More about this book:
It records seven years of conversations with St. Stephen the Martyr between 1974-80, Thomas Ashman being the channel.
Stephen's teaching is in line with that of St. John and the Sermon on the Mount, the Perennial Philosophy, the Stoics, and with the thinking of some leading modern theoretical physicists.
He turns our normal thinking on its head, seeing all things from the point of view of a During the years he spoke, and afterwards, there was much striking meaningful coincidence, many signs of the working of Spirit.
Stephen spoke a little in the language he used 2000 years ago, the form of Koiné Greek spoken in Macedonia and Thrace.
Cocks' linguistic detective work covered twenty years, and it has been checked by two Greek scholars. They agree that the words are genuinely of that time and place, and that there is valid reasoning about these words. What the Greek scholars wrote, in detail.
(The detective work seems to show that Stephen's parents were born in Thrace, and although Jews, they saw themselves as Celts; that Stephen was born in Ancyra (modern Ankara) in Galatia, and in his early teens, was to be initiated as an Essene in Judaea. From this background he preached the gospel of Jesus. He was neither identified with the Jerusalem church, nor with St. Paul.)
Stephen seems to refer to himself as a carnyx, (listen) a Celtic war trumpet. Read Wikipedia on the Carnyx and Celtic music.
Associated with the Stephen experience was much meaningful coincidence, or synchronicity. Read about some fascinating examples of this
[There is a sequel to The Stephen Experience, namely
Into the Wider Dream. This book surveys in detail what theoretical physicists and psychologists have written about synchronicity or meaningful coincidence. In addition, there is an account of an extended series of personal meaningful coincidences.]
Stephen the Martyr:
'Available from Amazon.com and all good online book stores.'
[A thoroughly revised and improved version of "The Stephen Experience"]
Amazon RRP £14.99 UK Paperback
Amazon RRP. $19.99 US Paperback
Buy on Kindle UK RRP. £6.99
Buy on Kindle US RRP. $9.99
Buy on iTunes RRP. $9.99
Read the details at White Crow Books
USA, Australia, and Canada. 322 pages.
Every two weeks, the author discusses matters relating to this book in his White Crow blog The current blog discussses St Stephen's Point of View.
Read Michael Tymn's Blog of Oct. 17, discussing this book
Explore the White Crow Website
About this book:
- The spirit of Stephen the Martyr was teaching over a period of seven years, in the 1970s
- Stephen focuses so much on
Christianity's heart, that Evangelicals, Charismatics, Catholics, and
Liberal Christians alike, could accept his spiritual guidance, and be
led ever deeper in life in Christ.
- This Christ, while revealed in organised religion, is in all, through all, and above all.
- Many kinds of internal evidence, and the very spirituality have led linguists, scientists, theologians, and philosophers to affirm that the teaching is genuinely Stephen's.
- That he made himself known, and taught, in itself speaks volumes about the resurrection, and the reality of life in Spirit.
- His teaching relates to the main themes of Christianity: the Fall, the Cross, the Atonement, Salvation, Life in Christ, the Communion of Saints, Grace, Holy Spirit, Guidance, and Love. He teaches from the point of view of Spirit. His theology is close to that of St John. Yet Christ is universal, and not confined to Christianity.
Michael Tymn "Stephen told of his early life in Ancyra, now modern Turkey, mentioning that his actual name was "Stenen" and that he was 14 years old when Jesus was crucified. He stated that his death by stoning is reported "quite accurately" in the Bible, but stressed that he was not communicating to tell about his life but rather to help them understand their own lives. On several occasions, Christ spoke through Thomas. "The task of your servant Stephen is that of a messenger and he speaks with great authority," was one such early communication from Christ." Read the full review
Victor Zammit reviews our book
What would you do if you were a Christian minster with a Master's in theology from Oxford and you had the chance to speak face to face with one of the early Christian saints through a deep trance medium? Read the full review
Prof.
Richard Cocks, teaching
philosophy at Le Moyne Catholic Univ. Syracuse NY, and Oswego State
Univ. NY. writes: “Probably the most
compelling aspect of the Stephen experience is the warmth of his personality,
his consistently loving attitude and gentle humour that pervades what he says.”
The Rt Rev. Edward Holland
Formerly Asst Bishop of Europe, and then Bishop of Colchester
"– I have been very affected by it. What comes to mind immediately is: 1. the sense of life after death being very close, very normal and not very intimidating; 2. Stephen’s experience of being at first after his death very tied up with his identity as Stephen but later leaving that behind and only picking it up again in order to communicate with Thomas and the others; 3. the way in which individuality becomes much less important but that nevertheless the ‘ego’ is not something to be avoided but something which contributes to this experience of being part of the whole." . . . . .
"It has to be said that most people do not really believe in God at a rational level, though probably most do at an emotional level. This is why almost everyone fumbles over the resurrection of Jesus. For most it's an impossibleWhat Stephen confirms for me is that it is an entirely natural event, which if only they believed should surprise no one. As Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, the great Russian Orthodox leader in this country who died a year or so ago said - I paraphrase him: 'How strange to believe that life can die and not believe that life can live!' " Aug. 2004
The former Bishop of Christchurch N.Z., the Rt. Rev. Dr David Coles :
"Michael is a retired priest in this diocese and has for many years explored alternative religious experiences. The book is certainly not mainstream but for those who wish to explore "other dimensional" spiritual experience through the eyes of an Anglican priest focusing on the Communion of Saints, it will be of considerable interest."
[See to the left: The Carnyx war trumpetProf.
Emerit. Mary
Carman Rose: “A
wondrous book! St Stephen is a fine spiritual director. I am
grateful for the gaining of new insights into some centrally important
Christian beliefs. My own gift of faith in eternal life has been given
wonderful support in this volume.”
[She is Catholic, formerly professor of philosophy at Goucher College,
Towson Md., and has taught in a seminary for priests. She is former
editor of The Journal of the
Academy of Religion and Psychic
Research.]
Dr John Moss scientist, and lifelong student of communicators like Stephen, writes about St. Stephen, “St. Stephen is a mystic and a philosopher.. His viewpoint is from that of the Whole, the One, the eternal order.”
Leslie Price, founder of The Christian Parapsychologist., writes: “Biblical characters have a long history among the psychic pioneers, notably in a group around Stainton Moses and in the Scripts of Cleophas written by Geraldine Cummins. But the unusual feature of the present case is xenoglossy, (speaking in a foreign language.) ‘Twice,’ Cocks recalls, ‘Stephen spoke a little in the language he used 2000 years ago, the form of Greek spoken in Macedonia and Thrace.’ The book traces the attempts to understand this. Cocks comes from a line of priests, and has a background in both philosophy and theology, and in Liberal Christianity.”