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    Jesus Christ: Magic Man?
    Jesus Christ: Magic Man?
    Jesus Christ: Magic Man?
    Ebook64 pages49 minutes

    Jesus Christ: Magic Man?

    By Ian McCoy

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    About this ebook

    In this fascinating study Mr McCoy examines the life of Jesus of Nazareth through the miracles he performed. How did he do them? This is a question often asked of skilled magicians and the author addresses the possibility that the humble carpenter may have used the techniques of magicians and hypnotists to produce “magic” which were then labelled “miracles”.

    Next he examines the concept of miracles from a philosophical perspective before going on to examine the miracles of Christ.

    But what claims did Jesus himself make? They are really quite startling and lead to a conclusion which makes many uncomfortable. Jesus Christ: Magic Man was either very bad, very mad – or who He claimed to be.

    Some “New Age” concepts with regard to Christ are discussed. Perhaps Christ was an enlightened being like the Buddha or like a Hindu guru? Was Jesus unique, or simply like the rest of us?

    Next the author has an in depth look at two of Jesus’ greatest miracles, The Raising of Lazarus, and the Resurrection of Christ himself.

    Finally he draws together the pieces to discuss the Universal significance of Jesus Christ – the Magic Man and concludes that he was not a god – like man nor was he was a man – like God. He was God – man: the most magical being ever to grace planet Earth.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIan McCoy
    Release dateMay 7, 2013
    ISBN9781301992690
    Jesus Christ: Magic Man?
    Author

    Ian McCoy

    Ian McCoy (www.ianmccoy.com) is a master magician and mentalist, a motivational speaker and teacher, a published author, a musician, singer/songwriter and a writer/journalist.For over a decade he was one of California's top magical acts and performed all around the world for blue chip companies, Hollywood celebrities, a cruise line, Las Vegas hotels and thousands of private individuals. . He also set up magic classes and camps teaching children of all ages throughout the Bay Area of San Francisco. He relocated back to the UK seven years ago and has performed around Britain and on TV.Ian is also a credentialed high school and junior college teacher in both the UK and USA. He has degrees in history and politics and post graduate degrees in education and theology. He is the published author of the book Magic in the Center : God Consciousness and You a work in Philosophy that examines the concept of the Soul. He has also developed an online environmental news and information service with his brother and sister called just4theplanet . Ian is lead writer.Ian's keynote speech Magical Values is a call for people to be their best. It is truly inspirational and incorporates entertaining magic and mentalism to illustrate some perennial wisdom and motivate his audience.In his Kindle books on the art of Mentalism and Mindreading, How to be a Mentalist , How to be a Mentalist II, How to be a Mentalist: Time Flies and In Mind, Ian takes his 35 years study and experience to teach this fascinating art. Every technique and performance has a video link. So as well as reading, the student gets to see both performances and live explanations.His related book Memory teaches incredible techniques to develop your mind to it's full potential.Ian has also published two books on the art of card magic under the title McCoy's Miracle's: World Class Card Magic and one book on mentalism with cards: McCoy's Miracles: World Class Mentaism with Playing Cards. As with his other work - they all have video links to performance and explanation.Ian's book Angels: An insight into their Existence, taps his academic insights from theology, science, philosophy and history. It is a fascinating study.Ian has two publications on the person of Jesus Christ.The Historical Reality of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ examines just that and argues that historians while agreeing with the historicity of Christ's life and death - have been blinded from the historical truth of the Resurrection by a philosophical stance that can not be justified. His other work Jesus Christ: Magic Man? examines the ministry of Jesus through his miracles.In his book the Atheism Myth Ian gives a robust defence of Theism - as a response to the militant atheists led by Richard Dawkins.Ian's largest and most ambitious project The True Magic: God, Mind, Consciousness and You is an all embracing piece drawing on all disciplines in defence of Theism.

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      Book preview

      Jesus Christ - Ian McCoy

      Introduction

      It is an incredible fact that western history has been dominated by the birth, and life of a Galilean Jew who died before the age of thirty five. He was not a political leader, nor a warrior. He was not an artist, left no writing, wasn’t terribly interested in theology, and addressed the awesome God of Abraham and Moses as dad. His life was reported by followers in four gospels. The first Christians were a small Jewish cult held together by an overwhelming belief in their Saviour. Within a few decades of Jesus’ death, the Emperor Nero used this tiny unknown cult as scapegoats for a fire that destroyed much of Rome. Nero was of course a divine ruler, the strongest, most powerful man in the world. Christianity was destined just a couple of hundred years later to become the dominant influence in western civilisation, prefiguring a time when people called their dogs Nero and their sons Peter and Paul ! By the end of the first century, Jesus had been extolled with the most exalted of titles known within the religious tradition out of which he came: Son of God, The Word made Flesh, The Light of the World, True God from True God. Within a couple of centuries he became the lord of the Roman Empire which has executed him upon a cross.

      Theologians for two thousand years have discussed and debated the person of Christ. These have led to such doctrines as the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Virgin Birth and the Second Coming.

      The concept of the God taking on human form has been the foundation of Christianity and at the same time offended other monotheists who regard such beliefs as almost blasphemous.

      Jesus was, perhaps, the perfect expression of God’s will. He revealed God not only in his teaching but also in his very being. Christ was indeed a great teacher - but he was much more than that. He was a perfect expression of the divine. His human ego had disappeared, leaving his life completely under the will of the Mind Behind. It came to the point whereby those that knew him best felt that they were experiencing something resembling God in human form. And despite all the theological debates over the centuries, all we can say is, if the Incarnation is true, it is hardly surprising that finite minds cannot totally comprehend it. It is a mystery. Furthermore it is a mystery that is of effect for each and all, in every time and place. As a historical and local event it is a projection into time and space of an eternal and universal reality. It occurs not only at a distance of two thousand years in Palestine, but within all human nature, past, present and future.

      There is little doubt that the historical Jesus did not see himself as an object of worship – although arguably this changed after his Resurrection (He didn’t challenge Thomas’s words my lord and my God). He did however want to be emulated. He was a revolutionary of the spirit who wanted to empower all human beings, whatever their race, sex or social status. He was an example of what could be. He lived in divine consciousness – where the glory of the Mind Behind is always reflected.

      Master magician and Hypnotist?

      As a youngster I saw Jesus as the master magician able to do miraculous things at will. Some scholars have actually implied this and one has even proclaimed the preposterous notion that he was a hypnotist.

      Magic today is an entertainment art form whereby the magician is an actor playing the part of a wizard. Both the magician and the audience know that trickery is involved – but the audience suspends its disbelief for the length of the performance and enjoys the experience of being amazed. In the ancient world however the word magic carried pejorative connotations. Magicians used their skills to place themselves in positions of power and often made use of lengthy incantations, amulets, charms or recipes of foodstuffs to be cooked. No doubt magicians of the past used some of the techniques that magicians use today.

      There is nothing in the life of Christ which suggests he resorted to any sort of trickery. He was no conjurer. His miracles were accompanied by intelligible words and maybe a touch of the hands. They are less acts of power granting benefits to individual practitioners but rather symbols and concrete realizations of the Kingdom of God which had arrived through his ministry.

      Hypnosis

      But what about the notion that Jesus was able to use hypnosis? To some this may seem more

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