In our divided world, the connection between religion and rulership, spirituality and politics is clear for all to see. "Gnosticism" is an ancient underground tradition of politically subversive spirituality that has always recognised this connection. The ‘Gnostic Gospels’ discovered at Nag Hammadi in 1945 were both a spiritual and a political challenge to the ruling gods or "archons" of their age - the egotistical and envious god of the Old Testament, the pagan gods of Greece and Rome, and the "New-Age" style marketplace of cults that preceded the birth of Christianity. Today's "New Age" spirituality is a commercialised "spirituality" whose gods are impersonal cosmic "energies", whose sacraments are healing "technologies", whose religions are new "therapies", whose "word" is the worldwide marketing of holistic health products - and whose festivals are the trade fairs of "Body, Mind and Spirit".

Peter Wilberg presents a theo-political history of gnostic spirituality, and with it, a theo-political critique of all the ruling god-concepts of our age - "energy", the "eternal gene", and above all "globalisation" - the worship of economic values over all deep spiritual values. The temples of these secular religions are the global stock markets. Their theologies are new technologies. In the first century of the second millennium AD, just as in the first centuries AD, true spiritual knowledge or gnosis has been replaced by adherence to superficial sciences or religious fundamentalisms. Similarly, true spiritual powers or "charismata" have been replaced with the military might and evangelical mission of new imperial superpower - not Rome but Washington.

From New Age to New Gnosis is a spiritual-political spear aimed at the New World Order of global neo-liberalism, neo-conservatism and neo-imperialism, and challenging all four faces of its famous pyramid – the dollar, the idolatry or ‘i-dollartry’ of new technologies, the politically illiterate platitudes of New Age ‘spirituality’, and the spiritually illiterate ‘literalism’ of Christian bible-bashing fundamentalism – one which now sees its own face reflected in the deathly clash of Islamist and Zionist zealots. What Peter Wilberg’s book recognises is that what our divided world now calls for is not a revival of old religious fundamentalisms or archaic symbolisms and mythologies but a spirituality rooted in the very essence of gnosis as ‘the wordless knowledge within the word’ (Seth) - an intuitive inner knowing that is also the spiritual bond of inner connection between human beings of all cultures and religious traditions.

From NEW AGE To NEW GNOSIS may be the most informative & valuable document of Modern Gnosticism available.

Author Peter Wilberg presents a historical analysis of Early Gnosticism as being an ethical & revolutionary spiritual movement opposed to all forms of State Religion and Political Hierarchy. From there he proceeds to propose a New Gnosis encompassing the Early Gnostic scriptures combined with the teachings of Jane Roberts (SETH SPEAKS), Karl Marx, Martin Heidegger, Gurdjieff and others. The main theme that recurs throughout is an uncompromising critique of the myriad eclectic & materialistic ‘New Age’ cults & shallow philosophies. Peter Wilberg also takes on such Modern Gnostic icons as psychologist Carl Jung with the same brilliant & unrelenting reasoning that characterizes the author’s criticism. One of the remarkable aspects about NEW GNOSIS is the depth of material presented in an easily accessible book for the general reader—combined with solid theoretical investigation that should satisfy even the most ardent Gnostic researcher. The format is presented in an engaging series of interrelated short articles that can also be read separately.

Theo Eridanos ( www.gnostics.com )

This book is written with passion and knowledge. Such diverse threads as Marxist understanding, teachings from the Nag Hammadi manuscripts and the history of religions, are woven into a breath-taking narrative. A great delight when reading "From New Age to New Gnosis" was that quotes originating centuries ago seem to be fresh and contemporary. Perhaps because we are introduced to an uninterrupted flow of the underground stream of Gnosis, whose most recent springs are recognised as Martin Heidegger, Buber, Steiner, Seth (a channelled entity) and Eugene Gendlin.

The emerging story points forcefully to the emptiness of second-hand experience and the fallacy of "believing" rather than allowing experience and reflecting on it. The comfort of being part of the general consent and fashion rather than the living experience of layers of reality, and the deadly grip of individualism rather than an experience of the interconnectedness of living beings and their environment, are important themes. We have become consumers of life-styles; including new-age philosophies and personal development strategies - to experience myself in this way was an entirely different story than nodding brightly in the direction of the post-modern agreement.

This book could be polemic, but it is not; it could be a mournful longing for a better past, but it is not; this book could be a challenging and provocative read, and it is, but the pulsing and nourishing voice that seems to underlay much of the book, encourages the reader to take action and dare to find another world - an inner dimension of wordless and timeless inner knowing. Listen...

Ursula Deniflee