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Average customer rating:
- Must reading for scholars of early Christianity
- Good presentation
- Totally an eye opener
- Few facts; mostly spin.
- It is time to open our eyes!
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The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle
Karen L. King
Manufacturer: Polebridge Press
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- The Gnostic Gospels
- Beyond Belief
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- The Gospels of Mary: The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene, the Companion of Jesus
- The Gospel of Judas
ASIN: 0944344585 |
Book Description
Lost for more than fifteen hundred years, the Gospel of Mary is the only existing early Christian gospel written in the name of a woman. Karen L. King tells the story of the recovery of this remarkable gospel and offers a new translation. This brief narrative presents a radical interpretation of Jesus' teachings as a path to inner spiritual knowledge. It rejects his suffering and death as a path to eternal life and exposes the view that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute for what it is - a piece of theological fiction. The Gospel of Mary of Magdala offers a fascinating glimpse into the conflicts and controversies that shaped earliest Christianity.
Customer Reviews:
Must reading for scholars of early Christianity.......2007-06-18
This is fascinating reading which will causes us to probe the boundaries of what is known about the Gospel and the early Christians (i.e., the Gnostics). Some cautionary notes that I would add are that we don't know how many people read the Gnostic gospels, who might have been influenced by them, or even why they were written in the first place.
Good presentation.......2007-04-05
The actual Gospel is rather short, but Karen took it apart and did a fine job of explaining each facet that the gospel touched on. The role of women, the Apostles' roles, and again showed proof (without stating it) that Jesus himself set us all up for the conflicts that followed his faithful. Namely that He preached one thing to the masses, and let others in on secrets. Thus setting up conflict between those that understood, and those who thought they understood.(The Gnostics versus the Orthodox).
Paul
Totally an eye opener.......2006-07-05
I love reading this book as it shows the mindset of christianity in its early stages. It is interesting after reading several gospels the irenias declared as heriesies you have to ask who qualified him to choose what gospels were right for the rest of us and which were not. Overall this book rocks and is very informative. If you as a christian who just likes to go to church and are not interested in where christianinty was then you will not like this book as it clearly goes against the version we grew up to believe is true. However if you want to know what the compitition was and a fresh glimplse in what the roman church tried to surpress in the few decades after the beath if Jesus then this book will be very intriging. I appoligize for my spelling.
Few facts; mostly spin. .......2006-06-16
At first, I felt some hope in this book. King admits plainly that the "Gospel" of Mary "offers no new information about the historical Jesus." Rather, this text "reflects concerns that make sense in a Gentile context," in particular, this Jesus tale derives from Platonic and Stoic thought. Aside from admitting these obvious facts (which does not always happen when the subject is Gnostic texts), King remains a careful scholar, and some of the connections she draws are good.
But like so many others, she hypes her text by claiming it changes our understanding of early Christianity. Here her argument becomes not only illogical, but repetitious, agenda driven, and, finally, tiresome.
Let me begin with the quote above. Mary "offers no new information about the historical Jesus." No honest historian would disagree. Yet again and again, King emphasizes how radically Mary, and the Nag Hammadi texts, supposedly change the history and meaning of Christian origins. She calls early Christians who follow the canonical story the "proto-orthodox." Like Pagels, she imagines them weaving all kinds of political webs to create a canon and a creed that exclude works like this one. Even such radical critics as Morton Smith, Robert Funk and John Crossan (not to mention more balanced historians) find tons of historical information about Jesus in the canonical Gospels, while King admits she finds none in Mary. Yet not once does she consider the possibility that early Christians selected the Gospels they did because of this superiority.
Why should a historian berate early Christians for selecting texts that give factual historical information, and rejecting those that don't? I kept waiting for her to consider this question, but she was too busy alleging dark political schemes to even bring it up, let alone answer it.
But evidence that the "proto-orthodox" cared about historical truth is before her eyes. King emphasizes the contrast between Mary, the "model disciple," conduit for Jesus' secret (Gnostic, though she dislikes the term) teachings, and Peter, her "hot-headed" proto-orthodox foil. King goes on and on about how wonderful Mary is -- "It is no accident that the Savior loved her more than the others," a love "based on his sure knowledge" of this "unflinching and steadfast disciple." But tempestuous Peter is no Gnostic invention. The canonical Gospels vividly portray his flaws -- and the leadership Jesus gave him. What this points to is how dramatically different the canonical texts are -- the frank realism with which they depict Jesus, his disciples, the crowds, and his enemies, which has led many skeptics to conclude that the stories they relate are true. But King is enthralled with her simple, black-hat / white-hat text, and never drops a hint that the richly ambiguous canonical texts might, for a historian, offer advantages.
And on it goes. Following Koester, King equates Thomas and Q. (In my book, Why the Jesus Seminar can't find Jesus, and Grandma Marshall Could, I show the two are radically different.) She exagerates the gap between Jesus and the writing of the Gospels. (A period of that might take a witness from youth to middle age.) She overlooks the fact that the four Gospels were already accepted as authoritative (for good reason) early in the 2nd Century.
Pagels has argued that John invented the figure of "doubting Thomas" to undermine the "Thomas tradition." In one of the most absurd passages of this book, King applies the same argument to Mary. "Mary's status is diminished in the Gospel of John in that she at first mistakes him for the gardener, and then when she does recognize his voice, she addresses him as 'Teacher' . . a relatively low standing on the hierarchical scale of Johannine Christological titles . . . The whole scene works to subordinate Mary's authority as a resurrection witness to that of the male disciples . . . "
What hooey. John "disses" all the male disciples much worse than that. Thomas doubts. Peter denies. Judas betrays. All the rest desert. Unlike Mary, John doesn't pretty up his favored disciples for the press. And if he did want to undermine Mary, why did he make her the first witness to the resurrected Jesus?
And why, if the early Christians were so set on misogeny, or indifferent to the facts, do the Gospels they selected show Jesus (as Walter Wink points out) transcending the boundaries of gender roles in every single encounter with women in the canonical Gospels? Such facts should force feminist scholars to admit the Gospel authors (and selectors) were either proto-feminists, or honest enough to present Jesus as he was, including (as Dan Brown put it!) as the original feminist. But it is not King's purpose to affirm orthodoxy, and so she ignores evidence of this sort.
Some parts of this book are well-done. The comparisons with other Gnostic literature and with Greek thought are interesting.
But I am tired of this over-clever deconstructionistic mumbo-jumbo. I rue the day the academy decided history could be done by such methods, as subjective as divination by tortoise shell, as easy (because impossible to disprove) as reading the mind of a person dead two thousand years. If you want a serious reconstruction of early Christian history, avoid American profs entirely, and read N. T. Wright.
