The following is an interview with a person who has been involved intensively in Christianity related activities. It covers a range of issues that face all religions viz, nature of God, nature of scripture, pluralism of faiths, tradition versus modernity, issues of poverty and terrorism etc. There are interesting parallels with our own tradition and institutional thinking.
'I Am a Mystic'
'I never doubt,' says Bishop Spong. 'It's not that I'm getting older and cramming for finals. It's that God becomes more real.'
Interview by Deborah Caldwell
John Shelby Spong was the Episcopal Bishop of Newark, N.J., for 20 years before his retirement in 2000. Widely admired (and often scorned), Spong is a leader of the worldwide liberal Christianity movement. He has taught at Harvard, the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., and has lectured in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. He is the author of 15 books, including his latest, The Sins of Scripture.
Beliefnet senior editor Deborah Caldwell interviewed him at his New Jersey home, which features a wooden troll-like bishop, hand-carved in Africa, serving as a comic sentry by the front door. International art hung all over the sunny house, artifacts of Spong's travels abroad. He's still as opinionated as ever--but he seems mellower and downright happier. After all, he points out, he's hitting the stride of an older, wiser man: he’ll be 74 on June 16. The conversation follows.
What is the worst verse in the Bible?
The one that has hurt the most people is a verse in Matthew when the Jewish crowd is made to say, "His blood be upon us and upon our children." Because that echoed and got quoted over and over and over through the centuries and justified anti-Semitism.
The background is important: the Jewish world had gotten more and more radical under the occupation of the Romans. And those that accommodated themselves throughout the occupation were looked at as traitors; those who fought the occupation were considered terrorists to the Romans, but freedom fighters to the Jews. By 66 C.E. this movement broke out into a full-scale war, the Galilean war. The Galilean guerillas fought well as long as they were in the hills of Galilee because they could do hit-and-run stuff. The Romans finally decided that they couldn't tolerate that so they matched their forces against Jerusalem and destroyed it in 70 C.E. What happened then was that you had incredible anti-Semitic feelings among the Romans. It would be like American feeling toward Osama bin Laden and the terrorists...in that they suffered at their hands. The Christians tried to separate themselves from the Jewish crowd so they wouldn't be the recipients of the persecution of the Romans. And the way they did it was to say, the Jews killed our hero too. And so Christians began to define themselves over against the orthodox party of the Jews as a way of surviving against the Roman onslaught.
And because nobody wanted to be identified with the crowd that brought Jewish destruction. If you put it in modern context-suppose Osama bin Laden destroys the World Trade Center and that creates enormous hostility, but lets assume for a minute that Osama bin Laden managed to conquer America. In order to survive, people would try to accommodate by saying, "We weren't the ones who hated the Muslims."
What's the best verse in the Bible?
The text with which I close most of my lectures is from John 10. They are words attributed to Jesus that members of the Jesus Seminar don't think he ever spoke. I don't mind accepting that. But to me, they are so true to who he is. And that's the phrase, "I've come that they might have life and have it abundantly."
The way that I see Christianity is that its role is to enhance the life of every person. My basis of morality is this: does this action enhance life, or does it denigrate life? Does it build up or does it tear down? And if that's your basis, then you can't possibly be a sexist because sexism diminishes women. You can't possibly be homophobic because it diminishes homosexuals. You can't possibly be a racist because you can't tell people they are lesser because their skin is black. Or any of the other things that have discriminated against people.
What is the basis for your faith?
I have to start at the basics, and that's God. And the thing that I think you have to say about God first is that nobody knows who God is, nobody knows what God is. I don't care what they say--all any human being knows is how they believe they have experienced God. They do not know what God is.
That would be like a horse saying they know what a human being is. A horse knows how a horse experiences a human being. And even when you say, this is my "God experience," there is always the possibility that you're deluded. And a lot of deluded people think that they have had "God experiences" and hear voices. So I start with that--I can't tell you who God is or what God is; I can only share what I believe my God experience is.
My primary theological teacher was Paul Tillich. Tillich defines God not in terms of a being, a supernatural power who lives somewhere outside the world, but as what he calls "the ground of being." If God is the "ground of being" then I worship God by having the courage to be. And if I am faithful in following that God, I try to build a world where other people have the freedom to be who they are. Anything that enhances being would be good, and anything that violates being would be bad.
My second definition of God, or of my God experience, is that God is the source of life. And if God is the source of life, the only way I can worship God is by living fully. And I've got to dedicate myself as a follower of this God to building a world where everybody has an opportunity to live fully. And again, you get to the same place. Whatever diminishes life is evil, and whatever enhances life is good.
And my third definition of my God experience is that I see God as the source of love. I think love is a transcendent power that I can receive but I can't generate. It can flow through me but I can't say, "OK, I'll now decide to be loving." I can only give away the love that I have received.
That's interesting.
So in some sense, the very existence of love means that we participate in transcendence. And if God is the source of love, the only way I can worship God is by loving wastefully. Not setting barriers and counting costs and that sort of thing. Not saying, "Do you deserve it or not?" But loving wastefully. Therefore to be a follower of this God means you have to try to enhance the love that's available in this world.
I start with that God definition and then I say, “OK, what about Jesus?” The claim historically is that somehow through Jesus, God has been experienced. Then you get to the theology that says he came out of heaven and had a virgin birth and went back to heaven--but that's the mythological framework that tries to make sense of whatever the experience was.
I can only look at him through the gospels, through the way the tradition has presented him. It seems to me that he is so fully alive that I can see the source of life in him. It seems to me he is so totally loving that no matter what they do to him, he responds by loving. They drive nails in him and he is portrayed as saying, "Father, forgive him for they do not know what they do." The portrait of Jesus is one whose love is totally giving, no matter what you do to him--betray him, deny him, forsake him, persecute him, crucify him--he responds by loving.
So it doesn't matter whether any of that or all of it happened specifically, it's that people experienced him that way. There had to have been an experience that people have tried to make sense out of.
I have no difficulty asserting the traditional Christian claim that somehow God was in this Christ. I don't know that Jesus is different from Debbie or Jack, except in degree. I think he's so fully human, that he can be a channel through which people can experience this transcendent God presence. That's a very different way of approaching the Christian story, but it's one that I think is the future, because the old mythology doesn't work.
In what way doesn't it work?
Take the virgin birth tradition, which is how we explained how God got from outside to inside Mary. The story hasn’t worked since 1724, when we discovered that women have an egg cell. So Jesus is half God and half human--not fully God and fully human--which is what the early church leaders were trying to say. And if God is really a biological father, then Jesus can't be human—he's got to be something different.
At the other end of the story, there is the issue of getting Jesus back up to God, which comes into the Christian tradition in the 9th decade, maybe the 10th decade, in the ascension story. It doesn't make sense in the space age. Carl Sagen once said that if Jesus literally ascended into the sky and traveled at the speed of light, then he hadn't yet escaped our galaxy.
I spend my time, not rejecting the way the Christian story has been understood, but rejecting the literalism that has been imposed upon it. My secular humanist friends would reject the whole story. My fundamentalists friends will say it's got to be literally so. I'm in a strange position, where I've got to separate the experience from the explanation. I keep wanting to find a way to make the experience understandable for the 21st century.
Why are you Christian? Why not be Buddhist or Jewish?
The Christ path is the path I've walked all my life, so it's normal and natural. And I have no reason to abandon it because it leads to where I want to go. If I were a child of Tibet or of Arabia, I suspect the path I'd walk would be the Buddhist path or the Muslim path. And I don't mind saying that I don't invalidate any of those paths. But the path I walk is the Christ path. If God is God and if the Christ path leads me to God, then I will meet whomever has gone through whatever path they've come from.
All religion seems to need to prove that it's the only truth. And that's where it turns demonic. Because that's when you get religious wars and persecutions and burning heretics at the stake. But if you go back and look at the Jesus story, there are three texts in Mark, Matthew and Luke. They all came from the same source, but Matthew changes a word which makes it really crucial. Mark has Jesus say, "If you're not against me, you're for me." Luke has Jesus say, "If you're not against me, you're for me." Matthew changes that and says, "If you're not for me, you're against me." And that's the one that Christians have used over the centuries, but it's two to one against Matthew being authentic.
Now who can argue that the Buddhists are against the Christians? You could argue that they're not for the Christians, but you couldn't argue that they're against them, or the Jews or the Muslims. All of those are paths that humans have walked toward God. And they're not enemies, they're just different paths. But Matthew has turned that in such a way that you're either on my side or you're my enemy.
Is that because Matthew was Jewish and was writing to a Jewish audience?
I think there's a lot of truth in there. And by the time you get to the fourth gospel (John), all the "I am" sayings come into the tradition. For Jews, God's name was "I am." The orthodox Jewish party excommunicated the Jewish revisionists (the early Christians); the orthodox said "You no longer have any part of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses," and the revisionists (the new Christians) responded by saying, "Yes, we do, because the God we meet in Jesus is the 'I am' of Moses and the burning bush."
And so every time they could, they make Jesus say, "I am," "I am," "I am," "I am." One of them is "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me." And that's the text that turns Christianity into being demonic--in the sense that we have the truth, and the rest of you have to come to God the way we have come to God. And we are justified in forcing you to come to God this way. And that's where you get religious wars.
People don't realize religion is never a search for truth. Religion is a search for security. Now, we have theological enterprises that try to shape truth. But the bedrock of our religion is a search for security. And that comes out of the very dawning of self-consciousness. I admire our ancestors, whoever they were. I think the first self-conscious person must have shaken in his boots. Because as he becomes self-conscious, he's no longer part of nature. He sees himself against nature. He looks at the vastness of the universe and it looks hostile. Mother Nature is not sweet.
And so what this person did was to say, "I can't survive in this world, so I'll create a being more powerful than I am, and I'll relate to that being and that being will help me survive." So we started out by naming every tree and rock and shrub and bush and river and ocean...it had a spirit. And we worked out a way of accommodating that spirit. That's where religion starts--in a search for security in a radically insecure world.
Is religion man-made?
Yes. Religion is man-made, but God is not. Our ideas of God are man-made. The moment we explain it, the moment we say, “This is how I experience God” then you’ve captured God in the mindset of your time and history, your level of knowledge, your language, your prejudices, everything. So we didn’t understand about germs, we thought if you got sick God was punishing you. That made perfect sense. Then we discovered germs and then we developed antibiotics to deal with germs. And then we discovered that it didn’t make any difference if you were Adolf Hitler or Mother Teresa--penicillin works. It has nothing to do with your behavior.
I don’t know how to say that God is real anymore than say it. All I can say is that I am consumed with that reality. If I had to name what I really am, and this would really surprise my critics and my friends, but I really am a mystic. I really live in an awareness of a transcendent power that I cannot articulate, cannot explain. And yet, I never doubt. And I walk into that mystery more every day of my life. It’s not just that I’m getting older and cramming for finals. It’s that it becomes more and more real. And the closer you get into that experience, the less any words describing it make any sense. And so you’re finally reduced to silence, awe and wonder.
It sounds like you experience God on a molecular level--almost a Taoist approach.
Yes, Fritjof Capra (author of The Tao of Physics) used to be one of the authors I read most. I think all those paths are quite valid. And I think one of the great tragedies of religion is that we’ve made each path exclusive. It’s ludicrous.
Pope John Paul II made steps toward Muslims and made steps toward Jews. But that’s about 500 years too late in my opinion. I welcome it, but it’s irrelevant . If you don’t learn to get along, human beings aren’t going to survive.
And, ironically, that’s the great thing that terrorism does for us. Terrorism is a whole new enemy. An all-out arsenal didn’t save the World Trade Center. If they want to blow up the Holland Tunnel or the Lincoln Tunnel--you know, I could do that this afternoon if I wanted to--I could just load my car up with dynamite because nobody checks my car when I go through the tunnel. So we’re constantly vulnerable to terrorists. And you learn that you either are going to have a police state where you don’t have any freedom left, or you’re going to build a world that doesn’t create terrorists—and that means a whole different way of “getting along.”
I hear a lot of people say they are fearful that if we don’t get along then the world ends, because of terrorism. You seem to be saying the same thing, but the flipside. You’re actually optimistic?
Yeah. I think I am. Because what terrorism finally winds up saying to us is that you can’t live in a world that bends some people so totally out of shape that they want to destroy themselves and anybody who gets in their way. Terrorism is a real despair. These are people for whom life has been so negative that they’re willing to die if they can take down some of their enemies.
You go back and read the Crusades history. The seeds of terrorism are being sowed as we butcher them and murder them in the name of the God of the West, and denigrated them and spat on them. You think that stuff doesn’t come back to haunt you? It may be a thousand years, but it’s still there. You don’t diminish human life the way we have diminished human life with our power and not expect it at some point to rise up. They’re not going to rise up with an army to come defeat our army. They’re going to get at us the way they can get at us.
So why be optimistic?
Because someday we will realize that. Go back to the civil rights movement for a moment. By the mid-1960s people were rioting in the streets, and the first response was, “Let’s suppress them. Let’s move in the National Guard and let’s stop these rioters, let’s put these people in jail.” Then somebody said, “There aren’t enough policemen in the world to keep 20 percent of the population under control if they don’t want to be under control. So maybe we’d better address the causes of the riots instead of just trying to suppress the riots.”
And that’s when you say, the problem is jobs, the problem is school, the problem is after-care programs, the problem is poverty. And you begin to develop programs that address the causes. And then people that were once the rioters run for president, like Jesse Jackson.
That’s what’s got to happen in the world-level. You can’t have a world where 50 percent of the people are dieting and 50 percent of the people are starving if you want stability. Helplessness always manifests itself as terror. Because who gives a damn? I mean, what does it matter that I die? I’d rather be dead than alive. And if you could kill a few people who have ruined your life in the process….
But if you begin to give people hope that there is a brighter future, there is a new tomorrow, then the people who were yesterday’s terrorists become tomorrow’s elected officials and they’re part of the system.
I don’t believe my country will go the way of the righteous right, because I think my country is stronger than that. But it takes a long time. The way we stopped prejudice in the south was that prejudice got more expensive than non-prejudice because riots were going on, you couldn’t trust anybody, you had to secure your home, you had to have a shotgun to save yourself. After a while that becomes very destructive to your own psycheSo then you begin to say, “What do we do to end this?”
Where’s God in this process?
I see God not as a being up in the sky, but as the source of life, the source of love and the ground of being. So I think that anything that begins to give people a sense of their own worth and dignity is God. I experience God as a life force that flows through the universe. I’m going to worship God I need to get on the side of the life force and enhance it instead of being opposed to it.
And that means you’re going to live in a very different world. It’s not a bad world. It means that those of us who have more of this world’s goods are going to not have as much, because there’s only a finite amount of this world’s goods to go around. I always want to be on the side of the increasing life of the most people.
What do your audiences think of you these days?
When I go to the red states I’m considered a radical Christian, and when I go to the blue states I’m considered an old-fashioned religious man who is trying to call people back to something. I go where I’m invited. And all I can tell you is if we accepted every invitation we had, I’d be away every day of my life.
Christianity
As we all know that there are many sects of Christianity and we have talked about the Roman Catholic Church and Pope being the head of the Church after the Christ. What I would like to know if people post on this thread know who the Pope’s counter part in titular head of Anglican Church is?
It's Dr. Rowan Williams. And the Queen's is the head of the Church of England.
It's Dr. Rowan Williams. And the Queen's is the head of the Church of England.
For those interested...
The 20/20 special "Resurrection" airs on ABC on Friday, May 20, at 10 pm ET/9 pm Central.
http://www.beliefnet.com/resurrection.html
The 20/20 special "Resurrection" airs on ABC on Friday, May 20, at 10 pm ET/9 pm Central.
http://www.beliefnet.com/resurrection.html
The following is an essay on the state of Gnosticism in Christianity today. Gnosticism is the essence of all esoteric traditions including Ismailism. This essay provides the background of Gnosticism in Christianity and the tensions with the orthodox fundamentalist approach through its history not unlike the Islamic history. Today it is gaining support and perhaps may play an important role in the revival of the essential message of Christ.
Gnosticism Today
After looking in some detail at "original" Gnosticism and the Gnostic Gospels over the last few weeks, it is fair to ask: are there followers of Gnosticism today? If so, what are their views?
The Gnostic Church did not entirely die out, even after the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. when, at least figuratively, Gnosticism and its then-famous champion, Arius, were thrown out in favor of orthodoxy. For some 18 centuries, the movement was in eclipse in the West, known mainly to scholars and small religious groups, its heresies continually to be guarded against.
The Gnostic Church has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years, however, thanks to a combination of the ideas of the early 20th-century psychiatrist Carl Jung, the popularized writings of a new generation of scholars who have brought the early documents to light (see Elaine Pagels and James Robinson whose experiences with the Nag Hammadi finds we have learned about over the last several weeks), and the New Age spiritual movement, which provides echoes of Gnosticism in its emphasis on "salvation through inner knowledge," and the need for a "change of consciousness." Certainly the popularity of The Da Vinci Code has given millions of readers an exposure to this religious current they might not otherwise have had.
One of the leading proponents of the Gnostic faith today is Lance S. Owens, who is both a physician in clinical practice and an ordained priest. He also maintains the Website www.gnosis.org. In this essay he describes the early history of Gnosticism and then asks the rhetorical question: why were the Gnostics considered such a threat to the orthodoxy?
Early Christianity Did Not Mean Simply Following Jesus.
By Lance S. Owens
Copyright © Lance Owens 2004. Adapted from an essay on www.gnosis.org and used with permission of the author.
In the first century of the Christian era the term 'Gnostic' came to denote a heterodox segment of the diverse new Christian community. Among early followers of Christ it appears there were groups who delineated themselves from the greater household of the Church by claiming not simply a belief in Christ and his message, but a "special witness" or revelatory experience of the divine. It was this experience or gnosis that set the true follower of Christ apart, so they asserted. Stephan Hoeller explains that these Christians held a "conviction that direct, personal and absolute knowledge of the authentic truths of existence is accessible to human beings, and, moreover, that the attainment of such knowledge must always constitute the supreme achievement of human life."
What the "authentic truths of existence" affirmed by the Gnostics were will be briefly reviewed below, but first a historical overview of the early Church might be useful. In the initial century and a half of Christianity—the period when we find first mention of "Gnostic" Christians—no single acceptable format of Christian thought had yet been defined. During this formative period Gnosticism was one of many currents moving within the deep waters of the new religion. The ultimate course Christianity, and Western culture with it, would take was undecided at this early moment. Gnosticism was one of the seminal influences shaping that destiny.
That Gnosticism was, at least briefly, in the mainstream of Christianity is witnessed by the fact that one of its most influential teachers, Valentinus, may have been in consideration during the mid-second century for election as the Bishop of Rome. Born in Alexandria around 100 C.E., Valentinus distinguished himself at an early age as an extraordinary teacher and leader in the highly educated and diverse Alexandrian Christian community. In mid-life he migrated from Alexandria to the Church's evolving capital, Rome, where he played an active role in the public affairs of the Church. A prime characteristic of Gnostics was their claim to be keepers of sacred traditions, gospels, rituals, and successions ñ esoteric matters for which many Christians were either not properly prepared or simply not inclined. Valentinus, true to this Gnostic predilection, apparently professed to have received a special apostolic sanction through Theudas, a disciple and initiate of the Apostle Paul, and to be a custodian of doctrines and rituals neglected by what would become Christian orthodoxy. Though an influential member of the Roman church in the mid-second century, by the end of his life Valentinus had been forced from the public eye and branded a heretic by the developing orthodoxy Church.
While the historical and theological details are far too complex for proper explication here, the tide of history can be said to have turned against Gnosticism in the middle of the second century. No Gnostic after Valentinus would ever come so near prominence in the greater Church. Gnosticism's emphasis on personal experience, its continuing revelations and production of new scripture, its asceticism and paradoxically contrasting libertine postures, were all met with increasing suspicion. By 180 C.E. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, was publishing his first attacks on Gnosticism as heresy, a labor that would be continued with increasing vehemence by the church Fathers throughout the next century.
Orthodox Christianity was deeply and profoundly influenced by its struggles with Gnosticism in the second and third centuries. Formulations of many central traditions in Christian theology came as reflections and shadows of this confrontation with the Gnosis. But by the end of the fourth century the struggle was essentially over: the evolving ecclesia had added the force of political correctness to dogmatic denunciation, and with this sword so-called "heresy" was painfully cut from the Christian body. Gnosticism as a Christian tradition was largely eradicated, its remaining teachers ostracized, and its sacred books destroyed. All that remained for students seeking to understand Gnosticism in later centuries were the denunciations and fragments preserved in the heresiologies. Or at least so it seemed until the mid-twentieth century.
Gnostics as a Threat?
What made Gnostics such dangerous heretics? The complexities of Gnosticism are legion, making any generalizations wisely suspect. While several systems for defining and categorizing Gnosticism have been proposed over the years, none has universal acceptance. Nevertheless, four elements are generally agreed upon as general characteristics of Gnostic thought.
The first essential characteristic is: Gnosticism asserts that "direct, personal and absolute knowledge of the authentic truths of existence is accessible to human beings," and the attainment of such knowledge is the supreme achievement of human life. Gnosis is not a rational, propositional, logical understanding, but a knowing acquired by experience. The Gnostics were not much interested in dogma or coherent, rational theology—a fact that makes the study of Gnosticism particularly difficult for individuals with "bookkeeper mentalities." One simply cannot cipher up Gnosticism into syllogistic dogmatic affirmations. The Gnostics cherished the ongoing force of divine revelation—Gnosis was the creative experience of revelation, a rushing progression of understanding, and not a static creed. . . .
In his study, The American Religion, noted literary critic Harold Bloom suggests a second characteristic of Gnosticism that might help us conceptually circumscribe its mysterious heart. Gnosticism, says Bloom, "is a knowing, by and of an uncreated self, or self-within-the self, and [this] knowledge leads to freedom...." Primary among all the revelatory perceptions a Gnostic might reach was the profound awakening that came with knowledge that something within him was uncreated. The Gnostics called this "uncreated self" the divine seed, the pearl, the spark of knowing: consciousness, intelligence, light. And this seed of intellect was the self-same substance of God. It was man's authentic reality, the glory of humankind and divinity alike. . . . By all rational perception, man clearly was not God, and yet in essential truth, was Godly. This conundrum was a Gnostic mystery, and its knowing was their treasure. . . .
This brings us to the third prominent element in our brief summary of Gnosticism: its reverence for texts and scriptures unaccepted by the orthodox fold. Gnostic experience was mythopoetic: in story and metaphor, and perhaps also in ritual enactments, Gnosticism sought expression of subtle, visionary insights inexpressible by rational proposition or dogmatic affirmation. For the Gnostics, revelation was the nature of Gnosis. Irritated by their profusion of "inspired texts" and myths, Ireneaus complains in his classic second century refutation of Gnosticism, that, "Every one of them generates something new, day by day, according to his ability; for no one is deemed perfect, who does not develop...some mighty fiction."
The fourth characteristic . . . is the most difficult of the four to succinctly untangle, and also one of the most disturbing to subsequent orthodox theology. This is the image of God as a dyad, or duality. While affirming the ultimate unity and integrity of the Divine, Gnosticism noted in its experiential encounter with the numinous, contrasting manifestations and qualities. In many of the Nag Hammadi Gnostic texts God is imaged as a dyad of masculine and feminine elements. . . . . Several trends within Gnosticism saw in God a union of two disparate natures, a union well imaged with sexual symbolism. Gnostics honored the feminine nature and, in reflection, Elaine Pagels has argued that Christian Gnostic women enjoyed a far greater degree of social and ecclesiastical equality than their orthodox sisters. Jesus himself, taught some Gnostics, had prefigured this mystic relationship: His most beloved disciple had been a woman, Mary Magdalene, his consort. . . .
Christ came to rectify the separation...and join the two components; and to give life unto those who had died by separation and join them together. . . . We are left with our poetic imaginations to consider what this might mean. Though Orthodox polemicists frequently accused Gnostics of unorthodox sexual behavior, exactly how these ideas and images played out in human affairs remains historically uncertain. . . .
Gnosticism Today
After looking in some detail at "original" Gnosticism and the Gnostic Gospels over the last few weeks, it is fair to ask: are there followers of Gnosticism today? If so, what are their views?
The Gnostic Church did not entirely die out, even after the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. when, at least figuratively, Gnosticism and its then-famous champion, Arius, were thrown out in favor of orthodoxy. For some 18 centuries, the movement was in eclipse in the West, known mainly to scholars and small religious groups, its heresies continually to be guarded against.
The Gnostic Church has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years, however, thanks to a combination of the ideas of the early 20th-century psychiatrist Carl Jung, the popularized writings of a new generation of scholars who have brought the early documents to light (see Elaine Pagels and James Robinson whose experiences with the Nag Hammadi finds we have learned about over the last several weeks), and the New Age spiritual movement, which provides echoes of Gnosticism in its emphasis on "salvation through inner knowledge," and the need for a "change of consciousness." Certainly the popularity of The Da Vinci Code has given millions of readers an exposure to this religious current they might not otherwise have had.
One of the leading proponents of the Gnostic faith today is Lance S. Owens, who is both a physician in clinical practice and an ordained priest. He also maintains the Website www.gnosis.org. In this essay he describes the early history of Gnosticism and then asks the rhetorical question: why were the Gnostics considered such a threat to the orthodoxy?
Early Christianity Did Not Mean Simply Following Jesus.
By Lance S. Owens
Copyright © Lance Owens 2004. Adapted from an essay on www.gnosis.org and used with permission of the author.
In the first century of the Christian era the term 'Gnostic' came to denote a heterodox segment of the diverse new Christian community. Among early followers of Christ it appears there were groups who delineated themselves from the greater household of the Church by claiming not simply a belief in Christ and his message, but a "special witness" or revelatory experience of the divine. It was this experience or gnosis that set the true follower of Christ apart, so they asserted. Stephan Hoeller explains that these Christians held a "conviction that direct, personal and absolute knowledge of the authentic truths of existence is accessible to human beings, and, moreover, that the attainment of such knowledge must always constitute the supreme achievement of human life."
