Saying #5 in Gospel of Thomas: How To Do More Than Wear a Face Mask
I started to wonder: what else (besides an invisible virus) might be right in front of my face that I may not be noticing?
What’s at Stake When Heresy Sells?
"Orthodoxy glorifies martyrs. So the stories of women martyrs are lifted up, but women who speak up or stand up in any other way are criticized and challenged." An Interview with Deb Saxon, PhD.
Biblical Violence Can Be Helpful or Harmful According to the Way You Read It
A singular reading is often done from a dominant position. People with power are the ones who have their story told…But I have found these multiple readings have strengthened my faith." An Interview with Karri Whipple, PhD.
The Power of Gratitude in the Prayer of Thanksgiving
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.”
What the Mandaeans know about John the Baptist
“So many people are not aware that there is a group that has survived from ancient times down to the present day that…has sacred texts in a dialect of Aramaic.” An Interview with Dr. James McGrath.
Gospel of Judas: Sorrow is Not the Master of Life
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.
No Private Thoughts? Desire in The 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.
Is Martha the Sister of Mary Magdalene?
"Mary Magdalene seems to have the most prominence in the Gospel of John, and I wondered if it’s possible if that early controversy could have affected the text of the Bible." An Interview with Elizabeth Schrader Polczer.
How the Gospel of Thomas and the Secret Revelation of John Can Inform Our Thinking on Climate Change
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.
Protevangelium of James: New/Old Views of Mary
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.” An Interview with Dr. Lily Vuong.
Is Salvation Your Choice or Your Destiny in the 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.
Could Baptism be Inclusive Instead of Exclusive?
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.