XIII. The Work Continues, 3 Andy spoke up. “What you’re saying, Alan, is that even the most fundamental Christian beliefs have been corrupted by Aphrodiphobia.” Everyone looked at her in surprise. I hesitated, then said, “I’m sorry, Andrea. The what?” “Aphrodiphobia. It’s a term I coined. Of course you haven’t heard it.” “Fear of Aphrodite?” Les asked cautiously. “No, fear of sex,” Andy replied. “Are you all familiar with the work of Wilhelm … [Read more...]
Goddess Murder, 10: Dinner
August 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment
XII. Dinner [From The Gospel According to Mary, as translated by C.T. Edwards, A. Healy, L. Moresco, and S. Wise] One evening we were invited to dinner by Salome, who had known Joshua for many years, but had not seen him since his baptism by John. During the dinner, she turned to him and said, “Sir, who are you now? You have climbed into my bed and eaten from my table, but now you act as if you are someone important.” Joshua replied, “I am still the one who loves you. Now I am … [Read more...]
Goddess Murder, 9: More Discussion of the Gospels
August 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment
XI. The Work Continues, 2 “Could we try looking at each of these in turn, to see what’s the new information in them?” I asked. “Les, Alan, Sherm, you’ve been working on the Gospel of Mary also. Would that approach be feasible?” “I think so,” replied Sherman. “This Gospel According to Mary has more in common with Jewish tradition than any of the four canonicals, which would also indicate that it’s early. But its theology is so radically different from theirs that it’s … [Read more...]
Goddess Murder, 8: Wedding
August 11, 2013 By 4 Comments
X. Wedding [From The Gospel According to Mary, as translated by C.T. Edwards, A. Healy, L. Moresco, and S. Wise] Our Rabbi loved my family in Bethany, my brother Lazarus, my sister Martha, and myself. It happened that Lazarus became extremely ill, and Martha and I sent word to Joshua about our brother’s illness. When Joshua came to Bethany, one of his students came to me secretly and said, “The Rabbi has come and calls for you." I arose quickly and went to meet him: but Martha … [Read more...]
On Not Buying into Ancient Propaganda
August 4, 2013 By 8 Comments
When I was working on Gnostic and New Testament Studies and stuff like that at the GTU in the 1970s, there was one especially important book I could not get hold of: the Panarion (“Medicine Chest for Heresies”) by Epiphanius (d. A.D. 403). More precisely, I could not find a translation of it. The Greek text I could find, in Professor Migne’s collection of all the writings by the Church Fathers, in Greek and in Latin, from many centuries. Not a vast number of libraries own the complete … [Read more...]
Goddess Murder, 7: Talking About Gnostic Gospels
August 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment
IX. The Work Continues "Okay," I said. "Has everyone here had a chance to read everybody’s rough drafts?” Some but not all hands went up “Not most of my people,” Megan said. “As courtesy we should at least summarize what we’re looking at,” I said. “Two of these are probably, at least in general, what we classify as Gnostic or apocryphal gospels, but a gospel for witches is almost unprecedented. Before we go riding in among the trees, can anyone give us a map of the … [Read more...]
Goddess Murder, 6: Beginning the Gospel of Mary
July 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment
VIII. The Beginning of the Gospel According to Mary [Excerpt from the translation by C.T. Edwards, A. Healy, L. Moresco, and S. Wise] I, Mariamne, wife and apostle to Joshua, Mashiach by the grace of our Father and Mother in Heaven, to my beloved daughter, Sarah. This is the testament you and the others have asked me for, that my memories of your father, the Mashiach of our people, should not be lost and that his own teachings not be replaced by the fantasies of men who never knew him. All … [Read more...]
Goddess Murder, 5: The Work Begins
July 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment
VII. The Work Begins To Zeus all things are beautiful, just, and good, but men have supposed some things to be just, others unjust. At eight o'clock on Saturday night, I walked up the steps to Brendan and Megan’s house on the hillside behind the campus, the sort of Tudorish half-timbered mansion you might expect a college professor with lots of kids to have. The members of the ad hoc translating committee were already filling the circle of overstuffed chairs and couches in … [Read more...]
Goddess Murder 4: The Redemption of Sophia
July 27, 2013 By 1 Comment
VI. The Redemption of Sophia [Excerpt from The Gospel of Simon and Helen, as translated by S. Dugan.] The man lay on the ground, unable to stand. Sophia breathed her life into him, and he stood and walked. The angels became angry and turned on Sophia, saying, "Who is this that confounds us and interferes with us?" They began casting all their powers of darkness and ignorance upon Sophia, until she became confused, for she had spent so much of her own substance in the creation of the … [Read more...]
Goddess Murder (Episode 3)
July 25, 2013 By 1 Comment
V. Burgled By the will of Fortune all things are conscious. . . . At times Love makes one out of many; at others, Strife makes many out of one. Empedocles After the Jesuit community Mass in Bob's honor, I went up to my office. Opening the door, I gazed upon chaos. All the drawers in the desk and file cabinet were open. Paper was strewn everywhere. All the books on my shelves had been swept onto the floor. At least paint and ink hadn’t been poured on everything. I went downstairs, … [Read more...]
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