What the "authentic truths of existence" affirmed by the Gnostics were will be briefly reviewed below, but first a historical overview of the early Church might be useful. In the initial century and a half of Christianity—the period when we find first mention of "Gnostic" Christians—no single acceptable format of Christian thought had yet been defined. During this formative period Gnosticism was one of many currents moving within the deep waters of the new religion. The ultimate course Christianity, and Western culture with it, would take was undecided at this early moment. Gnosticism was one of the seminal influences shaping that destiny.
That Gnosticism was, at least briefly, in the mainstream of Christianity is witnessed by the fact that one of its most influential teachers, Valentinus, may have been in consideration during the mid-second century for election as the Bishop of Rome. Born in Alexandria around 100 C.E., Valentinus distinguished himself at an early age as an extraordinary teacher and leader in the highly educated and diverse Alexandrian Christian community. In mid-life he migrated from Alexandria to the Church's evolving capital, Rome, where he played an active role in the public affairs of the Church. A prime characteristic of Gnostics was their claim to be keepers of sacred traditions, gospels, rituals, and successions ñ esoteric matters for which many Christians were either not properly prepared or simply not inclined. Valentinus, true to this Gnostic predilection, apparently professed to have received a special apostolic sanction through Theudas, a disciple and initiate of the Apostle Paul, and to be a custodian of doctrines and rituals neglected by what would become Christian orthodoxy. Though an influential member of the Roman church in the mid-second century, by the end of his life Valentinus had been forced from the public eye and branded a heretic by the developing orthodoxy Church.
While the historical and theological details are far too complex for proper explication here, the tide of history can be said to have turned against Gnosticism in the middle of the second century. No Gnostic after Valentinus would ever come so near prominence in the greater Church. Gnosticism's emphasis on personal experience, its continuing revelations and production of new scripture, its asceticism and paradoxically contrasting libertine postures, were all met with increasing suspicion. By 180 C.E. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, was publishing his first attacks on Gnosticism as heresy, a labor that would be continued with increasing vehemence by the church Fathers throughout the next century.
Orthodox Christianity was deeply and profoundly influenced by its struggles with Gnosticism in the second and third centuries. Formulations of many central traditions in Christian theology came as reflections and shadows of this confrontation with the Gnosis. But by the end of the fourth century the struggle was essentially over: the evolving ecclesia had added the force of political correctness to dogmatic denunciation, and with this sword so-called "heresy" was painfully cut from the Christian body. Gnosticism as a Christian tradition was largely eradicated, its remaining teachers ostracized, and its sacred books destroyed. All that remained for students seeking to understand Gnosticism in later centuries were the denunciations and fragments preserved in the heresiologies. Or at least so it seemed until the mid-twentieth century.
Gnostics as a Threat?
What made Gnostics such dangerous heretics? The complexities of Gnosticism are legion, making any generalizations wisely suspect. While several systems for defining and categorizing Gnosticism have been proposed over the years, none has universal acceptance. Nevertheless, four elements are generally agreed upon as general characteristics of Gnostic thought.
The first essential characteristic is: Gnosticism asserts that "direct, personal and absolute knowledge of the authentic truths of existence is accessible to human beings," and the attainment of such knowledge is the supreme achievement of human life. Gnosis is not a rational, propositional, logical understanding, but a knowing acquired by experience. The Gnostics were not much interested in dogma or coherent, rational theology—a fact that makes the study of Gnosticism particularly difficult for individuals with "bookkeeper mentalities." One simply cannot cipher up Gnosticism into syllogistic dogmatic affirmations. The Gnostics cherished the ongoing force of divine revelation—Gnosis was the creative experience of revelation, a rushing progression of understanding, and not a static creed. . . .
In his study, The American Religion, noted literary critic Harold Bloom suggests a second characteristic of Gnosticism that might help us conceptually circumscribe its mysterious heart. Gnosticism, says Bloom, "is a knowing, by and of an uncreated self, or self-within-the self, and [this] knowledge leads to freedom...." Primary among all the revelatory perceptions a Gnostic might reach was the profound awakening that came with knowledge that something within him was uncreated. The Gnostics called this "uncreated self" the divine seed, the pearl, the spark of knowing: consciousness, intelligence, light. And this seed of intellect was the self-same substance of God. It was man's authentic reality, the glory of humankind and divinity alike. . . . By all rational perception, man clearly was not God, and yet in essential truth, was Godly. This conundrum was a Gnostic mystery, and its knowing was their treasure. . . .
This brings us to the third prominent element in our brief summary of Gnosticism: its reverence for texts and scriptures unaccepted by the orthodox fold. Gnostic experience was mythopoetic: in story and metaphor, and perhaps also in ritual enactments, Gnosticism sought expression of subtle, visionary insights inexpressible by rational proposition or dogmatic affirmation. For the Gnostics, revelation was the nature of Gnosis. Irritated by their profusion of "inspired texts" and myths, Ireneaus complains in his classic second century refutation of Gnosticism, that, "Every one of them generates something new, day by day, according to his ability; for no one is deemed perfect, who does not develop...some mighty fiction."
The fourth characteristic . . . is the most difficult of the four to succinctly untangle, and also one of the most disturbing to subsequent orthodox theology. This is the image of God as a dyad, or duality. While affirming the ultimate unity and integrity of the Divine, Gnosticism noted in its experiential encounter with the numinous, contrasting manifestations and qualities. In many of the Nag Hammadi Gnostic texts God is imaged as a dyad of masculine and feminine elements. . . . . Several trends within Gnosticism saw in God a union of two disparate natures, a union well imaged with sexual symbolism. Gnostics honored the feminine nature and, in reflection, Elaine Pagels has argued that Christian Gnostic women enjoyed a far greater degree of social and ecclesiastical equality than their orthodox sisters. Jesus himself, taught some Gnostics, had prefigured this mystic relationship: His most beloved disciple had been a woman, Mary Magdalene, his consort. . . .
Christ came to rectify the separation...and join the two components; and to give life unto those who had died by separation and join them together. . . . We are left with our poetic imaginations to consider what this might mean. Though Orthodox polemicists frequently accused Gnostics of unorthodox sexual behavior, exactly how these ideas and images played out in human affairs remains historically uncertain. . . .
A well respected Christian Bishop John Shelby Spong challenges the notion that the Bible is the word of God in the following essay.
The Word of God?
"This is the word of the Lord"
That is the liturgical phrase used in Christian churches to mark the end of a reading from the Bible. It is a strange, even a misleading, phrase. Yet Sunday after Sunday it is repeated, reinforcing in the psyches of worshipers a rather outdated attitude toward Holy Scripture.
In many of its details, the Bible is simply wrong! Epilepsy is not caused by demon possession. David did not write the Psalms. The earth is not the center of the universe. On other issues of great public concern, the Bible is no longer even regarded as moral. Its verses have been used to affirm war, slavery, segregation and apartheid. It defines women as inferior creatures and suggests that homosexual persons be put to death.
Church people try to ignore or suppress these biblical deficiencies, but when the Scriptures are read to a listening congregation the response is increasing incredulity. Still they respond, "This is the word of the Lord."
Outside the church, this presumed authority of Scripture is generally ignored. Secular people live in a post-religious world where the idea that a literary work, written between 1000 B.C.E. and 135 C.E., can be "the Word of God," is simply too far-fetched to believe. This obvious ecclesiastical power play is no longer even passively accepted as benign. One has only to chart the evil and pain that many people have endured in history because someone regarded the Bible as the "Word of God." That claim is no longer regarded as valid.
In a series of essays that will appear periodically over the next few months in this column I will examine some of the more frightening examples of these tragedies. My purpose will be quite specific. I will be seeking to call the Christian Church in all of its forms to look closely at what it is, overtly and covertly, teaching its people about the Bible and at the enormous gap that exists between what biblical scholars know and what the leaders of the churches actually say to their congregations. If our clergy do not really believe what they are saying, and if our liturgies affirm things that the scholars universally reject, then something is clearly amiss in contemporary Christianity that does not augur well for a Christian future.
First, we need to state some basic biblical facts.
The people who wrote the books in the Bible did not think they were writing "The Word of God." That is a quite elementary but singularly important place to begin.
In regard to the first five books of the Bible, called the Torah or the Books of Moses, scholars have known since the 19th century, that they are not the work of a single hand. They are rather a compilation of at least four strands of Jewish writing that were composed over a period of some 500 years. Those strands were first, the Yahwist document, written in the tenth century B.C.E. and sometimes called the Hebrew Iliad, which reflects the national history of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The second was the Elohist document, written in the 9th century B.C.E. and sometimes called the Hebrew Odyssey, which reflects the national history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. After the fall of the Northern Kingdom to the Assyrians in 721 B.C.E., these two national stories were woven together into a single narrative. The third document was the product of one known as the Deuteronomic writer, composed in the late 7th century B.C.E., and consisting of the book of Deuteronomy and a general editing of the newly merged national Jewish story. The fourth source of the Torah was not so much a document as it was an expansive editorial commentary applied to the entire faith story by those called the Priestly Writers and written during the Babylonian Exile somewhere between 586 and 450 B.C.E. That is the process, briefly described, that produced the oldest part of the biblical story.
One can identify the places where these versions of the story were woven rather inexactly together, producing many of the conflicting details in the Torah itself. The Sabbath day law, for example, developed during the Exile, is read back into the manna in the wilderness story to make sure that the miraculous food was not gathered on the seventh day in violation of the Sabbath. The ritualistic laws governing sacrifices were used to alter the Noah story so that during the 150 days on the ark, Noah could offer the proper sacrifices without destroying that species.
Finally, there are three versions of the Ten Commandments in the Torah. The oldest one, from the Yahwist document, is found in Exodus 34. The version with which most of us are familiar, found in Exodus 20, comes from the Elohist document but was significantly doctored by the Priestly Writers. The third version is in Deuteronomy 5 and though close to Exodus 20 has some revealing differences. The Deuteronomic version of the 4th Commandment makes the reason for rest on the Sabbath, not that God rested from the work of creation and thus hallowed that day, but that the Jews should remember that they were once slaves and that even slaves need a day of rest. The seven-day creation story, with which the Bible now opens, was written by the Priestly Writers well after the Deuteronomic document had been completed.
The idea that the Bible came into being in some sort of miraculous way and is either the literal dictation of God or even the "inspired message of God" is simply not supportable on its face. The Bible is a profoundly human, deeply flawed, tribal history that has created as much pain as blessing in our world.
Moving on to the Hebrew prophets, this analysis produces a similar difficulty. The prophets tended to explain every disaster that befell the chosen people as the direct result of their laxity in obeying God's laws or in their inability to worship God properly. God seemed to have little more to do than to organize the whole universe so as to teach the chosen people how to be faithful or to demonstrate the dreadful price that unfaithful ones would have to pay. When we turn to the first part of the New Testament to be written, we need to register the fact that Paul's letters were just that, letters. They are time bound and time specific. They express irritation at and praise for the behavior of the actual recipients. They were composed in a dialogical manner in order to address real issues bothering real people in real time. When Paul wrote in anger, "I hope those who bother you will mutilate themselves," was that the Word of God? Surely it was nothing more than the word of Paul!
Similarly, when Paul suggested that a woman's head must be covered in public worship, he was expressing a cultural norm not a universal principle. When Paul said, "I forbid a woman to have authority over a man" or when he suggested that those who do not worship God properly would have their sexual identities confused, does one really want to suggest that this badly dated bit of human ignorance is to be reverenced as the voice of God?
Later the Gospel writers would violently twist out of context the writings of the prophets to prove such things as the literal accuracy of the Virgin Birth or to demonstrate that the ancient prophets supported the doctrinal and creedal development of the 4th and 5th Centuries of the Common Era. Jerry Falwell, in a published book, has suggested that the divine nature of Jesus is "proved" by the fact that he fulfilled in a very specific way, the messianic expectations of the prophets. That attitude, however, has been revealed by modern biblical scholarship to be nothing less than profound ignorance. The idea that a God, living somewhere above the sky, would drop hints into the texts of writers, some 800 years before the birth of Christ, determining exactly what Jesus would do in the 1st century, is fanciful enough. But when one adds that God would need to guard these divine hints through the centuries when these texts were copied by hand, protect them from destruction in war and guide the minds of Jewish decision makers centuries later to include these prophetic works in the Jewish Canon of Scripture, the elements of miracle and magic become heightened to incredibly superstitious levels.
Next, one needs to understand, that contrary to the way Christian theology has interpreted the Gospels from the 2nd century on, Jesus did not miraculously live out these prophetic expectations. It was exactly the other way around. The story of Jesus was crafted some 40 - 70 years after that earthly life came to an end, to make it conform to the biblical expectations! Micah, for example, did not predict that the birth of Jesus would occur in Bethlehem. That was the way that later Christians interpreted Micah. Jesus' birth, which probably occurred in Galilee, was shifted to Bethlehem in order to make the birth of Jesus fulfill this expectation.
The story of Jesus' crucifixion was, likewise, deliberately and liturgically shaped by their authors who had Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 in front of them as they wrote the passion narrative. We forget, conveniently I would suggest, that the earliest Gospel, Mark, says that when Jesus was arrested, all of the disciples "forsook him and fled." Jesus died alone with no eyewitnesses. The Gospel writers later wrote the story of his death to "reveal the fulfillment of Scripture." A great part of the crisis in faith today derives from the fact that the authority once claimed for the Bible cannot and should not be sustained in the light of modern knowledge. How important then is this traditional view of the Bible to the future of Christianity. Can this view of Scripture be abandoned without Christianity, as we have known it, not also collapsing? That question remains to be answered but it will be the present in the background of many columns written during the coming year. Stay tuned!
The Word of God?
"This is the word of the Lord"
That is the liturgical phrase used in Christian churches to mark the end of a reading from the Bible. It is a strange, even a misleading, phrase. Yet Sunday after Sunday it is repeated, reinforcing in the psyches of worshipers a rather outdated attitude toward Holy Scripture.
In many of its details, the Bible is simply wrong! Epilepsy is not caused by demon possession. David did not write the Psalms. The earth is not the center of the universe. On other issues of great public concern, the Bible is no longer even regarded as moral. Its verses have been used to affirm war, slavery, segregation and apartheid. It defines women as inferior creatures and suggests that homosexual persons be put to death.
Church people try to ignore or suppress these biblical deficiencies, but when the Scriptures are read to a listening congregation the response is increasing incredulity. Still they respond, "This is the word of the Lord."
Outside the church, this presumed authority of Scripture is generally ignored. Secular people live in a post-religious world where the idea that a literary work, written between 1000 B.C.E. and 135 C.E., can be "the Word of God," is simply too far-fetched to believe. This obvious ecclesiastical power play is no longer even passively accepted as benign. One has only to chart the evil and pain that many people have endured in history because someone regarded the Bible as the "Word of God." That claim is no longer regarded as valid.
In a series of essays that will appear periodically over the next few months in this column I will examine some of the more frightening examples of these tragedies. My purpose will be quite specific. I will be seeking to call the Christian Church in all of its forms to look closely at what it is, overtly and covertly, teaching its people about the Bible and at the enormous gap that exists between what biblical scholars know and what the leaders of the churches actually say to their congregations. If our clergy do not really believe what they are saying, and if our liturgies affirm things that the scholars universally reject, then something is clearly amiss in contemporary Christianity that does not augur well for a Christian future.
First, we need to state some basic biblical facts.
The people who wrote the books in the Bible did not think they were writing "The Word of God." That is a quite elementary but singularly important place to begin.
In regard to the first five books of the Bible, called the Torah or the Books of Moses, scholars have known since the 19th century, that they are not the work of a single hand. They are rather a compilation of at least four strands of Jewish writing that were composed over a period of some 500 years. Those strands were first, the Yahwist document, written in the tenth century B.C.E. and sometimes called the Hebrew Iliad, which reflects the national history of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The second was the Elohist document, written in the 9th century B.C.E. and sometimes called the Hebrew Odyssey, which reflects the national history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. After the fall of the Northern Kingdom to the Assyrians in 721 B.C.E., these two national stories were woven together into a single narrative. The third document was the product of one known as the Deuteronomic writer, composed in the late 7th century B.C.E., and consisting of the book of Deuteronomy and a general editing of the newly merged national Jewish story. The fourth source of the Torah was not so much a document as it was an expansive editorial commentary applied to the entire faith story by those called the Priestly Writers and written during the Babylonian Exile somewhere between 586 and 450 B.C.E. That is the process, briefly described, that produced the oldest part of the biblical story.
One can identify the places where these versions of the story were woven rather inexactly together, producing many of the conflicting details in the Torah itself. The Sabbath day law, for example, developed during the Exile, is read back into the manna in the wilderness story to make sure that the miraculous food was not gathered on the seventh day in violation of the Sabbath. The ritualistic laws governing sacrifices were used to alter the Noah story so that during the 150 days on the ark, Noah could offer the proper sacrifices without destroying that species.
Finally, there are three versions of the Ten Commandments in the Torah. The oldest one, from the Yahwist document, is found in Exodus 34. The version with which most of us are familiar, found in Exodus 20, comes from the Elohist document but was significantly doctored by the Priestly Writers. The third version is in Deuteronomy 5 and though close to Exodus 20 has some revealing differences. The Deuteronomic version of the 4th Commandment makes the reason for rest on the Sabbath, not that God rested from the work of creation and thus hallowed that day, but that the Jews should remember that they were once slaves and that even slaves need a day of rest. The seven-day creation story, with which the Bible now opens, was written by the Priestly Writers well after the Deuteronomic document had been completed.
The idea that the Bible came into being in some sort of miraculous way and is either the literal dictation of God or even the "inspired message of God" is simply not supportable on its face. The Bible is a profoundly human, deeply flawed, tribal history that has created as much pain as blessing in our world.
Moving on to the Hebrew prophets, this analysis produces a similar difficulty. The prophets tended to explain every disaster that befell the chosen people as the direct result of their laxity in obeying God's laws or in their inability to worship God properly. God seemed to have little more to do than to organize the whole universe so as to teach the chosen people how to be faithful or to demonstrate the dreadful price that unfaithful ones would have to pay. When we turn to the first part of the New Testament to be written, we need to register the fact that Paul's letters were just that, letters. They are time bound and time specific. They express irritation at and praise for the behavior of the actual recipients. They were composed in a dialogical manner in order to address real issues bothering real people in real time. When Paul wrote in anger, "I hope those who bother you will mutilate themselves," was that the Word of God? Surely it was nothing more than the word of Paul!
Similarly, when Paul suggested that a woman's head must be covered in public worship, he was expressing a cultural norm not a universal principle. When Paul said, "I forbid a woman to have authority over a man" or when he suggested that those who do not worship God properly would have their sexual identities confused, does one really want to suggest that this badly dated bit of human ignorance is to be reverenced as the voice of God?
Later the Gospel writers would violently twist out of context the writings of the prophets to prove such things as the literal accuracy of the Virgin Birth or to demonstrate that the ancient prophets supported the doctrinal and creedal development of the 4th and 5th Centuries of the Common Era. Jerry Falwell, in a published book, has suggested that the divine nature of Jesus is "proved" by the fact that he fulfilled in a very specific way, the messianic expectations of the prophets. That attitude, however, has been revealed by modern biblical scholarship to be nothing less than profound ignorance. The idea that a God, living somewhere above the sky, would drop hints into the texts of writers, some 800 years before the birth of Christ, determining exactly what Jesus would do in the 1st century, is fanciful enough. But when one adds that God would need to guard these divine hints through the centuries when these texts were copied by hand, protect them from destruction in war and guide the minds of Jewish decision makers centuries later to include these prophetic works in the Jewish Canon of Scripture, the elements of miracle and magic become heightened to incredibly superstitious levels.
Next, one needs to understand, that contrary to the way Christian theology has interpreted the Gospels from the 2nd century on, Jesus did not miraculously live out these prophetic expectations. It was exactly the other way around. The story of Jesus was crafted some 40 - 70 years after that earthly life came to an end, to make it conform to the biblical expectations! Micah, for example, did not predict that the birth of Jesus would occur in Bethlehem. That was the way that later Christians interpreted Micah. Jesus' birth, which probably occurred in Galilee, was shifted to Bethlehem in order to make the birth of Jesus fulfill this expectation.
The story of Jesus' crucifixion was, likewise, deliberately and liturgically shaped by their authors who had Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 in front of them as they wrote the passion narrative. We forget, conveniently I would suggest, that the earliest Gospel, Mark, says that when Jesus was arrested, all of the disciples "forsook him and fled." Jesus died alone with no eyewitnesses. The Gospel writers later wrote the story of his death to "reveal the fulfillment of Scripture." A great part of the crisis in faith today derives from the fact that the authority once claimed for the Bible cannot and should not be sustained in the light of modern knowledge. How important then is this traditional view of the Bible to the future of Christianity. Can this view of Scripture be abandoned without Christianity, as we have known it, not also collapsing? That question remains to be answered but it will be the present in the background of many columns written during the coming year. Stay tuned!
-
faisall667
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2004 10:57 pm
Ya Ali Madad everyone,
I haven't read all the posts so I don't know if this is already in here but, I was talking to this devout Christian--a very nice fellow; I asked him does it say anywhere in the Old Testement (b/c its the real book) that Jesus is the son of God? He replied no, but it says that Jesus is the messiah of God. He then said, which is interpreted as Jesus being the son of God. I told him that it o­nly says messiah, which means a savior, not son of God--but as many of you have probably experienced, it is difficult to impose your own belief on someone else
Faisal
I haven't read all the posts so I don't know if this is already in here but, I was talking to this devout Christian--a very nice fellow; I asked him does it say anywhere in the Old Testement (b/c its the real book) that Jesus is the son of God? He replied no, but it says that Jesus is the messiah of God. He then said, which is interpreted as Jesus being the son of God. I told him that it o­nly says messiah, which means a savior, not son of God--but as many of you have probably experienced, it is difficult to impose your own belief on someone else
Faisal
In the following news article, the Pope is calling for a dialogue between Islam and Christianity in the wake of recent bombings in London. An interesting prospect ahead!
Pope Urges Muslims to Confront Terrorism
By IAN FISHER
Published: August 21, 2005
COLOGNE, Germany, Aug. 20 - Pope Benedict XVI used his first meeting with Muslims to deliver a blunt message on Saturday that Christianity and Islam had no choice but to work together to quell terrorism, which he said represented "the darkness of a new barbarism."
In a Europe awash in new antiterror laws and fear of new attacks after the bombings last month in London, the pope said an improvement in relations "cannot be reduced to an optional extra. It is, in fact, a vital necessity, on which a large measure of our future depends."
Benedict's words, to a group of 10 Muslims, most of them from an organization of Turks in Germany, were some of the strongest of his young pontificate, and seemed to elevate the issue of terrorism and relations with Islam to the top of his agenda.
His tone seemed several degrees tougher than that of his predecessor, John Paul II, who at 60 meetings with Muslims emphasized more their common ancestry in Abraham. Pope Benedict's tone was not contentious and he laid no blame. But he spoke with a more direct urgency.
He told the gathering here of the "great responsibility" Muslim teachers had to educate their youth, and though he did not say it, he seemed to be speaking of an education against hatred and violence. He also seemed to transmit a broader message on a delicate topic for the church: the rights of Christian minorities to practice their faith in predominantly Muslim countries.
"Respect for minorities is a clear sign of true civilization," he said in German.
While the pope has denounced terrorism in the past, his speech on Saturday was by far the most detailed, both in its description of the danger and his view that better communication between Christianity and Islam - religions which he acknowledged had an often violent past relationship - was the only answer.
"Terrorism of any kind is a perverse and cruel decision, which shows contempt for the sacred right to life and undermines the very foundation of all civil society," Benedict said, according to the transcript of his speech.
"If together we can succeed in eliminating from our hearts any trace of rancor, in resisting every form of intolerance and in opposing every manifestation of violence, we will turn back the wave of cruel fanaticism that endangers the lives of so many people."
The meeting was relatively brief, about a half an hour, and was held not in a mosque but at the Catholic seminary where Benedict is staying on his four-day trip here as the star attraction of a huge festival of young Catholics, World Youth Day. It is his first trip abroad as pope.
But the participants said they appreciated the invitation, and shared the pope's worries about terrorism. Germany is home to about 3.5 million Muslims, most of them Turkish, and many European Muslims worry that they are being eyed with increasing suspicion.
"Terrorism is not only a problem that comes up in countries where there are Christians," Ridvan Cakir, president of the Turkish Islamic Committee in Europe, said after the meeting, which unlike one between the pope and Jews in Cologne of Friday, was closed to reporters and television cameras. "It's a problem that we all share, he said. "We all have to be aware of that problem and fight against it."
Seyda Can, 27, one of three women who attended the meeting, said she believed that the pope's call for a stronger dialogue between Christians and Muslims could bear important results.
"When we have this dialogue, we will have trust and we won't be afraid," Ms. Can, also a member of the Turkish Islamic Committee, said after the meeting. "With the dialogue, terrorism will be finished."
In the meeting, Mr. Cakir delivered a brief address before the pope spoke, also focusing on the need for more exchanges between Christianity and Islam.
"If we can continue to coexist in dialogue, it will send a signal that the theory of a 'clash of cultures' is baseless," he said. "The more religious and cultural communities can learn about one another, the more they will realize that there is no reason for hostility."
Mr. Cakir also touched briefly on an issue that has been a point of contention among some Muslims and Benedict, saying, "The process of Turkey's accession to the European Union is also an important occasion, one that should be judged in this context."
Before being chosen as pope, the man who was then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said in an interview last year that he opposed Turkey's inclusion to the European Union, saying that Turkey, as the seat of the Ottoman Empire, had always been "in permanent contrast to Europe."
Before becoming pope in April of this year, Cardinal Ratzinger was aligned to the wing of the church more skeptical toward Islam, seeing it in competition with Christianity in many places - Africa, Asia and, to some extent, in Europe - as church attendance dropped and the number of Muslim immigrants rose on the continent. As he did before becoming pope, Benedict has spoken often about the need for Europe to renew its sense of Christian roots.
