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|2019-04-11T03:39:55-04:00April 11th, 2019|
"Even if the stories about the crucifixion were contradictory or embellished, the fact is that there was something important about the meaning of Jesus, told in so many ways..."
By Deb Saxon, PhD|2019-03-25T01:27:03-04:00March 28th, 2019|
In [the] ancient texts, I found a model of what I have longed for— a tradition in which I can explore the meaning of Jesus for my own life but also work alongside those whose beliefs differ from mine.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-03-12T04:53:15-04:00March 15th, 2019|
We can't look to antiquity to find the model for classless (raceless) society, but some ancient writers do help us consider whether our divisions are based on theologically sound viewpoints.
By Mark M. Mattision|2019-03-02T02:15:28-04:00March 1st, 2019|
The canonical books of the Christian New Testament are foundational spiritual texts for Christians, but they are not the only texts written by early Christians.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-02-11T09:21:19-04:00February 11th, 2019|
Throughout the Odes of Solomon, the writer praises the source of love that wells up and overflows into love for everything and everyone.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-01-27T05:33:56-04:00December 1st, 2018|
This was the God I learned in Jesus. Someone in the second century knew something very important about this God that encourages me even now.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-01-20T20:13:30-04:00November 1st, 2018|
We simply relate to God and God’s role on earth differently, even though we read the same scriptures and worship what we think of as the same God.
By Deb Saxon, PhD|2019-01-30T23:20:57-04:00October 1st, 2018|
Irenaeus and others claimed that certain books contained "gnostic" heresy. ... "Gnosis" simply means "knowledge," and in fact, many considered having "gnosis" a good thing.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2019-01-20T20:05:08-04:00September 1st, 2018|
These ancient books and gospels, written by people who wanted to understand and follow Jesus after he was gone, fill in many of the gaps from what we find in the New Testament writings and church teachings.
