The Holy Mushroom: Evidence of Mushrooms in Judeo-Christianity. A critical re-evaluation of the schism between John M. Allegro and R. Gordon Wasson over the theory on the entheogenic origins of Christianity presented in The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross. by J.R. Irvin (original) (raw)

The Holy Mushroom critically re-evaluates the longstanding controversy between John M. Allegro and R. Gordon Wasson regarding the entheogenic origins of Christianity as proposed in Allegro's The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross. The analysis delves into Wasson's dismissal of Allegro’s theories, scrutinizing the academic responses influenced by Wasson's behavior and expertise limitations. By examining illustrations and iconography related to mushrooms in Christian antiquity, Irvin argues for the validity of Allegro’s thesis, proposing that entheogenic mushrooms played a substantial role in the development of Christian traditions.