By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-09-10T00:12:30-04:00September 10th, 2019|Tags: Extracanonical Texts, Mary, The Protevangelium of James|
I was trained in traditional texts, but drawn to non-normative books and what they can reveal about gender and the construction of one’s identity. Franҫois Bovon considers the Protevangelium of James to be “useful for the soul.”
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-09-19T13:12:04-04:00September 5th, 2019|Tags: Extracanonical Texts, Gnostics, Salvation, Savior, Secret Revelation of John|
In the Secret Revelation of John, the disciple John asks the Savior a crucial question: does everybody get saved? No, if we look at it one way. But yes, if we look at it another way.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-08-21T07:53:58-04:00August 22nd, 2019|Tags: Baptism, Dicache, Eucharist, Extracanonical Texts, Testimony of Truth|
I can imagine how comforting those words would be for anyone who has been rejected, oppressed, or considered unclean. … This is a different picture from the way baptism works in my life today.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-08-06T17:19:49-04:00August 10th, 2019|Tags: Elli Elliott, Extracanonical Texts, Poverty, Shepherd of Hermas|
In Shepherd of Hermas, Elliott finds distinguishing Christian feature: the poor are to be honored. All of us – slaves and masters – should be servants to God.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-08-06T17:16:15-04:00August 8th, 2019|Tags: Extracanonical Texts, Material World, Matter, Physical Senses, Spirituality, Tripartite Tractate|
In many different forms of the biblical message, I learned there was a difference between a perception of the not-enough-world and the abundance of the heavenly realm as Jesus taught it.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-07-17T04:03:49-04:00July 15th, 2019|Tags: Early Church, Judaism, Justin Martyr, Marcion|
If the long-held distrust between the two faith communities is found to be built on shifting sands, perhaps the day will come when Christians and Jews can unite in a real mutual love of the Shepherd (Psalm 23).
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-07-10T01:20:23-04:00July 10th, 2019|Tags: Barry Huff, Hebrew Bible|
Barry’s deep love of both the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) and New Testament inspires us to listen in new ways to familiar texts as well as the ones we’re not so aware of.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-06-20T00:17:41-04:00June 20th, 2019|Tags: Early Christian Art, Early Jesus Followers, Mary, Women|
Watch and listen as Dr. Ally Kateusz explains the historical and theological significance of the modern-day discovery and interpretation of ancient Christian art.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-06-10T01:05:04-04:00June 10th, 2019|Tags: Anna Cwikla, Dialogue of the Savior, Extracanonical Texts, Mary|
... the strange-sounding Dialogue of the Savior is much more down-to-earth than people realize ... the characters in the story [seem like] people we’d enjoy talking to today.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-06-06T02:22:23-04:00June 6th, 2019|Tags: Fear and Protection, Gospel of Mary, Jesus|
"Surely the knowledge of [Jesus's] ‘sheltering grace’ is more useful than fear and anger, when it keeps us clear-headed."
