Christian Essenes, a group of independent faith communities who form part of the Independent Catholic Churches and consider themselves co-heirs of Oriental Orthodoxy, can be found in small communities in North America and Europe.

Distinguishing characteristics

Christian Essenes believe themselves to be the hiers of the ancient Jewish Essene movement, seeking to put into practice through a kind of Progressive Reconstructionist interpretation of modern research and newly discovered texts, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, that relate to the primitive Christian Church. They champion a radical reappraisal of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian position. They maintain that such radicalism is a return to The Essene Way, which they describe as "the loving acceptance of human beings, the highest sentient form of life on Earth, just as they are now, in their conscious process of becoming."

Essene Christians also believe in and practice healing by touch and by subtle energy, and especially emphasize the ability of thought to affect mind and body. Essene Christians place a great emphasis upon acknowledging the feminine aspect of Divinity as well as the masculine, and in noting that they believe God to be encompassing of all sexes and genders and also beyond all sex and gender.

Essene Christian background

The Essenes have become famous for their Monastic Rule and scriptures found at Qumran, known as the “Dead Sea Scrolls.” In fact, long before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Essenes were a mystical Jewish sect whose spirituality was highly influenced by mystical traditions from Samaritans and East Indians. There were anciently two branches of Essenes - the Hosænes and the Nazarenes. The southern Hosænes were known as the B’nai-Zadok, or “Children of the Dawn”(sometimes called "Children of the Light"). The northern Nazarenes were known as the B’nai-Amen, or “Children of Being.” The B'nai-Amen lived in Galilee, around the temples of Nazareth such as the one on Mount Carmel, and around Nazarene temples in Judea such as the Smaller Temple in the Essene Quarter of western Jerusalem (now known as the “Church of the Apostles,” or “Cenacle”).

The B’nai-Amen claimed no intentions toward the main Jerusalem Temple. After its destruction by the Romans, the Nazarene Essenes had no interest in restoring its cult of animal sacrifice. The B’nai-Amen abhorred all animal sacrifice and, siding with the Pharisees on this question, opposed the Sadducee insistence that Hebrew Scriptures which required such practices were to be perpetually in force. However, unlike the Pharisees, the Nazarene Essenes also accepted the teachings of the Rabbi Yeshua (Jesus) and of his apostles, and rejected the Zealot interpretations of revolution. The B’nai-Amen had also maintained a different calendar than the Qumran B'nai-Zadok, a different set of accepted scriptures, a different “Justice-Rabboni,” and a different and more positive attitude toward women and toward marriage.

It was into the ancient and mystical B'nai-Amen Temple of the Nazarenes that Jesus was born; as it is written: “He shall be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:23). This B'nai-Amen Temple practiced the advanced level of the Nazarene Essene life. This, the Essenes believe, is what formed the Messiah ("Anointed One,”or "Christ") and is the advanced level of practice which Jesus taught. A small group of B’nai-Amen, called

This Thomasine tradition of Christianity spread east from Galilee with Thomas the apostle and, coming full circle from early Essene influences, eventually was established with an episcopal See at Mylapur (Malabar), India, where Thomas had first landed and preached, and where his remains were interred after his martyrdom. Those ministers in Essene Christian commmunities who hold Christian priestly orders derive their apostolic succession, in part, directly from the Malabar line, as well as from lines from Utrecht, Rome, Antioch, and elsewhere. Essene Christains maintain the threefold Apostolic Ministry of bishops, presbyters (priests), and deacons, although their exercise of the historic episcopate is always conciliar and communal, seeking a consensus of the faithful (consensus fidelii). An additional ordained ministry of healing is maintained and, therefore, Essene ordained healers need not also be ordained priests.

Approach to ministerial study

Unlike their Oriental Orthodox counterparts, Essene Christians believe that both the members of their communities — who are not required to be celibate — and their priests and healing ministers should have a strong grounding in comparative religion and interfaith work, much as the ancient Essenes did. Ministers are sought among both men and women (partnered or single, including from among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons) whom the communities believe have developed high moral character, who are dedicated to studying and teaching the ancient mysteries of the higher aspirations of the soul and to applying the Essene teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. These ministers are expected to be dedicated to the preservation and in-depth spiritual study of the original sacred texts of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, as well as the sacred scriptures such as the Vedas and Upanishads, the Mahabharata, the Sutras, the Kabballa writings, the Dhammapada, and the Dao Dejing, as best they can. They revere the voice of God in all of what they write of as being "God’s bestsellers,” as well as in uniquely inspired scriptures and in God’s unique human expression of Itself.

Essene Christian Bible

Christian Essenes accept as their canon of “The Judeo-Christian Bible” (i.e., of the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures) the entire canon of the “Authorized Version”, along with the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Thomas-line writings, but not the purely “Gnostic” books, nor the books condemned by a plurality of the early Church teachers. This amounts to acceptance of:

• the entire Hebrew canon,
• the rest of the Septuagint canon (the deutero-canonical books, or “apocrypha”),
• the Sumerian Embolism (Apocalypse of Enoch),
• the Foundations of Midrash (Book of Jubilees),
• the entire Christian canon of the Third Synod of Carthage (397),

and the Books accepted in the Thomistic tradition, including:

• the Proto-Evangelion, a Biography of Mary of Nazareth by followers of James,
• the Gospel according to the tradition of Thomas, and
• the Gospel according to the tradition of Mary Magdalene).

