The Bible and Beyond Podcast Episode
Why Believe Anything in the Secret Revelation of John?
How did early Christian leaders decide what to include or exclude from the Bible?
Shirley Paulson and Arthur Dewey
A conversation between Dr. Shirley Paulson and Dr. Arthur Dewey
When books like the Secret Revelation of John are not in the biblical canon, questions arise concerning their worth. The conversation between Shirley Paulson and Arthur Dewey includes reasons for the Secret Revelation of John’s extracanonical status as well as its intrinsic value. They also discuss its unusual treatment of the Hebrew text, Genesis, its adaptation to the context of Platonism in Alexandria, Egypt, and how these connections serve the greater purpose of developing insights.
Shirley Paulson is the principal producer of this website. Her work focuses on the bridge-making, conversation-supporting, and healing role of ancient, long-forgotten extracanonical texts written and left to us by the early Jesus followers. Shirley’s first book, Illuminating the Secret Revelation of John: Catching the Light, was published by Cascade books in 2022.
Arthur Dewey is an award winning professor of theology at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he has also served as department chair. A long-time Fellow of the Westar Institute and author of Inventing the Passion: How the Death of Jesus Was Remembered, Dewey is a specialist on the historical Jesus and the Gospels, and he has taught extensively on Paul and numerous extracanonical works. He was the editor of Shirley’s book, Illuminating the Secret Revelation of John. Connect with Dr. Dewey on LinkedIn.
This is a fascinating conversation. I especially enjoyed the discussion about the difference between insights and facts. It make sense that insights are not time-bound. Thanks so much for labouring long and hard to produce your book with its paraphrase, Shirley. Tremendous dedication!
Oh thank you, Robin. I’m glad that idea struck you. There are so many surprising twists and turns from the Secret Revelation of John. Lots to think about, for sure!
“….you have to stumble and make choices….” – that struck a chord as I listened to this terrific conversation. Thank you Shirley for your eager curiosity and persistence. I, too, love that idea of the writings as insight that is always applicable. Remarkable research that is moving thought forward.
Thanks so much, Susie, for joining in the conversation yourself!