Biblical criticism/history

[DaryLLL]

I posted this list on a tribal thread, but thought I would repost it here for those interested in the subject:

Earlier I said I would post a list of books I have read on Biblical criticism/history:

Saving the Bible from Fundamentalism Anglican Bishop John Shelby Spong (and he has written several other books)

The Jesus Mysteries and

Jesus and the Lost Goddess Freke and Gandy

The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man Robert Price

The Other Bible ed. by Wills Barnstone (selection of gnostic books, dead sea scrolls, Jewish and Xtian apocrypha, etc)

The New Oxford Annotated Bible

The History of God and

The Battle for God both by Armstrong

The Woman with the Alabaster Jar Starbird

Mary Magdalene: Christianity's Hidden Goddess Picknett

Holy Blood Holy Grail Baigent, Leigh, Lincoln

The Mythmaker: Paul and the Invention of Christianity Maccoby

The Hebrew Goddess Patai

When God was a Woman Stone

The Gnostic Gospels and

Adam, Eve and the Serpent and

The Origins of Satan all by Pagels

for fun

The da Vinci Code Brown

Have not read, but have had recommended:

Lost Christianities Ehrman

The Pagan Christ Harpur

comparative mythology:

The Hero with a Thousand Faces and

The Power of Myth Joseph Campbell

websites:

http://home.earthlink.net/~pgwhacker/ChristianOrigins/ The Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth (this one is fun and easy to read, lots of pictures)

http://www.humanists.net/jesuspuzzle/home.htm Earl Doherty's Jesus Puzzle site

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/ Peter Kirby's site

discussion board:

Intenet Infidels http://www.iidb.org/vbb/index.php Go to the Biblical Criticism and Evolution/Creation fora. Watch out, these guys are not as polite as we are here!

Yahoo group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JesusMysteries/ These guys are serious historians

ETA to add Armstrong

[Free Thinker]

Hmmm... You read at II? Do you post there? What is your screen name? My DH and I enjoy reading the articles, and the forums too. I do think the forums are only for tough birds, though :LOL (<--- Gotta get that smilie back). I don't dare post, but I do enjoy reading. I need to read some of the books you have listed. I am especially interested in Saving the Bible from Fundamentalism.

[DaryLLL]

I read there. I don't post much. My name there is Magdlyn.

[Paxetbonum]

Here are some other good folks who are also trying to save the Bible from Fundamentalism. (Hey I'm all for that.)

Peter Kreeft ( caution: I like him theologically, not politically)

Tim Gray

Scott Hahn.


May want to check their stuff our too.

(If you can maintain open mindedness.)

[DaryLLL]

Paxetbonum, are those authors of books of Biblical criticism, or the history of Abrahamic religions (as per thread intent), or books of Catholic theology?

Never mind, I answered my own question at amazon. Books of Catholic theology.

Tim Gray--Being Catholic, Being American: The Notre Dame Story, 1934-1952 (The Mary and Tim Gray Series for the Study of Catholic Higher Education)

Scott Hahn, books on confession, Maria Virgine and the mass...

review of Kreeft's book The Journey: A Spiritual Roadmap for Modern Pilgrims

From Publishers Weekly
This lively and entertaining allegory attempts to introduce readers to the moral dilemmas and philosophical impasses that arise along life's path. In Kreeft's tale, readers are guided largely by Socrates (Moses and C.S. Lewis appear late in the book) in a trek from Plato's cave to the cross of Christ. Socrates introduces the tools of the journey, sharp questions and sound reasoning, and assists readers as they encounter famous thinkers who present philosophical positions that demand decisions crucial to the direction of their journey: Is there truth? Does meaning exist? Does God exist? The problem, however, with this otherwise delightful book (intended for introductory philosophy courses in Christian colleges) is that it oversimplifies and ridicules the great minds of Western thought, apparently to underscore the futility of anything less than faith in Jesus. For example, here Epicurus appears as Hugh Hefner, and Diogenes, who "looked like a sad spastic frogDrather like Jean-Paul Sartre," chooses to sulk rather than counter a simple argument. Gorgias is an "elitist pessimist" snob; Protagoras and Kant are but two sides of the same slick skeptic; and Nietzsche is merely a raving lunatic who croons Sinatra's "I Did It My Way." Some might find this good fun, others good allegory, but it certainly isn't good philosophy.

[Pam_and_Abigail]

DaryLLL, what's your thoughts on www.infidelguy.com ? DH has been reading the stuff there quite a bit. Just wondering what you think of it. Have you read much? Are there better sites for info (such as the ones you listed above?)

[DaryLLL]

Depends on what kind of "info" you are looking for.

Ranting of anti-Xtian atheists, or info on the actual history of the Xtian institution and the Historical Jesus/Jesus Myth controversy (as per subjecct of thread), or what?

( I am not an atheist. On the contrary, I find higher Truth in myth. So my goal is not to wipe out all religion, as it seems some atheists online would like to do.)

