Since that shadowy character HP has lately taken to investigating the even darker figure of Satan in the dim reaches of LDS protology, David J and J. Watkins want to talk about the “third part” thing. And since I’m writing my dissy on Revelation and since I had way too much Mt. Dew after dinner, I’m going to oblige. First off, the easiest way to handle the whole thing is to rely strictly on DC 29:36-37 and be done with... Read more
In one of those interesting threads over at New Cool Thang, the Head Thang posed a question to the rest of the Wild Thangs: Ok, our scriptures clearly say that because Jesus Christ was resurrected we all will be resurrected, too. I honestly have no idea why that is the case. If God can cause us to get new bodies then why did Jesus specifically have to be resurrected to make that possible? If Christ never came couldn’t God have... Read more
I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent a bit of time lately thinking about one of the big imponderables in Mormon theology: the acts of the Adversary in the Garden. If we believe that the plan was laid out in the grand, heavenly council, then the Adversary had to have known that he was playing into God’s plan. Why would he do this, especially if the motivation that we always ascribe to him is to frustrate God’s plan? Let’s... Read more
After about a week of retirement, I have decided to come back (technically, it took less time than that). Honestly, I have conflicting emotions regarding my return, but I feel like this is the right thing for me right now (much to my own surprise, even). That said, I am moving away from using my own name. Not that I am ashamed of my writing here and not that I am ashamed of my association with you all, but I... Read more
Early last week a random John made a most interesting post that received no real response. Since I had been going to lead into a little series with precisely the point he made, I have taken the liberty of reproducing arJ’s comment here: As Kevin Barney pointed out at BCC recently the at-one-ment thing really is the word origin in English. But it isn’t clear to me how this word was selected to represent Christ’s sacrifice. Do any other languages... Read more
Hello all. I am pleased and saddened to announce my retirement from the bloggernacle (at least until I get more time and motivation). I have been doing this for roughly one and a half years now and I have found it an enlightening and edifying experience, mostly. I have learned a lot here and I hope that I have given something back. The thing that makes it hardest to go is the knowledge that I am likely leaving mid-conversation. I... Read more
Today’s NYT has a story about how GJudas finally came to light. The eye-catcher is this: I think I was chosen by Judas to rehabilitate him,” Ms. Tchacos Nussberger, 65, is quoted as saying in one of the society’s books, “The Lost Gospel,” by Herbert Krosney. Mr. Krosney is also an independent television producer who brought the gospel project to National Geographic. But the heart of the articles is really about the legal and ethical issues involved in acquiring, handling,... Read more
You can tell the season by the books released. Yes, it’s Easter and ’tis the season for books on the historical Jesus. This particular example comes from James Tabor, a historian and member of the Religious Studies Department at the University of North Carolina. His theory is two baptizing messiahs, John in the Jordan and Jesus in the Suba cave (yes, the same Suba cave featured about three or four posts below this one). I did five posts on the... Read more
Over at the Volkh Conspiracy, Dave Kopel has a piece up characterizing the media response to the presentation of the Coptic Gospel of Judas: This Friday’s coverage of the so-called “Gospel of Judas” in much of the U.S. media was appallingly stupid. The Judas gospel is interesting in its own right, but the notion that it disproves, or casts into doubt, the traditional orthodox understanding of the betrayal of Jesus is preposterous. I must say I agree. What silliness. I... Read more
This article applies a subject called paleolimnology, the study of “freshwater, brackish, salt water environments in the ancient world” to the question of how Jesus may have [appeared to] walk on water. The folks behind it are serious scholars. I collect these pieces, without prejudice to the science or lack thereof, as evidence of the massive influence that the NT record of Jesus maintains even now. Original website here. (more…) Read more
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