It is time to open our eyes!.......2006-03-17
Even though I am a Christian and regular Church attendee, I have long felt the treatment of woman within the Church system was frankly, Non-Christian. Have we been blinded by hundreds of years of male views? Such early works as the Gospel of Mary certainly demonstrate how Jesus correctly viewed both sexes. For me this answers many questions and fills in the missing blanks. Excellent book
Average customer rating:
- They use the vehicle of fiction to help people understand the hardship and faith walk of the Beloved Apostle
- John's Story: The Last Eyewitness
- Not What I Expected
- Insight to Understanding Scripture
- A little short, but great teaser to the BIBLE
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John's Story: The Last Eyewitness (The Jesus Chronicles) (The Jesus Chronicles)
Tim LaHaye , and Jerry B. Jenkins
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
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Similar Items:
- Kingdom Come: The Final Victory (Left Behind #13)
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- Babylon Rising: The Europa Conspiracy (Babylon Rising)
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ASIN: 0399153896
Release Date: 2006-11-21 |
Book Description
Together again with the only books they are coauthoring since the bestselling Left Behind series.
Before there was the tribulation, before the rapture, before there was a legacy that could be left behind, there was Jesus. John's Story tell His glorious, dramatic story. John's Story: The Last Eyewitness is told by the one whom Jesus called beloved. John, a once-broken man, was forever changed the moment he met the mysterious stranger from Nazareth, his heart opened by the One whom he discovered to be the Son of God.
At ninety years old, John is the last of the original twelve apostles still alive, the only one who was not martyred. Committed to spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, he is called by God to write a gospel in order to set the record straight-as others were teaching that Jesus wasn't the Son of God. Recalling his time with Jesus, John brings to life the miracles and messages of the Man who would change the course of history.
The first in a series, John's Story: The Last Eyewitness is a remarkable and thrilling account of the life of the Man who came to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament and to save all of mankind. To bring deeper understanding to the story, each of the four books nclude the text of the corresponding gospel as an appendix.
John's Story illuminates the times of Jesus, His life, and His messages like never before. Using cutting-edge historical and academic research, as well as biblically based themes, they are first and foremost page-turning novels that could come only from the pens of Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.
Customer Reviews:
They use the vehicle of fiction to help people understand the hardship and faith walk of the Beloved Apostle.......2007-06-06
Who was the last eyewitness to testify about seeing the miracles of Jesus with his or her own eyes? Regardless of the number of times one has read the New Testament, many have forgotten this key fact about John, the beloved disciple who wrote the Gospel of John, three Epistles and, finally, the book of Revelation on the Island of Patmos. JOHN'S STORY, by Left Behind authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, marks the first installment in The Jesus Chronicles, a four-book series that features each Gospel through the eyewitness author.
The opening pages begin in Rome in 95 A.D. with the aging disciple almost 90 years old. He appears before the Emperor Domitian, who had a reputation for cruelty with Christians. The Emperor labels John a heretic and, before a huge coliseum crowd, sentences him to be boiled in oil. Manacled at his hands and feet, the Apostle is lowered into oil until he is kneeling. In the heat, his manacles soften and he boils to death, while the crowd watches and cheers. To everyone's surprise, Jesus works a miracle on the order of the Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego story. Thousands of people believe in Christ upon witnessing John's preservation from the boiling oil. Domitian is furious and wants John killed, but this is impossible because the sentence already has been carried out. Instead, the Emperor assigns the old Apostle to hard labor on the Island of Patmos.
>From this dramatic opening, the authors flash back to the previous year and the events in Ephesus, which motivated John to write his eyewitness account about Jesus. The rise of Gnosticism among the Ephesians is served to readers in the vehicle of John's stories about Jesus. Cerinthus leads a group of Christians into forming a Gnostic church that denies the power of Christ and promotes the idea that someone can work their way to heaven, which is a contrary message to the teachings of Jesus. This drives the elderly Apostle to write his stories with the help of his scribe, Polycarp.
After the creation of his Gospel, soldiers come one night and take John to Rome. At a chapter break, the story picks up with John working tirelessly on Patmos and his vision that becomes the book of Revelation. Some readers will be surprised to find the New King James Version Bible text for John's writings in the final third of this volume. It shortchanges expectations for a full-length novel, and instead they receive a novella-length story.
LaHaye and Jenkins have written a book true to the messages of Scripture. They use the vehicle of fiction to help people understand the hardship and faith walk of the Beloved Apostle. I found it to be a fascinating journey and recommend it wholeheartedly.
--- Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin
John's Story: The Last Eyewitness.......2007-05-30
Couldn't have been a better account of the happenings back then...just loved it...thanks!
Not What I Expected.......2007-05-22
This book wasn't what I expected. I truly wanted and expected John's story about his life, his thoughts and what he went through. This is basically a story about John at 95 years old writing his books of the Bible. I wanted to hear the stories first hand as if he were living it right then. I wanted more details about his stay at Patmos also. I just thought these two writers would above and beyond. Maybe they were rushed by their publishers. Maybe they are taking on too much by putting out too many books in a year. Or maybe they just aren't taking the time to do it right. I'm leery about buying the rest of the books in this series. This book was good but it wasn't as great as it could be. Just didn't live up to my expectations.
Insight to Understanding Scripture.......2007-03-22
Independent of what other reviewers have written, I have found this book to be just what it says it is, "Johns Story". While written as a work of fiction, it is however a study of the Gospel According to John. Through the dialogue between John and his scribe, Polycarp, the book of John is understood and meaning taken away. I found it interesting that the Book of John from the bible was incluede at the end of the book. Why, because once you finish the text and read John's work from the Bible, one will have a sense of understanding and clarity in the reading.
A little short, but great teaser to the BIBLE.......2007-01-29
Before reading Mr. Sullivan's review, I commented on the hobbit's earlier review and THANK YOU Todd for expressing what I felt was the same view point.
I liked the book. If one has never picked up the Bible, this book introduces us to John and is a great starter for eventually reading all the gospels. The book conveniently gives us all 5 writings of John in the end and is an excellent start in learning about Jesus Christ.
As I stated to the hobbit man, why be so critical when the authors are getting out the words of Jesus. I think the story was short on purpose - you want to read more and what greater source for Jesus than the Bible.