As pope, however, he has made interreligious dialogue a cornerstone of his papacy and has been clear to say that he did not believe that terror attacks were specifically "anti-Christian," as a leaked early version of a Vatican press release condemning the bombings in London had stated.
At the same time, he appears to have retained some degree of skepticism. When asked by reporters last month if he believed Islam was a religion of peace, he said: "Certainly it has elements that favor peace, as it has other elements."
His meeting on Saturday seemed aimed at speaking to the elements favoring peace.
"I am certain that I echo your own thoughts when I bring up as one of our concerns the spread of terrorism," he said. "Terrorist activity is continually recurring in various parts of the world, sowing death and destruction and plunging many of our brothers and sisters into grief and despair. Those who instigate these attacks evidently wish to poison our relations, making use of all means, including religion, to oppose every attempt to build a peaceful, fair and serene life together."
On Saturday, the day before he returns to the Vatican, the pope paid courtesy calls on German political leaders, including Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel, the Christian Democrat who is challenging him in elections next month.
"We are very proud to have a German pope," said Ms. Merkel, the daughter of a Protestant clergyman.
On Saturday evening, the pope also led a vigil in a field outside of Cologne, in preparation for a huge Mass with young Catholics on Sunday that is expected to draw 800,000 or more worshipers from more than 190 countries.
"The church is like a human family, but at the same it is also the great family of God, through which he establishes an overarching communion and unity that embraces every continent, culture and nation," he said. "So we are glad to belong to this great family. We are glad to have brothers and friends all over the world."
Pope Urges Muslims to Confront Terrorism
By IAN FISHER
Published: August 21, 2005
COLOGNE, Germany, Aug. 20 - Pope Benedict XVI used his first meeting with Muslims to deliver a blunt message on Saturday that Christianity and Islam had no choice but to work together to quell terrorism, which he said represented "the darkness of a new barbarism."
In a Europe awash in new antiterror laws and fear of new attacks after the bombings last month in London, the pope said an improvement in relations "cannot be reduced to an optional extra. It is, in fact, a vital necessity, on which a large measure of our future depends."
Benedict's words, to a group of 10 Muslims, most of them from an organization of Turks in Germany, were some of the strongest of his young pontificate, and seemed to elevate the issue of terrorism and relations with Islam to the top of his agenda.
His tone seemed several degrees tougher than that of his predecessor, John Paul II, who at 60 meetings with Muslims emphasized more their common ancestry in Abraham. Pope Benedict's tone was not contentious and he laid no blame. But he spoke with a more direct urgency.
He told the gathering here of the "great responsibility" Muslim teachers had to educate their youth, and though he did not say it, he seemed to be speaking of an education against hatred and violence. He also seemed to transmit a broader message on a delicate topic for the church: the rights of Christian minorities to practice their faith in predominantly Muslim countries.
"Respect for minorities is a clear sign of true civilization," he said in German.
While the pope has denounced terrorism in the past, his speech on Saturday was by far the most detailed, both in its description of the danger and his view that better communication between Christianity and Islam - religions which he acknowledged had an often violent past relationship - was the only answer.
"Terrorism of any kind is a perverse and cruel decision, which shows contempt for the sacred right to life and undermines the very foundation of all civil society," Benedict said, according to the transcript of his speech.
"If together we can succeed in eliminating from our hearts any trace of rancor, in resisting every form of intolerance and in opposing every manifestation of violence, we will turn back the wave of cruel fanaticism that endangers the lives of so many people."
The meeting was relatively brief, about a half an hour, and was held not in a mosque but at the Catholic seminary where Benedict is staying on his four-day trip here as the star attraction of a huge festival of young Catholics, World Youth Day. It is his first trip abroad as pope.
But the participants said they appreciated the invitation, and shared the pope's worries about terrorism. Germany is home to about 3.5 million Muslims, most of them Turkish, and many European Muslims worry that they are being eyed with increasing suspicion.
"Terrorism is not only a problem that comes up in countries where there are Christians," Ridvan Cakir, president of the Turkish Islamic Committee in Europe, said after the meeting, which unlike one between the pope and Jews in Cologne of Friday, was closed to reporters and television cameras. "It's a problem that we all share, he said. "We all have to be aware of that problem and fight against it."
Seyda Can, 27, one of three women who attended the meeting, said she believed that the pope's call for a stronger dialogue between Christians and Muslims could bear important results.
"When we have this dialogue, we will have trust and we won't be afraid," Ms. Can, also a member of the Turkish Islamic Committee, said after the meeting. "With the dialogue, terrorism will be finished."
In the meeting, Mr. Cakir delivered a brief address before the pope spoke, also focusing on the need for more exchanges between Christianity and Islam.
"If we can continue to coexist in dialogue, it will send a signal that the theory of a 'clash of cultures' is baseless," he said. "The more religious and cultural communities can learn about one another, the more they will realize that there is no reason for hostility."
Mr. Cakir also touched briefly on an issue that has been a point of contention among some Muslims and Benedict, saying, "The process of Turkey's accession to the European Union is also an important occasion, one that should be judged in this context."
Before being chosen as pope, the man who was then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said in an interview last year that he opposed Turkey's inclusion to the European Union, saying that Turkey, as the seat of the Ottoman Empire, had always been "in permanent contrast to Europe."
Before becoming pope in April of this year, Cardinal Ratzinger was aligned to the wing of the church more skeptical toward Islam, seeing it in competition with Christianity in many places - Africa, Asia and, to some extent, in Europe - as church attendance dropped and the number of Muslim immigrants rose on the continent. As he did before becoming pope, Benedict has spoken often about the need for Europe to renew its sense of Christian roots.
As pope, however, he has made interreligious dialogue a cornerstone of his papacy and has been clear to say that he did not believe that terror attacks were specifically "anti-Christian," as a leaked early version of a Vatican press release condemning the bombings in London had stated.
At the same time, he appears to have retained some degree of skepticism. When asked by reporters last month if he believed Islam was a religion of peace, he said: "Certainly it has elements that favor peace, as it has other elements."
His meeting on Saturday seemed aimed at speaking to the elements favoring peace.
"I am certain that I echo your own thoughts when I bring up as one of our concerns the spread of terrorism," he said. "Terrorist activity is continually recurring in various parts of the world, sowing death and destruction and plunging many of our brothers and sisters into grief and despair. Those who instigate these attacks evidently wish to poison our relations, making use of all means, including religion, to oppose every attempt to build a peaceful, fair and serene life together."
On Saturday, the day before he returns to the Vatican, the pope paid courtesy calls on German political leaders, including Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel, the Christian Democrat who is challenging him in elections next month.
"We are very proud to have a German pope," said Ms. Merkel, the daughter of a Protestant clergyman.
On Saturday evening, the pope also led a vigil in a field outside of Cologne, in preparation for a huge Mass with young Catholics on Sunday that is expected to draw 800,000 or more worshipers from more than 190 countries.
"The church is like a human family, but at the same it is also the great family of God, through which he establishes an overarching communion and unity that embraces every continent, culture and nation," he said. "So we are glad to belong to this great family. We are glad to have brothers and friends all over the world."
In the following excerpt from a question answer session, Bishop Spong expresses his version of Christianity which is different than the official version. He states that all creeds, theology and ideas about God are man made and are bound by the historical context that they are formulated in. Each generation will perceive and understand the truth differently, hence ideas and creeds developed in a given historical context cannot be universalized. He then goes on to talk about what Christianity should be which is not very different than Ismailism within the context of the bond between a murid and the Murshid.
Ron from the Internet writes:
"I wonder if fiddling around on the periphery on the issues of gay and lesbian rights can ever yield what the Church lacks: a compelling vision which, if received and fulfilled, would improve humanity as a whole. Christianity has no unique truth and its claims, like those of all various religions, is that it must rest upon a "Thus saith the Lord." My own view, an ever-changing one I admit, is that the Church has no transcendent truth to offer and knows it full well. If nothing you offer has self-evident merit and you can't admit the truth and survive as an organization, then you resort to either intimidating everyone within into an orthodoxy no one sees the sense or benefit in obeying any longer or you wander aimlessly about preaching inoffensive feel-good messages that everyone agrees with anyway without getting out of bed early on a Sunday AM. Both directions lead to irrelevance and that is the crux of the matter. The Church is irrelevant because truth is irrelevant to the Church and it has nothing to offer that I can't get elsewhere without having to abandon my common sense or individual autonomy. It either demands orthodoxy in matters even school children should know are primitivistic and silly or it demands orthodoxy toward a nameless Care Bear worldview that scarcely needs a Church to propose it. Primitive tribal codes or anomie. Not much to choose between and not much to justify buildings, clergy, tax exemptions, satellite channels, etc. Jesus was either a deity or a lay preacher. Either there is a Christian God whose moral judgment is somehow clearer than our own and should be accepted, assuming it will provide a better result than a life of our own devising, or the religion is simply one of many religious delusions and a childish self-indulgence that intelligent modern humanity should leave behind. I don't see a middle ground that withstands rational examination. Even ER physicians know there is a time to stop trying to resuscitate a corpse."
Answer:
Dear Ron,
You raise fascinating and challenging issues for which I am grateful. You articulate well basic questions that the Church's leadership tends so often to ignore. Let me respond.
Human beings are responsible for the creation of every doctrine of God, every creed and every religious system. Since that it true then we should expect to see our religious ideas be constantly corrupted by the human need to control and to build power. Truth is always perceived subjectively which means that truth is perceived differently in every generation. There may well be objective and eternal truth but no human being possesses it, no human being can perceive it and no human being can articulate it. The assumption that one can is the place where destructive religious arrogance and the sin of idolatry always begin. How one understands reality, the level of knowledge that one possesses, and the time in which one lives are always factors in processing what religious people mistakenly call "Revealed Truth." That is when we make claims such as "our Pope is infallible," or "our Bible is inerrant," or my religion possesses the only pathway to God. Most religious systems never escape this mentality since certainty, even a pretended certainty, seems to bring a much-desired security to its adherents. However, human history reveals that when a religious group claims certainty, it also becomes demonic and tries to kill anyone who disagrees, challenges or threatens their claim to truth. Your criticism of Christianity seems to be a criticism of what the Church has done to and with Christians and others over the centuries. I think that is a valid criticism and one that must be heard.
At the same time, however, we need to recognize that while human beings certainly create their explanations of God, they do not, I am persuaded, create the experience of transcendence, the holy, and the Other that we have come to call God. So while I am willing to challenge any human explanation of God, I do not think that I can challenge either effectively or ultimately the reality of the experience of God.
Religious systems grow out of that experience. I live within the Christian religious system. I walk the Christ path into the mystery and wonder of God. I make no claim that my path is the only path or that my truth is the only truth. I regard God alone as Truth and I know that I do not possess God. I only journey toward God.
When I look at the life of Jesus, I see one who is fully alive, one who is totally and wastefully loving, one who has the courage and the ability to be all that he can be. Because I define my experience of God as that reality in which I find the fullness of life, the totality of love and the Ground of Being, I have no difficulty saying that in the life of Jesus, I believe I confront the presence of God. That is why I am committed to walking the Christ path.
Finally, I take seriously the words that the author of the Fourth Gospel put into the mouth of Jesus. Attempting to describe his purpose, Jesus is made to say, "I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly." If that is a statement of the purpose of Christ then I believe that must also be the purpose of the Church. That is where I find Christianity's compelling vision. The task of the Church is to build a world in which every person has a better chance to live fully, to love wastefully and to be all that that person has the capability of being. So anything that diminishes life for anyone, whether on the basis of race, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation or even religion is evil and must be confronted. Anything that enhances life, increases love and calls others into being is good and must be encouraged.
It seems so simple to me. My work for justice for gay and lesbian people, that is the issue that prompted your letter, is not to me tangential to Christianity. It is rather the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. I hope this will help to clarify the issue. Thank you for forcing me to think this through again.
Ron from the Internet writes:
"I wonder if fiddling around on the periphery on the issues of gay and lesbian rights can ever yield what the Church lacks: a compelling vision which, if received and fulfilled, would improve humanity as a whole. Christianity has no unique truth and its claims, like those of all various religions, is that it must rest upon a "Thus saith the Lord." My own view, an ever-changing one I admit, is that the Church has no transcendent truth to offer and knows it full well. If nothing you offer has self-evident merit and you can't admit the truth and survive as an organization, then you resort to either intimidating everyone within into an orthodoxy no one sees the sense or benefit in obeying any longer or you wander aimlessly about preaching inoffensive feel-good messages that everyone agrees with anyway without getting out of bed early on a Sunday AM. Both directions lead to irrelevance and that is the crux of the matter. The Church is irrelevant because truth is irrelevant to the Church and it has nothing to offer that I can't get elsewhere without having to abandon my common sense or individual autonomy. It either demands orthodoxy in matters even school children should know are primitivistic and silly or it demands orthodoxy toward a nameless Care Bear worldview that scarcely needs a Church to propose it. Primitive tribal codes or anomie. Not much to choose between and not much to justify buildings, clergy, tax exemptions, satellite channels, etc. Jesus was either a deity or a lay preacher. Either there is a Christian God whose moral judgment is somehow clearer than our own and should be accepted, assuming it will provide a better result than a life of our own devising, or the religion is simply one of many religious delusions and a childish self-indulgence that intelligent modern humanity should leave behind. I don't see a middle ground that withstands rational examination. Even ER physicians know there is a time to stop trying to resuscitate a corpse."
Answer:
Dear Ron,
You raise fascinating and challenging issues for which I am grateful. You articulate well basic questions that the Church's leadership tends so often to ignore. Let me respond.
Human beings are responsible for the creation of every doctrine of God, every creed and every religious system. Since that it true then we should expect to see our religious ideas be constantly corrupted by the human need to control and to build power. Truth is always perceived subjectively which means that truth is perceived differently in every generation. There may well be objective and eternal truth but no human being possesses it, no human being can perceive it and no human being can articulate it. The assumption that one can is the place where destructive religious arrogance and the sin of idolatry always begin. How one understands reality, the level of knowledge that one possesses, and the time in which one lives are always factors in processing what religious people mistakenly call "Revealed Truth." That is when we make claims such as "our Pope is infallible," or "our Bible is inerrant," or my religion possesses the only pathway to God. Most religious systems never escape this mentality since certainty, even a pretended certainty, seems to bring a much-desired security to its adherents. However, human history reveals that when a religious group claims certainty, it also becomes demonic and tries to kill anyone who disagrees, challenges or threatens their claim to truth. Your criticism of Christianity seems to be a criticism of what the Church has done to and with Christians and others over the centuries. I think that is a valid criticism and one that must be heard.
At the same time, however, we need to recognize that while human beings certainly create their explanations of God, they do not, I am persuaded, create the experience of transcendence, the holy, and the Other that we have come to call God. So while I am willing to challenge any human explanation of God, I do not think that I can challenge either effectively or ultimately the reality of the experience of God.
Religious systems grow out of that experience. I live within the Christian religious system. I walk the Christ path into the mystery and wonder of God. I make no claim that my path is the only path or that my truth is the only truth. I regard God alone as Truth and I know that I do not possess God. I only journey toward God.
When I look at the life of Jesus, I see one who is fully alive, one who is totally and wastefully loving, one who has the courage and the ability to be all that he can be. Because I define my experience of God as that reality in which I find the fullness of life, the totality of love and the Ground of Being, I have no difficulty saying that in the life of Jesus, I believe I confront the presence of God. That is why I am committed to walking the Christ path.
Finally, I take seriously the words that the author of the Fourth Gospel put into the mouth of Jesus. Attempting to describe his purpose, Jesus is made to say, "I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly." If that is a statement of the purpose of Christ then I believe that must also be the purpose of the Church. That is where I find Christianity's compelling vision. The task of the Church is to build a world in which every person has a better chance to live fully, to love wastefully and to be all that that person has the capability of being. So anything that diminishes life for anyone, whether on the basis of race, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation or even religion is evil and must be confronted. Anything that enhances life, increases love and calls others into being is good and must be encouraged.
It seems so simple to me. My work for justice for gay and lesbian people, that is the issue that prompted your letter, is not to me tangential to Christianity. It is rather the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. I hope this will help to clarify the issue. Thank you for forcing me to think this through again.
At present there is a great deal of controversy over the “virgin birth” of Jesus. The bible asserts that Mary the mother of Jesus was a virgin when Jesus was born, i.e., his birth was immaculate. However there is a great deal of opposition to this view. Islam is off course quite clear on this issue as per Ayat 3:47: “She said: My Lord! How can I have a child when no mortal hath touched me? He said: So (it will be). Allah createth what He will. If He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is.”
The following question answer supports the view that Jesus had a human father and talks about Jesus having non human chromosomes due to his immaculate birth! This I found quite fascinating. I thought of presenting this to make you aware of the debate.
Chris from Chicago writes:
"How can Christians believe that of Jesus' 46 chromosomes, 23 were contributed by a human and 23 by a non-human? If this was true and Jesus was unique wouldn't that make all other religions irrelevant? But "virgin births" are not unique to Christianity. They are present in many mythologies. Isn't the Council of Nicea's pronouncement on Jesus' divinity just a pre-emption to provide security and control? I don't believe there has been a single human being in the history of the world that didn't have two human parents, including Jesus.
Carlyle thought Jesus' father might have been a Roman soldier. If Jesus were illegitimate, that would go a long way to explaining his antipathy to his mother (see Mark 3:31-35, Mark 6:1-6, and John 2:1-11). Of course, you never hear the Catholic Church quoting the passage in Mark in any of its liturgies where Jesus replies to a question with, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good (Mark 10:18)."
Dear Chris,
You raise a series of very good questions. Many Christians, especially those in academic centers do not believe that of Jesus' 46 chromosomes, 23 were contributed by a non-human. If that were true it would mean that Jesus was not fully human, which is half of the Christ claim traditionally made by the Church. Virgin births are not unique to Christianity. That was the traditional way ancient societies explained their larger than life figures. No, I am quite convinced Jesus had a human mother and a human father. Please remember the Pauline claim that "God was in Christ, reconciling" was written decades before the virgin birth story entered Christian written history. A virgin birth was not part of the original Kerygma. It was added to the Christ story in the ninth decade of the Christian era.
First century people also did not understand genetics or the reproductive process. These ancient ones, caught as they were in an assumed patriarchy, did not see the woman as contributing to birth anything more than her nurturing womb. So if one wanted to speak of a person's divine origin, one had only to get rid of the human father. There was no need to get rid of the human mother, since her only function was to "nurture the divine seed."
But in 1724, the western world discovered that women have an egg cell and are, therefore, equal co-creators of every life that has ever lived. So if you literalize the myth of the Virgin Birth and pretend you are talking about biology, what you get is a Jesus with half human and half divine chromosomes. This would make him neither human nor divine but a kind of monster or at least something akin to a mermaid!
I do not know of a reputable New Testament scholar in the world today, Catholic or Protestant, who treats the birth stories about Jesus in Matthew and Luke as literal history. You might find one at Bob Jones University, Liberty Baptist College or Oral Roberts University. It also appears to be true that no Roman Catholic scholar will draw the proper conclusion from his or her scholarship and still be welcomed at the Vatican. Raymond Brown was the master politician on this subject prior to his death. The days of treating the birth narratives as history are simply over in scholarly circles and I think it is time we said so publicly.
I do not think that seeing the virgin birth as a mythological and symbolic way of saying we have met in this Jesus a God presence that human life could never have produced in no way invalidates the claim we make that God was in Christ. It does destroy the literalism in which we have bound him but I regard that as good riddance.
The following question answer supports the view that Jesus had a human father and talks about Jesus having non human chromosomes due to his immaculate birth! This I found quite fascinating. I thought of presenting this to make you aware of the debate.
Chris from Chicago writes:
"How can Christians believe that of Jesus' 46 chromosomes, 23 were contributed by a human and 23 by a non-human? If this was true and Jesus was unique wouldn't that make all other religions irrelevant? But "virgin births" are not unique to Christianity. They are present in many mythologies. Isn't the Council of Nicea's pronouncement on Jesus' divinity just a pre-emption to provide security and control? I don't believe there has been a single human being in the history of the world that didn't have two human parents, including Jesus.
Carlyle thought Jesus' father might have been a Roman soldier. If Jesus were illegitimate, that would go a long way to explaining his antipathy to his mother (see Mark 3:31-35, Mark 6:1-6, and John 2:1-11). Of course, you never hear the Catholic Church quoting the passage in Mark in any of its liturgies where Jesus replies to a question with, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good (Mark 10:18)."
Dear Chris,
You raise a series of very good questions. Many Christians, especially those in academic centers do not believe that of Jesus' 46 chromosomes, 23 were contributed by a non-human. If that were true it would mean that Jesus was not fully human, which is half of the Christ claim traditionally made by the Church. Virgin births are not unique to Christianity. That was the traditional way ancient societies explained their larger than life figures. No, I am quite convinced Jesus had a human mother and a human father. Please remember the Pauline claim that "God was in Christ, reconciling" was written decades before the virgin birth story entered Christian written history. A virgin birth was not part of the original Kerygma. It was added to the Christ story in the ninth decade of the Christian era.
First century people also did not understand genetics or the reproductive process. These ancient ones, caught as they were in an assumed patriarchy, did not see the woman as contributing to birth anything more than her nurturing womb. So if one wanted to speak of a person's divine origin, one had only to get rid of the human father. There was no need to get rid of the human mother, since her only function was to "nurture the divine seed."
But in 1724, the western world discovered that women have an egg cell and are, therefore, equal co-creators of every life that has ever lived. So if you literalize the myth of the Virgin Birth and pretend you are talking about biology, what you get is a Jesus with half human and half divine chromosomes. This would make him neither human nor divine but a kind of monster or at least something akin to a mermaid!
I do not know of a reputable New Testament scholar in the world today, Catholic or Protestant, who treats the birth stories about Jesus in Matthew and Luke as literal history. You might find one at Bob Jones University, Liberty Baptist College or Oral Roberts University. It also appears to be true that no Roman Catholic scholar will draw the proper conclusion from his or her scholarship and still be welcomed at the Vatican. Raymond Brown was the master politician on this subject prior to his death. The days of treating the birth narratives as history are simply over in scholarly circles and I think it is time we said so publicly.
I do not think that seeing the virgin birth as a mythological and symbolic way of saying we have met in this Jesus a God presence that human life could never have produced in no way invalidates the claim we make that God was in Christ. It does destroy the literalism in which we have bound him but I regard that as good riddance.
Paramahansa Yogananda in his book “The Second Coming of the Christ” explains the immaculate conception of Christ as:
[Many saints have been born in the natural way, and some in the immaculate way. The great ones who have attained liberation retain their individuality in Spirit; and at God’s behest to return to the world as saviors, they can take a physical body either by immaculate conception or natural birth. (In higher world ages, they may even do so by direct materialization – though that is not for the eyes of the unenlightened times.) The mode of birth does not matter, nor does it necessarily indicate the degree of divinity.
Sexual creation has the selfish sexual instincts of the parents in it. Therefore, some saints choose to be conceived in the immaculate way, the pure system of conception. So it is a fact that Jesus was created by immaculate conception. His mother Mary, she who “had found favour with God,” was filled with the Holy Ghost Cosmic Vibration: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Higher shall overshadow thee.” This sacred creative Vibration, suffused with the reflection of God as the Christ Consciousness, entered the ovum in Mary’s womb, immaculately creating the germ cell of life into which entered the soul of Jesus, the individualized Christ Consciousness. From this pristine cell, according to the pattern inherent in the soul of Jesus, grew the body in which Jesus the Christ was born. It is not a myth. Guatama Buddha (as also other avatars) was born in the same way. His mother saw the Spirit enter her body. As told in traditional Indian allegory in the Jataka (ancient Buddhist scripture):
“And lying down on the royal couch, she fell asleep and dreamed the following dream:
“The four guardian angels came and lifted her up, together with her couch, and took her away to the Himalaya Mountains…After clothing her with divine garments, they anointed her with perfumes and decked her with divine flowers. Not far off was Silver Hill, and in it a golden mansion. There they spread a divine couch with its head towards the east, and laid her down upon it.
Now the Future Buddha had become a superb white elephant,” and was wandering about at no great distance, on Gold Hill. Descending thence, he ascended Silver Hill, and approaching from the north, he plucked a white lotus with his silvery trunk, and trumpeting loudly, went into the golden mansion. And three times he walked round his mother’s couch, with his right side towards it, and striking her right side, he seemed to enter on her right side, he seemed to enter her womb. Thus the conception took place in the Midsummer Festival.
On the next day the queen awoke, and told the dream to the king. And the king caused sixty-four eminent Brahmins to be summoned…[and] told them the dream and asked them what would come of it?
‘Be not anxious, great king!’ said the Brahmins; ‘a child has planted itself in the womb of your queen…..You will have a son. And he, if he continue to live the household life , will become a Universal Monarch; but if he leave the household life and retire from the world, he will become a Buddha, and roll back the clouds of sin and folly of this world.’” (Havard Classics, Volume 45, Part 3: Buddhist Writings, trans. Henry Clarke Warren (New York: Collier, 1909))
There is a cosmic metaphysical symbolism in the wondrous conception and birth of Jesus. His incarnate Christ Consciousness came immaculately through the Virgin Mary. Likewise, the universal Christ Intelligence was born or reflected in the cosmic body of pure vibratory creation (Cosmic “Virgin Mary”) through the instrumentality of God the Father. The Holy Ghost Cosmic Vibration, Aum, Maha-Prakriti, is analogous to the Cosmic Virgin Mary because it is thus the mother of the immanent Universal Christ Intelligence, the Son of God, and of all created objects.]
[Many saints have been born in the natural way, and some in the immaculate way. The great ones who have attained liberation retain their individuality in Spirit; and at God’s behest to return to the world as saviors, they can take a physical body either by immaculate conception or natural birth. (In higher world ages, they may even do so by direct materialization – though that is not for the eyes of the unenlightened times.) The mode of birth does not matter, nor does it necessarily indicate the degree of divinity.
