Published in 1955 under the direction of psychiatrist William Sadler, "The Urantia Book" is the largest and most sophisticated work of New Age literature ever produced. This massive tome is believed by devotees to be a revelation to our world, which is allegedly called 'Urantia' in the language of the unseen higher beings credited with inspiring the book. Unlike other channelled 'bibles', "The Urantia Book" contains a vast amount of modern science as well as an extensive biography of Jesus Christ, filled with details not found in the Gospels. Well-known sceptic and acclaimed popular science writer Martin Gardner presents a complete history of the Urantia movement, from its beginnings in the early 20th century to the present day.In addition to providing an outline of the Urantia cult's worldview, Gardner presents strong evidence to establish the identity of the man whose trance-like orations formed the basis of the book. Gardner also analyzes the flaws in Urantian science and points out many instances of plagiarism in various sections of the book.
In a new postscript to this paperback edition, Gardner details recent developments in the Urantia movement, corrects some errors in the original edition, and responds to critical reactions from Urantia believers to his sceptical perspective on the book and the movement. Although there are other histories of "The Urantia Book", this is the only one written by a sceptic. Anyone interested in the New Age, cults, or the development of new religions will find much fascinating material in Gardner's thorough overview.