Average customer rating:
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
- Provocative, appealing and controversial
- pharaohs lived in the 3rd century AD
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History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
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Similar Items:
- History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Provocative, appealing and controversial.......2006-08-02
Fomenko has succeeded to convincingly demonstrate the misconception about what "history" factually is... It is fiction and -like we can read and judge for ourselves- no science. It indeed is "make belief" only. I "discovered" Fomenko while studying the "old" history of Al Andaluz, Spain. Having found too many contradictions in available data, having seen too many forgeries as to pretend the importance of christianity for its decline, I ventured out to find Fomenko, who convinced me that we know little if anything for sure of the epoch before the XI-century. However, the integration of the Arabic-Islamic cultural history into the heavily distorted Western fails... There are some attempts to fit "the budding new religion" (Islam) into Fomenko's scheme, but they are too weak to be taken seriously and too often focussing on Turkey as the region where things started to influence the West, which is untrue at all.
Islam certainly was no "new religion" in the X-century. That the highly cultivated Al Andaluz ruler Mohammed-I could have been "mirrored" down in time into some myth about the "illiterate" founder of Islam itself is highly speculative. Nevertheless, Fomenko convinces me about the processes that were involved in forging a christian history. Intriguing and controversial as his books are, I recommend them as to rethink our current position in time and space and simply verify what was claimed. It is a "good" book, but not for bedtime reading... Mundus vult decipi, the world wants to be cheated. Fomenko's readers will understand why.
pharaohs lived in the 3rd century AD.......2006-02-16
Traces of white wine were found in Tutankhamen's tomb however there were no record of white wine in Egypt until the 3rd century AD, 1600 years after the young pharaoh died according to the traditional chronology. http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18925395.400
It can be interpreted as a contribution towards New Chronology theory that pharaohs lived in the 3rd century AD.
Average customer rating:
- very good book
- Subtly Calvinistic
- Informative and interesting
- Twelve Ordinary Men Review
- Good Read, Valuable Read-- But Read William Barclay, Too.
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Twelve Ordinary Men
John MacArthur
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
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ASIN: 0849917735 |
Book Description
Contrary to popular belief, we do not have to be perfect to do God's work. Look no further than the twelve disciples whose many weaknesses are forever preserved throughout the pages of the New Testament. Jesus chose ordinary men - fisherman, tax collectors, political zealots - and turned their weakness into strength, producing greatness from utter uselessness. MacArthur draws principles from Christ's careful, hands-on training of the original twelve disciples for today's modern disciple - you.
Customer Reviews:
very good book.......2007-05-22
This book is very good. It made me look at Jesus in a whole new way. He was doing everything for them to make them what they became. I strongly recomend this book to everyone that wants to learn about Jesus.
Subtly Calvinistic.......2006-10-05
Be prepared before you delve into the particulars of the lives of those 12 men whom Christ chose to be His disciples. MacArthur's Reformed Presbyterianism manifests itself on page 12 ( paperback edition )when he states: " They ( being the 12 disciples ) represented the true Israel of God --- a genuinely repentant and believing Israel."
This is the trademark of Calvinism/Reformed Theology, Replacement Theology, otherwise, known as Supersessionism. According to MacArthur and others of his denominational persuasion, all promises and blessings given to Abraham and his seed were rescinded by God and given unconditionally to the Church under the New Covenent. This is promugated by MacArthur in spite of the numerous prophesies found in Ezekiel, Zechariah, Romans, and Revelation regarding the restoration of a Jewish homeland and an ultimately repentant people; also, in spite of the scriptural fact that Paul recognizes in I Corinthians 10:32 to " give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God. "
God has certainly not cast aside the nation of Israel forever.They are likened to the adulterous wife, repudiated, but ultimately to be purified and restored, as pictured in the book of Hosea. The invisible Church is comprised of believers who put their trust and faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, just as God is preserving those remnant of the Sons of Abraham until the Kingdom Age is ushered in by Christ himself.
To be truly credible, MacArthur should have clearly stated his predisposition to liken the Church - established by Christ when Peter made his historic confession and thus coming to fruition at Pentecost - as the replacement entity for the Abrahamic Covenant.
One should prayfully be reminded that God will " Bless them that bless thee " - referring, of course, to the wholly gracious and unconditional promise made to Abraham and his descendants.
Informative and interesting.......2006-05-05
Many times when we get into non-fiction books we just don't think it will be an easy read. This book really gives great information about the 12 disciples and does it in a way that makes you want to keep reading to find out more. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in learning but has problems with most of your textbook types of material. I enjoyed this book and learned a good bit as well.
Twelve Ordinary Men Review.......2006-03-28
John MacArthur presents a thorough and interesting description of the disciples Jesus picked to complete his work on earth. Never before have I read such valuable information about the disciples individually and collectively in one place. Way-to-go MacArthur.
Good Read, Valuable Read-- But Read William Barclay, Too........2006-03-14
This book is worth the reading, well worth the reading, but it is not the definitive book on the Twelve Deciples. That title still belongs to "The Master's Men" written by William Barclay many years ago. This book is good. It views the Apostles from a more modern day approach and gives good insight into the times in which they were chosen and labored. But it seems to stretch at times. Read in concert with "The Master's Men," this book helps paint a good picture--as good as we could possibly have--about the Twelve Men who changed the world. Read this one, and Barclay,too.
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- Information Galore
- Excellent!
- An Excellent Introduction to New Testament Sociology
- A good early look...
- A clear look at the society of the first century.
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The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul
Wayne A. Meeks
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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ASIN: 0300098618 |
Book Description
In this classic work, Wayne A. Meeks analyzes the earliest extant documents of Christianity—the letters of Paul—to describe the tensions and the texture of life of the first urban Christians. In a new introduction, he describes the evolution of the field of New Testament scholarship over the past twenty years, including new developments in fields such as archaeology and social history.
Customer Reviews:
Information Galore.......2006-03-18
Very up-to-date information, thoroughly discussed and analyzed. The book is laid out by subject, so it's easy to go back and find information. It is basically a complete description of the Roman World of Paul's time, right down to the tiniest detail that we have available. The only downside is the sheer density of it. But if you can muck your way through it, this book is simply groundbreaking in its analysis of the world that Christianity was born into.
Excellent!.......2005-10-16
I wouldn't write a sermon without it! Great insight to the world and social condition of the early Church. I find that it helps bring the then and there to the hear and now.
An Excellent Introduction to New Testament Sociology.......2004-07-18
Biblical scholar Wayne Meeks wrote the first edition of THE FIRST URBAN CHRISTIANS in the mid 1980's. He collected not only scriptural information, but also historical and sociological information to reconstruct the world of the earliest Christians. At the time it was considered to be groundbreaking research. Today this work is considered by many to the standard bearer of sociological studies concerning first century Christians.
