THINKING

About the Author

JOHN G. JACKSON was an educator, lecturer, author, and man of principle. He was born on April 1, 1907, into a family of Methodists. In old age, he averred he had been an Atheist since he became old enough to think. The family minister once asked him when he was small, "Who made you?" After some thought he replied from his own realization, "I don't know."
He lived for nearly fifty years in New York City, lecturing at the "Ingersoll Forum" of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism (1930-1955). During a parallel period he wrote articles for the Truth Seeker magazine. From 1932 to 1972 he was a writer and associate of the Rationalist Press Association in London, England. A pioneer in the field of African and Afro-American studies, he taught such courses from 1971 to 1980 at Rutgers University, New York University, and in Illinois.
His books include Introduction to African Civilizations; A Guide to the Study of African History; Man, God, and Civilization; Hubert Henry Harrison: The Black Socrates; and the best-selling Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth.

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Publications of John G. Jackson

From the Back Cover

"The picture we get today of Africa in past ages from the history taught in our schools is that Africans were savages and that, although Europeans invaded their lands and made slaves of them, they were in a way conferring a great favor on them, since they brought to them the blessings of Christian civilization," writes John G. Jackson. With brilliantly objective scholarship, Jackson obliterates that picture in this book, and presents a picture of human heritage infinitely more rich, colorful, and varied than is generally understood. The book challenges all the standard approaches to African history and will, no doubt, disturb a large number of overnight "authorities" on Africa who will discover that they do not really know the depth of African history and the role that Africans played in creating early human societies. Star-gods, moon-gods, sun gods, Osiris, the Zodiac, the lost continent of Atlantis--the impact of the myths and legends of ancient man upon human history is analyzed here. "Since the lore of astronomy and the calendar were the basis of much of the mythology, ritual, and religion of ancient Egypt, which in turn has profoundly affected all the great religious systems of later days," observes the author, "we deem it proper to discuss...these ancient African cults and creeds and their effects on other cultures." In its panoramic view, from the dawn of prehistory to modern resurgent Africa, Introduction to African Civilizations challenges the parochial historian, devastates the theoretical pretensions of white supremacists, expands intellectual horizons. It is a fascinating book to be read and reread for pleasure and knowledge by the layman and the scholar. "This is not just another book on African history. It is, in my opinion, one of the best books that has so far been written on the subject."--from the Introduction by John Henrik Clarke --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Christianity Before Christ, 237 pages Publisher: American Atheist Press; ISBN: 0910309205

Book Description

Nothing is new or original in Christianity. That is the important thesis demonstrated in Christianity Before Christ. The least important features, as well as the most important components, were all well developed in cultures that flourished before the time that Christ is alleged to have walked the parched paths of Roman Palestine. With a Forword by Frank R. Zindler, the editor of American Atheist press, the book has 12 major chapters, plus Bibliography, Subject Index, and numerous pen-and-ink illustrations.

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