Stifyn Emrys
Stifyn Emrys has written on subjects as diverse as history, religion, politics and language. He has served as an editor for fiction and non-fiction projects, and his first book, "The Gospel of the Phoenix," a new perspective on the life of Jesus, was published in July 2012. A first anniversary Special Edition has been published, including 60 pages of author commentary, classic illustrations and reformatted text for easier reading.
He has published seven subsequent works:
1) "Requiem for a Phantom God," a critique of monotheism.
2) "The Phoenix Principle," an examination the role Pagan folklore and political intrigues played in the development of Western religion.
3) "Undefeated," a series of vignettes focusing on individuals who have triumphed over bullying, bigotry and oppression.
4) "Feathercap," a new fairytale for children and adults.
5) "Identity Break," the first installment in a new "Identity Quest" YA/science fiction/adventure series and the author's first novel.
6) "Artifice," a novella in the "Identity Quest" series.
7) "The Way of the Phoenix," a collection of original fables, proverbs and parables.
The author has lectured occasionally on the pagan origins of Christianity and continues to research the development of religious traditions. He has worked as an editor, columnist, educator and reporter. He is currently working on his first novel. He lives in California with his wife, stepson, one cat and one dog.
“The way is a great mother, empty yet inexhaustible. She gives birth to worlds unending. Ever present within you, manifest her as you will.”
“Obsoletes and absolutes are the stock in trade of religions that place their faith in an 'unchanging' god while faced with the reality of an ever-changing world.”
“Our gods, if we choose to believe in them, must be forced to live up to ethics that far surpass our own human standards. If they fall short of the ethical conditions we place upon ourselves, what use are they to us - except to rationalize our own failures?”
“If we subject religious claims to a lesser degree of scrutiny, we should not be surprised if religious people subject us to a greater degree of servitude.”
“Ignore ignorance? You might as well withhold medicine from a very sick patient. Not only will the patient get worse, the disease will spread.”
“The most dangerous aspect of religion is its tendency to glorify the absurd and justify the abhorrent.”
“When someone says, 'I admire your character,' I never know whether the person is talking about my ethics or referring to someone in one of my books.”