Meeks studies the earliest Christian communities established by St. Paul. Meeks acknowledges that in the minds of most people, the first Christians were poorer peasant and agrarian people, but the reality is probably different. While the gospel may have been first preached in such settings, the faith started in urban areas and spread first from one city to another, then to the countryside. While Meeks does mention many of the early Christian leaders in his work, his primary focus is on the writings of St. Paul and the day to day life behind these writings, since historically these writings are the earliest Christian sources.
Topics in the book include the urban environment of Pauline Christianity, social life of the early Christian community, the formations of churches, conflicts, rituals, and how belief shaped the lives of the early Christians. The book also has an index to help with information on specific subjects and a scriptural reference index for people who need to use the book for a quick reference for study or preparation of preaching.
Meeks has a scholar's attention to detail and provides a great deal of information in this work. He also has the reader in mind. Knowing that the work will be read both by scholars, students, and those interested in a deeper knowledge of scripture, the work is informative and readable.
While the information in the book is no longer new, it is still current. Students and those wishing further study will find Meeks' copious notes as well as his bibliography helpful for further study.
A good early look..........2004-05-13
Wayne Meeks, professor of Biblical studies at Yale, looks at the world of the first century Christian church in this book, 'The First Urban Christians'. He has a follow-up volume, 'The Origin of Christian Morality', that progresses into the world of the second century Christian church. Together these volumes give a rare insight into the earliest development of the church -- as so many denominations take as their authority the actions, decisions, and conventions of this time (as they understand them), a look at the formative years of Christianity (and later Christendom) is valuable indeed.
This book looks at social description of early Christianity, bringing in history, politics, sociology and philosophy in various degrees. Meeks is looking for the 'ordinary Christian' in the early church, something he claims we do not often find in the scriptures or other writings of the time. This requires that we know as much as possible about the general cultural setting in which early Christians found themselves, as their writings and practices handed down to us constitute a response, if not directly then at least indirectly, to their times.
Despite the pastoral setting of many of the gospel stories and parables, Christianity was largely an urban phenomenon in its earliest days (as would be true of most any sect or cult that would grow in early times -- it would take root in and transfer by movement between cities; indeed, Antioch, one of the major cities of the time, was where the term Christian was first coined). Meeks looks at the issues of city growth, from village to city to empire (it is no mistake that the Roman Empire derived its name from a city). Urban Judaism had unique traits that are examined here as influential in early Christianity. Meeks also explores different issues such as the role of women in urban society, mobility issues and the kinds of interconnections people in cities would make, intra-urban and inter-urban.
After this examination, Meeks continues to look at specifically church-related issues in urban, Pauline Christianity. These include the various rituals such as baptism and eucharist, governance and hierarchy issues in the early church (very different from later, imperial Christianity), and patterns of belief -- remember, this is a time when there was not only no set canon of scripture, but no creeds formulated yet, either. Meeks also explores briefly the unknown and controverted rituals -- how did the early Christians marry (or remarry)? How did they bury and mourn their dead (for we know it was of concern to many early Christians that people were dying prior to the return of Christ)?
Meeks provides ample footnoting citations, a generous bibliography of secondary sources (35 pages of this!), and indexes of biblical references, modern authors, and subjects. This is an excellent text for study and reference, and gives good insights into a world we take for granted often that we understand (due to our familiarity with the New Testament scriptures), yet really is foreign in time and space.
A clear look at the society of the first century........1999-01-11
Meeks takes a look at the first Christians from a perspective rarely found in typical Christian Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, and commentaries. The strength of this work lies in the fact that Meeks is specifically unveiling the social customs and mores of the first century. Especially helpful are his discussions on the living and working conditions of the first Christians.
Since we are nearly 2000 years removed from the social context on the early church, a book such as this helps us to see what we have been missing.
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- A MUST READ FOR SEMINARY STUDENTS
- ALL ABOUT JESUS'S CLOSEST FOLLOWERS
- EXCELLENT ACCOUNT ACCOUNT OF MARY MAGDALENE
- As always, Ehrman gets you thinking
- Decent Analysis...Don't Expect a Theological Treatise
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Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend
Bart D. Ehrman
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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ASIN: 0195300130 |
Book Description
Bart Ehrman, author of the highly popular Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code and Lost Christianities, here takes readers on another engaging tour of the early Christian church, illuminating the lives of three of Jesus' most intriguing followers: Simon Peter, Paul of Tarsus, and Mary Magdalene. What do the writings of the New Testament tell us about each of these key followers of Christ? What legends have sprung up about them in the centuries after their deaths? Was Paul bow-legged and bald? Was Peter crucified upside down? Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute? In this lively work, Ehrman separates fact from fiction, presenting complicated historical issues in a clear and informative way and relating vivid anecdotes culled from the traditions of these three followers. He notes, for instance, that historians are able to say with virtual certainty that Mary, the follower of Jesus, was from the fishing village of Magdala on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (this is confirmed by her name, Mary Magdalene, reported in numerous independent sources); but there is no evidence to suggest that she was a prostitute (this legend can be traced to a sermon preached by Gregory the Great five centuries after her death), and little reason to think that she was married to Jesus. Similarly, there is no historical evidence for the well-known tale that Peter was crucified upside down. Ehrman also argues that the stories of Paul's miracle working powers as an apostle are legendary accounts that celebrate his importance. A serious book but vibrantly written and leavened with many colorful stories, Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene will appeal to anyone curious about the early Christian church and the lives of these important figures.
Customer Reviews:
A MUST READ FOR SEMINARY STUDENTS.......2007-06-28
Whether one agrees with Erhman or not this is a fascinating read. He is a scholar who knows the Fundamentalist mind (with Moody Bible Institute in his background), and he takes the biblical text very seriously. He's a great writer and this book is easily accessible to the one who is not a professional.
From the Introduction: "Historians do their best to reconstruct past events based on surviving evidence, but history is not an empirical science that can establish high levels of probability based on assured results obtained by repeated experimentation. History is as much art as science" (xiv).
From Chapter 7: "Has there ever been a Christian figure as controversial as the apostle Paul? It was a new understanding of Paul's letters that led Martin Luther to split from the Catholic Church, leading to the Protestant Reformation and a division within Christendom that continues down to our own day. Churches of all description continue to wrangle over Paul's teaching: some insist that his writings oppose women in the ordained ministry, while others argue just the opposite. . . . Debates over Paul--and over who can claim him--are not, however, a product of the modern age: they go all the way back to New Testament times. . . " (89).
Seminary students are not educated until they're read stuff like this--and not just to laugh and snicker and poke holes. Calvin Theological Seminary, where I was given the boot ("My Calvin Seminary Story") sends students out without seriously interacting with such literature. Here is a good book to seriously explore.
