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The Bible and Beyond presents explorations of historical and spiritual questions about Jesus, women, salvation, healing, the meaning of life, and where Christianity came from.
You can read articles and blog posts, listen to our podcasts, and participate in our Monday textual discussions.
And don’t be shy! Comments are open on all the articles, posts, and podcasts. Your thoughts help the whole community see from a broader perspective. Comment policy is available here.
Your questions and ideas about The Bible and Beyond will help guide what topics are chosen for discussion, so don’t hesitate use the form at the bottom of this page to share your suggestions with us.
The Shepherd of Hermas: All Slaves of God
"For Hermas, self-control meant a redirection of desire by taking pleasure in the joy of helping the poor. Such redirection was a means to overcome double-mindedness by reorienting wealthier members to focus on the community rather than themselves."
The Odes of Solomon: Jewish Wisdom and Christian Worship
"Virtually unknown until ancient manuscripts began to surface in 1785, this surprising and superlative collection of odes offers a rare glimpse into the unbridled spirituality of early Eastern followers of Jesus."
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."
Are There More than 66 Books in the Bible?
"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."
Do Only Christians Go to Heaven?
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.
How Many Baby Jesuses are There?
"The names of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are almost the only things that are the same in the respective infancy narratives."
Who Are All the Marys in the New Testament?
"I can say that there are at least seven Marys, depending on how you count them. I’ll start off with those seven and explain how we get to that seven."
Christian Heresy: Is the Idea Still Relevant?
"So they feel there’s a need to say, 'OK, we know this is a time of crisis, so we need to know who counts in our group and who doesn’t.'"
Charles Hedrick and Nag Hammadi Manuscripts
"One of my hobbies was to read things from antiquity that nobody else had ever read before. … Preparing a translation for publication is separate from translating as you put it together." An interview with Dr. Charles Hedrick.
Once a month, at 8:00–9:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday nights (generally the fourth of the month), Early Christian Texts hosts a presentation and discussion of one of the early Christian texts. Dr. Hal Taussig, who leads the sessions, shares a well-framed overview of the particular text, and gives time for all participants to ask questions or share their own insights about the meanings and potential for these texts.
Questions or suggestions for future topics?
Have a question or suggestion you’d like to be addressed in the future? Here’s the form for you!
For longer comments or questions, it will be easier to use the contact form here.