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In The Bible and Beyond blog, you’ll read explorations of historical and spiritual questions about Jesus, women, salvation, healing, the meaning of life, and where Christianity came from. This blog, curated by Shirley Paulson and Hal Taussig, opens the conversation that will help us – writers and readers – unlock some of the mysteries from extra-canonical books, forgotten scriptures, so-called “gnostic” gospels, and the Bible.
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Can the Gospel of Truth Be a Unifier?
"If the Gospel of Truth is making a correct diagnosis of the cycles of truth and error, its therapeutic remedy is worth pondering."
The Gospel of Peter: Resurrection Reinvented
"A number of scholars suggest that the Gospel of Peter’s story may have been one of the earliest if not the earliest. It is time to take this possibility seriously."
Finding the Purpose of Life in 2021
"Discovering the source of their hope, the disciples/apostles learn that their treasure is actually the discovery of their purpose in life."
Don’t the Gospels All Tell the Same Story?
"The Gospel of John is more like a like a tender poem about God. No, that’s not quite right. It’s a tender poem in God. Like being in an ocean of God."
Gender Politics Revealed in Early Christian Art
Back to the gospels before Constantine, we have three men and three women. And the women are all the same size as Jesus... It’s really quite striking.
Seven Stunning Gifts from the Gospel of Mary
"If I’m right that it is a really good, short book from 1800 years ago, then you may want to just mull over what some parts of it mean to you."
What 1 Timothy Says about Women
"[The text] prohibited women from teaching only in that time because it was important that they first learn and only then begin to teach."
Surprising Remedy for American Decline in Religion: Ancient Religious Texts
How strong and vibrant Christianity will be during these next two decades depends primarily on how much creativity and vitality it can produce.
A Lesson from Jesus on How to Heal in the Gospels of Thomas and Matthew
If I’m reading this right, it sounds like the power to heal in the Gospel of Thomas … belongs to those who love unselfishly and unpretentiously.
Wisdom: The Intentional Consciousness of Present Good in the World Today
I recommend this kind of presence [Wisdom] in our lives. It asserts good sense, broad learning, and spiritual intuition.
According to the Gospel of Mary Our Conflicts Can Yield to Wholeness
We fight wholeness, even as we struggle to gain it. This paradox brings to mind the conflict in the Gospel of Mary.
The Gospel of Thomas: A Fresh Gospel Perfectly Suited for a New Yet Ancient Spiritual Practice
Spend five to ten minutes a day contemplating just one saying, letting it roll around in your head and heart and noticing what else it brings into your mind.
Certainty of Compassion in Uncertain Times
I feel the tears in my city and from people everywhere who have become untethered from the promise of security. … a voice is speaking. “It is I, the compassionate.”
The Thunder: Perfect Mind
She has much power, speaks her own truth even when it is not easy, brings different persons and characteristics together in herself, and enacts surprising connections.
What Can I Do about Systemic Problems?
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)?
How Can Ancient Texts Help Us Find Meaning in Our Lives?
I have worked for thirty-plus years on early texts from the Christ movements, the rest of the Bible, and all kinds of ancient writings, because it has been one of the ways I claim meaning.
The ‘Immovable Race’: A Christian Antidote to Racism?
But it’s neither a form of escapism, nor privilege for a favored few. It requires faithful living with the gifts of the spirit, not the alluring attractions of materialism.
Great News! Hal Taussig Joins Early Christian Texts
He brings what we love most about the Early Christian Texts project: his willingness to listen like a pastor, his eagerness to probe the scholarly questions …, and a healthy dose of surprise.
Praying While Vulnerable During Coronavirus
Somewhere in all this, I rebel. Is God really unwilling or unable to help? Can prayer do something to help the vulnerable during a pandemic?
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?
Finding Comfort During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Dialogue of the Savior
It could be that my mother’s confidence in this greater good – this ‘presence’ – is what prepared me to appreciate the calming messages in many of the ancient Christian texts.
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