ALL ABOUT JESUS'S CLOSEST FOLLOWERS.......2007-06-27
Professor Bart Ehrman has written another engaging and insightful book on early Christianity. He examines three of Jesus's most influential followers through the lens of historical perspective, the bible, and early external writings. He shows great insight in the influence each of these figures had on the history of the Western world. Did you ever think about the fact that the historical Peter had to have been an illiterate peasant who spoke Aramaic and it is impossible that he wrote perfect Greek Epistles that applied more to the later church than the 1st century? We must understand that Paul never met the historical Jesus and barely mentions any history of the real man, instead evidence points to the fact that he was the one who began the "Christ" myth. All the gospels and outside sources agree that Mary Magdalene was the first to witness the empty tomb or the risen Jesus, that makes her the first Christian and the pivot point that began the Christian religion. Buy this book for an education on these three figures and what we can really know about them and their impact on Christianity and Western Civilization. Curious minds will not be disappointed.
EXCELLENT ACCOUNT ACCOUNT OF MARY MAGDALENE.......2007-05-08
WONDERFUL WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE LIFE OF MARY MAGDALENE
As always, Ehrman gets you thinking.......2007-04-04
Bart Ehrman has written a number of analyses of early Christian church writings, trying to help the reader to understand historical context and how this shaped what was included, and excluded, from scripture. In Peter, Paul and Mary Madalene, he keeps up this tradition. His discussions of reading the books of the New Testament horizontally, as opposed to vertically, to show the contrasts between them, should be required reading. Such highlighting may offend literalists, but that is the nature of religious discourse if questioning is not allowed. Finally, Ehrman's writing style makes such reading easy to do. On top of being easy to read and well-informed, Ehrman is genuinely funny. Comments regarding, for example, the six people in the English speaking world who have not yet read The Da Vinci Code come at you from nowhere and help to keep everything moving and entertaining as well as enlightening.
Decent Analysis...Don't Expect a Theological Treatise.......2007-02-26
Ehrman delivers some early church history without the bias of a theological agenda...rare and refreshing in these days of religious polarization. Consequently, the reader may find themselves lost in the weeds. Ehrman doesn't really draw any overarching theological conclusions, supposedly because he's not a theologian, but a textual scholar, and I suspect a skeptical one at that. He simply never addresses most theological questions...perhaps they are unimportant to him now. He prefers his readers to draw their own conclusions, but leaves them with precious little guidance. For that reason, this can be a tough book to get through. Still, there is much to be gained from slogging through it, no matter what your beliefs; after all, truth is never the enemy of faith, but an opportunity to better understand and deepen it by eliminating the unnecessary dogmas of specific historical accident.
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Thirteen Apostles
J. Ellsworth Kalas
Manufacturer: Abingdon Press
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ASIN: 0687097215 |
Customer Reviews:
Kalas at his best........2006-01-14
Whether you are interested in the aspostles, Kalas' writing or looking for a good solid Sunday School lesson, then you have found the book for you. I actually met Kalas several years a go and if you are at all familar with any of his writings, than let me say he is the person you read in his writings.
This book focuses on the disciples and Kalas uses his typical style of hitting the subject matter from a unique angle that surely engages and causes one to think "out-side the box".
If you are looking for a deep rooted, long winded study on all the disciples, then you may find yourself disappointed. If you are looking for a quick grasp and overview of the disciples or a great Sunday School lesson material, then you've found EXACTLY what you're looking for.
And if Sunday School material is what you're after and you are unfamilar with Kalas, take time to read ANY of his books. They are truly in every sense of the word...GREAT! I use his books often in group studies and they never fail to open eyes and create much discussion.
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- Paul: A Man of Grit and Grace
- A Thoughtful Presentation of Paul
- Yo, Dear consumer, Fellow
- Paul: A Man of Grit and Grace
- Another Masterpiece by Swindoll!
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Paul: A Man of Grit and Grace (Great Lives from God's Word, Volume 6)
Charles R. Swindoll
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
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ASIN: 0849917492 |
Book Description
Paul's life was never dull. First appearing in the New Testament as a violent enemy of Christ, Paul later went on to not only put his faith in the risen Lord but to pen thirteen letters of the New Testament--in the midst of being beaten, shipwrecked, snakebitten, imprisoned, and chased out of town. Let Charles Swindoll be your guide as you travel down the road to Damascus with Paul and discover the passion for Jesus that drove this hero of the faith.
Customer Reviews:
Paul: A Man of Grit and Grace.......2007-02-16
Charles Swindoll, gives an exellent expose' of the man Saul of Tarsus. His conversion and the affect it had on him, that lasted for the rest of his life. The continual conflicts, trials, and troubles he endured.
Swindoll, also does a great job of filling in between the lines, from other text, and how we can learn from the examples of Pauls great, faith, strength and courage.
A Thoughtful Presentation of Paul .......2006-08-25
Chuck Swindoll is one of my favorite writers, though I am not in agreement with all of his theology. But this work on Paul is outstanding.
Before reading this work on Paul, I had read several other volumes on Paul, and Swindoll gave me another perspective on Paul that I have greatly appreciated--the devotional touch to this work. As a pastor, I find this work to be encouraging. Swindoll writes with a pastor's pen. And I love that.
I especially recommend this work to all conscientious pastors.
Yo, Dear consumer, Fellow.......2005-02-05
oh yeah, this book is wonderfull. Turned me into something like a Pauline. It gives great illustrations and its quite a good read; what I really got out of it was how Swindoll shows you a real person. Not just Paul the Apostle, not just him as one of the sons of judaism of that time, no beyond that. The man that we read about that filled his letters with so much understanding and knowledge, to be flesh. You read this book and I guarantee you, it will change how you look at him and Christ, and especially what kind of peoples Christ uses. from a man you read of in Acts through Philemon as a character into a man that struggled with his faith and had to take a shower at the end of the day just like all of us. Oh yes, it is really great, I encourage anyone to tear into this mug, and I hear its one of many books- so I really am encouraged to pick up one of Swindoll's other books. Hes a magnificent writer. 5 starsies all the way.
Paul: A Man of Grit and Grace.......2005-01-29
The author is probably a great guy personally, but his writing falls very short. The book does not even address Paul's views on the role of women, or on homosexuality--two areas where people of our times need guidance. It seems as if the author wanted to be "politically correct" and not offend anyone.
He doesn't even address, with any authority, the conflict between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark. He just basically says they should have worked it out. I was completely disappointed in the book.
