God’s Ghostwriters by Candida Moss review – did enslaved scribes write the New Testament?
“And if the Roman family that purchased them as a scribe had subsequently converted to Christianity, either openly or secretly as many did in the first and second centuries CE, they may well then have been drafted in to write down the words of the great Christian missionary preachers who criss-crossed the empire and came to its capital, including of course Paul.”
I've always been sceptical about using #microblogging for discussion of complex issues such as topics in #theology. But a #toot of mine yesterday led to intelligent and thought provoking replies. Is this another way in which #Mastodon beats what came before?
Origen of Alexandria and the History of Racism as a Theological Problem
“Earlier scholarly accounts that portray Origen as a champion of human equality and as engaged in anti-racist efforts therefore cannot stand up to scrutiny. Origen disparages certain ethnic groups and develops arguments that connect ethnic identity and geographical location with various degrees of sinfulness. His work offers clear evidence that theories of ethnic inferiority have a long history within the Christian matrix that stretches considerably beyond the modern and medieval periods.”
Matthijs den Dulk, Origen of Alexandria and the History of Racism as a Theological Problem, The Journal of Theological Studies, Volume 71, Issue 1, April 2020, Pages 164–195, https://doi.org/10.1093/jts/flaa025
#Image attribution: Luyken, Jan (1649-1712), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Page URL:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OrigenStudentsLuyken.jpg
"The author argues that a cadre of Southern theologians rejected the liberal heritage of the United States and redefined the relationship between the individual and state. Southern clerical fascists reconceived of an alternative modernity that reflected God’s precepts. Slaves, laborers, and slave masters all had a mandate to guide secular and spiritual progress."
#Introduction:
My name is Robbie Norlyn! I’m a published author who primarily writes science fiction and fantasy for sale to the public. Anything else I have written, about a wide array of topics, is academic, private, or public domain.
I have had a wide variety of occupations over the years. I’m an #artist, #engineer, #scientist, and #technologist by way of experience and training.
My #AlmaMater is the #UniversityofWashington. Where I completed a #BA in #Philosophy. More specifically the school of #AnalyticPhilosophy with a strong focus on #science. However, I have a vast knowledge of #ethics and #theology due to my environment as a youth.
Why #Babka?
I’m #Jewish by descent (both sides, #Ashkenazi & #Sephardic) and am becoming more spiritual as I get older. I was raised in a #Secular/#CryptoJew environment. I grew up with Jewish memes & traditions without understanding any of their importance. Dreidels, Fiddler on the Roof, Passover, and Shel Silverstein are burned into my memories.
For those seeking to understand the uncritical pro-Israel, anti-Palestine bias of many US leaders, Steve Rabey points to Timothy P. Weber's On the Road to Armageddon, which tracks the religious beliefs among US Christians feeding this political stance. He writes,
"The breakthrough of the alphabetic script early in the first millennium BCE coincides with the appearance of several new languages and civilizations in ancient Syria-Palestine. Together, they form the cultural setting in which ancient Israel, the Hebrew Bible, and, transformed by Hellenism, the New Testament took shape."