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The Logos Continuum: Word of the Sun

According to David Fideler, a specialist in ancient religions, philosophies, and cosmologies "the Logos represents the heart of the cosmic pattern and the source of existence, its emblem is the sun, the source of life and light." [David Fideler, JESUS CHRIST SUN OF God: ANCIENT COSMOLOGY AND EARLY CHRISTIAN SYMBOLISM, Quest Books, 1993, p. 39.]

In both the Pythagorean and Platonic Schools (of Hellenistic Alexandria) "the sun came to be regarded as the doorway linking together the sensible and intelligible spheres, the material and spiritual orders of existence." [Ibid, p. 39]

The Logos Teachings in the Pythogorean and Platonic Schools was as follows:

*The Logos is not the First Cause...[rather] the Logos represents the first level of real manifestation or Being, for it encompasses within itself all the laws and relations which are later articulated in the phenomenal universe.

*Underlying the source of all reality, the Logos is related to the principle of *Nous* or Universal Intellect, the "repository" of all the cosmic Forms and principles on which creation is based. [Ibid, p. 42]

Fideler notes that the Prologue to John's Gospel reflects the ideas of this Hellenistic Logos teaching,

The "Logos is in the *arche,* the Beginning, Source, or Fount of experience. As the underlying harmonic pattern of creation, all things were made through the Logos, which contains the principles of Life and Light. The light of the Logos shines out, illuminating the darkness of matter..." [Ibid, p. 45]

Whereas the early Christians personified the Logos in the figure of Jesus, the Greeks represented the Logos in Apollo, the god of geometry and music. Another representation was Hermes. [Ibid, p. 46]

Fideler also refers to Egypt: "In ancient Egypt, where the Logos theology appears at an early date, the Greek god Hermes was identified with the Egyptian divinity Thoth. Thoth was the personification of the universal order, the 'heart and tongue' of the sun god Ra who 'spoke the words' which resulted in the creation of the heavens and the earth." [Ibid, pp. 46-47]

As "the reason and mental powers" of the sun god Ra, Thoth was the revealer and speaker of celestial knowledge. These attributes of Thoth were later reflected in the figure of Hermes Trismegistos...the fabled author of the Egyptian Hermetic writings. [Ibid, p. 47]

In summation to these exerpts of Fideler's Solar Logos, some short comparative quotes from his book.

* In the beginning was the Logos...in him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. --Prologue to the Fourth Gospel

* That Light, He said, am I...the Light-Word (Logos) that appeared from Mind is Son of God --Corpus Hermeticum

* All Father Mind, being Life and Light, did bring forth the Archetypal Man co-equal to Himself...and Man from Life and Light changed into soul and mind...Life to soul, from Light to mind. --Corpus Hermeticum [Ibid. p. 37]

 

 
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