By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2025-10-23T18:52:05-04:00October 24th, 2025|Tags: Christian Heresies, Christianity, Gnosticism, Religious Boundaries, Salvation|
One of the reasons I'm really interested in the diversity of early Christianity is because it helps us be more tolerant of the other when you start seeing how diverse it was originally. An interview with Dr. Bart Ehrman
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2023-12-19T23:49:08-05:00December 19th, 2023|Tags: Christianity, Crucifixion, Jesus, Salvation, Savior, The Jewishness of Jesus|
Christians easily forget the Jewishness of Jesus, but understanding his Jewish life explains more behind traditional Christian teachings. We discuss the origins and meaning of atonement in the context of Jesus’s Jewish heritage. Presenter: Dr. Robert Miller with host Dr. Shirley Paulson
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2022-07-18T03:52:05-04:00June 27th, 2022|Tags: Demons, Healing, Salvation, Secret Revelation of John|
The second part of the series on the 'Secret Revelation of John' is all about demons. Demons were ubiquitous in antiquity, and they had special powers over everyone, from the lowest to the highest in social ranking. Presenter: Dr. Shirley Paulson (with host Hilary Barner)
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2022-06-07T23:39:29-04:00June 7th, 2022|Tags: Healing, Salvation, Savior, Secret Revelation of John|
The meaning of salvation has shifted from an original focus on rescue from danger, disease and sin. The Secret Revelation of John is an example.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2022-05-28T11:52:59-04:00May 23rd, 2022|Tags: Healing, Salvation, Secret Revelation of John|
This month, we looked at the plan for healing and salvation in the Secret Revelation of John. This ancient book is arguably the most important book in the Nag Hammadi Library. It appears three times in the entire collection and was well-known in antiquity, having spread at least as far as from France to central Egypt, probably farther. It’s the first Christian writing known to include a complete story of creation and salvation. Presenter: Dr. Shirley Paulson (with host Hilary Barner)
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2021-07-14T00:27:04-04:00July 14th, 2021|Tags: Eternal Life, Heaven, Salvation, Secret Revelation of John, Theology|
Surprisingly, even this description of torture and eternal punishment offers no hint of punishment due to a flawed, sinful nature. . . . People suffer from their own choices, not from an almighty judge.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2021-05-12T00:18:23-04:00May 12th, 2021|Tags: Fear and Protection, Salvation, Secret Revelation of John, Violence|
‘Safety’—as it was understood among the early Jesus followers—was neither escape from sin and punishment, nor technological advances… It was a better understanding of our relationship to the divine power.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2024-12-08T17:59:09-05:00July 9th, 2020|Tags: Early Christian Texts, Gospel of Philip, Injustice, Salvation|
Am I (and everybody else) supposed to work on my own behavior alone with God, or … should I sell everything I have and give to the poor, as Jesus teaches (Mark 10:21)?
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2022-05-14T23:58:37-04:00September 5th, 2019|Tags: Extracanonical Texts, Gnosticism, 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.