Sexual creation has the selfish sexual instincts of the parents in it. Therefore, some saints choose to be conceived in the immaculate way, the pure system of conception. So it is a fact that Jesus was created by immaculate conception. His mother Mary, she who “had found favour with God,” was filled with the Holy Ghost Cosmic Vibration: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Higher shall overshadow thee.” This sacred creative Vibration, suffused with the reflection of God as the Christ Consciousness, entered the ovum in Mary’s womb, immaculately creating the germ cell of life into which entered the soul of Jesus, the individualized Christ Consciousness. From this pristine cell, according to the pattern inherent in the soul of Jesus, grew the body in which Jesus the Christ was born. It is not a myth. Guatama Buddha (as also other avatars) was born in the same way. His mother saw the Spirit enter her body. As told in traditional Indian allegory in the Jataka (ancient Buddhist scripture):
“And lying down on the royal couch, she fell asleep and dreamed the following dream:
“The four guardian angels came and lifted her up, together with her couch, and took her away to the Himalaya Mountains…After clothing her with divine garments, they anointed her with perfumes and decked her with divine flowers. Not far off was Silver Hill, and in it a golden mansion. There they spread a divine couch with its head towards the east, and laid her down upon it.
Now the Future Buddha had become a superb white elephant,” and was wandering about at no great distance, on Gold Hill. Descending thence, he ascended Silver Hill, and approaching from the north, he plucked a white lotus with his silvery trunk, and trumpeting loudly, went into the golden mansion. And three times he walked round his mother’s couch, with his right side towards it, and striking her right side, he seemed to enter on her right side, he seemed to enter her womb. Thus the conception took place in the Midsummer Festival.
On the next day the queen awoke, and told the dream to the king. And the king caused sixty-four eminent Brahmins to be summoned…[and] told them the dream and asked them what would come of it?
‘Be not anxious, great king!’ said the Brahmins; ‘a child has planted itself in the womb of your queen…..You will have a son. And he, if he continue to live the household life , will become a Universal Monarch; but if he leave the household life and retire from the world, he will become a Buddha, and roll back the clouds of sin and folly of this world.’” (Havard Classics, Volume 45, Part 3: Buddhist Writings, trans. Henry Clarke Warren (New York: Collier, 1909))
There is a cosmic metaphysical symbolism in the wondrous conception and birth of Jesus. His incarnate Christ Consciousness came immaculately through the Virgin Mary. Likewise, the universal Christ Intelligence was born or reflected in the cosmic body of pure vibratory creation (Cosmic “Virgin Mary”) through the instrumentality of God the Father. The Holy Ghost Cosmic Vibration, Aum, Maha-Prakriti, is analogous to the Cosmic Virgin Mary because it is thus the mother of the immanent Universal Christ Intelligence, the Son of God, and of all created objects.]
The notion of "virgin birth" or Immaculate Conception is also found in our own heritage reflected in the lives of the "Paa(n)ch Paandavas".
Paramahansa Yogananda explains the divine parentage of the Pandava brothers in his translation and commentary of Bhagavad Gita "God Talks With Arjuna, The Bhgavad Gita" as:
"Pandu had two wives, Kunti (sister of Vasudeva, Krishna's father) and Madri. For the accidental killing of a sage during a hunting expedition, Pandu had been cursed that if he embraced a woman he would die. It thus seemed that he and his two queens must remain childless. But Kunti then revealed that before her marriage to Pandu she had received the blessing of a miraculous power: Impressed by her piety and devotional service, a sage had granted her five mantras with which she could receive offspring from any god she chose to invoke. When Kunti told Pandu of her mantras, he entreated her to use them. She bore three sons for Pandu: Yudhisthira, Bhima, and Arjuna from invoking respectively the devas Dharma, Vayu, and Indra. As Pandu wished Madri also to have a child, he asked Kunti to give the remaining sacred mantra to her*. Having obtained the mantra, Madri invoked the twin devas, the Ashvins, and thereby received twin sons, Nakula and Sahadeva."
* The fifth mantra had already been used by Kunti prior to her marriage to Pandu. To test her power, she invoked Surya, the sun deva and Karna was born to her - yet she remained a virgin. Nevertheless, fearing rebuke that she had mothered an illegitimate child, she sealed him in a box and set it afloat on the river, where he was found and raised by an aged charoteer. Karna later played a major role in the Mahabharata story, as mentioned in the commentary 1:8
Paramahansa Yogananda explains the divine parentage of the Pandava brothers in his translation and commentary of Bhagavad Gita "God Talks With Arjuna, The Bhgavad Gita" as:
"Pandu had two wives, Kunti (sister of Vasudeva, Krishna's father) and Madri. For the accidental killing of a sage during a hunting expedition, Pandu had been cursed that if he embraced a woman he would die. It thus seemed that he and his two queens must remain childless. But Kunti then revealed that before her marriage to Pandu she had received the blessing of a miraculous power: Impressed by her piety and devotional service, a sage had granted her five mantras with which she could receive offspring from any god she chose to invoke. When Kunti told Pandu of her mantras, he entreated her to use them. She bore three sons for Pandu: Yudhisthira, Bhima, and Arjuna from invoking respectively the devas Dharma, Vayu, and Indra. As Pandu wished Madri also to have a child, he asked Kunti to give the remaining sacred mantra to her*. Having obtained the mantra, Madri invoked the twin devas, the Ashvins, and thereby received twin sons, Nakula and Sahadeva."
* The fifth mantra had already been used by Kunti prior to her marriage to Pandu. To test her power, she invoked Surya, the sun deva and Karna was born to her - yet she remained a virgin. Nevertheless, fearing rebuke that she had mothered an illegitimate child, she sealed him in a box and set it afloat on the river, where he was found and raised by an aged charoteer. Karna later played a major role in the Mahabharata story, as mentioned in the commentary 1:8
The following article depicts the state of Christianity today. It points to some fundamental changes with regard to its approach to the Bible and related issues in light of the changed conditions today.
The Times October 05, 2005
Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the Bible
By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent
THE hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has published a teaching document instructing the faithful that some parts of the Bible are not actually true.
The Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland are warning their five million worshippers, as well as any others drawn to the study of scripture, that they should not expect "total accuracy" from the Bible.
"We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or complete historical precision," they say in The Gift of Scripture.
The document is timely, coming as it does amid the rise of the religious Right, in particular in the US.
Some Christians want a literal interpretation of the story of creation, as told in Genesis, taught alongside Darwin's theory of evolution in schools, believing "intelligent design" to be an equally plausible theory of how the world began.
But the first 11 chapters of Genesis, in which two different and at times conflicting stories of creation are told, are among those that this country's Catholic bishops insist cannot be "historical". At most, they say, they may contain "historical traces".
The document shows how far the Catholic Church has come since the 17th century, when Galileo was condemned as a heretic for flouting a near-universal belief in the divine inspiration of the Bible by advocating the Copernican view of the solar system. Only a century ago, Pope Pius X condemned Modernist Catholic scholars who adapted historical-critical methods of analysing ancient literature to the Bible.
In the document, the bishops acknowledge their debt to biblical scholars. They say the Bible must be approached in the knowledge that it is "God's word expressed in human language" and that proper acknowledgement should be given both to the word of God and its human dimensions.
They say the Church must offer the gospel in ways "appropriate to changing times, intelligible and attractive to our contemporaries".
The Bible is true in passages relating to human salvation, they say, but continue: "We should not expect total accuracy from the Bible in other, secular matters."
They go on to condemn fundamentalism for its "intransigent intolerance" and to warn of "significant dangers" involved in a fundamentalist approach.
"Such an approach is dangerous, for example, when people of one nation or group see in the Bible a mandate for their own superiority, and even consider themselves permitted by the Bible to use violence against others."
Of the notorious anti-Jewish curse in Matthew 27:25, "His blood be on us and on our children", a passage used to justify centuries of anti-Semitism, the bishops say these and other words must never be used again as a pretext to treat Jewish people with contempt. Describing this passage as an example of dramatic exaggeration, the bishops say they have had "tragic consequences" in encouraging hatred and persecution. "The attitudes and language of first-century quarrels between Jews and Jewish Christians should never again be emulated in relations between Jews and Christians."
As examples of passages not to be taken literally, the bishops cite the early chapters of Genesis, comparing them with early creation legends from other cultures, especially from the ancient East. The bishops say it is clear that the primary purpose of these chapters was to provide religious teaching and that they could not be described as historical writing.
Similarly, they refute the apocalyptic prophecies of Revelation, the last book of the Christian Bible, in which the writer describes the work of the risen Jesus, the death of the Beast and the wedding feast of Christ the Lamb.
The bishops say: "Such symbolic language must be respected for what it is, and is not to be interpreted literally. We should not expect to discover in this book details about the end of the world, about how many will be saved and about when the end will come."
In their foreword to the teaching document, the two most senior Catholics of the land, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, and Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrew's and Edinburgh, explain its context.
They say people today are searching for what is worthwhile, what has real value, what can be trusted and what is really true.
The new teaching has been issued as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council document explaining the place of Scripture in revelation. In the past 40 years, Catholics have learnt more than ever before to cherish the Bible. "We have rediscovered the Bible as a precious treasure, both ancient and ever new."
A Christian charity is sending a film about the Christmas story to every primary school in Britain after hearing of a young boy who asked his teacher why Mary and Joseph had named their baby after a swear word. The Breakout Trust raised £200,000 to make the 30-minute animated film, It's a Boy. Steve Legg, head of the charity, said: "There are over 12 million children in the UK and only 756,000 of them go to church regularly.
That leaves a staggering number who are probably not receiving basic Christian teaching."
BELIEVE IT OR NOT
UNTRUE
Genesis ii, 21-22
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man
Genesis iii, 16
God said to the woman [after she was beguiled by the serpent]: "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."
Matthew xxvii, 25
The words of the crowd: "His blood be on us and on our children."
Revelation xix,20
And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone."
TRUE
Exodus iii, 14
God reveals himself to Moses as: "I am who I am."
Leviticus xxvi,12
"I will be your God, and you shall be my people."
Exodus xx,1-17
The Ten Commandments
Matthew v,7
The Sermon on the Mount
Mark viii,29
Peter declares Jesus to be the Christ
Luke i
The Virgin Birth
John xx,28
Proof of bodily resurrection
The Times October 05, 2005
Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the Bible
By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent
THE hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has published a teaching document instructing the faithful that some parts of the Bible are not actually true.
The Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland are warning their five million worshippers, as well as any others drawn to the study of scripture, that they should not expect "total accuracy" from the Bible.
"We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or complete historical precision," they say in The Gift of Scripture.
The document is timely, coming as it does amid the rise of the religious Right, in particular in the US.
Some Christians want a literal interpretation of the story of creation, as told in Genesis, taught alongside Darwin's theory of evolution in schools, believing "intelligent design" to be an equally plausible theory of how the world began.
But the first 11 chapters of Genesis, in which two different and at times conflicting stories of creation are told, are among those that this country's Catholic bishops insist cannot be "historical". At most, they say, they may contain "historical traces".
The document shows how far the Catholic Church has come since the 17th century, when Galileo was condemned as a heretic for flouting a near-universal belief in the divine inspiration of the Bible by advocating the Copernican view of the solar system. Only a century ago, Pope Pius X condemned Modernist Catholic scholars who adapted historical-critical methods of analysing ancient literature to the Bible.
In the document, the bishops acknowledge their debt to biblical scholars. They say the Bible must be approached in the knowledge that it is "God's word expressed in human language" and that proper acknowledgement should be given both to the word of God and its human dimensions.
They say the Church must offer the gospel in ways "appropriate to changing times, intelligible and attractive to our contemporaries".
The Bible is true in passages relating to human salvation, they say, but continue: "We should not expect total accuracy from the Bible in other, secular matters."
They go on to condemn fundamentalism for its "intransigent intolerance" and to warn of "significant dangers" involved in a fundamentalist approach.
"Such an approach is dangerous, for example, when people of one nation or group see in the Bible a mandate for their own superiority, and even consider themselves permitted by the Bible to use violence against others."
Of the notorious anti-Jewish curse in Matthew 27:25, "His blood be on us and on our children", a passage used to justify centuries of anti-Semitism, the bishops say these and other words must never be used again as a pretext to treat Jewish people with contempt. Describing this passage as an example of dramatic exaggeration, the bishops say they have had "tragic consequences" in encouraging hatred and persecution. "The attitudes and language of first-century quarrels between Jews and Jewish Christians should never again be emulated in relations between Jews and Christians."
As examples of passages not to be taken literally, the bishops cite the early chapters of Genesis, comparing them with early creation legends from other cultures, especially from the ancient East. The bishops say it is clear that the primary purpose of these chapters was to provide religious teaching and that they could not be described as historical writing.
Similarly, they refute the apocalyptic prophecies of Revelation, the last book of the Christian Bible, in which the writer describes the work of the risen Jesus, the death of the Beast and the wedding feast of Christ the Lamb.
The bishops say: "Such symbolic language must be respected for what it is, and is not to be interpreted literally. We should not expect to discover in this book details about the end of the world, about how many will be saved and about when the end will come."
In their foreword to the teaching document, the two most senior Catholics of the land, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, and Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrew's and Edinburgh, explain its context.
They say people today are searching for what is worthwhile, what has real value, what can be trusted and what is really true.
The new teaching has been issued as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council document explaining the place of Scripture in revelation. In the past 40 years, Catholics have learnt more than ever before to cherish the Bible. "We have rediscovered the Bible as a precious treasure, both ancient and ever new."
A Christian charity is sending a film about the Christmas story to every primary school in Britain after hearing of a young boy who asked his teacher why Mary and Joseph had named their baby after a swear word. The Breakout Trust raised £200,000 to make the 30-minute animated film, It's a Boy. Steve Legg, head of the charity, said: "There are over 12 million children in the UK and only 756,000 of them go to church regularly.
That leaves a staggering number who are probably not receiving basic Christian teaching."
BELIEVE IT OR NOT
UNTRUE
Genesis ii, 21-22
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man
Genesis iii, 16
God said to the woman [after she was beguiled by the serpent]: "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."
Matthew xxvii, 25
The words of the crowd: "His blood be on us and on our children."
Revelation xix,20
And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone."
TRUE
Exodus iii, 14
God reveals himself to Moses as: "I am who I am."
Leviticus xxvi,12
"I will be your God, and you shall be my people."
Exodus xx,1-17
The Ten Commandments
Matthew v,7
The Sermon on the Mount
Mark viii,29
Peter declares Jesus to be the Christ
Luke i
The Virgin Birth
John xx,28
Proof of bodily resurrection
The following article that appeared in today's Calgary Herald illustrates the Church's approach to modernity. It is about a priest being disciplined for suggesting discussion on whether women should become priests.
Not a Christian approach
Calgary Herald
October 31, 2005
Father Ed Cachia, a Catholic priest in Cobourg, Ont., was removed from his position at St. Michael's Church not because he directly advocated the ordination of women priests, but because he suggested it was time to debate the issue.
That a mere suggestion for discussion should bring about the censure of a respected and popular priest, is troubling in a society that cherishes the principle of open debate and welcomes the free exchange of opinions.
All religions have a set of tenets which form the foundation of their faith. To deny these basic tenets would be to adulterate the faith. One cannot imagine Catholicism suddenly denouncing the concept of the Trinity, or of the intercessionary powers of saints, for then it would no longer be Catholicism. Likewise, one does not expect Judaism to make a 180-degree turn and embrace Jesus as its saviour.
However, there is a distinction between tenets of faith and issues that arise from contemporary living. For Catholicism, one of those is the ordination of women. Cachia argues there is no biblical or theological basis for excluding women from the priesthood. He rightly thinks debate would be healthy, but the church has chosen to shut him down.
It may be argued Cachia went overboard when he celebrated the Eucharist with women priests in the U.S. The church had a right to expect him not to participate in such a ritual, since it does not recognize female priests.
To oust him, however, for calling for debate is deeply disturbing. An inflexible church is one in decline, as witnessed by the dwindling numbers of churchgoers and those choosing a vocation as priests or nuns.
Deploring the "policy of silencing those who have different opinions," Cachia predicts that, "when you close the door on people, rebellion results."
Those results are the same, whether the door-closing is done by a religious institution or a dictatorial government.
Church and state may indeed be separate, but the church in western society co-exists in a democracy whose citizens, Catholic or otherwise, are free to speak their minds.
The church silences dissent at its own peril.
© The Calgary Herald 2005
Not a Christian approach
Calgary Herald
October 31, 2005
Father Ed Cachia, a Catholic priest in Cobourg, Ont., was removed from his position at St. Michael's Church not because he directly advocated the ordination of women priests, but because he suggested it was time to debate the issue.
That a mere suggestion for discussion should bring about the censure of a respected and popular priest, is troubling in a society that cherishes the principle of open debate and welcomes the free exchange of opinions.
All religions have a set of tenets which form the foundation of their faith. To deny these basic tenets would be to adulterate the faith. One cannot imagine Catholicism suddenly denouncing the concept of the Trinity, or of the intercessionary powers of saints, for then it would no longer be Catholicism. Likewise, one does not expect Judaism to make a 180-degree turn and embrace Jesus as its saviour.
However, there is a distinction between tenets of faith and issues that arise from contemporary living. For Catholicism, one of those is the ordination of women. Cachia argues there is no biblical or theological basis for excluding women from the priesthood. He rightly thinks debate would be healthy, but the church has chosen to shut him down.
It may be argued Cachia went overboard when he celebrated the Eucharist with women priests in the U.S. The church had a right to expect him not to participate in such a ritual, since it does not recognize female priests.
To oust him, however, for calling for debate is deeply disturbing. An inflexible church is one in decline, as witnessed by the dwindling numbers of churchgoers and those choosing a vocation as priests or nuns.
Deploring the "policy of silencing those who have different opinions," Cachia predicts that, "when you close the door on people, rebellion results."
Those results are the same, whether the door-closing is done by a religious institution or a dictatorial government.
Church and state may indeed be separate, but the church in western society co-exists in a democracy whose citizens, Catholic or otherwise, are free to speak their minds.
The church silences dissent at its own peril.
© The Calgary Herald 2005
'God Speaks to Each Person in Their Own Language'
Famed scholar Huston Smith on why different cultures have different faiths--and what they have in common.
Interview by Wendy Schuman
Frail at 86, suffering from severe osteoporosis and hearing loss, Huston Smith, the nation's preeminent authority on world religions, nevertheless embarked on his recent national book tour alone. He invited his Beliefnet interviewer to sit close so he could read her lips. With a beatific smile, he introduced himself with a warm, “Hello, I’m Huston.”
Smith, author of "The World's Religions," a best-seller still used in many college classrooms, has taken an experiential approach to studying world religions, training in a Zen Buddhist monastery in Japan, studying with a Sufi mystic in Iran, and spending a sabbatical in Tibet. He dug deeply into Judaism when his daughter married a Jew and converted. Time magazine has called him a “spiritual surfer.” "Christianity has always been my religious meal," Smith has said. "But I'm a great believer in vitamin supplements." His latest book, “The Soul of Christianity,” brings him home to his lifelong faith.
What is your favorite prayer?
Well, it shifts in different stages. But in the last two years I do have a favorite and it is the Jesus prayer. It is the one in “The Way of a Pilgrim.” You know the book? And it is in J.D. Salinger’s book.
Yes, Franny and Zooey.
The short version which I use is, “Oh Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me.” And that’s become a kind of a mantra to me. And especially during times of--ordeal would be too strong--but special. I’ll just say special. This trip is a good example of that--it’s like a mantra that I’ve been saying over and over again. We are in good hands. And in gratitude for that fact we should bear one another’s burden. How do you think religions differ, and what do they have in common?
Walnuts have a shell, and they have a kernel. Religions are the same. They have an essence, but then they have a protective coating. This is not the only way to put it. But it’s my way. So the kernels are the same. However, the shells are different. Necessarily so, because I believe that all of the eight historically important and enduring religions are divinely revealed. But we have a diverse world and different civilizations. God has to speak to each person in their own language, in their own idioms. Take Spanish, Chinese. You can express the same thought, but to different people you have to use a different language. It’s the same in religion.
Depending on the context, the time in history?
Well, let me come back to civilization. It is commonly said and known that each civilization has its own religion. Now my claim is that if we look deeper, the different civilizations were brought into being by the different revelations. I really believe that.
For example the revelation to Buddha.
And to the Hindus, and to the Jews, and to the Christians, and Native Americans. I mean we have to fiddle a little with words because they wouldn’t call themselves civilization, but, say, a world or something.
So the eight that you’re speaking of are …
The ones in my book [“The World’s Religions”]--Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and the Native American. Now there’s one thing that’s misleading, and that is to separate Confucianism and Daoism. Right now I’m working on a project which would speak of the East Asian religious complex. There’s one religion that has three strands--Confucianism, Daoism, and East Asian Buddhism. And so if I had it to do over again, I would not have separate chapters on Confucianism and Daoism.
Who do you think Jesus was? Was he another charismatic Jewish healer? Who are these people to whom religion, to whom God is revealed?
He was God incarnate. He was Christ. He was God in human form. That would be my succinct answer.
How does he compare with Buddha or other religious figures who receive revelation?
These religions–-though essentially the kernel is the same--the shell is not the same. They’re not carbon copies of each other. So Buddha did not claim that he was divine. But he serves the same role in Buddhism as Christ does in Christianity, and as the Qur’an does in Islam.
Not Muhammad, but the book?
There is a saying in religious scholarship if Christ was God made flesh--in Islam, the Qur’an is Allah made book.
Do you think it matters what religion we practice?
Matters in what sense? I think it matters almost infinitely that we practice one of the authentic religions. But if you mean does it make any difference which. The answer is no, as long as each is followed with equal intensity, sincerity, dedication.
What is an authentic religion?
When you say authentic, are there some religions that are not authentic? What do you mean by authentic?
Revealed by God as proven by their impact on human history. I have studied [other religions], and I am certain they have not made impact on this earth.
Is it always a good impact in the sense of helping people live better lives?
In the sense of realizing their full potential.
In your book you seem critical of the scientific mentality.
No, wrong. I am critical of modernity giving science and technology a blank check as if it were the fountain of all truth. That is not true. And I think I may have introduced a word which has now caught on quite a bit, scientism. Science is good. It simply reports a discovery. Scientism smuggles in two untenable points. Namely, that science is, if not the only reliable, then the most reliable [way of knowing]. And second, that the stuff that science deals with, matter, is the most fundamental stuff of the universe. Those are not scientific statements. There is nothing in the way of science to prove they’re true. And truth to tell, they are both wrong. So I am not against genuine science. I think scientism may come close to doing us in, but I think we’re in the nick of time discovering the mistake. Our culture will be opening out to allow the religious worldview to enter.
When I think of the religious worldview, I can’t help thinking of fundamentalists and evangelicals. Is that the religious worldview that you’re speaking of?
I think we’re polarized. We are hamstrung between an unworkable, dogmatic, uncharitable religious fundamentalism, and the liberalism, mainline churches that are losing membership disastrously. The reason being that they are accommodating too much to modern secularism.
What do you mean by accommodating to modern secularism?
To enter seminaries you have to have a university degree. The universities are secular to the core. And it’s inevitable that the professors in seminary will have been-–I’m going to use violent language--brainwashed by the university, which is unequivocally secular. So the secularism of the university rubs off on seminary professors. And then ministers, pastors, must in the mainline churches, most have a seminary degree. So you can just see the secularism of our culture is infiltrating. The mainline churches, they adhere to the language [of faith]. But the adherent does not have the power, the force of the unbrainwashed Christian.
Can you give me an example of what you’re talking about?
Well, let me come home. My heritage is Methodist, from my missionary parents [who raised me in rural China]. When I came to this country I went to a religious college. But when I went to graduate school--one year was at University of California at Berkeley. And being a Christian Methodist, I went to Trinity Methodist Church. Seated 800, always filled, standing room only. And then I went East, had a career. Now I’m back at that same church. The church has sold the sanctuary, which is divided into I don’t know how many floors and office buildings. And our congregation meets in the chapel. And we have under a hundred people on an average Sunday. And we’re still losing ground. Something has gone out of the dynamic of mainline.
How do you see religion helping us in the future? And what do you hope for your own children and grandchildren.
One of my favorite quotations from the Bible is “I am neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet.” I don’t know what’s going to happen. But the best I can say is, if we pull out of our scary political situation, then the world is wide open in the West and we live in a Westernizing world. What happens here is going to eventually happen around the world. We live in a time when secularism is over.
Archibald MacLeish said, “An age ends when its metaphor dies.” And the metaphor of modernity has been endless progress through endless technology. And that is dead.
Is there a new metaphor that includes religion or spirituality?
Oh yes, because we’re religious creatures. And the new metaphor will give every ounce of our strength to compassion. And help not just our own people, but everyone.
Do you think that religious phenomena, like the virgin birth, are symbolic or literal?
Symbolic. [Just as] science can access the very small and the unimaginably large with their special language, which is mathematics and equations, we in religion need a technical language to describe sacred things. And this [language] is myth, poetry, parable. Jesus spoke to them in parables. And so everything that transpires in that infinite world of the divine must be expressed metaphorically, not literally.
So when we talk of the virgin birth, it resonates with something in us about purity, about divinity.
No, no, don’t try to say it. In ordinary language it won’t work. Something happened. Something happened. And I sincerely believe it really happened. And it was really vital, crucial to Christ. But don’t try to psych it out in ordinary language. Go at it in terms of symbols, which stretch our understanding from the finite to the infinite.
Famed scholar Huston Smith on why different cultures have different faiths--and what they have in common.
Interview by Wendy Schuman
Frail at 86, suffering from severe osteoporosis and hearing loss, Huston Smith, the nation's preeminent authority on world religions, nevertheless embarked on his recent national book tour alone. He invited his Beliefnet interviewer to sit close so he could read her lips. With a beatific smile, he introduced himself with a warm, “Hello, I’m Huston.”
Smith, author of "The World's Religions," a best-seller still used in many college classrooms, has taken an experiential approach to studying world religions, training in a Zen Buddhist monastery in Japan, studying with a Sufi mystic in Iran, and spending a sabbatical in Tibet. He dug deeply into Judaism when his daughter married a Jew and converted. Time magazine has called him a “spiritual surfer.” "Christianity has always been my religious meal," Smith has said. "But I'm a great believer in vitamin supplements." His latest book, “The Soul of Christianity,” brings him home to his lifelong faith.
