Read Ancient Texts Outside the Bible
Throughout most of Christian history – even when there was a canon – people felt it was worth telling other stories around the edges and in between the scenes of the canon.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2023-09-06T02:28:09-04:00September 6th, 2023|Tags: Apocryphal Texts, Christian Canon, Genesis, Mandaeans, Noncanonical Texts|
Throughout most of Christian history – even when there was a canon – people felt it was worth telling other stories around the edges and in between the scenes of the canon.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2022-08-31T03:01:23-04:00August 31st, 2022|Tags: Christian Canon, Extracanonical Texts, Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Thomas, New Testament, Noncanonical Texts|
Some obscure points in the canon may have much greater significance in the larger context of other works. Here is a detailed example to illustrate this point. Starting with Colossians.
By Eric C. Smith, PhD|2022-08-10T08:55:54-04:00August 10th, 2022|Tags: Bible, Christian Canon, Early Christian Art|
Is a t-shirt with John 3:16 on it bible? It’s not a bible, it’s not the Bible, but it’s bible, in some sense.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2022-08-03T01:07:23-04:00August 3rd, 2022|Tags: Bible, Christian Canon, Early Christian Art, Gospel of John|
So when we see, for example, a painting, in the catacombs of Jonah being cast out of the big fish, is it Bible itself? An interview with Eric Smith, PhD.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2022-06-12T18:36:17-04:00May 31st, 2022|Tags: Christian Canon, Genesis, Hebrew Bible, Noncanonical Texts, Secret Revelation of John|
The canon is not something that is happening in the second century. It becomes an issue particularly in the fourth century. Canon, before, simply meant “these are the top ten books in my group.” A discussion between Dr. Shirley Paulson and Dr. Art Dewey.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2022-07-19T00:22:06-04:00September 27th, 2021|Tags: Christian Canon, Revelation|
This last book in most (but not all) canons of the New Testament was contested even before there was a notion of canon or New Testament. It was contested in a number of the pre-canonical lists of books to be read, including by the likes of Martin Luther 1300 years later. Presenter: Dr. Hal Taussig (with host Shirley Paulson, PhD)
By Dr. Hal Taussig|2021-09-11T05:48:45-04:00July 28th, 2021|Tags: Book of Wisdom, Christian Canon, Early Christian Texts, Hebrew Bible, Wisdom of Solomon|
"My proposal is to own the larger reality of Bibles and scripture in which the poetry, stories, letters, and wisdom take their largest and most flexible expressions."
By Dr. Hal Taussig|2021-04-28T01:49:23-04:00April 28th, 2021|Tags: Christian Canon, Church, Natalie Renee Perkins, Odes of Solomon, Spirituality|
"Practice is somewhat flexible [and] allows those who practice to make adjustments and grow."
By Dr. Hal Taussig|2022-06-19T02:09:07-04:00March 24th, 2021|Tags: Christian Canon, Church, Humor, Noncanonical Texts, Religion|
"I hope that this blogpost signals to you the open-ended ways life comes toward us in the same way an open-ended Canon could help us be more alive. "
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2021-01-06T22:36:53-05:00January 7th, 2021|Tags: Bible, Christian Canon, Judaism, Paul, Theology|
"I might say [Paul]’s working out a theology. Maybe in all of the letters. Trying to explain… what it is to be in Christ, or in the body of Christ." An Interview with Dr. Nina Livesey
By Mark M. Mattision|2023-01-14T17:00:09-05:00March 1st, 2019|Tags: Book of Acts, Christian Canon, Mark M. Mattison, New Testament, Old Testament|
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.