Home » The Bible and Beyond
Enjoy posts about a variety of subjects, all designed to help you look at religion, the Bible, and early Christian texts in a new way.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-11-24T06:32:52-05:00November 25th, 2019|Tags: Eucharist, Fellowship, Gratitude, Thanksgiving|
The simple willingness to be grateful inspires others to notice something good and do something about it.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-11-13T08:59:25-05:00November 14th, 2019|Tags: Extracanonical Texts, Gratitude, Prayer of Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, Transformation|
I’m intrigued with examples of transformation I’ve seen from the writers of the Bible and extracanonical texts: … “We are happy. You have taught us about yourself.”
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-10-23T06:43:32-04:00October 24th, 2019|Tags: Extracanonical Texts, Gospel of Judas, Grief, Optimism, Victimization|
This author is angry that people would mourn and agree to limitations and suffering, instead of throwing out the powers of darkness. This message of optimism is not naivete, but a rebuke to acquiescence.
By Ellie Elliott|2019-10-02T23:03:22-04:00October 3rd, 2019|Tags: Elli Elliott, Extracanonical Texts, Shepherd of Hermas|
His thoughts are not private. God sees into his mind. His mind has become a stage for the performance of his virtue. God is the audience for the performance on the stage of his mind.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-09-18T20:55:27-04:00September 18th, 2019|Tags: Climate, Extracanonical Texts, Gospel of Thomas, Secret Revelation of John|
One of the biggest problems in our global concern with climate change is the fact that people are angry and divided over the right course of action.
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|2019-08-06T17:16:15-04:00August 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 Mark M. Mattision|2019-08-05T17:16:53-04:00July 25th, 2019|Tags: Allogenes, Ascent of the Soul, Gospel of Mary, Tchacos Codex, The Book of the Stranger|
Since translating the fifth-century version of The Gospel of Mary, I’ve often pondered its central feature – a story about a soul’s perilous journey upward past seven malevolent Powers that seek to restrain 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).