What is your favorite prayer?
Well, it shifts in different stages. But in the last two years I do have a favorite and it is the Jesus prayer. It is the one in “The Way of a Pilgrim.” You know the book? And it is in J.D. Salinger’s book.
Yes, Franny and Zooey.
The short version which I use is, “Oh Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me.” And that’s become a kind of a mantra to me. And especially during times of--ordeal would be too strong--but special. I’ll just say special. This trip is a good example of that--it’s like a mantra that I’ve been saying over and over again. We are in good hands. And in gratitude for that fact we should bear one another’s burden. How do you think religions differ, and what do they have in common?
Walnuts have a shell, and they have a kernel. Religions are the same. They have an essence, but then they have a protective coating. This is not the only way to put it. But it’s my way. So the kernels are the same. However, the shells are different. Necessarily so, because I believe that all of the eight historically important and enduring religions are divinely revealed. But we have a diverse world and different civilizations. God has to speak to each person in their own language, in their own idioms. Take Spanish, Chinese. You can express the same thought, but to different people you have to use a different language. It’s the same in religion.
Depending on the context, the time in history?
Well, let me come back to civilization. It is commonly said and known that each civilization has its own religion. Now my claim is that if we look deeper, the different civilizations were brought into being by the different revelations. I really believe that.
For example the revelation to Buddha.
And to the Hindus, and to the Jews, and to the Christians, and Native Americans. I mean we have to fiddle a little with words because they wouldn’t call themselves civilization, but, say, a world or something.
So the eight that you’re speaking of are …
The ones in my book [“The World’s Religions”]--Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and the Native American. Now there’s one thing that’s misleading, and that is to separate Confucianism and Daoism. Right now I’m working on a project which would speak of the East Asian religious complex. There’s one religion that has three strands--Confucianism, Daoism, and East Asian Buddhism. And so if I had it to do over again, I would not have separate chapters on Confucianism and Daoism.
Who do you think Jesus was? Was he another charismatic Jewish healer? Who are these people to whom religion, to whom God is revealed?
He was God incarnate. He was Christ. He was God in human form. That would be my succinct answer.
How does he compare with Buddha or other religious figures who receive revelation?
These religions–-though essentially the kernel is the same--the shell is not the same. They’re not carbon copies of each other. So Buddha did not claim that he was divine. But he serves the same role in Buddhism as Christ does in Christianity, and as the Qur’an does in Islam.
Not Muhammad, but the book?
There is a saying in religious scholarship if Christ was God made flesh--in Islam, the Qur’an is Allah made book.
Do you think it matters what religion we practice?
Matters in what sense? I think it matters almost infinitely that we practice one of the authentic religions. But if you mean does it make any difference which. The answer is no, as long as each is followed with equal intensity, sincerity, dedication.
What is an authentic religion?
When you say authentic, are there some religions that are not authentic? What do you mean by authentic?
Revealed by God as proven by their impact on human history. I have studied [other religions], and I am certain they have not made impact on this earth.
Is it always a good impact in the sense of helping people live better lives?
In the sense of realizing their full potential.
In your book you seem critical of the scientific mentality.
No, wrong. I am critical of modernity giving science and technology a blank check as if it were the fountain of all truth. That is not true. And I think I may have introduced a word which has now caught on quite a bit, scientism. Science is good. It simply reports a discovery. Scientism smuggles in two untenable points. Namely, that science is, if not the only reliable, then the most reliable [way of knowing]. And second, that the stuff that science deals with, matter, is the most fundamental stuff of the universe. Those are not scientific statements. There is nothing in the way of science to prove they’re true. And truth to tell, they are both wrong. So I am not against genuine science. I think scientism may come close to doing us in, but I think we’re in the nick of time discovering the mistake. Our culture will be opening out to allow the religious worldview to enter.
When I think of the religious worldview, I can’t help thinking of fundamentalists and evangelicals. Is that the religious worldview that you’re speaking of?
I think we’re polarized. We are hamstrung between an unworkable, dogmatic, uncharitable religious fundamentalism, and the liberalism, mainline churches that are losing membership disastrously. The reason being that they are accommodating too much to modern secularism.
What do you mean by accommodating to modern secularism?
To enter seminaries you have to have a university degree. The universities are secular to the core. And it’s inevitable that the professors in seminary will have been-–I’m going to use violent language--brainwashed by the university, which is unequivocally secular. So the secularism of the university rubs off on seminary professors. And then ministers, pastors, must in the mainline churches, most have a seminary degree. So you can just see the secularism of our culture is infiltrating. The mainline churches, they adhere to the language [of faith]. But the adherent does not have the power, the force of the unbrainwashed Christian.
Can you give me an example of what you’re talking about?
Well, let me come home. My heritage is Methodist, from my missionary parents [who raised me in rural China]. When I came to this country I went to a religious college. But when I went to graduate school--one year was at University of California at Berkeley. And being a Christian Methodist, I went to Trinity Methodist Church. Seated 800, always filled, standing room only. And then I went East, had a career. Now I’m back at that same church. The church has sold the sanctuary, which is divided into I don’t know how many floors and office buildings. And our congregation meets in the chapel. And we have under a hundred people on an average Sunday. And we’re still losing ground. Something has gone out of the dynamic of mainline.
How do you see religion helping us in the future? And what do you hope for your own children and grandchildren.
One of my favorite quotations from the Bible is “I am neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet.” I don’t know what’s going to happen. But the best I can say is, if we pull out of our scary political situation, then the world is wide open in the West and we live in a Westernizing world. What happens here is going to eventually happen around the world. We live in a time when secularism is over.
Archibald MacLeish said, “An age ends when its metaphor dies.” And the metaphor of modernity has been endless progress through endless technology. And that is dead.
Is there a new metaphor that includes religion or spirituality?
Oh yes, because we’re religious creatures. And the new metaphor will give every ounce of our strength to compassion. And help not just our own people, but everyone.
Do you think that religious phenomena, like the virgin birth, are symbolic or literal?
Symbolic. [Just as] science can access the very small and the unimaginably large with their special language, which is mathematics and equations, we in religion need a technical language to describe sacred things. And this [language] is myth, poetry, parable. Jesus spoke to them in parables. And so everything that transpires in that infinite world of the divine must be expressed metaphorically, not literally.
So when we talk of the virgin birth, it resonates with something in us about purity, about divinity.
No, no, don’t try to say it. In ordinary language it won’t work. Something happened. Something happened. And I sincerely believe it really happened. And it was really vital, crucial to Christ. But don’t try to psych it out in ordinary language. Go at it in terms of symbols, which stretch our understanding from the finite to the infinite.
Reflections on the significance of Easter (2006).
Symbols of hope unite faiths
Two solemn religious holidays share a message for mankind
Published: Sunday, April 16, 2006
There has been much said about the erosion of religious observance throughout the western world. Within the course of several generations, the weekly routine of church, synagogue, mosque or temple attendance has waned to sporadic visits on a few special days.
Yet, amidst the clatter of modern secularism, there endures, for many, a profound pull to the ideas, history and meaning that religious teachings encompass. Such connections are evident this weekend as two of the world's great religions mark sacred holidays.
For Christians, it is Easter, a time of sorrow followed by liberation, as the tragic gives way to redemption. Although this holiday has been largely eclipsed in popularity by Christmas, it is the most holy of Christian festivals -- marking the death of Jesus Christ and his resurrection, as a symbol that eternal life would be granted to all who believe.
At sundown Wednesday, Jews began the eight-day festival of Passover with a traditional Seder dinner that re-enacts the exodus from Egypt after 400 years of slavery.
This is a time to remember the hardships endured and re-experience the wonder and joy of that night more than 3,000 years ago when the Egyptian Pharoah was forced by God to let the Hebrews go free.
It is a coincidence of calendars that both holidays fall at the same time this year and attempts to compare the two -- like Christmas and Hanukkah -- are disrespectful to both. What the two celebrations do share, though, are enduring symbols of hope.
Passover is all about symbolism. At the Seder, a lamb bone reminds Jews of the lamb that was killed to mark the doorways so that the people living in those houses would be spared when the Angel of Death passed over. The egg is a symbol of new life. Parsley is dipped into salt water and eaten to remember that God provided for them in the wilderness. Horseradish signifies the bitterness of slavery, and charoset, a fruit, nut, wine and spice mixture, is symbolic of the sweetness of freedom.
For Christians, the resurrection of Christ at Easter is the ultimate symbol -- of the possibility of salvation and eternal life after death. Colours used in worship ceremonies are visual markers of the Lenten journey from the black of Good Friday to the purity of white on Easter Sunday and the gold that represents the light of the world, or enlightenment, brought by the risen Christ.
Even Easter eggs, derided as the ultimate secularization of the holiday, have historical roots. In ancient times, Christians didn't eat eggs during Lent to remind them of dying with Christ. As part of the celebration of the resurrection, they were a sign of new life.
Observant or not, human beings yearn for some element of meaning in their lives. And even as fewer participate in organized religion, their fascination with religious symbols and stories continues. Note the intense interest in recent months over books about the life of Christ -- The Da Vinci Code; Holy Blood, Holy Grail; and The Jesus Papers -- and the just-released documentary The Gospel of Judas.
Somehow, even as modern society leaves the trappings of religion behind, it takes with it principles and faith, and a curiosity to learn more.
As adherents celebrate their holy holidays this weekend -- and we wish them Godspeed -- others may care to pause to consider, too, the messages of hope these holidays reflect.
© The Calgary Herald 2006
***
Windows Onto Eternity
Published: Sunday, April 16, 2006
Easter is not a festival celebrating a popular myth, but a claim of the historical reality of a physical event.
That historical event has always been asserted and defended in creeds, first in the Apostles' Creed of the early second century:
". . . he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. On the third day, he rose again from the dead. . . " -- Easter.
In the post-modern world, creeds have gotten a bad rap, even among Christians, for being "divisive." And denominational fights over statements of faith have become legendary.
But renowned Canadian theologian James Packer of Vancouver's Regent College says they are necessary to a community of faith, making factual claims about history. So credal arguments are no reason to abandon creeds, no more than squabbles are cause to abandon the institution of marriage.
"The Apostles' Creed arose from the need for a syllabus of the religious instruction of adults," says Packer.
"The clauses all read like headings for individual classes: I believe in One God, the Father, his Son, his death, resurrection and reign, the future resurrection of the faithful . . ."
This instructional material came in response to the claims of Gnostic mystics, who taught that Jesus never suffered real physical death and bodily resurrection, because he was a pure spirit who merely seemed to inhabit a human body, says the Anglican Packer.
"Christian theology is based on the creed's historical claim, that the creator God really did intrude into a particular moment in the world's history, like a playwright writing himself into his own play," Packer says.
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the divine intrusion began 1,900 years earlier, when the creator of the universe made a family pact with a particular tribe in a backwater wilderness.
The first creed, claiming to report a real historical event, was the
Hebrew Shema, taught by Moses as Israel entered the Promised Land in 1300 BCE:
"Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.
"Blessed be the Name of His kingdom for ever and ever;
"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might" (Deut 6:4).
The Shema is sung within many prayers, says House of Jacob Mikvah Israel rabbi Zev Friedman; but it is fundamentally a statement of faith.
"It asserts the unity of the creator, and it states that God is not just a creator, but is the Lord, intimately involved in the life of Israel -- whoever Israel is," Friedman says.
Packed in the Shema is the claim that, at one moment in a desert wilderness, the creator made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, later called Israel. That historical claim placed the God of Israel beyond both impersonal cosmic Mind of the philosophers, and the personal but irrational deities of the polytheists.
Charles Nienkirchen, spirituality professor at Alliance-Nazarene University College, says the fathers of the early Christian Church called the creeds "symbole" images of God.
"They saw the creeds like verbal icons, linguistic windows onto eternity," Nienkirchen says.
"You begin to see God through the window, but God is always beyond the window. For this reason, creeds are meant to be prayed, not said."
Nienkirchen says there's a new appreciation of creeds on the part of people fleeing "rootless, historyless Christianity." They feel a need to supplement their sentimental attachment to "friend Jesus" with the deeper, ancient appreciation of the Trinity as an "eternal communion of three persons," he says.
This is needed, if Jesus Christ is to be seen not merely as a very good man, but as God and the eternal Word of God.
Creeds and denominational statements of faith do differ, Nienkirchen says. The challenge is obeying reformer John Calvin's dictum: "Unity in essentials, diversity in non-essentials, and charity in all things."
That's "the ongoing task since the founding of the church," he says, and the creeds are not obstacles, but rather the path to Christian unity.
"Without the creeds, some of us, individually or collectively, will make poor estimates of what's essential," he says.
"The creeds are the church's best thinking on life's most important issues."
Early this year, for example, the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada, at the Vatican's encouragement, announced it is dropping the "Filioque Clause" from the 1,600-year-old Nicene Creed it sings at mass every Sunday.
The Filioque Clause?
This may seem theological hair-splitting. But this hair has deep roots. The split has been a 1,000-year disaster; and healing it could have historic consequences -- an Easter resurrection of the church in Eastern and Western Europe.
In 381 AD, at the Council of Constantinople, the world's bishops put finishing touches on the creed first drafted at Nicea, 56 years earlier.
That completed Nicene Creed became the fullest, most classic expression of mystery-laden Trinitarian Christianity:
"I believe in One God, the Father Almighty . . .
"I believe in One Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten, not made, one in being with the Father . . .
"I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father . . ."
Jesus had said, "Who sees me sees the Father," and "Before Abraham was, I am." So the questions, How could the One be Father-Son-Spirit? Or three be one? were unapologetically asserted a mystery of the faith.
The council's assertions that the Son is eternally "generated, not made," and that the Spirit eternally "proceeds from the Father," affirmed the eternal community of God.
That has been Christianity -- with the exception of one, painful issue -- for 16 centuries.
In the sixth century, in response to a local heresy, the Western Latin Church began to describe the Holy Spirit as "proceeding from the Father and (filioque) the Son." This followed Jesus' words that he would "send the Holy Spirit" after his return to heaven.
To the Eastern church, the "double procession" of the Filioque seemed to demote the Holy Spirit to the status of a mere "third wheel." It seemed to over-analyse and violate the whole mysterious notion of the indivisible unity of Three Persons in One God.
And after centuries of bad blood, in 1054, the Pope in Rome and the Patriarch in Constantinople excommunicated each other, completing the Great Schism between Western and Eastern Christianity.
That schism has shaped history ever since: fuelling the sack of Constantinople by Crusaders in 1204; inhibiting Latin aid to halt Islam's conquest of the Balkans and Constantinople in 1453; even leaving Orthodox Russia vulnerable to the Marxist coup in 1917.
"It seemed to downplay the role of the Spirit in the West, setting the stage for the rise of Pentecostalism in the 20th century," muses Nienkirchen.
Meanwhile, the minority Eastern Catholics -- Ukrainian, Greek, Romanian, Armenian -- have always been both bridges and bones of contention between Eastern and Western Christianity. Evangelized by the Orthodox in the 10th century, they later came under Rome.
Under Polish influence, Orthodox churches in western Ukraine pledged loyalty to Rome in 1595. While they kept their Byzantine liturgy, they added the Filioque to the Nicene Creed's description of the Holy Spirit proceeding "from the Father and the Son." And that further embittered Orthodox-Catholic relations.
"It was really a difference in perspective," says Ukrainian Catholic Bishop David Motiuk in Winnipeg.
"The Western church stressed the mission of the Spirit, sent forth by the Son to his church. The Eastern church stressed the origin or being of the Spirit, one with the Father."
Polish former pope John Paul II spent his 26-year pontificate trying to improve Catholic relations with the Orthodox, whom he called "Christianity's second lung." And for their part, "uniate" Byzantines, loyal to Rome, have sought a return to their roots in the East.
Hence the decision earlier this year by the Ukrainian Catholics to strike the Filioque.
"Different perspectives should give us a fuller understanding, but it shouldn't be divisive," says Motiuk.
"We're a religion of hope. I firmly believe our relations with the Orthodox have great challenges, but great opportunities."
Fraternal relations between the world's 1.1 billion Catholics and 250 million Orthodox could encourage greater friendship with 500 million Protestants and 300 million "other" Christians. But that may need deliberations on creed, like the 1999 Catholic and Lutheran Joint Declaration on Justification.
"Creeds are a summary of the most basic foundations of our faith; they speak to the core of what it means to be part of the faithful in Christ," says Motiuk.
"Our faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is our call to communion, our call to family as God is a family. We're always called to imitate the Trinity. We are to live with one another in the unity of the Trinity."
Fr. Larry Reinheimer of St. Peter the Aleut Orthodox in Marda Loop says the Filioque issue, however obscure, has been a major cause of the East-West split.
"It'd be nice to think that we could actually move toward the unification of Christianity," says Reinheimer.
"But it can't be based simply on some vague love of Jesus. It has to be credal. What we believe is who we are. And the creed is the collective experience of the church in receiving the revelation of God."
Anglican theologian Packer says that in the Trinity, "the threeness of the persons is just as fundamental as the oneness of divine being." However mysterious that seems, adhering to the mystery is necessary to avoid the oversimplifications of unitarianism or polytheism.
"God is a community of love, and out of that eternal community of love comes all creation," Packer says.
"I always say from the pulpit that salvation is a team effort."
Accepting (if not understanding) Jesus as God in the Trinity is essential to the meaning of his Good
Friday sacrifice and Easter resurrection: "Only if the son who becomes Jesus has in himself the life of God, can we look to him to give us the life of God," Packer says.
jwoodard@theherald.canwest.com
The Apostles' Creed
(circa AD 140)
I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived
of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died
and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again
from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God
the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen
Symbols of hope unite faiths
Two solemn religious holidays share a message for mankind
Published: Sunday, April 16, 2006
There has been much said about the erosion of religious observance throughout the western world. Within the course of several generations, the weekly routine of church, synagogue, mosque or temple attendance has waned to sporadic visits on a few special days.
Yet, amidst the clatter of modern secularism, there endures, for many, a profound pull to the ideas, history and meaning that religious teachings encompass. Such connections are evident this weekend as two of the world's great religions mark sacred holidays.
For Christians, it is Easter, a time of sorrow followed by liberation, as the tragic gives way to redemption. Although this holiday has been largely eclipsed in popularity by Christmas, it is the most holy of Christian festivals -- marking the death of Jesus Christ and his resurrection, as a symbol that eternal life would be granted to all who believe.
At sundown Wednesday, Jews began the eight-day festival of Passover with a traditional Seder dinner that re-enacts the exodus from Egypt after 400 years of slavery.
This is a time to remember the hardships endured and re-experience the wonder and joy of that night more than 3,000 years ago when the Egyptian Pharoah was forced by God to let the Hebrews go free.
It is a coincidence of calendars that both holidays fall at the same time this year and attempts to compare the two -- like Christmas and Hanukkah -- are disrespectful to both. What the two celebrations do share, though, are enduring symbols of hope.
Passover is all about symbolism. At the Seder, a lamb bone reminds Jews of the lamb that was killed to mark the doorways so that the people living in those houses would be spared when the Angel of Death passed over. The egg is a symbol of new life. Parsley is dipped into salt water and eaten to remember that God provided for them in the wilderness. Horseradish signifies the bitterness of slavery, and charoset, a fruit, nut, wine and spice mixture, is symbolic of the sweetness of freedom.
For Christians, the resurrection of Christ at Easter is the ultimate symbol -- of the possibility of salvation and eternal life after death. Colours used in worship ceremonies are visual markers of the Lenten journey from the black of Good Friday to the purity of white on Easter Sunday and the gold that represents the light of the world, or enlightenment, brought by the risen Christ.
Even Easter eggs, derided as the ultimate secularization of the holiday, have historical roots. In ancient times, Christians didn't eat eggs during Lent to remind them of dying with Christ. As part of the celebration of the resurrection, they were a sign of new life.
Observant or not, human beings yearn for some element of meaning in their lives. And even as fewer participate in organized religion, their fascination with religious symbols and stories continues. Note the intense interest in recent months over books about the life of Christ -- The Da Vinci Code; Holy Blood, Holy Grail; and The Jesus Papers -- and the just-released documentary The Gospel of Judas.
Somehow, even as modern society leaves the trappings of religion behind, it takes with it principles and faith, and a curiosity to learn more.
As adherents celebrate their holy holidays this weekend -- and we wish them Godspeed -- others may care to pause to consider, too, the messages of hope these holidays reflect.
© The Calgary Herald 2006
***
Windows Onto Eternity
Published: Sunday, April 16, 2006
Easter is not a festival celebrating a popular myth, but a claim of the historical reality of a physical event.
That historical event has always been asserted and defended in creeds, first in the Apostles' Creed of the early second century:
". . . he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. On the third day, he rose again from the dead. . . " -- Easter.
In the post-modern world, creeds have gotten a bad rap, even among Christians, for being "divisive." And denominational fights over statements of faith have become legendary.
But renowned Canadian theologian James Packer of Vancouver's Regent College says they are necessary to a community of faith, making factual claims about history. So credal arguments are no reason to abandon creeds, no more than squabbles are cause to abandon the institution of marriage.
"The Apostles' Creed arose from the need for a syllabus of the religious instruction of adults," says Packer.
"The clauses all read like headings for individual classes: I believe in One God, the Father, his Son, his death, resurrection and reign, the future resurrection of the faithful . . ."
This instructional material came in response to the claims of Gnostic mystics, who taught that Jesus never suffered real physical death and bodily resurrection, because he was a pure spirit who merely seemed to inhabit a human body, says the Anglican Packer.
"Christian theology is based on the creed's historical claim, that the creator God really did intrude into a particular moment in the world's history, like a playwright writing himself into his own play," Packer says.
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the divine intrusion began 1,900 years earlier, when the creator of the universe made a family pact with a particular tribe in a backwater wilderness.
The first creed, claiming to report a real historical event, was the
Hebrew Shema, taught by Moses as Israel entered the Promised Land in 1300 BCE:
"Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.
"Blessed be the Name of His kingdom for ever and ever;
"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might" (Deut 6:4).
The Shema is sung within many prayers, says House of Jacob Mikvah Israel rabbi Zev Friedman; but it is fundamentally a statement of faith.
"It asserts the unity of the creator, and it states that God is not just a creator, but is the Lord, intimately involved in the life of Israel -- whoever Israel is," Friedman says.
Packed in the Shema is the claim that, at one moment in a desert wilderness, the creator made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, later called Israel. That historical claim placed the God of Israel beyond both impersonal cosmic Mind of the philosophers, and the personal but irrational deities of the polytheists.
Charles Nienkirchen, spirituality professor at Alliance-Nazarene University College, says the fathers of the early Christian Church called the creeds "symbole" images of God.
"They saw the creeds like verbal icons, linguistic windows onto eternity," Nienkirchen says.
"You begin to see God through the window, but God is always beyond the window. For this reason, creeds are meant to be prayed, not said."
Nienkirchen says there's a new appreciation of creeds on the part of people fleeing "rootless, historyless Christianity." They feel a need to supplement their sentimental attachment to "friend Jesus" with the deeper, ancient appreciation of the Trinity as an "eternal communion of three persons," he says.
This is needed, if Jesus Christ is to be seen not merely as a very good man, but as God and the eternal Word of God.
Creeds and denominational statements of faith do differ, Nienkirchen says. The challenge is obeying reformer John Calvin's dictum: "Unity in essentials, diversity in non-essentials, and charity in all things."
That's "the ongoing task since the founding of the church," he says, and the creeds are not obstacles, but rather the path to Christian unity.
"Without the creeds, some of us, individually or collectively, will make poor estimates of what's essential," he says.
"The creeds are the church's best thinking on life's most important issues."
Early this year, for example, the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada, at the Vatican's encouragement, announced it is dropping the "Filioque Clause" from the 1,600-year-old Nicene Creed it sings at mass every Sunday.
The Filioque Clause?
This may seem theological hair-splitting. But this hair has deep roots. The split has been a 1,000-year disaster; and healing it could have historic consequences -- an Easter resurrection of the church in Eastern and Western Europe.
In 381 AD, at the Council of Constantinople, the world's bishops put finishing touches on the creed first drafted at Nicea, 56 years earlier.
That completed Nicene Creed became the fullest, most classic expression of mystery-laden Trinitarian Christianity:
"I believe in One God, the Father Almighty . . .
"I believe in One Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten, not made, one in being with the Father . . .
"I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father . . ."
Jesus had said, "Who sees me sees the Father," and "Before Abraham was, I am." So the questions, How could the One be Father-Son-Spirit? Or three be one? were unapologetically asserted a mystery of the faith.
The council's assertions that the Son is eternally "generated, not made," and that the Spirit eternally "proceeds from the Father," affirmed the eternal community of God.
That has been Christianity -- with the exception of one, painful issue -- for 16 centuries.
In the sixth century, in response to a local heresy, the Western Latin Church began to describe the Holy Spirit as "proceeding from the Father and (filioque) the Son." This followed Jesus' words that he would "send the Holy Spirit" after his return to heaven.
To the Eastern church, the "double procession" of the Filioque seemed to demote the Holy Spirit to the status of a mere "third wheel." It seemed to over-analyse and violate the whole mysterious notion of the indivisible unity of Three Persons in One God.
And after centuries of bad blood, in 1054, the Pope in Rome and the Patriarch in Constantinople excommunicated each other, completing the Great Schism between Western and Eastern Christianity.
That schism has shaped history ever since: fuelling the sack of Constantinople by Crusaders in 1204; inhibiting Latin aid to halt Islam's conquest of the Balkans and Constantinople in 1453; even leaving Orthodox Russia vulnerable to the Marxist coup in 1917.
"It seemed to downplay the role of the Spirit in the West, setting the stage for the rise of Pentecostalism in the 20th century," muses Nienkirchen.
Meanwhile, the minority Eastern Catholics -- Ukrainian, Greek, Romanian, Armenian -- have always been both bridges and bones of contention between Eastern and Western Christianity. Evangelized by the Orthodox in the 10th century, they later came under Rome.
