or “Is the premise of The DaVinci Code really true?” There is one other influence on the New Testament which we should keep in mind. As happens with all myths and legends, the stories are refined and retold repeatedly. This will often cause unwanted details to be dropped (as we’ve already seen), and extra details…
or “Is the premise of The DaVinci Code really true?” The New Testament (revised version) We’ve already covered Peter’s blatant hostility to Mary Magdalene in the Gospel of Thomas. His lack of status compared to Mary Magdalene is indirectly referred to in the bible as well. For example, Mary’s fidelity to Jesus is indisputable —…
or “Is the premise of The DaVinci Code really true?” Gospel of Mary (again) At the beginning of Chapter 9, Mary has just finished sharing Jesus’ special teachings — most of which are lost to us, since the texts are unfortunately missing, darnit! [1] When Mary had said this, she fell silent, since it was…
or “Is the premise of The DaVinci Code really true?” Gospel of Thomas This book purports to give the “secret teachings” of Jesus, rather than the story of his life and death. Admittedly, many of the sayings are as confusingly strange as Zen koans, but I still find them fascinating. Like the other two books,…
or “Is the premise of The DaVinci Code really true?” Gospel of Mary Again, I recommend you read several translations of the original, as this also is a much-debated text. For now, this is the beginning of Chapter 5 of the Gospel of Mary, and Jesus has just “departed”: [1] But they [the disciples] were…
or “Is the premise of The DaVinci Code really true?” Originally posted September 2004 Credits: For Lou, who asked first and made me decide for myself. Thanks also to Dan Brown, the author of The DaVinci Code (link leads to my review of the book). Short answer: Quite possibly, but we’ll never know for sure….
I was enthralled by my correspondent’s enlightening statement to me, and I spent some time trying to figure out where my spirituality was. Eventually I concluded it was not a particular location or animal in which I found the sacred — it was more the concept of the wilderness, of Nature itself as iconic of…
I was already working hard on mental independence, unconsciously using Gross’s “hermeneutics of suspicion” (121); looking back, I think my fierce desire for physical independence, and my complete disinterest in certain sexual positions I considered demeaning, stemmed from that understanding. Since then I’ve also had recommended (but not yet read) Peggy Reeves Sanday’s Femininity &…
It was no surprise, therefore, to discover the other two Religions of the Book (Judaism and Islam) seemed equally reprehensible in their treatment of women. I was boggled to discover Judaism seemed to consider women not only “unclean” whenever they performed the absolute miracle of birth — but that a girl child was somehow filthier…
Childhood Spirituality & Implications Durkheim’s definition of religion was a huge relief to discover in my early college years; it was a clear explanation for vague and inchoate beliefs I’d held since childhood. At that time, of course, I was not consciously aware of the iconic, near-reified nature of the various flavors of christianity my…