Another Masterpiece by Swindoll!.......2004-07-08
Swindoll's book on the Apostle Paul is the 6th in a series of Bible characters and in my humble opinion, the best character study so far.
Among the important points Swindoll covers include:
1. Biblical examples of people who waited long period of time before being used greatly by God.
2. An independent spirit does not please God - He much prefers the humble and broken-hearted.
3. Exceptional work is preceded by extended waiting and 4 principles for trusting God while waiting in the shadows (this alone was worth the price of the book).
4. While boasting about our weakness is not popular in today's culture, life is about God, not us!
5. 3 perspectives to have when in a strong disagreement.
6. Sometimes turnmoil, hardship, and persecution means you are in the middle of God's will.
7. 4 excellent points to consider for powerful preaching.
8. Be careful of letting your subjective experiences be your ultimate guide in life - God's Word is much more reliable!
9. Effective ministry and opposition go hand in hand.
10. Patterns of behavior and observations about heroes who stand up while everyone sits down.
11. 4 anchors to hold on to during stormy times.
12. 7 exhortations for faithful service.
The points above are only a few of the many encouragements you will get from this gem of a book! Having read several of Swindoll's books, this one may be my personal favorite!
Read and be encouraged in the Lord and hang tough like the Apostle Paul did!
Highly recommended.
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- The Disciples After Calvery
- Perfect book for beginning Chistians 1-3 yrs.
- The Twelve Apostles of Christ
- The Twelve Apostles of Christ.
- Taking a Stab at Apostolic History
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The Twelve: The Lives of the Apostles After Calvary
Bernard Ruffin , and C. Bernard Ruffin
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ASIN: 0879739266 |
Customer Reviews:
The Disciples After Calvery.......2007-02-22
I had always wondered what happened to the Disciples after Calvery and this book was very enlightening and an easy read. It cleared up a lot of questions I had.
Perfect book for beginning Chistians 1-3 yrs........2006-01-14
This book is a fast and easy read, perfect for beginners (1-3 years) who have studied some of the bible/new testament and start asking "who were they?" questions. It's not too long of a book, I read it in under a week, and it's a "pass along" book for a friend. (I would never pass along a book I thought bad or boring). Book is not a heavy end all on the subject, but answers enought questions and legends/historical footnotes to put a pretty good idea of what might have happened to the twelve we read about in the NT.
The Twelve Apostles of Christ.......2004-08-28
_The Twelve: The Lives of the Apostles After Calvary_ is an interesting book by a Catholic author, C. Bernard Ruffin. It catalogues the lives, travels and evangelical exploits of the twelve apostles from the New Testament, the writings of the Fathers and various apocryphal historical novels. The first problem about writing about the apostles, as Ruffin explains, is to differentiate between "the disciples," "the apostles" and "the Twelve." Disciple refers to any full-fledged follower of Christ and especially to the seventy (or seventy-two) missionaries sent to the villages of Judea during Christ's lifetime. Apostle refers to a special office within the Church that was instituted by Christ to officially declare the Gospel and later on ordain bishops, deacons and presbyters. "The Twelve" encompasses the twelve men explicitly named in the Gospels as those whom Jesus called and taught during his lifetime in this world. A number of saints in Christian history, notably St. Paul, have attained the status of "apostle" or "equal to the apostles" even though they were obviously not in Christ's original entourage. Ruffin does not address the issue of why twelve were called, but it is obviously an Old Testament metaphor of the Twelve Tribes of Israel who originated from Jacob (Israel) and his twelve sons. A problem exists in identifying exactly who the Twelve were because many of them went by multiple names and many figures in the New Testament shared the same name. Ruffin provides an authoritative list: Peter, Andrew, James the Greater, James the Less, John, Philip, Bartholomew (a.k.a. Nathaniel), Thomas, Matthew, Simon, Jude (a.k.a. Thaddeus), and Judas Iscariot whose place was later filled by Matthias. James the Greater and James the Less are both to be distinguished from James the Righteous who was Bishop of Jerusalem and author of the Epistle of James. Most suffered martyrdom for Christ having lived lengthy lives spreading the Gospel of Christ, except for John who died of an illness in old age. Peter of course founded the episcopacy of Rome and Andrew at Constantinople. Many were active in Judea, Syria, Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece and Rome. Some of the apostles are held to have traveled as far as Britain, Iran/Persia, Ethiopia, Armenia, Scythia/southern Russia, Spain, India and even China and Southeast Asia. The most extensive traditions exist regarding "Doubting Thomas." He is reputed to have traveled to the Punjab region of India, southward along the Malabar Coast and onward to what is today Burma and Malaysia. Thomas is considered the founder of the Indian Orthodox Church dating back to the first century. Ruffin examines the status and motives of Judas and what made him a traitor to Christ. More space in this book is devoted to Peter than to the other apostles and in some instances Ruffin argues for an interpretation of the New Testament accounts of Peter in order to justify papal supremacy over the Church. However, this book remains an excellent, easy to read introduction to early traditions regarding the apostles and their mission to the ends of the earth.
The Twelve Apostles of Christ........2004-08-20
_The Twelve: The Lives of the Apostles After Calvary_ is an interesting book by a Catholic author, C. Bernard Ruffin. It catalogues the lives, travels and evangelical exploits of the twelve apostles from the New Testament, the writings of the Fathers and various apocryphal historical novels. The first problem about writing about the apostles, as Ruffin explains, is to differentiate between "the disciples," "the apostles" and "the Twelve." Disciple refers to any full-fledged follower of Christ and especially to the seventy (or seventy-two) missionaries sent to the villages of Judea during Christ's lifetime. Apostle refers to a special office within the Church that was instituted by Christ to officially declare the Gospel and later on ordain bishops, deacons and presbyters. "The Twelve" encompasses the twelve men explicitly named in the Gospels as those whom Jesus called and taught during his lifetime in this world. A number of saints in Christian history, notably St. Paul, have attained the status of "apostle" or "equal to the apostles" even though they were obviously not in Christ's original entourage. Ruffin does not address the issue of why twelve were called, but it is obviously an Old Testament metaphor of the Twelve Tribes of Israel who originated from Jacob (Israel) and his twelve sons. A problem exists in identifying exactly who the Twelve were because many of them went by multiple names and many figures in the New Testament shared the same name. Ruffin provides an authoritative list: Peter, Andrew, James the Greater, James the Less, John, Philip, Bartholomew (a.k.a. Nathaniel), Thomas, Matthew, Simon, Jude (a.k.a. Thaddeus), and Judas Iscariot whose place was later filled by Matthias. James the Greater and James the Less are both to be distinguished from James the Righteous who was Bishop of Jerusalem and author of the Epistle of James. Most suffered martyrdom for Christ having lived lengthy lives spreading the Gospel of Christ, except for John who died of an illness in old age. Peter of course founded the episcopacy of Rome and Andrew at Constantinople. Many were active in Judea, Syria, Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece and Rome. Some of the apostles are held to have traveled as far as Britain, Iran/Persia, Ethiopia, Armenia, Scythia/southern Russia, Spain, India and even China and Southeast Asia. The most extensive traditions exist regarding "Doubting Thomas." He is reputed to have traveled to the Punjab region of India, southward along the Malabar Coast and onward to what is today Burma and Malaysia. Thomas is considered the founder of the Indian Orthodox Church dating back to the first century. Ruffin examines the status and motives of Judas and what made him a traitor to Christ. More space in this book is devoted to Peter than to the other apostles and in some instances Ruffin argues for an interpretation of the New Testament accounts of Peter in order to justify papal supremacy over the Church. However, this book remains an excellent, easy to read introduction to early traditions regarding the apostles and their mission to the ends of the earth.