Under Polish influence, Orthodox churches in western Ukraine pledged loyalty to Rome in 1595. While they kept their Byzantine liturgy, they added the Filioque to the Nicene Creed's description of the Holy Spirit proceeding "from the Father and the Son." And that further embittered Orthodox-Catholic relations.
"It was really a difference in perspective," says Ukrainian Catholic Bishop David Motiuk in Winnipeg.
"The Western church stressed the mission of the Spirit, sent forth by the Son to his church. The Eastern church stressed the origin or being of the Spirit, one with the Father."
Polish former pope John Paul II spent his 26-year pontificate trying to improve Catholic relations with the Orthodox, whom he called "Christianity's second lung." And for their part, "uniate" Byzantines, loyal to Rome, have sought a return to their roots in the East.
Hence the decision earlier this year by the Ukrainian Catholics to strike the Filioque.
"Different perspectives should give us a fuller understanding, but it shouldn't be divisive," says Motiuk.
"We're a religion of hope. I firmly believe our relations with the Orthodox have great challenges, but great opportunities."
Fraternal relations between the world's 1.1 billion Catholics and 250 million Orthodox could encourage greater friendship with 500 million Protestants and 300 million "other" Christians. But that may need deliberations on creed, like the 1999 Catholic and Lutheran Joint Declaration on Justification.
"Creeds are a summary of the most basic foundations of our faith; they speak to the core of what it means to be part of the faithful in Christ," says Motiuk.
"Our faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is our call to communion, our call to family as God is a family. We're always called to imitate the Trinity. We are to live with one another in the unity of the Trinity."
Fr. Larry Reinheimer of St. Peter the Aleut Orthodox in Marda Loop says the Filioque issue, however obscure, has been a major cause of the East-West split.
"It'd be nice to think that we could actually move toward the unification of Christianity," says Reinheimer.
"But it can't be based simply on some vague love of Jesus. It has to be credal. What we believe is who we are. And the creed is the collective experience of the church in receiving the revelation of God."
Anglican theologian Packer says that in the Trinity, "the threeness of the persons is just as fundamental as the oneness of divine being." However mysterious that seems, adhering to the mystery is necessary to avoid the oversimplifications of unitarianism or polytheism.
"God is a community of love, and out of that eternal community of love comes all creation," Packer says.
"I always say from the pulpit that salvation is a team effort."
Accepting (if not understanding) Jesus as God in the Trinity is essential to the meaning of his Good
Friday sacrifice and Easter resurrection: "Only if the son who becomes Jesus has in himself the life of God, can we look to him to give us the life of God," Packer says.
jwoodard@theherald.canwest.com
The Apostles' Creed
(circa AD 140)
I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived
of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died
and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again
from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God
the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen
Text sheds light on early Christianity
Document written 1,500 years ago
Published: Thursday, May 04, 2006
On the heels of all the hoopla about the Gospel of Judas, a Harvard scholar has quietly released one of the first modern studies of a 1,500-year-old document revealing the first comprehensive narrative of Christian theology, cosmology and salvation.
Apocryphon Johannis, ostensibly written by the Apostle John, gives us a glimpse into how early Christians struggled with theories about sin and redemption, the nature of God, and what would happen at the end of the world, says Karen L. King, author of The Secret Revelation of John, published by Harvard University Press.
More importantly, the apocryphon shows us how mankind has struggled for millennia over the meaning of religious truth and scripture, and how changeable our answers have been, says King, professor of ecclesiastical history at Harvard's Divinity School.
A German scholar first found the Johannis papyrus in a Cairo antiquities market in 1896, but it was not translated into English until 1995. Meanwhile, three other copies of the manuscript were found in 1945 at Nag Hammadi in Egypt among a trove of ancient writings later called the gnostic gospels.
Although it is attributed to John, modern scholars doubt he really wrote it.
King says the apocryphon is a "richer, fuller text" than the Judas document. "It is the first piece of literature we have that puts together an entirely comprehensive Christian world view."
Modern Christians would recognize some of its tenets immediately, as it describes a perfect and transcendent God who loves us deeply and will save us from evil.
© The Calgary Herald 2006
Document written 1,500 years ago
Published: Thursday, May 04, 2006
On the heels of all the hoopla about the Gospel of Judas, a Harvard scholar has quietly released one of the first modern studies of a 1,500-year-old document revealing the first comprehensive narrative of Christian theology, cosmology and salvation.
Apocryphon Johannis, ostensibly written by the Apostle John, gives us a glimpse into how early Christians struggled with theories about sin and redemption, the nature of God, and what would happen at the end of the world, says Karen L. King, author of The Secret Revelation of John, published by Harvard University Press.
More importantly, the apocryphon shows us how mankind has struggled for millennia over the meaning of religious truth and scripture, and how changeable our answers have been, says King, professor of ecclesiastical history at Harvard's Divinity School.
A German scholar first found the Johannis papyrus in a Cairo antiquities market in 1896, but it was not translated into English until 1995. Meanwhile, three other copies of the manuscript were found in 1945 at Nag Hammadi in Egypt among a trove of ancient writings later called the gnostic gospels.
Although it is attributed to John, modern scholars doubt he really wrote it.
King says the apocryphon is a "richer, fuller text" than the Judas document. "It is the first piece of literature we have that puts together an entirely comprehensive Christian world view."
Modern Christians would recognize some of its tenets immediately, as it describes a perfect and transcendent God who loves us deeply and will save us from evil.
© The Calgary Herald 2006
Modern Bible riddled with errors, add ons
Many newer versions based on wrong originals
Published: Saturday, May 06, 2006
For all those folks following the Good Book, we have some bad news. Turns out a lot of our modern Bible was tacked on, scratched out and just plain garbled from the original Gospels as scribes over the millennia tried to present Christianity in what they thought was its truest light.
In fact, many of our modern Bibles are based on the wrong originals, says Bart Ehrman in his best-selling book Misquoting Jesus: The Story behind who Changed the Bible and Why. Even our beloved King James version has several segments based on a 12th-century manuscript that scholars now say was one of the most error-riddled in the history of the New Testament.
Some of those changes hit sore spots even today. For instance, St. Paul may not have been as critical of women as we have been led to believe. Ehrman, chair of the department of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, says it was not Paul but a second-century follower of his who wrote in 1 Timothy 2:11-15: "let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent . . ."
Similarly, says Ehrman, scholars doubt that Paul wrote a passage in Corinthians saying "let the women keep silent."
It appears these later additions were intended to address a power struggle in the early church. For one thing, why would Paul say women should only speak with their heads covered in 11:2-16 of 1 Corinthians, only to say elsewhere they may not speak at all?
To date, 5,700 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament have been discovered, the earliest a tiny fragment of John 18 written around AD 120. Including the 10,000 Latin Vulgate versions, and the thousands in other languages, we have between 200,000 and 400,000 variants of the New Testament today.
Scholars can compare the scripts to determine which was likely the earliest and had the fewest errors -- whether accidental copying mistakes or intentional changes or additions tacked on by later writers to make a point or "clarify" something.
Ehrman began his academic career as a fundamentalist and evangelical who took the Bible as literal truth. Today, he has a much more nuanced idea of "truth." Now, he says, he sees the Bible as "a very human book with very human points of view, many of which differ from one another, and none of which offers an inerrant guide to how we should live."
© The Calgary Herald 2006
Many newer versions based on wrong originals
Published: Saturday, May 06, 2006
For all those folks following the Good Book, we have some bad news. Turns out a lot of our modern Bible was tacked on, scratched out and just plain garbled from the original Gospels as scribes over the millennia tried to present Christianity in what they thought was its truest light.
In fact, many of our modern Bibles are based on the wrong originals, says Bart Ehrman in his best-selling book Misquoting Jesus: The Story behind who Changed the Bible and Why. Even our beloved King James version has several segments based on a 12th-century manuscript that scholars now say was one of the most error-riddled in the history of the New Testament.
Some of those changes hit sore spots even today. For instance, St. Paul may not have been as critical of women as we have been led to believe. Ehrman, chair of the department of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, says it was not Paul but a second-century follower of his who wrote in 1 Timothy 2:11-15: "let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent . . ."
Similarly, says Ehrman, scholars doubt that Paul wrote a passage in Corinthians saying "let the women keep silent."
It appears these later additions were intended to address a power struggle in the early church. For one thing, why would Paul say women should only speak with their heads covered in 11:2-16 of 1 Corinthians, only to say elsewhere they may not speak at all?
To date, 5,700 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament have been discovered, the earliest a tiny fragment of John 18 written around AD 120. Including the 10,000 Latin Vulgate versions, and the thousands in other languages, we have between 200,000 and 400,000 variants of the New Testament today.
Scholars can compare the scripts to determine which was likely the earliest and had the fewest errors -- whether accidental copying mistakes or intentional changes or additions tacked on by later writers to make a point or "clarify" something.
Ehrman began his academic career as a fundamentalist and evangelical who took the Bible as literal truth. Today, he has a much more nuanced idea of "truth." Now, he says, he sees the Bible as "a very human book with very human points of view, many of which differ from one another, and none of which offers an inerrant guide to how we should live."
© The Calgary Herald 2006
MYSTICAL CHRISTIANITY
AYogicView of Christ
By Quincy Howe, Ph.D.
Quincy Howe, Ph.D., former professor of classics, comparative religion, and Sanskrit at Scripps College, Claremont, California, is author of Reincarnation for the Christian (Quest Books). This article first appeared in the March 2005 issue of Yoga International.
SRF Magazine, Summer 2005.
Yoga went global in the twentieth century. Now it seems likely that the divisive chasm between Christian teaching and India's ancient spiritual science will finally be bridged here in the twenty-first. Paramahansa Yogananda's new book, The Second Coming of Christ, holds out this promise, arguing that the division has always been superficial. The implications for yoga practitioners in the West— and for society at large — are enormous.
THE UNDERGROUND RIVER
The traditional Christian teachings hold that Jesus Christ came to the world in order to reconcile the fallen children of the Lord to their Creator. The means of redemption was for Christians to believe from the depths of their soul that Christ's sacrifice on the cross was full payment for the arrogance and disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
This is the mainstream of Christian belief. Less visible but no less ancient is an underground river—a body of esoteric belief—that depicts Jesus as a mystic, as a yogi teaching in the manner of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. The essence of these esoteric teachings is that if we explore our own soul in the depths of meditation, we will find that we are partners with Christ in our access to cosmic consciousness.
With the publication of The Second Coming of Christ, that underground river has burst through the bedrock of the ages. The argument for mystical Christianity no longer needs to be assembled from isolated fragments spanning the past 2,000 years—the Gospel of Thomas, the musings of the desert fathers, the neo-Platonism of Plotinus, the strangely yogic insights of Meister Eckhart. Now we have a 1,700-page commentary on the Gospel story that finds, in the words of Jesus, a fully developed vision of the path of meditation and the science of God-realization. To read Yogananda's commentary is to discover that Jesus was preaching the same doctrine of spiritual self-discovery that Krishna, the apostle of yoga, preached to his disciple Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita.
This is true not only of the passages that point explicitly to inner spirituality, but also of passages that are oblique or puzzling. To start with a passage that is an obvious summons to meditation, let us consider Luke 17:20—21. "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.'"
For Yogananda this statement is clearly in the tradition of Raja Yoga (meditation as the "royal" or highest path to God-union). He writes in The Second Coming of Christ:
"Jesus addresses man as the perennial seeker of permanent happiness and freedom from all suffering: 'The Kingdom of God—of eternal, immutable, ever-newly blissful cosmic consciousness—is within you. Behold your soul as a reflection of the immortal Spirit, and you will find your Self encompassing the infinite empire of God-love, God-wisdom, God-bliss existing in every particle of vibratory creation and in the vibration-less Transcendental Absolute.'
"The teachings of Jesus about God's kingdom—sometimes in direct language, sometimes in parables pregnant with metaphysical meaning—may be said to be the core of the entirety of his message." (pp. 1177-78)
"Many people think of heaven as a physical location, a point of space far above the atmosphere and beyond the stars....In fact, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven consist, respectively, of the transcendental infinitudes of Cosmic Consciousness and the heavenly causal and astral realms of vibratory creation that are considerably finer and more harmonized with God's will than those physical vibrations clustered together as planets, air, and earthly surroundings." (p. 1179)
The above passages bear no resemblance to conventional biblical exegesis. There is no scholarly examination of the wording. There is no attempt to recreate the intellectual climate of Judaea 2,000 years ago. Here Yogananda is speaking with the voice of the spiritual visionary, the voice of Patanjali, Shankara, and the Old Testament prophets. These are the sages who stand, not on the authority of their learning and intellect, but on their anubhava, their unmediated knowledge of spiritual truth.
Yogananda finds yogic truth in the words, "The kingdom of God is within you," as he does in all of Jesus' sayings. Take, for example. John 14:1-2. a passage whose meaning is anything but clear. Jesus says. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God. believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you." Yogananda comments as follows:
"When Jesus said, 'Let not your heart be troubled,' he voiced an exact parallel to a profound spiritual aphorism in the Yoga Sutras, the preeminent ancient treatise on Raja Yoga. There the illumined sage Patanjali says that yoga, union with God, is possible only by stilling the restlessness of the heart (chitta, the feeling faculty of consciousness)." (p. 1371)
"Thus when Jesus says, 'In my Father's house are many mansions,' he warns his disciples that unless they attain Cosmic Consciousness, after death they would have to dwell on one of the variously graded planes of existence where unredeemed souls go, according to their merits and demerits. His promise, 'I go to prepare a place for you,' refers to the fact that the blessings of a true guru can help his disciples to gain a better place in the many mansioned vibratory spheres in the after-death state." (p. 1372)
Here. Yogananda leaps headlong into the metaphysics, psychology, and space-time concepts of yoga philosophy and claims that throughout the entire Gospel narrative Jesus speaks to his disciples exactly as a guru speaks to his chelas (disciples). His immediate task is to clear their spiritual path of the delusional debris that stand in the way of deep meditation.
Yogananda also shows that Jesus, like a guru in the yoga tradition, is acquainted with the realms—the lokas—to which the soul may travel. The traditional geography of hell, purgatory, limbo, and heaven is bypassed. (Traditional Christianity envisions each soul as a pilgrim traveler in this dark and troubled world, headed toward some indeterminate rapture where time and space shall cease to be.) Yogananda aligns Jesus with the great mystics of India, finding in his words a full vision of the yogi's emancipation in Spirit. In this view, the soul of man moves from life to life through many layers of spiritual space until the dross of the ages, cleansed by meditation, gives way to the unitive immersion of the individual self in Universal Spirit.
THE SERPENT
Yogananda finds a blueprint of the yogic journey in the precise physiology of yoga practice as well as in Jesus' words. One of the more obscure sayings of Jesus can be found in John 3:14-15. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." Anyone acquainted with the subtle energies in yoga practice will recognize an old friend at the mention of the serpent. Yogananda once again seizes upon the yogic essence of these words when he writes:
"The word 'serpent' here refers metaphorically to man's consciousness and life force in the subtle coiled passageway at the base of the spine, the matterward flow of which is to be reversed for man to reascend from body attachment to superconscious freedom.... Throughout the Gospels, he IJesus] spoke of his own physical body as 'the Son of man,' as distinguished from his Christ Consciousness, 'the Son of God.'" (p. 259)
"Jesus said that each son of man, each bodily consciousness, must be lifted from the plane of the senses to the astral kingdom by reversing the matter-bent outflowing of the life force to ascension through the serpent-like coiled passage at the base of the spine—the Son of man is lifted up when this serpentine force is uplifted, 'as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.'" (p. 263) "Such is the 'serpent force' (kundalini) in the microcosm of the human body: the coiled current at the base of the spine, a tremendous dynamo of life that when directed outward sustains the physical body and its sensory consciousness; and when consciously directed upward, opens the wonders of the astral cere-brospinal centers." (p. 264-65)
Once there is talk of the kundalini current and the astral cere-brospinal centers, Yogananda's discussion has gone beyond the mystical Christianity of the desert fathers and Meister Eckhart. We are now deeply immersed in the esoteric language of yoga meditation. Here Jesus is not just a mystic in the sense that he seeks God in the temple of inner silence. He is a yogi in the sense that he is fully cognizant of the flow of energy and the ascent of consciousness as one attains elevated states of consciousness.
For the conventional Christian, steeped in a 2,000-year tradition of Jesus as the savior of all humanity— past, present, and future— by freely giving himself over to crucifixion, this is a reorientation of seismic proportions.
But as Yogananda delves into the life and background of Jesus, it becomes clear that the Gospels contain a universal esoteric message that has been awaiting full and systematic explication since the apostolic age. In Yogananda's commentary, what has been veiled, obscure, and oblique is fully disclosed.
COMING UNTO THE FATHER
The Second Coming of Christ tells the story of Christ's life in chronological order. His birth, his travels, his ministry, his parables, his death, and his resurrection are narrated following the King James Version of the New Testament. This narrative is supported by Yogananda's extensive commentary. The result is a massively annotated presentation of what might be called mystical Christianity or esoteric Christianity. Inherent in Yogananda's view is the demonstrable fact that Jesus himself is a yoga master.
"We must know Jesus as an Oriental [Eastern] Christ, a supreme yogi who manifested full mastery of the universal science of God-
union, and thus could speak and act as a savior with the voice and authority of God. He has been Westernized too much.
"Jesus was an Oriental, by birth and blood and training. To separate a teacher from the background of his nationality is to blur the understanding through which he is perceived. No matter what Jesus the Christ was himself, as regards his own soul, being born and maturing in the Orient [East], he had to use the medium of Oriental civilization, customs, mannerisms, language, parables, in spreading his message....
"Though, esoterically understood, the teachings of Jesus are universal, they are saturated with the essence of Oriental culture— rooted in Oriental influences which have been made adaptable to the Western environment." (pp. 90-91)
When Jesus is seen as an Easterner, mystical Christianity breaks away from many deeply embedded traditions and beliefs. First, mystical Christianity becomes a path of spiritual union rather than a path of salvation. The impediment against which the mystic works is a clouded and obscure vision of the immediacy of God. For the mystic, salvation consists not in a redemptive gesture fromon high, but rather in grasping the reality that the individual self is now and always has been perfect, one with the Universal Self.
Second, mystical Christianity rends the heavy mantle of time that encumbers the believer's journey toward redemption. In the temple of inner silence, God himself is immediately available to the accomplished aspirant. The mystical Christian is not constrained to look ahead to some kind of revelation or last judgment at the end of time. The end of time is literally a heartbeat away, and God's full self-disclosure can happen at any moment.
Third, the physical body is not an impediment to coming face-to-face with God. No longer is the mystical Christian required to walk the path of faith where the best we can expect is to perceive as "through a glass darkly" (1 Cor. 13:12). We have direct access to the fullness of cosmic consciousness in our present frail and mortal condition. The ancient and proven science of yoga can subdue and penetrate the natural turbulence of the body.
Thus, The Second Coming of Christ continues the legacy of the Sanatana Dharma—the perennial philosophy that proclaims the bliss of God as the overarching goal of all religious practice. This consummation is available to one and all, and the apparent exclusivity of Christ's claim, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6), becomes a promise to all humanity, irrespective of creed. Yogananda quotes his own guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, in these words:
"Jesus meant, never that he was the sole Son of God, but that no man can attain the unqualified Absolute, the transcendent Father beyond creation, until he has first manifested the 'Son' or activating Christ Consciousness within creation. Jesus, who had achieved entire oneness with that Christ Consciousness, identified himself with it inasmuch as his own ego had long since been dissolved." (p. 1373)
Yogananda elaborates further in his own words: "The Christ Consciousness present in Jesus, and in all vibratory creation and phenomena, is the noumenon, 'truth,' the primary substance and essence of life of everything in creation. No human being who is a part of vibratory creation can take his consciousness to Cosmic Consciousness, 'the Father'— which lies beyond vibratory creation and the immanent Christ Consciousness—without first experiencing the Christ-imbued Cosmic Vibration, or Holy Ghost, that manifests vibratory creation, then passing through the God-reflection of Christ Conciousness. In other words, to 'come unto the Father' every human consciousness has to expand and attain realization of the Cosmic Vibration first, and then know Christ Consciousness, in order to reach Cosmic Consciousness." (pp. 1373-74)
Here we have an exalted vision of what it means to "come unto the Father." Far from being a guarded privilege available only to those who are Christians, it is the universal embrace of God extended to all His creatures irrespective of culture, ethnicity, or religion. Christ and the Holy Ghost are seen as way stations on the ascent to cosmic consciousness. And cosmic consciousness, or the "Father," is the underlying fundament of every human soul.
For those who may have felt that traditional Christianity is devoid of the face-to-face experience of God, there is great assurance to be gained from The Second Coming of Christ. While commenting on passages built entirely on the conventional vocabulary of Christianity, Yogananda is able to pull to the surface the promise of truly ravishing experiences. Consider Yogananda's words on the ascent of consciousness that is available through the Holy Ghost:
"Desire limits the consciousness to the object of desire. Love for all good things as expressions of God expands man's consciousness. One who bathes his consciousness in the Holy Ghost becomes unattached to personal desires and objects while enjoying everything with the joyousness of God within.
"In deepest meditation, as practiced by those who are advanced in the technique of Kriya Yoga. the devotee experiences not only expansion in the Aum vibration 'Voice from Heaven,' but finds himself able also to follow the microcosmic light of Spirit in the 'straight way' of the spine into the light of the spiritual eye 'dove descending from heaven.'" (p. 125)
COMMUNION
What did Yogananda have to say about the vast body of his writings? Here are his own words:
"In these pages I offer to the world an intuitionally perceived spiritual interpretation of the words spoken by Jesus, truths received through actual communion with Christ Consciousness. They will be found to be universally true if they are studied conscientiously and meditated upon with soul-awakened intuitive perception. They reveal the perfect unity that exists among the revelations of the Christian Bible, the Bhagavad Gita of India, and all other time-tested true scriptures." (p. xxiii)
This is a bold and extraordinary assertion. The measure of its veracity must be taken individually as each new reader reflects on the possibility that Krishna and Jesus, the towering avatars of East and West, were proclaiming the same message of eternal, liberating truth.
AYogicView of Christ
By Quincy Howe, Ph.D.
Quincy Howe, Ph.D., former professor of classics, comparative religion, and Sanskrit at Scripps College, Claremont, California, is author of Reincarnation for the Christian (Quest Books). This article first appeared in the March 2005 issue of Yoga International.
SRF Magazine, Summer 2005.
Yoga went global in the twentieth century. Now it seems likely that the divisive chasm between Christian teaching and India's ancient spiritual science will finally be bridged here in the twenty-first. Paramahansa Yogananda's new book, The Second Coming of Christ, holds out this promise, arguing that the division has always been superficial. The implications for yoga practitioners in the West— and for society at large — are enormous.
THE UNDERGROUND RIVER
The traditional Christian teachings hold that Jesus Christ came to the world in order to reconcile the fallen children of the Lord to their Creator. The means of redemption was for Christians to believe from the depths of their soul that Christ's sacrifice on the cross was full payment for the arrogance and disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
This is the mainstream of Christian belief. Less visible but no less ancient is an underground river—a body of esoteric belief—that depicts Jesus as a mystic, as a yogi teaching in the manner of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. The essence of these esoteric teachings is that if we explore our own soul in the depths of meditation, we will find that we are partners with Christ in our access to cosmic consciousness.
With the publication of The Second Coming of Christ, that underground river has burst through the bedrock of the ages. The argument for mystical Christianity no longer needs to be assembled from isolated fragments spanning the past 2,000 years—the Gospel of Thomas, the musings of the desert fathers, the neo-Platonism of Plotinus, the strangely yogic insights of Meister Eckhart. Now we have a 1,700-page commentary on the Gospel story that finds, in the words of Jesus, a fully developed vision of the path of meditation and the science of God-realization. To read Yogananda's commentary is to discover that Jesus was preaching the same doctrine of spiritual self-discovery that Krishna, the apostle of yoga, preached to his disciple Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita.
This is true not only of the passages that point explicitly to inner spirituality, but also of passages that are oblique or puzzling. To start with a passage that is an obvious summons to meditation, let us consider Luke 17:20—21. "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.'"
For Yogananda this statement is clearly in the tradition of Raja Yoga (meditation as the "royal" or highest path to God-union). He writes in The Second Coming of Christ:
"Jesus addresses man as the perennial seeker of permanent happiness and freedom from all suffering: 'The Kingdom of God—of eternal, immutable, ever-newly blissful cosmic consciousness—is within you. Behold your soul as a reflection of the immortal Spirit, and you will find your Self encompassing the infinite empire of God-love, God-wisdom, God-bliss existing in every particle of vibratory creation and in the vibration-less Transcendental Absolute.'
"The teachings of Jesus about God's kingdom—sometimes in direct language, sometimes in parables pregnant with metaphysical meaning—may be said to be the core of the entirety of his message." (pp. 1177-78)
"Many people think of heaven as a physical location, a point of space far above the atmosphere and beyond the stars....In fact, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven consist, respectively, of the transcendental infinitudes of Cosmic Consciousness and the heavenly causal and astral realms of vibratory creation that are considerably finer and more harmonized with God's will than those physical vibrations clustered together as planets, air, and earthly surroundings." (p. 1179)
The above passages bear no resemblance to conventional biblical exegesis. There is no scholarly examination of the wording. There is no attempt to recreate the intellectual climate of Judaea 2,000 years ago. Here Yogananda is speaking with the voice of the spiritual visionary, the voice of Patanjali, Shankara, and the Old Testament prophets. These are the sages who stand, not on the authority of their learning and intellect, but on their anubhava, their unmediated knowledge of spiritual truth.
