungi in their rituals. The book depicts Jesus as a mythological figure rather than a historical teacher. The book sparked immediate controversy, prompted strong scholarly repudiation, and positioned the book as an enduring touchpoint in debates about psychedelics and religion.

Text license: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Details

Type

Book

Release date

January 1, 1970

Genres

non-fiction

Created by

John M. Allegro

Countries

United Kingdom