Comments on KALLISTI: An Apple in Pandemonium: A Reaction to Kirsch's God Against the Gods

You know, I think I should take back what I said a...

2009-06-24T16:45:22.657-04:00

You know, I think I should take back what I said about prostitution and Kirsh. I think his apologetic tone made me think he was trying to hide something, but he is probably right. I think Paul made a big deal out of temple prostitution in making a case for xtianity and the xtians probably did overstate the case, maybe it wasn't very prevalent after all?

I found this book in the most bizarre way- it lite...

2009-06-21T04:19:50.039-04:00

I found this book in the most bizarre way- it literally fell off the shelf my son ran into at the local community thrift store. I picked it up, saw the title and recognized right away that it was a real bargain at $1.50 (in hardcover with no reader notes!)

My only objection is that he whitewashed the practices of temple prostitutes in cultus of Aphrodite. He basically tried to say that such a thing barely existed or hardly at all. I have no proof, but I think it existed on a WAY larger scale than what he portrays. I think he was scared he would scare away the prudes and wanted to get them on board for polytheism.

At any rate, I really enjoyed the book and like your review very much.

@Apuleius - There are a few inaccurate things that...

2009-06-19T18:41:27.848-04:00

@Apuleius - There are a few inaccurate things that he mentions, hence the 3.5 in content. The biggest one is his confusion of the sacking of the Library of Alexandria with the Christians burning an annex ... which is a mistake I used to make as well. The book redeems itself with several good chapters. :)

@Yvonne - I have not read it, but I will take a look.

Have you read Libanius' "For The Temples&...

2009-06-19T18:00:45.669-04:00

Have you read Libanius' "For The Temples"? Libanius was a teacher of Julian who outlived him. He wrote about what was happening in the countryside as the government allowed Christian hotheads to run loose. It's very upsetting this many centuries later. All those temples and shrines gone.

Thanks for this very thoughtful review. I had skim...

2009-06-19T17:39:32.456-04:00

Thanks for this very thoughtful review. I had skimmed through the book before, but I've never sat down and really read it. I had thought that the author was, well, a little sloppy in his scholarship and little too propagandistic in his style. But maybe I wasn't being fair. I am going to go back and give it another look! Don't get me wrong - I like a good anti-Christian as much as the next Pagan - and then some! I just like to see it done right, and maybe I didn't give this book the chance it deserves.