Yogananda finds yogic truth in the words, "The kingdom of God is within you," as he does in all of Jesus' sayings. Take, for example. John 14:1-2. a passage whose meaning is anything but clear. Jesus says. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God. believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you." Yogananda comments as follows:
"When Jesus said, 'Let not your heart be troubled,' he voiced an exact parallel to a profound spiritual aphorism in the Yoga Sutras, the preeminent ancient treatise on Raja Yoga. There the illumined sage Patanjali says that yoga, union with God, is possible only by stilling the restlessness of the heart (chitta, the feeling faculty of consciousness)." (p. 1371)
"Thus when Jesus says, 'In my Father's house are many mansions,' he warns his disciples that unless they attain Cosmic Consciousness, after death they would have to dwell on one of the variously graded planes of existence where unredeemed souls go, according to their merits and demerits. His promise, 'I go to prepare a place for you,' refers to the fact that the blessings of a true guru can help his disciples to gain a better place in the many mansioned vibratory spheres in the after-death state." (p. 1372)
Here. Yogananda leaps headlong into the metaphysics, psychology, and space-time concepts of yoga philosophy and claims that throughout the entire Gospel narrative Jesus speaks to his disciples exactly as a guru speaks to his chelas (disciples). His immediate task is to clear their spiritual path of the delusional debris that stand in the way of deep meditation.
Yogananda also shows that Jesus, like a guru in the yoga tradition, is acquainted with the realms—the lokas—to which the soul may travel. The traditional geography of hell, purgatory, limbo, and heaven is bypassed. (Traditional Christianity envisions each soul as a pilgrim traveler in this dark and troubled world, headed toward some indeterminate rapture where time and space shall cease to be.) Yogananda aligns Jesus with the great mystics of India, finding in his words a full vision of the yogi's emancipation in Spirit. In this view, the soul of man moves from life to life through many layers of spiritual space until the dross of the ages, cleansed by meditation, gives way to the unitive immersion of the individual self in Universal Spirit.
THE SERPENT
Yogananda finds a blueprint of the yogic journey in the precise physiology of yoga practice as well as in Jesus' words. One of the more obscure sayings of Jesus can be found in John 3:14-15. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." Anyone acquainted with the subtle energies in yoga practice will recognize an old friend at the mention of the serpent. Yogananda once again seizes upon the yogic essence of these words when he writes:
"The word 'serpent' here refers metaphorically to man's consciousness and life force in the subtle coiled passageway at the base of the spine, the matterward flow of which is to be reversed for man to reascend from body attachment to superconscious freedom.... Throughout the Gospels, he IJesus] spoke of his own physical body as 'the Son of man,' as distinguished from his Christ Consciousness, 'the Son of God.'" (p. 259)
"Jesus said that each son of man, each bodily consciousness, must be lifted from the plane of the senses to the astral kingdom by reversing the matter-bent outflowing of the life force to ascension through the serpent-like coiled passage at the base of the spine—the Son of man is lifted up when this serpentine force is uplifted, 'as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.'" (p. 263) "Such is the 'serpent force' (kundalini) in the microcosm of the human body: the coiled current at the base of the spine, a tremendous dynamo of life that when directed outward sustains the physical body and its sensory consciousness; and when consciously directed upward, opens the wonders of the astral cere-brospinal centers." (p. 264-65)
Once there is talk of the kundalini current and the astral cere-brospinal centers, Yogananda's discussion has gone beyond the mystical Christianity of the desert fathers and Meister Eckhart. We are now deeply immersed in the esoteric language of yoga meditation. Here Jesus is not just a mystic in the sense that he seeks God in the temple of inner silence. He is a yogi in the sense that he is fully cognizant of the flow of energy and the ascent of consciousness as one attains elevated states of consciousness.
For the conventional Christian, steeped in a 2,000-year tradition of Jesus as the savior of all humanity— past, present, and future— by freely giving himself over to crucifixion, this is a reorientation of seismic proportions.
But as Yogananda delves into the life and background of Jesus, it becomes clear that the Gospels contain a universal esoteric message that has been awaiting full and systematic explication since the apostolic age. In Yogananda's commentary, what has been veiled, obscure, and oblique is fully disclosed.
COMING UNTO THE FATHER
The Second Coming of Christ tells the story of Christ's life in chronological order. His birth, his travels, his ministry, his parables, his death, and his resurrection are narrated following the King James Version of the New Testament. This narrative is supported by Yogananda's extensive commentary. The result is a massively annotated presentation of what might be called mystical Christianity or esoteric Christianity. Inherent in Yogananda's view is the demonstrable fact that Jesus himself is a yoga master.
"We must know Jesus as an Oriental [Eastern] Christ, a supreme yogi who manifested full mastery of the universal science of God-
union, and thus could speak and act as a savior with the voice and authority of God. He has been Westernized too much.
"Jesus was an Oriental, by birth and blood and training. To separate a teacher from the background of his nationality is to blur the understanding through which he is perceived. No matter what Jesus the Christ was himself, as regards his own soul, being born and maturing in the Orient [East], he had to use the medium of Oriental civilization, customs, mannerisms, language, parables, in spreading his message....
"Though, esoterically understood, the teachings of Jesus are universal, they are saturated with the essence of Oriental culture— rooted in Oriental influences which have been made adaptable to the Western environment." (pp. 90-91)
When Jesus is seen as an Easterner, mystical Christianity breaks away from many deeply embedded traditions and beliefs. First, mystical Christianity becomes a path of spiritual union rather than a path of salvation. The impediment against which the mystic works is a clouded and obscure vision of the immediacy of God. For the mystic, salvation consists not in a redemptive gesture fromon high, but rather in grasping the reality that the individual self is now and always has been perfect, one with the Universal Self.
Second, mystical Christianity rends the heavy mantle of time that encumbers the believer's journey toward redemption. In the temple of inner silence, God himself is immediately available to the accomplished aspirant. The mystical Christian is not constrained to look ahead to some kind of revelation or last judgment at the end of time. The end of time is literally a heartbeat away, and God's full self-disclosure can happen at any moment.
Third, the physical body is not an impediment to coming face-to-face with God. No longer is the mystical Christian required to walk the path of faith where the best we can expect is to perceive as "through a glass darkly" (1 Cor. 13:12). We have direct access to the fullness of cosmic consciousness in our present frail and mortal condition. The ancient and proven science of yoga can subdue and penetrate the natural turbulence of the body.
Thus, The Second Coming of Christ continues the legacy of the Sanatana Dharma—the perennial philosophy that proclaims the bliss of God as the overarching goal of all religious practice. This consummation is available to one and all, and the apparent exclusivity of Christ's claim, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6), becomes a promise to all humanity, irrespective of creed. Yogananda quotes his own guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, in these words:
"Jesus meant, never that he was the sole Son of God, but that no man can attain the unqualified Absolute, the transcendent Father beyond creation, until he has first manifested the 'Son' or activating Christ Consciousness within creation. Jesus, who had achieved entire oneness with that Christ Consciousness, identified himself with it inasmuch as his own ego had long since been dissolved." (p. 1373)
Yogananda elaborates further in his own words: "The Christ Consciousness present in Jesus, and in all vibratory creation and phenomena, is the noumenon, 'truth,' the primary substance and essence of life of everything in creation. No human being who is a part of vibratory creation can take his consciousness to Cosmic Consciousness, 'the Father'— which lies beyond vibratory creation and the immanent Christ Consciousness—without first experiencing the Christ-imbued Cosmic Vibration, or Holy Ghost, that manifests vibratory creation, then passing through the God-reflection of Christ Conciousness. In other words, to 'come unto the Father' every human consciousness has to expand and attain realization of the Cosmic Vibration first, and then know Christ Consciousness, in order to reach Cosmic Consciousness." (pp. 1373-74)
Here we have an exalted vision of what it means to "come unto the Father." Far from being a guarded privilege available only to those who are Christians, it is the universal embrace of God extended to all His creatures irrespective of culture, ethnicity, or religion. Christ and the Holy Ghost are seen as way stations on the ascent to cosmic consciousness. And cosmic consciousness, or the "Father," is the underlying fundament of every human soul.
For those who may have felt that traditional Christianity is devoid of the face-to-face experience of God, there is great assurance to be gained from The Second Coming of Christ. While commenting on passages built entirely on the conventional vocabulary of Christianity, Yogananda is able to pull to the surface the promise of truly ravishing experiences. Consider Yogananda's words on the ascent of consciousness that is available through the Holy Ghost:
"Desire limits the consciousness to the object of desire. Love for all good things as expressions of God expands man's consciousness. One who bathes his consciousness in the Holy Ghost becomes unattached to personal desires and objects while enjoying everything with the joyousness of God within.
"In deepest meditation, as practiced by those who are advanced in the technique of Kriya Yoga. the devotee experiences not only expansion in the Aum vibration 'Voice from Heaven,' but finds himself able also to follow the microcosmic light of Spirit in the 'straight way' of the spine into the light of the spiritual eye 'dove descending from heaven.'" (p. 125)
COMMUNION
What did Yogananda have to say about the vast body of his writings? Here are his own words:
"In these pages I offer to the world an intuitionally perceived spiritual interpretation of the words spoken by Jesus, truths received through actual communion with Christ Consciousness. They will be found to be universally true if they are studied conscientiously and meditated upon with soul-awakened intuitive perception. They reveal the perfect unity that exists among the revelations of the Christian Bible, the Bhagavad Gita of India, and all other time-tested true scriptures." (p. xxiii)
This is a bold and extraordinary assertion. The measure of its veracity must be taken individually as each new reader reflects on the possibility that Krishna and Jesus, the towering avatars of East and West, were proclaiming the same message of eternal, liberating truth.
YAM,
In the wake of the current controversy and saga over the film potrayal of Da Vinci Code, the following is the visionary/enlightened view of Christ as projected and experienced through Paramahansa Yogananda excerpted from his book The Second Comiing of Christ.
"The veracity of the Biblical stories of Jesus is regarded skeptically by many in the modern age. Scoffing at supernormal capacities that challenge common prejudices about what is humanly possible, some staunchly deny that the God-man of the Gospels ever lived. Others concede a measure of historicity to Jesus, but depict him only as a charismatic ethical or spiritual teacher. But to the New Testament account of the Christ of Galilee I humbly add my own testimony. From personal experience I know the real ity of his life and miracles, for I have seen him many, many times, and communed with him, and received his direct confirmation about these matters.
He has come to me often as the baby Jesus and as the young Christ. I have seen him as he was before his crucifixion, his face very sad; and I have seen him in the glori ous form in which he appeared after his resurrection.
We think of the baby Jesus as helpless in his crib, dependent on his mother's milk and care; yet within that tiny form was the Infinite Christ, the Light of the universe in which we are all dancing as motion-picture shadows. Dur ing one of our daylong Christmas meditations, when I prayed to see the baby Christ, the light of the spiritual eye in my forehead opened its rays, and I saw Jesus as an in fant. He appeared in such beauty and power of God. All the forces of nature were playing in that baby-face. In the light of those eyes the universe trembled—waiting for the command of those eyes.
Jesus did not have a light complexion with blue eyes and blond hair as many Western painters have depicted him. His eyes were dark brown, and he had the olive-colored skin of his Asiatic heritage. His nose was a little flattened at the tip. His moustache, sparse beard, and long hair were black. His face and body were beautifully formed. Of all the pictures I have seen of him in the West, the rendering by Hof-mann comes closest to showing the accurate features of the incarnate Jesus.
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
This veiled promise given by Jesus has created great misunderstanding among many Christian sects. These firmly believe that God will literally produce Jesus out of the clouds in the sky in a glorious display and with His power will destroy the "wicked" (non-conforming) people of the earth and give redemption to selected worshipers. Jesus said, "This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Yet, twenty centuries have passed, and Jesus has not yet come out of the clouds openly before the different nations, "tribes." Many true devotees throughout the ages, however, have in ecstatic states of devout meditation seen Jesus coming out of the clouds of darkness of their closed eyes, resplendent in great power and glory.
He came to Saint Anthony, the desert anchorite in Egypt, centuries ago, when the saint was being severely tried and tormented by the devil and his legions of demons in extraordinary attempts to wrest from him his faith. Saint An lliony cried out defiantly "Satan, do your worst! Nothing w ill ever separate me from Christ!" The demons attacked; the walls of the cave shook with such ferocity that their col lapse and the death of the saint seemed imminent. At the last moment, suddenly the radiant splendor of Christ appeared, and Anthony was safe. He said to the Lord, "Where were you, my Jesus? Why did you not come sooner to assist me?" And the voice out of that Light replied: "Anthony, I was with you all the time."
Christ has lived also in the realization of those of other religious persuasions; Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa of India undertook the sadhana of different religions to prove they all lead to the same realization; he had ecstatic communion with Jesus, whom he saw as "the Christ, who shed His heart's blood for the redemption of the world, who suffered a sea of anguish for love of men....the Master Yogi, who is in eternal union with God....Love Incarnate."
Liberated souls such as Jesus, whose mission continues beyond their incarnation, are able to materialize their bodies at will anywhere in the astral heavens or in the physical world at any time—today or unto thousands of years after their ascension. That is why Jesus could say in truth to his disciples: "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." He immortalized his body as well as his spirit. Any true devotee can see him as Jesus Christ or know him as one with the Infinite Christ. Saint Francis, born centuries after Jesus, used to see him every night in Assisi. Saint Teresa of Avila knew him both in form and as the Formless Christ.
Numerous divinely attuned souls have seen him. He has come to me many, many times – whenever I so desire, he appears to me, with his wondrous eyes in which universes revolve, emanating the love of God omnipresent in the Christ Consciousness. Any devotee whose concentration is very deep and whose devotion is pure and persistent can see him by peering through the omniscient spiritual eye at the Christ Consciousness center in the forehead. Intensity and perseverance are necessary; most devotees pray a little while, but soon get discouraged and give up. To such lukewarm effort, Jesus will not respond. Even so, he is listening to every prayer, waiting for the devotee to become receptive and consciously welcome his presence.
It is not a matter of visualizing him or attempting to produce the form of Christ through imagination. That will re sult in an image being projected by the subconscious mind, just as figures are created in nightly dreams—and it will not be the Christ. Rather, one must pray without ceasing, as Je sus taught. By the practice of Kriya Yoga, taking the consciousness into the kingdom of God within, and then praying again and again for Christ's appearance, the devotee can behold the real Christ right in front of him. At first it will be in a vision perceptible to the sense of sight. When the vision can be seen with open as well as with closed eyes, then by even higher development in the intensity of devotion and concentration, the presence of Christ will manifest as a materialized form. That is the ultimate vision, in which one can touch the body of Jesus and talk with him, just as truly as when he walked the earth
In the wake of the current controversy and saga over the film potrayal of Da Vinci Code, the following is the visionary/enlightened view of Christ as projected and experienced through Paramahansa Yogananda excerpted from his book The Second Comiing of Christ.
"The veracity of the Biblical stories of Jesus is regarded skeptically by many in the modern age. Scoffing at supernormal capacities that challenge common prejudices about what is humanly possible, some staunchly deny that the God-man of the Gospels ever lived. Others concede a measure of historicity to Jesus, but depict him only as a charismatic ethical or spiritual teacher. But to the New Testament account of the Christ of Galilee I humbly add my own testimony. From personal experience I know the real ity of his life and miracles, for I have seen him many, many times, and communed with him, and received his direct confirmation about these matters.
He has come to me often as the baby Jesus and as the young Christ. I have seen him as he was before his crucifixion, his face very sad; and I have seen him in the glori ous form in which he appeared after his resurrection.
We think of the baby Jesus as helpless in his crib, dependent on his mother's milk and care; yet within that tiny form was the Infinite Christ, the Light of the universe in which we are all dancing as motion-picture shadows. Dur ing one of our daylong Christmas meditations, when I prayed to see the baby Christ, the light of the spiritual eye in my forehead opened its rays, and I saw Jesus as an in fant. He appeared in such beauty and power of God. All the forces of nature were playing in that baby-face. In the light of those eyes the universe trembled—waiting for the command of those eyes.
Jesus did not have a light complexion with blue eyes and blond hair as many Western painters have depicted him. His eyes were dark brown, and he had the olive-colored skin of his Asiatic heritage. His nose was a little flattened at the tip. His moustache, sparse beard, and long hair were black. His face and body were beautifully formed. Of all the pictures I have seen of him in the West, the rendering by Hof-mann comes closest to showing the accurate features of the incarnate Jesus.
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
This veiled promise given by Jesus has created great misunderstanding among many Christian sects. These firmly believe that God will literally produce Jesus out of the clouds in the sky in a glorious display and with His power will destroy the "wicked" (non-conforming) people of the earth and give redemption to selected worshipers. Jesus said, "This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Yet, twenty centuries have passed, and Jesus has not yet come out of the clouds openly before the different nations, "tribes." Many true devotees throughout the ages, however, have in ecstatic states of devout meditation seen Jesus coming out of the clouds of darkness of their closed eyes, resplendent in great power and glory.
He came to Saint Anthony, the desert anchorite in Egypt, centuries ago, when the saint was being severely tried and tormented by the devil and his legions of demons in extraordinary attempts to wrest from him his faith. Saint An lliony cried out defiantly "Satan, do your worst! Nothing w ill ever separate me from Christ!" The demons attacked; the walls of the cave shook with such ferocity that their col lapse and the death of the saint seemed imminent. At the last moment, suddenly the radiant splendor of Christ appeared, and Anthony was safe. He said to the Lord, "Where were you, my Jesus? Why did you not come sooner to assist me?" And the voice out of that Light replied: "Anthony, I was with you all the time."
Christ has lived also in the realization of those of other religious persuasions; Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa of India undertook the sadhana of different religions to prove they all lead to the same realization; he had ecstatic communion with Jesus, whom he saw as "the Christ, who shed His heart's blood for the redemption of the world, who suffered a sea of anguish for love of men....the Master Yogi, who is in eternal union with God....Love Incarnate."
Liberated souls such as Jesus, whose mission continues beyond their incarnation, are able to materialize their bodies at will anywhere in the astral heavens or in the physical world at any time—today or unto thousands of years after their ascension. That is why Jesus could say in truth to his disciples: "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." He immortalized his body as well as his spirit. Any true devotee can see him as Jesus Christ or know him as one with the Infinite Christ. Saint Francis, born centuries after Jesus, used to see him every night in Assisi. Saint Teresa of Avila knew him both in form and as the Formless Christ.
Numerous divinely attuned souls have seen him. He has come to me many, many times – whenever I so desire, he appears to me, with his wondrous eyes in which universes revolve, emanating the love of God omnipresent in the Christ Consciousness. Any devotee whose concentration is very deep and whose devotion is pure and persistent can see him by peering through the omniscient spiritual eye at the Christ Consciousness center in the forehead. Intensity and perseverance are necessary; most devotees pray a little while, but soon get discouraged and give up. To such lukewarm effort, Jesus will not respond. Even so, he is listening to every prayer, waiting for the devotee to become receptive and consciously welcome his presence.
It is not a matter of visualizing him or attempting to produce the form of Christ through imagination. That will re sult in an image being projected by the subconscious mind, just as figures are created in nightly dreams—and it will not be the Christ. Rather, one must pray without ceasing, as Je sus taught. By the practice of Kriya Yoga, taking the consciousness into the kingdom of God within, and then praying again and again for Christ's appearance, the devotee can behold the real Christ right in front of him. At first it will be in a vision perceptible to the sense of sight. When the vision can be seen with open as well as with closed eyes, then by even higher development in the intensity of devotion and concentration, the presence of Christ will manifest as a materialized form. That is the ultimate vision, in which one can touch the body of Jesus and talk with him, just as truly as when he walked the earth
The following appeared in today's Calgary Herald. It reflects MHI's recent sentiments about the connection between faith and ethics/values stated in his two recent speeches, one at Columbia University and the other at Tutzing, Germany.
Pope blames Canada's low birth rate on godlessness
Bishops urged to be men of hope
Published: Sunday, May 21, 2006
Pope Benedict said Saturday that low birth rates in Canada are the result of the "pervasive effects of secularism" and asked the country's bishops to counter the trend by preaching "with passion" the truth of Christ.
The Pontiff's comments to visiting bishops from Canada echoed his statements last month to members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, when he said that a lack of true love was behind an increase in failed marriages and a decrease in birth rates in much of the developed world.
"Like many countries . . . Canada is today suffering from the pervasive effects of secularism," Benedict said, speaking in English.
"The attempt to promote a vision of humanity apart from God's transcendent order and indifferent to Christ's beckoning light removes from the reach of ordinary men and women the experience of genuine hope," the Pope said. "One of the more dramatic symptoms of this mentality, clearly evident in your own region, is the plummeting birth rate."
Canada's birth rate in 2005 was 10.5 births for every 1,000 people, according to Statistics Canada.
Benedict blamed the low birth rate on social ills and moral ambiguities that result from secular ideology. He added that "Canadians look to you to be men of hope, preaching and teaching with passion the splendour of the truth of Christ who dispels the darkness and illuminates the way to renew ecclesiastical and civic life, educating consciences and teaching the authentic dignity of the person and human society."
Benedict has spoken out several times in favour of large families and called for legislation to help support families with children.
© The Calgary Herald 2006
Pope blames Canada's low birth rate on godlessness
Bishops urged to be men of hope
Published: Sunday, May 21, 2006
Pope Benedict said Saturday that low birth rates in Canada are the result of the "pervasive effects of secularism" and asked the country's bishops to counter the trend by preaching "with passion" the truth of Christ.
The Pontiff's comments to visiting bishops from Canada echoed his statements last month to members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, when he said that a lack of true love was behind an increase in failed marriages and a decrease in birth rates in much of the developed world.
"Like many countries . . . Canada is today suffering from the pervasive effects of secularism," Benedict said, speaking in English.
"The attempt to promote a vision of humanity apart from God's transcendent order and indifferent to Christ's beckoning light removes from the reach of ordinary men and women the experience of genuine hope," the Pope said. "One of the more dramatic symptoms of this mentality, clearly evident in your own region, is the plummeting birth rate."
Canada's birth rate in 2005 was 10.5 births for every 1,000 people, according to Statistics Canada.
Benedict blamed the low birth rate on social ills and moral ambiguities that result from secular ideology. He added that "Canadians look to you to be men of hope, preaching and teaching with passion the splendour of the truth of Christ who dispels the darkness and illuminates the way to renew ecclesiastical and civic life, educating consciences and teaching the authentic dignity of the person and human society."
Benedict has spoken out several times in favour of large families and called for legislation to help support families with children.
© The Calgary Herald 2006
Pope takes message against gay marriage to Spain
Herald News Services
Published: Friday, July 07, 2006
Pope Benedict travels to Spain this weekend as part of his campaign to defend the traditional family, visiting a predominantly Roman Catholic country that allows gay marriage, divorce and abortion.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected when Benedict arrives to address an international meeting on the family organized by the Vatican in the city of Valencia on Spain's Mediterranean coast.
For months Benedict has been denouncing gay marriage and other challenges to church doctrine in Europe and elsewhere -- recently summed up by the Vatican as the "greatest threat ever" to the traditional family based on marriage between a man and a woman.
The meeting in Spain has particular significance because of the Catholic Church's battle with the Socialist government, which took office two years ago with an agenda that included legalizing gay marriage, streamlining procedures for abortion and divorce, and scrapping plans by the previous conservative government to make religion classes obligatory in schools.
Benedict has made combating a Europe of religious apathy a priority of his papacy. Vatican officials have declared that such former Catholic bedrocks as Spain are in need of a "new evangelization."
© The Calgary Herald 2006
Herald News Services
Published: Friday, July 07, 2006
Pope Benedict travels to Spain this weekend as part of his campaign to defend the traditional family, visiting a predominantly Roman Catholic country that allows gay marriage, divorce and abortion.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected when Benedict arrives to address an international meeting on the family organized by the Vatican in the city of Valencia on Spain's Mediterranean coast.
For months Benedict has been denouncing gay marriage and other challenges to church doctrine in Europe and elsewhere -- recently summed up by the Vatican as the "greatest threat ever" to the traditional family based on marriage between a man and a woman.
The meeting in Spain has particular significance because of the Catholic Church's battle with the Socialist government, which took office two years ago with an agenda that included legalizing gay marriage, streamlining procedures for abortion and divorce, and scrapping plans by the previous conservative government to make religion classes obligatory in schools.
Benedict has made combating a Europe of religious apathy a priority of his papacy. Vatican officials have declared that such former Catholic bedrocks as Spain are in need of a "new evangelization."
© The Calgary Herald 2006
Words of the Word of God: Jesus Christ ('a) Speaks through Shi'i Narrations
Selected, edited and translated by
Mahdi Muntazir Qa'im and Muhammad Legenhausen
Vol 13. No. 3.- 4
Introduction:
In the Qur'an, in a passage describing the annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus ('a) is described as a Word from God: "O Mary! Verily Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him; his name is the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, eminent in this world, and in the Hereafter of those near [to God]" (3:44)
The context in which this ayah was revealed was one of inter-religious encounter. It is said that the Christians of Najran sent a delegation to the Prophet of Islam (s) at Makkah to question him about the teachings of Islam concerning Jesus ('a), and God revealed the above and other ayat of Surat Al 'Imran in response. The response is not only not a denial of Christian teachings, although the divinity of Christ is clearly rejected, but also an affirmation of much believed by Christians as well, even the designation of Christ as logos: 'O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your creed, and do not say of Allah but the Truth. Verily, the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a Spirit from Him (Qur'an 4:171) So in addition to being called the Word of God, Jesus ('a) is also called a Spirit of God and in some of the narrations reported in the Shi'i tradition, this title is used.
Of course, the interpretation of the logos in Christian theology differs markedly from the interpretation of the kalimah by Muslim scholars. For the Christian, according to the Gospel of John, the Word was God and the Word became flesh.' For the Muslim, on the other hand, the Word is creature, even while it is the creative principle, for it is in God's utterance of the word 'Be'. That creation takes place. To call Christ the Word of Allah is not to deify him, but to verify his status as prophet. Because of his high status as prophet, Jesus ('a) becomes a complete manifestation of God, one who conveys the message of God, one who can speak on behalf of God, the Word of God Jesus ('a) becomes the Word of God not because of an incarnation whereby his flesh becomes divine, but because his spirit is refined to such an extent that it becomes a mirror whereby divinity comes to be known. The temple is holy not because of any inherent sanctity in the structure, but because it is the place of the worship of God.