I am not familiar with infidelguy.

[infidelguy]

Anti-Xian Rants eh?

Originally Posted by DaryLLL

Depends on what kind of "info" you are looking for.

Ranting of anti-Xtian atheists, or info on the actual history of the Xtian institution and the Historical Jesus/Jesus Myth controversy (as per subjecct of thread), or what?

( I am not an atheist. On the contrary, I find higher Truth in myth. So my goal is not to wipe out all religion, as it seems some atheists online would like to do.)

I am not familiar with infidelguy.

I found this thread while checking my refferal logs. Greetings.

Firstly: I am not anti-christian. In fact, I love researching the origins of religion and my business wouldn't be as successful as it is without religious beliefs. My goal is NOT to wipe out all religion either.

Second issue, your quote is disturbing "I find higher Truth in myth". Huh? Mythologies are based off ignorant man's misunderstanding of the natural universe. So, is there "higher truth" in the ancient Assyrian sun god Uti? No.. the ancients personified/anthropomorphized the Sun. No higher truth there. What about Egyptian mythologies, Greco-Roman, etc? Where are these "higher truths" you speak of?

There is no higher truth in ancient mythology, I don't think so in religion either. Ancient laymen, simply reflected their ignorance of the Universe in their writings. Genesis 1:1-20 proves this point without a doubt.

[DaryLLL]

Hey look P&A, it's InfidelGuy himself.

Hi InfidelGuy!

Good questions. More later...DaryLLL

ETA, I did not mean to imply you were an anti-Xtian ranter. I did say I was not familiar with you. I was thinking of some of the fellas on II.

[Rainbow]

Wow, infidelguy himself!

I'm not educated on this topic enough to share, but I'm sure going to :

[Rainbow]

D- if you were to reccomend only one or two books to start with which would you suggest? I got a couple (one by Fox, I forgot who wrote the other) that were just really dry and hard to enjoy reading.

[Pam_and_Abigail]

infidelguy!

will have to think about what you've said...

[Rainbow]

I just watched the video, thanks for posting it. Can't get teh concluding song out of my head- but it is a dang good song so that is ok

[DaryLLL]

Originally Posted by Rainbow

D- if you were to reccomend only one or two books to start with which would you suggest? I got a couple (one by Fox, I forgot who wrote the other) that were just really dry and hard to enjoy reading.

I don't know, Rain, just close your eyes and point!!!

The only ones I found dry of the above were the Armstrongs.

My particular fave is The Jesus Mysteries, it appeals to the mystic in me. I never cared for Christ til I read it.

Did you go to the POCM website yet? It is the opposite of dry.

[DaryLLL]

Originally Posted by infidelguy

Second issue, your quote is disturbing "I find higher Truth in myth". Huh? Mythologies are based off ignorant man's misunderstanding of the natural universe. So, is there "higher truth" in the ancient Assyrian sun god Uti? No.. the ancients personified/anthropomorphized the Sun. No higher truth there. What about Egyptian mythologies, Greco-Roman, etc? Where are these "higher truths" you speak of?

There is no higher truth in ancient mythology, I don't think so in religion either..
.

Disturb the comfortable
Comfort the disturbed

BTW, mythology+ritual=religion

I guess I would say, infidelguy, look deeper. Gnostics look beyond the outer shell of the myth into the deeper, spiritual, psychological meaning.

Take a dream you may have. It may seem nonsensical, but when you know how to interpret its symbols, you may learn something about yourself.

Joseph Campbell once said, dreams are private myths, myths are public dreams.

Genesis and Exodus were seen by the gnostics, 1-4th century (then going underground as heretics) as symbolic allegories for the soul's incarnation and then, return to god-spirit.

No higher Truth in Egyptian myth? Don't be dissing my homegirl Isis, dude! :LOL

[Rainbow]

Originally Posted by DaryLLL

I don't know, Rain, just close your eyes and point!!!

The only ones I found dry of the above were the Armstrongs.

My particular fave is The Jesus Mysteries, it appeals to the mystic in me. I never cared for Christ til I read it.

Did you go to the POCM website yet? It is the opposite of dry.

I did order the Jesus mysteries so hopefully I'll like it. I think the one I was trying to read was Robert Lane Fox and I couldn't stop yawning. And I am actually intrigued by this subject.
I've had the POCM site up all morning, stealing glances at it when I can I'll read it more during nap time

[Rainbow]

Originally Posted by DaryLLL

I don't know, Rain, just close your eyes and point!!!

:LOL that is exactly what I've been doing- I think I'm also gonna get the satan one by pagels. I read gnostic gospels and enjoyed her writing style.

[Pam_and_Abigail]

I checked out the POCM website myself, and though I didn't get too far into it, it was quite interesting.

[DaryLLL]

infidelguy never came back.

[Pam_and_Abigail]

nope. hmmmm. oh well. I still think the stuff on his site is interesting.