Taking a Stab at Apostolic History.......2003-01-28
Bernard Ruffin has written a delightful explanation of the history of each of the twelve apostles. I found this book to be very easy to read. The topic, however, is a bit difficult to grasp considering the question of the reliability of many of the source documents upon which Ruffin must rely.
Several apocryphal works are cited in support of Ruffin's chronicle of the Apostles' lives. The validity of the story depends upon the reliability of the source documents. To that end, there is much in this book that is speculation. We simply are not in a place to accurately judge these apocryphal works, except to say that the early Church Fathers (for reasons of their own) did not adopt these works into the canon of the New Testament. Because the rule of canonicity excludes these works, they must be looked at with some hesitance.
Ruffin makes this point himself. The value in his work is its honesty in this regard. Ruffin reports merely what has been set forth in these apocryphal works. He makes no judments about their reliability because his intent is to simply report what they say. In short, whether they are reliable or not is not Ruffin's focus nor can he be faulted for not coming to definite conclusions.
This being said, I find that this work is more of a chronical of what has been said before. Its value is that Ruffin has put these materials in one handy reference for the reader. This being his goal, he has succeeded marvelously.
I recommend this work to anyone interested in the question of "What happened to the Twelve?" You won't be disappointed.
Average customer rating:
- A very persuasive work
- a totally personal review
- This book is meant for informed, intellectually engaged Christians who struggle with their beliefs.
- God Beats Up on Those Who Ask Useless Questions
- God Beats Up on People Who Ask Useless Questions
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Questions of Faith: A Skeptical Affirmation of Christianity (Religion and the Modern World)
Peter L. Berger
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Book Description
Does God exist? What was so special about Jesus? How can one be Christian in a pluralistic society? These are among the fundamental questions addressed by leading religious and cultural commentator, Peter Berger, in this engaging exploration of faith in modern times.
The book is structured around key phrases from the Apostles' Creed, which the author uses to explore the basics of Christian belief. Drawing on both the Christian theological tradition and the work of other relevant thinkers from Freud through to Simone Weil, he negotiates between traditional and modern, liberal and orthodox views.
Throughout the book, Berger takes the position of an open-minded skeptic, not bound by any traditional authority, be it church, scripture, or personal experience. At the same time he explores his own beliefs, indicating why, in the end, he does have faith.
Customer Reviews:
A very persuasive work.......2007-05-08
I found this book very sympathetic, very honest and very convincing. Berger is a sociologist, a lay theologian, but his reflections are seasoned and tempered, and reflect a quiet scholarship. He gives voice to what might be called the average liberal understanding of the theologically literate Christian, in the wake of Schleiermacher and Bultmann. Accepting that Jesus did not know or say he was God, Berger interprets subsequent church doctrine in a mild and dehellenized way, leaving the divine identity of Jesus rather obscure and ineffable. Zealots will dismiss this as a jaded and out-of-date liberalism, but it seems to me that the effort to banish it totally from the Church in the name of a full-shilling orthodoxy is counter-productive. The most successful theologian of the last century is Rudolf Bultmann, and his ghost will not easily be banished from the palaces of orthodoxy. A revisioning of the Incarnation is needed for many reasons: the results of historical scholarship, the problematization of doctrine as expressed in the language of metaphysics, and the need to set Christ in relation to the religions of humankind. Berger knows the score on all these fronts, and yet he presents a Christ for today who is both reasonably orthodox and credible.
a totally personal review.......2005-11-29
I do not pretend to understand all that I have read. I need to read the book again (and look up some key words). I have not read much theology or philosophy. I do not offer this as a book review, but as a personal reaction to reading this book.
But after my reading, still, the only thing that is for certain is the `hunger for God'. I was wanting more certitude, but, alas, it was not there.
However some big questions remain that still resonate as a mystery even in a time (and a mind--that is my mind) filled with science.
"He has risen." If this event did occur, and as Berger states the apostles certainly believed it did, then....that would alter everything. It is the one event which has to have occurred for Christianity to be anything beyond ethical living and seeking the power of love (as wonderful in themselves as these two things are).
And the question of evil: If there is evil (and not just natural occurrences that are perceived as `evil' because of the pain they cause) -- evil of human beings inflicting pain-causing acts on other humans and on the world in general (e.g., other animals) -- then, can a physical universe really explain such a thing? That haunted me.
And love. Can neurons in our brain really explain such a reality that is not just felt by an individual but experienced by more than one?
I was very struck by Berger's reference to Socrates, and how `death was a friend' and `natural'. That indeed was how I experienced it when I lived with a dying person. I cannot explain it more than that, but it was acceptance of what the reality was. It was not fear or fighting of death (at least not my own). And I do not see death as cruel, it is only death. I do not see it as unacceptable nor do I see that perfection (a world without death) is anything to ever expect from life. Perfection is a construct of the mind, and nothing more. (These thoughts of mine do seem to differ from Berger's.)
Yet Jesus feared death. Why? If he knew death was a pathway, then why? Or did he really just fear pain -- since he certainly endured that.
Socrates taking hemlock is certainly different from crucifixion.
What is the Greek thing anyhow? (The reference to this near the end of the book made me realized I have more reading to do.)
I have more questions than answers, but yet I am thankful for the journey, unsatisfying as it is in terms of reliable answers.
All I know is the hunger.