In addition, they accept

Credal Exposition

The teachings of the Essene Christians about Jesus of Nazareth are said to come from Jesus himself. Essene Christians are decidedly miaphysite and panentheist. In the ancient Essene manuscripts used by the communities, Jesus revealed certain things about himself: he revealed who and what he is; he revealed where he came from and why he came here; he revealed his ontological relationship to all beings and he differentiated that from his tutorial relationship with certain beings who choose to become his disciples. Essene Christains believe that Jesus spoke the truth about himself as recorded in these writings, and claim to teach that truth to others. They especially note distinctions in the form of the following affirmations:

• They affirm Jesus to be both first and foremost of the children of God. They believe that he is in complete identity with the Word of God, which God has breathed forth into the creation and is, in that sense, the "only child," being the Indwelling Life of all creation. As the Word is the Body of God, so Jesus has become, in-the-flesh, God Itself in-person. So, Jesus is first because he preceded sentient humans: he is the firstborn of all creation. He is foremost, because he is most ascended: He is the most perfected being of all creation, the firstborn of the renewed creation. Thus, Jesus is not the only child of God in a juridical sense, as taught misleadingly by some; rather, he is the first child – the “only-begotten” – of God, the perfect pattern and original archetype who empowers humanity to become the children of God they were meant to be (this is what is meant by God’s “adoption” of human beings). Thus, Jesus Christ is fully at-one with the Word, and in keeping with ancient Christian tradition, Essene Christians suspend thier disbelief by trusting that he was so from the time of his incarnation as Jesus of Nazareth, even though some of the early believers did not think this was so until Jesus received John’s baptism. Essene Christians do not believe that Jesus of Nazareth was simply a very conscious, highly evolved human being, as he is considered by many New Age churches; rather, the Word far transcends the evolutionary level of the human species, and Jesus, having complete identity with the Word, is a unique, one-of-a-kind God Expression in a human body.

• They affirm that Jesus is Christ. He is Christ, or Messiah (the Anointed, or the Chosen One) because he has pledged to help all — both individually and collectively. Jesus is not considered to be the only being who has a fully realized Christ-likeness, as the Apostle Paul repeatedly noted; other beings have grown and will grow into the likeness of the Word (into their “buddha nature”) and have pledged to help (to be boddhisatvas) and have been initiated into the fellowship of the ascended. Jesus, however, is the Supreme Personality of the Word; for he is first, and foremost, of his “many brothers and sisters.” Called "Leader" and "Elder Brother" by every other ascended master, Jesus Christ is the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords,” acknowledged leader of the orders of all of the messengers of God’s One Truth.

• They affirm that Jesus is the Liberator (Savior) of humankind (and all creation) from sin and the Way of Atonement. However, he is such a Liberator only if accepted, that is, if his saving teachings are followed. Jesus, per se, does not need to be accepted, but the meaning (or "Way") of Jesus must be followed. Essene Christains believe that it is not the death of Jesus on the cross, per se, that saves human beings from sin. Rather, as St. Gregory of Nazianzus and St. Abelard taught, the crucifixion was a way-showing example to all, and a lesson about what evil does to God, even while the resurrection shows that God – Love – triumphs even over Death. Indeed, they believe, it is harmony with the teachings of Jesus – living out his new way of being, a metanoia – that saves from sin. Sin is what human beings (and the whole world) get by being centered-in and living out from Ego, as opposed to in and from the Higher Self. It is the Meaning of Jesus (whose Name translated from Hebrew as “God saves us”) – his life and his teachings – that provide at-one-ment with God.

• They affirm that all beings have an ontological relationship with Jesus, but only certain beings who choose to become his disciples have a tutorial relationship with him. Jesus Christ is, to the Essene Christians the ultimate living master guru, and is available to all beings as personal teacher. However, in order to become and remain a disciple of Jesus, a person must accept the yoke of discipleship, which includes certain specific disciplines and agreements. Thus, it is not a requirement for anyone to become a disciple of Jesus Christ; rather, it is a highly valuable available option.

Views on the Church

Essene Christians consider the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church to be a Church (koinonia and eklesia) of spiritual groups and churches – dedicated to the metaphysical principles of the Sanatana Dharma, or "Universal Religion." They also believe it to be the mystical Body of Christ as "sacrament of salvation." Their principle beliefs are panentheism and that at-one-ment with God is the way to salvation (or theosis). Essene Christians practice many of the Essene seasonal and daily meditations that are centered on the quarters and cross-quarters of the year, as a means of harmony with the Earth, and they also practice daily forms of communing with "angels" representing certain energies of life. While vegetarianism is encouraged, it is not required and, while a celibate life is prized for those who choose it as a means of dedicating their energies; sexuality is also celebrated. The Sacred Mysteries of the Christian Church are celebrated, including the two dominical sacraments of the Gospel — Baptism and the Eucharist — as well as the five lesser sacramental rites. Essene Christians believe in the Eucharist and the Real Presence in the same manner as the Oriental Orthodox, although liturgies differ. The Eucharist is considered the central act of common worship on Sunday (the "Day of the Master"), and is often celebrated on other days, sometimes daily.

References

• Francis Legge, Forerunners and Rivals of Christianity, From 330 B.C. to 330 A.D. (1914), reprinted as two volumes bound as one, University Books New York, 1964. LC Catalog 64-24125.
• Golb, Norman. 1985. "Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls? The Search for the Secret of Qumran". Scribner
• Sanders, E.P., 1992. "Judaism: Practice & Belief 63BCE - 66CE" Minneapolis: Fortress
• Schiffman, Lawrence H. 1991. "From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple & Rabbinic Judaism". Ktav Publishing House
• Smith, Enid S., Ph.D., 1959, The Essenes Who Changed Churchianity