And the hope:
"Let me, in conclusion, refer to three Aramaic sentences that were transported into the Greek text of the New Testament. The first are words spoken by Jesus as he raised from the dead the twelve-year-old daughter of Jairu: "Talitha, cumi," "Little girl, arise" (Mark 5:41). The second, to which we referred before, are words spoken by Jesus from the cross: "Eli, eli, lama sabachtani?." "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). And the third (probably liturgical text) was introduced into some texts at the conclusion of the last book of the New Testament, which in the usual English translations simply reads "Come, Lord Jesus" -- in Aramaic, "Maranatha," "Come, Lord," or possibly, "The Lord is coming" (Revelation 22:20). One could say that the entire Gospel is contained in these three archaic sentences, dating from the very beginning of Christian history: With Christ an immensely powerful process of redemption has been released into the world. In Christ's suffering and death on the cross, at the extreme point of God's humiliation (kenosis), God both shares all the pain of creation and inaugurates its repair. And Christ will return as victor and restore the creation to the glory for which God intended it." (p.175-76)
So I am left with the longing which really is also the hope. But that is something. I will continue, I am sure, to pray when I need to, and for prayer to be a healing experience.
Berger is a wonderful writer -- really he is a storyteller. You can imagine him in your living room talking the book, as if talking to a friend.
This book is meant for informed, intellectually engaged Christians who struggle with their beliefs. .......2005-09-08
The insight and uncertainty, the affirmation and rejection , the yin and yang, that you experience while reading Berger is due to his intent to "affirm" Christianity, via the Apostle Creed -- "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of ....". Christianity is religion of faith. Faith in the miraculous and transcendental. Faith is believing what is not provable or affirmable. Thus, to seek an affirmation of that which only faith can appropriate is akin to seeking milk from a dry cow, then in frustration turning to the bull. A frustrating experience for all involved.
That is not to say that these twelve erudite essays are not provocative... they definitely are. Berger address a variety of questions that beg answers: "Is God a person?", "How can a loving God permit the suffering in this world?", "Did Jesus have to die?". His answers draw on many impressive sources. This is a engaging work of both theology and philosophy.
The are notable inconsistence in Berger's logic. He affirms his belief in Christ and in his resurrection, but not the Virgin Birth. He presses the need for critical modernistic thinking, yet he rejects that death is a normal condition of life: "Death is not to be accepted; it is an offence against the core `nature' of mankind." Excursus: mankind? As a contemporary sociologist in the 21st century one would think that Berger would be using nonsexist language in his writing. He doesn't.
Berger delivers a pseudo-orthodox Christianity that is affirmable, along the lines of "I believe in God... but". However, reading Peter Berger is not an easy task. As an accomplished sociologist at Boston University he writes towards those who have an introduction into theology and philosophy. This is a read best suited for upper-division or graduate level readers. Recommended.
God Beats Up on Those Who Ask Useless Questions.......2003-12-24
God Beats Up Those Who Ask Useless Questions
Questions of Faith is a non-conventional commentary of the ancient Christian Apostle's creed. From the table of contents and the chapter subheadings the book appears like another dull commentary not meant to disturb the Christian theologian or the average believer from their faith.
Near the end of Questions of Faith, Berger relates the story of Martin Luther's reply to a young man who asked him how God occupied himself in eternity. Luther replied, "God sits under a tree and cuts branches and rods, to beat up people who ask useless questions." Scattered throughout the book Questions of Faith are what Berger finds to be humanly unacceptable notions about the Christian religion that he believes need to be pummeled (i.e., "beat up") mainly because of their unthinking acceptance of suffering, death, and evil.
Berger calls his book an exercise of free enterprise in "lay theology" that is written for similarly "unaccredited" people. By questioning the theology produced by professional theologians Berger asks probing questions about religion without being bound by tradition, church, scripture, or even personal experience. This is a well-written work that, nonetheless in parts, is not for the unserious reader. A warning must be issued that there are some glaring typographical errors in the book. One may need to look up words not used in ordinary conversation. However, at points Berger flashes a riveting summary of a complex theological issue with an illuminating one-sentence proposition or even a meaningful joke.
Questions of Faith won't likely be attractive to what Berger calls "Golden Rule" Christians who embrace the images of "gentle Jesus," the exemplar and teacher contained in so much Protestant Christian literature. Nor will it appeal to those "New Age" religious seekers of what Berger calls "The Mythic Matrix," defined as a childlike belief in the one-ness of God, nature, and man. Neither would it resonate with those academics and so-called liberals who reduce religion to mere ethics or diversity, to some inner psychoanalytic conversation, or some Marxist egalitarian view of heaven on earth.
Berger's theological method is to weave into his commentary a number of what might be called null hypotheses that he rejects because he finds them inhuman. Below I have excerpted some of the taken-for-granted theological notions that Berger rejects. I will leave it to the reader to find out why Berger rejects these propositions.
1. Religion is supposed to be necessary as the basis for morality.
2. Religion demands submission to God's will, even in the face of the innocent suffering of children.
3. Religion may seek to console us all by saying that eventually we will be absorbed into some ocean of cosmic divinity (i.e., the mythic matrix).
4. Religion offers certainty in scriptures, spiritual experiences, and in institutions from the chaos of life.
5. Religion provides powerful symbols for the exigencies of human existence.
6. High religion says man is saved, not by works, but by God's grace and forgiveness.
7. Both religious and atheistic eschatologies (i.e., world views) often claim to know the course of history.
8. Religionists, particularly of the orthodox and neo-orthodox schools of religion, often claim that God has spoken to them directly -- or through scriptures God has spoken to them directly.
9. Religion must say no to every freedom-denying scientism or any Buddhist understanding that all reality is non-self (an-atta), and which results in a denial of the existence of the autonomous and responsible self.
10. The collection of Jesus' sayings constituting what we know as the Sermon on the Mount forms the moral and ethical basis for the organization of society.
11. The criteria distinguishing true and untrue religion asserted mainly by academics and liberal North American Christians is whether a religious tradition induces its adherents to cultivate selfishness and altruism.
12. Petitionary prayers are selfish and therefore to be eschewed.
13. The atonement is defined in virtually all strands of Christian thought as the process by which God forgives mankind. 14. The conception of original sin is as an inescapable part of the human condition, of which I should feel guilty.
After reading Questions of Faith the reader will likely be left with the lasting impression that the theological thought police and the totalitarian brainwashers didn't have to "beat up" Berger to get him to provide programmed answers to often-useless theological questions. Perhaps it is fitting to close this review with one of Berger's characteristic jokes:
"A Russian legend has it that there were three holy men who lived on an island, engaged in constant prayer and works of compassion. The bishop under whose jurisdiction the island fell was informed that these men were completely ignorant of the doctrines and rituals of the Church. He found this fact scandalous. He visited the island and