The differences between Islamic and Christian thinking about Jesus ('a) are as important as they are subtle. Both accept the virgin birth, although it is ironic that a growing number of liberal Christians have come to have doubts about this miracle while Muslims remain steadfast! Among the other miracles attributed to Jesus ('a) in the Glorious Qur'an are the revival of the dead and the creation of a bird from clay, but all of the miracles performed by Jesus ('a) are expressly by the permission of Allah. Just as in the miracle of his birth, Jesus ('a) came into the world by a human mother and divine spirit, so too, his miracles are performed as human actions with divine permission. In this regard the error of the Christians is explained by Ibn 'Arabi as follows:
"This matter has led certain people to speak of incarnation and to say that, in reviving the dead, he is God. Therefore, since they conceal God, Who in reality revives the dead, in the human form of Jesus, He has said, They are concealers [unbelievers] who say that God is the Messiah, son of Mary. (5:72)" [1]
The point is that one can find God in Jesus ('a) without deifying him, and furthermore that deifying Jesus ('a) is really an obstacle to finding God in Jesus ('a), for in the deification one ceases to look in Jesus ('a) for anything beyond him. It is as if one were to become distracted from a message by focusing one's attention on the words through which it was conveyed.
To the above point it may be added that not only does the doctrine of the incarnation prevent one from finding God in Christ ('a), but it also prevents one from seeing Christ ('a) the man, because his imagined divinity gets in the way.
One of the central questions of Christian theology is: "Who was Jesus Christ?" The formulation of answers to this question is called Christology. In this area of theology, Christians have debated the significance of the historical Jesus as opposed to the picture of Jesus presented in the traditions of the Christian Churches and the Biblical understanding of Jesus. The time has come for Muslims to begin work in this area, as well. Through the development of an Islamic Christology we can come to a better understanding of Islam as contrasted with Christianity, and Islam in consonance with Christianity, too. Indeed, the first steps in this direction are laid out for us in the Qur'an itself, in the verses mentioned above and others. Contemporary work toward an Islamic Christology is scarce. Christian authors have tended to stress the salvific function of Jesus ('a) which seems to have no place in Islam, and given this, the Christians ask one another whether Christ ('a) can be the savior of Muslims and others who are not Christians. Christians should be reminded that Muslims accept Jesus ('a) as savior, along with all the other prophets, for the prophetic function is to save humanity from the scourge of sin by conveying the message of guidance revealed by God. The important difference between Islam and Christianity here is not over the issue of whether Jesus ('a) saves, but how he saves. Islam denies that salvation is through redemption resulting from the crucifixion, and instead turns its attention to the instruction provided in the life of the prophets ('a).
Muslims, on the other hand, have tended to produce polemical works showing how much of what is in the Bible is consistent with the Islamic view of Christ ('a) as prophet rather than as a person of the Trinity. Some interesting work along these lines has been initiated by Ahmad Deedat in South Africa. More profound insights into the differences between Islam and other faiths, including Christianity, may be found in the writings of Frithjof Schuon, Shaykh 'Isa Nur al-Din Ahmad, who presents the beginnings of a genuine Christology from a sufi perspective in his Islam and the Perennial Philosophy.[2] There is also a valuable collection of stories about Jesus ('a) culled from the writings of various Muslim mystics, Jesus in the Eyes of the Sufis. [3] Some of the items reported in this work have their origins in the narrations attributed to the Shi'i Imams ('a) presented below.
These days there is much discussion of dialogue between different faith communities. Conferences have been held for this purpose in the Islamic Republic of Iran as well as in Africa, Europe and the United States. Perhaps one of the best ways Christians can find common ground for discussion with Muslims is to become familiar with the portrait of Jesus ('a) presented in Islamic sources, the most important of which are the Qur'an and hadith, and as for the latter, no matter what one's religious orientation, it must be admitted that the narrations handed down through the Household of the Prophet (s) deserve careful attention. For those of us who have the honor of being counted among the Shi'ah, the importance of what has been related by the Ahl al-Bayt weighs especially heavily, as it should, according to the famous hadith al-thaqalayn", in which the Prophet (s,), in the last year of his life, is reported to have said:
"Verily, I am leaving with you two weighty things (thaqalayn): the Book of Allah and my kindred, my household, for indeed, the two of them will never separate until they return to me by the Pond [of Kawthar on the Last Day]."
Perhaps some Christians will be dismissive of what is said of Jesus ('a) in the Islamic narrations because the main debate about contemporary Christology among Christians is whether research about the historical Jesus ('a) is relevant to religion, or whether knowledge of Jesus ('a) requires attention to the role he plays in the Church and in theology. The Islamic narrations, coming centuries after the life of Christ ('a) (and in some cases more than a century after the life of Muhammad [s] will likely be dismissed by liberal Christians in pursuit of a portrait of Jesus ('a) based on the standards of historical research currently accepted in the West. The neo-orthodox Christian claims that the Savior is not to be found in history, but in the Church, so it will not be surprising if he displays no interest in what Islam has to say about Christ ('a). However, the Christian may find that the Islamic perspective illuminates a middle ground between the historian's emphasis on the natural and the ecclesiastical emphasis on the supernatural. The humanity of Jesus ('a) is evident in the narrations of the Shi'ah, but it is a humanity transformed, a perfected humanity, and as such there is no denying its supernatural dimension.
The Muslim always seems to appear as a stranger to the Christian, but perhaps it is from the stranger that the Christian can best come to know his savior. The crucifix has hung in the Church for so long that it becomes difficult for the Christian to find significance there. The attraction of the quest for the historical Jesus is that it provides a fresh look at the subject, even if that quest is marred by naturalistic presumptions inimical to the religious outlook. By trying to see Jesus ('a) as the Muslim sees him, the Christian may find his savior come to life, lifted up to God in his own inner life rather than crucified. [4]
If we have given reason for Christians to study the narrations of the Shi'ah about Jesus ('a), the question of the value of such study for Muslims remains. Some might wonder why, when we have the Qur'an and Sunnah, we should be especially interested in Jesus ('a). To begin with, Jesus ('a), along with the prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses, Peace be with them, and Muhammad (s) has a special status in Islam as one of the greatest prophets, the ulu al- 'azm, the prophets who brought the divine law. What was revealed to the last of them, (s), is a confirmation of what was revealed to the others. The truth of the revelation is not to be found in its particularity but in its universality, and we come to understand this best when we understand the teachings of all the prophets ('a). Is this not why so much attention is given to the previous prophets in the Qur'an?
All of the prophets ('a) have brought a gospel of love, love of God and love of neighbor and love even for the meanest of His creatures. So, in the reports narrated below we find Jesus ('a) giving some of his food to the creatures of the sea. At the same time, however, this love is not to be confused with a sentimentalism which would prevent the execution of the divine law. Jesus ('a) found fault with the Pharisees not because of their regard for the exterior forms of religion, but because of their disregard for its interior forms, that is, because of their hypocrisy. [5]
The words of the Spirit of Allah reported in the selections that follow are primarily concerned with morals. These are Christian morals and at the same time Islamic morals. Today Christendom is in a state of moral upheaval. Peculiarly modern ideas of what is right and wrong have found their way into the theologians' understandings of ethics. Significant areas of agreement are difficult to find. The simple morality taught by Jesus ('a) and which continues to be emphasized in Islam resonates in the narrations of the Shi'ah. While excessive asceticism is forbidden, we are to turn, like Jesus ('a), away from the world to find refuge in God.
From the following narrations we not only become reacquainted with the moral teachings of Jesus ('a) and with his character, but we also discover what the dear friends of Allah, the Household of the Prophet (s) found it important to transmit about him, and thereby we get a glimpse into their moral teachings and characters, too.
Muhammad Legenhausen
The Words of Jesus ('a)
Divine Omnipotence:
1. It is said that Jesus the son of Mary ('a) was sitting and an old man was working with a small shovel tilling the earth. Jesus ('a) said: "O Allah! Extract his desire from him." The old man put down the small shovel and slept for an hour. Then Jesus ('a) said: "O Allah! Return the desire to him." Then he stood up and began to work. Jesus ('a) asked him about it. He said: "When I was working my soul said to me: 'How long will you work, being that you are an old man?' Then I put down the small shovel and slept.' Then my soul said to me: 'By Allah! You have no alternative but to live as long as you remain.' Then I stood up with my small shovel." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 329)
2. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq] ('a) said: "The Devil [iblis, the devil who tempted Adam and Eve. Cf. Qur'an 2:34; 7:11; 15:31; 38:74] said to Jesus the son of Mary: 'Does your Lord have the power to put the earth into an egg without reducing the size of the earth or enlarging the egg?' Then Jesus ('a) said: 'Woe unto you, for weakness is not attributed to Allah. Who is more powerful than He Who makes the earth subtle and makes the egg great?' (Bihar al-anwar, iv, 142)
3. It is reported that Imam Sadiq ('a) said: "Iblis came to Jesus ('a), then he said: 'Do you not claim that you can revive the dead?' Jesus said: 'Yes.' Iblis said: 'Then throw yourself down from the top of the wall.' Then Jesus said: 'Woe unto you! Verily the servant does not try his Lord.' And Iblis said: 'O Jesus! Can your Lord put the earth in an egg while the egg remains in its form?' Then he said: 'Verily impotence is not attributed to Allah, the Supreme, but what you said cannot be.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 271)
Of Human Poverty:
4. One of the Imams is reported to have said: "It was said to Jesus the son of Mary ('a): 'How did you begin the morning, O Spirit of Allah?' He said: 'I began the morning with my Lord, the Blessed and Supreme, above me and the fire (of hell) before me and death in pursuit of me. I do not possess that which I hope for and I cannot avoid what I hate. So which of the poor is poorer than me?' " (Bihar al-anwar, lxxvi, 17)
The World and the Hereafter:
5. Jesus ('a) said: "O assembly of disciples! I have thrown the world prostrate before you, so do not lift it up after me, for one of the evils of this world is that Allah was disobeyed in it, and one of the evils of this world is that the next world is not attained except by abandoning this one. So pass through this world without making it your home, and know that the root of all wrong is the love of this world. Many a vain desire leaves a legacy of lasting sorrow." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
6. [Jesus ('a)] said: "Blessed is he who abandons the present desire for the absent promise." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
7. Jesus ('a) said: "Who would build a house on the waves of the sea? This world is that house, so you should not take it as a dwelling.'' (Bihar al-anwar," xiv, 326)
8. Jesus ('a) said: "Woe to the companion of the world! How he dies and leaves it and how he relies on it and it deceives him, and how he trusts it and it forsakes him! Woe unto those who are deceived! How that which is repugnant encompasses them and that which is beloved separates from them! And that which is promised will come to them. And woe to those whose endeavors are only for the world and error. How he will be disgraced before Allah tomorrow!"
(Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 328)
9. Jesus, Peace be upon him, is reported to have said: "How can one be of the people of knowledge if the next world is shown to him while he remains involved in this world, and what harms him is more desirable to him than what benefits him?'' (Majmu'at at warram, i, 83)
10. It was said to Jesus ('a): "Teach us a deed for which Allah will love us." He said: "Detest the world and Allah will love you. (Tanbih al-khawatir, i, 134)
11. It has been reported by Mujahid from Ibn 'Abbas from the Apostle of Allah, may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him and with his folk: "Verily, Jesus. Peace be upon him, passed a city which had come to ruin and whose foundations had collapsed. He said to some of his disciples: 'Do you know what it is saying?' One said: 'No.' Jesus, Peace be upon him, said: 'It says: "Verily, the true promise of my Lord has come. My rivers have dried up, though once they were full; my trees have withered, though once they were in bloom; my castles are in ruins and my residents have died. Then, oh, these are their bones within me, and their property that was gained lawfully along with their ill-gotten gains are in my belly, and the inheritance of the heavens and the earth is only for Allah." '" (Adab al-nafs, I, 122)
12. The Messiah, Peace he upon him, said to the Apostles: "Verily, the eating of barley bread and the drinking of plain water today in this world is for he who would enter heaven tomorrow." (Adab al-nafs, ii, 225)
13. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq], Peace he upon him, said: 'Jesus the son of Mary, may the blessings of Allah be upon him, said: 'You work for the sake of this world while it is not by work that you are provided for in it. And you do not work for the sake of the next world, while it is only by work that you will be provided for in it. Woe be unto you, evil learned ones ('ulama)! You take your wage and neglect works. Soon the worker's work will he accepted, and soon you will be driving forth from the narrowness of this world toward the darkness of the grave. How can one be knowledgeable who is on the way to the next world and yet his face is turned towards this world, and he likes the things that harm him more than the things that benefit him?' ' (Al-Kafi, ii, 319)
14. Jesus ('a) said: "The love of this world and the next cannot come together in the heart of a believer, like water and fire in a single vessel." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
l5 It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq], Peace be upon him, said that Jesus, Peace be upon him, said: ''It is hard to get any good thing whether it is of the world or the hereafter. As to the good things of this world they are hard to get because there' is nothing of it which as soon as you extend your hand to get, some profligate does not grab first, while the good things of the other world are hard to obtain because you do not find any helper who may help
you to obtain it.'' (al-Kafi viii, 144)
16. When Jesus passed by a house whose inmates had died and others had taken their place, he said: " woe to your owners who inherited you! How they have learned no lesson from their late brothers." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 329)
17. Jesus ('a) said: "This world and the next one are rivals. When you please one of them you displease the other." (Bihar al-anwar, lxxiii, 122)
18. It has been reported that Abu 'Abd Allah, Peace he upon him, said: "The world took the form, for Jesus ('a), of a woman whose eyes were blue. Then he said to her: 'How many have you married?' She said: 'Very many.' He said: 'Then did they all divorce you?' She said: 'No, but I killed all of them.' He said: 'Then woe be to the rest of your husbands! How they fail to learn from the example of the predecessors!'
19. It is reported that 'Ali ibn al-Husayn [Imam Sajjad], Peace be upon him, said: "The Messiah, Peace be upon him, said to his Apostles: 'Verily, this world is merely a bridge, so cross over it, and do not make it your abode.' '' (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 319)
20. I heard Imam Rida ('a) say: "Jesus the son of Mary, may Allah bless him, said to the apostles: 'O Children of Israel! Do not grieve over what you lose of this world, just as the people of this world do not grieve over what they lose of their religion, when they gain this world of theirs.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 304; al-Kafi. ii, 127)
21. Jesus ('a) said: "Do not take the world as a master, for it will make you its slave. Keep your treasure with one who will not squander it. The owners of the treasures of this world fear for its ruin, but he who owns the treasure of Allah does not fear for its ruin.'' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
22. Jesus ('a) said: ''In truth I say unto you, just as one who is sick looks at food and finds no pleasure in it due to the severity of the pain, the companions of this world find no pleasure in worship and do not find the sweetness of it, for what they find is the sweetness of this world. In truth I say unto you, just as an animal which is not captured and tamed becomes hardened and its character is changed, so too when hearts are not softened by the remembrance of death and the effort of worship they become hard and coarse, and in truth I say unto you, if a skin is not torn, it may become a vessel for honey, just as hearts, if they are not torn by desires, or fouled by greed, or hardened by pleasures, may become vessels for wisdom.'' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 325)
23. It was said to Jesus ('a): "[Would it not be better] if you got a house?" He said: "The remains which are left from those before us is enough for us.'' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
On Wisdom
24. It is reported that Jesus ( 'a) said: ''O assembly of scholars ( 'ulama)'. Just as the sovereigns have abandoned wisdom, leaving it to you. So you should abandon sovereignty, leaving it for them.'' (Adab al nafs. i, 134)
25. And it was said to him [Jesus ( a)]: "Who trained you?" He said: "No one trained me. I saw the ugliness of ignorance and I avoided it.'' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 326)
26. The apostle of Allah [Muhammad] (s) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) stood up among the Children of Israel and said: 'O Children of Israel! Do not speak with the ignorant of wisdom, for otherwise you do injustice with it, and do not keep it from its folk, for otherwise you do injustice to them, and do not help the unjust with his injustice, for otherwise your virtue becomes void. Affairs are three: the affair whose righteousness is clear to you, so follow it: the affair whose error is clear to you, so avoid it'. and the affair about which there are differences, so return it to Allah, the Almighty and Glorious." (Faqih, iv, 400)
27. Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said: "O assembly of Apostles! I have a request of you. Fulfill it for me." They said: "Your request is fulfilled, O Spirit of Allah!" Then he stood up and washed their feet. They said: "It would have been more proper for us to have done this, O Spirit of Allah!" Then he said: "Verily, it is more fitting for one with knowledge to serve the people. Indeed, I humbled myself only so that you may humble yourselves among the people after me, even as I have humbled myself among you." Then Jesus ('a) said: "Wisdom is developed by humility, not by pride, and likewise plants only grow in soft soil, not in rocks.'' (Bihar al-anwar, ii, 62; Al-Kafi, vi, 37)
28. Al-Sayyid ibn Tawus, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I read in the Gospel that Jesus ('a) said: "I tell you, do not worry about what you will eat or what you will drink or with what you will clothe your bodies. Is not the soul more excellent than food, and the body more excellent than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor store away, yet your heavenly Lord provides for them. Are you not more excellent than they'? Who among you by worrying can add a single measure to his stature'? Then why do you worry about your clothes?'' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 317) [6]
Self-knowledge'
29 It is reported by Mufaddal, one of the companions of Imam al-Sadiq ('a), from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, Peace be upon him, in a long hadith, that he said: "Jesus the son of Mary, Peace be upon our Prophet and upon him, used to spend some time with the disciples and advise them, and he used to say: 'He does not know me who knows not his soul, and he who does not know the soul between his two sides, does not know the soul between my two sides. And he who knows his soul which is between his sides, he knows me. And he who knows me knows He Who sent me.' " (Adab al-nafs, ii, 213)
On Prayer and Worship:
30. Jesus ('a) said to a worshipper, "What do you do?" He answered, "I worship." He ('a) said, "Then who provides for you?" He said, "My brother." He ('a) said, "Your brother is more of a worshipper than you are!" (Adab al-nafs, i, 215)
31. I asked Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq ('a)] about the best thing by which the servant may draw near to his Lord and what is most beloved by Allah, the Almighty and Glorious. He said: "I know of nothing, after knowledge (ma'rifah), better than the ritual prayer (salat). Do you not see that the good servant Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said: 'And He enjoined on me the ritual prayer (salat) and the alms tax (zakat) for as long as I live.'?" (Al-Kafi, iii, 264)
32. It is reported that Imam Sadiq ('a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) passed by a group of people who were crying. He asked why they were crying. It was said to him that they were crying for their sins. He said, they should pray about them and they will be forgiven." (Bihar al-anwar, vi, 20)
Pride of the Sanctimonious:
33. Jesus ('a) said: "O group of Apostles! How many lamps the wind has put out, and how many worshippers pride has corrupted.!" (Bihar al-anwar, lxxii, 322)
On Chastity:
34. Imam Sadiq ('a) said: "The Apostles met with Jesus ('a) and said to him: 'O teacher of the good! Guide us!' He said to them: 'Verily Moses the interlocutor of Allah ('a) commanded you not to swear by Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, falsely, and I command you not to swear by Allah falsely or truly.' They said: 'O Spirit of Allah! Guide us more!' Then he said: 'Verily Moses the prophet of Allah ('a) commanded you not to commit adultery, and I command you not to talk to yourselves about adultery, let alone to commit adultery. Verily one who talks to himself about adultery is like one who sets fire to a house that is decorated so the smoke damages the decor, even though the house is not burnt.' (Al-Kafi, v, 542)
35. Jesus (a) said: "Never stare at that which is not for you. If you restrain your eyes you will never commit adultery; and if you are able to avoid looking at the garments of women who are not permitted for you, then do so." (Majmu'at al-Warram, i, 62)
36. It is reported that Imam Sadiq ('a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said, 'When one of you sits in his house, he should have clothes on. Verily, Allah has allotted modesty for you, just as He has allotted your sustenance."" (Bihar al-anwar, lxxi, 334)
Looking at the Bright Side:
37. It is reported that he [Jesus ('a)] passed by a carcass with his disciples. Then the disciples said: "How putrid the smell of this dog is!" Then Jesus ('a) said: "How intense is the whiteness of his teeth!" (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
Hope and Fear:
38. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq] ('a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) sent two of his companions on an errand. Then one of them returned thin and afflicted and the other fat and chubby. He said to the one who was thin: what did this to you, that I see you this way?' He said: 'The fear of Allah.' And he said to the other who was fat: 'What did this to you, that I see you this way?' He said: 'A good opinion of Allah.' " (Bihar al-anwar, lxx. 400)
Death:
39. It is reported from Imam Sadiq, Peace be upon him, from his father that he said: "Jesus, Peace be upon him, used to say: 'Regarding the terror which you do not know when you will encounter [i.e. death], what prevents you from preparing for it before it comes upon you suddenly?' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 330)
Of Advice and Advisers:
40. And he (Jesus ('a)) said: "How long will you be advised without taking any advice? Certainly you have become a burden to the advisors." (Adab al-nafs, i, 175)
41. [Imam] al-Sadiq, Peace be upon him, said: "Verily, a man came to Jesus the son of Mary, Peace be upon him, and said to him: 'O Spirit of Allah! I have committed fornication [or adultery, sex between a man and woman not married to each other, in Arabic: zina] so purify me.' Then Jesus ordered the people to be called so that none should be left behind for the purification of so-and-so. Then when the people had been gathered together and the man had entered into a hole, so as to be stoned, the man in the hole called out: 'Anyone for whom Allah, the Supreme, has a punishment should not punish me.' Then all the people left except for John and Jesus, Peace be upon them. Then John, Peace be upon him, approached him and said to him: 'O sinner! Advise me!' Then he said to him: 'Do not leave your self alone with its desires or you will perish.' John, Peace be upon him, said: 'Say more.' He said: 'Verily, do not humiliate the wrongdoer for his fault.' John, Peace be upon him, said: 'Say more. He said: 'Do not become angry.' John, Peace be upon him, said: 'That is enough for me.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 188)
Goodness Imperishable:
42. Jesus ('a) said to his companions: "Accord great regard for the thing which is not eaten by the fire." They said: ''What is that?" He said: "That which is good (al-ma'ruf)." (Bihar al-anwar. xiv, 330)
Charity:
43. Imam Sadiq ('a) said: ''Verily, when Jesus the son of Mary ( 'a) passed along the shore of a sea, he threw a piece of his bread into the water, Then some of the disciples said: 'O Spirit of Allah and His Word! Why did you do this when that was your food.' He said: "I did this in order that some animal among the animals of the sea may eat it, and the reward of Allah for this is great.' (Tahdhib, iv, 105)
Moderation in Food and Sleep:
44. Jesus ('a) said: "O Children of Israel! Do not be excessive in eating, for those who are excessive in eating are excessive in sleeping, and those who are excessive in sleeping are deficient in praying, and of those who are deficient in praying, it is written that they are negligent." (Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, xix, 188; Adab al-nafs. i, 189)
45. Jesus the son of Mary ('a) stood up among the Children of Israel to preach. He said. 'O Children of Israel! Do not eat before you become hungry and when you become hungry eat but do not eat your fill, because when you eat your fill your necks become thick and your sides grow fat and you forget your Lord" (Bihar al-anwar lxvi, 337)
The blessed and the wretched:
46 It is reported that [Imam] Ali (a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary (a) said: ''Blessed is he whose silence is contemplation (fikr). whose glance is an admonition, whose house suffices him and who cries over his mistakes and from whose hand and tongue the people are safe.' '' (Bihar a1-anwar xiv, 319)
47 Jesus said: "How can someone benefit himself while he trades himself for all that is in this world, then he abandons that which he has traded as inheritance to others and destroys himself. But blessed is the man who purifies himself and prefers his soul to everything of this world.'' (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 329)
48. I heard Imam Sadiq ( 'a) say: ''Christ ( 'a) said to his disciples: 'If you are not lovers and my brothers, you must accustom yourself to the enmity and hatred of the people, otherwise you will not be my brothers. I teach you this that you may learn it; I do not teach you so that you may become proud. Verily, you will not achieve that which you seek unless you give up that which you desire, and by enduring patiently that which you detest. And guard your gaze for it plants lust in the heart, and it is sufficient to tempt one. Happy are they who see that which they desire with their eyes, but who commit no disobedience in their hearts. How far is that which is in the past, and how near is that which is to come. Woe to those who have been deluded when what they loathe approaches them, and what they love abandons them, and there comes that which they were promised. There is lesson in the creation of these nights and days. Woe to those whose efforts are for the sake of this world, and whose achievements are errors. How he will be disgraced before his Lord! And do not speak much about anything other than the remembrance of God. Those who talk much about things other than God have their hearts hardened, but they do not know it. Do not look at the faults of others as if you have been appointed to spy over them, but attend to the emancipation of your own selves, for you are slaves, possessed. How much water flows in a mountain without its becoming soft, and how much wisdom you are taught without your hearts becoming soft. You are bad slaves, not pious slaves, nor of those who are noble and free. Indeed you are like unto the oleander: all who see it wonder at its flowers, but when they eat from it they die. Peace be unto you.' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 324)
Of wealth and Property:
49. It is reported that Jesus ('a) found fault with property and said: ''It has three characteristics.'' It was said: ''And what are they', O Spirit of Allah.''' He said: ''One acquires it illegitimately, and if it is acquired legitimately, it keeps one from spending it in its right place, and if one spends it in its right place, its management keeps one from worshiping one's Lord." (Bihar al-anwar xiv 329)
50). It is reported that the Commander of the faithful [Imam Ali], peace be upon him, said: "Jesus the son of Mary, Peace he upon him, said: 'The dinar is the illness of religion, and the scholar (al-'alim) is the physician of religion. So if you see that the physician brings illness upon himself, distrust him, and know that he is not to advise others.' " (Bihar al-anwar. xiv, 319)
On Company:
51 Imam Ali ('a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said: 'Verily the evil doer is infectious, and the associate of the wicked is brought down. So beware of those with whom you associate.' " (Al-Kafi, ii, 640)
52. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq], Peace he upon him, said: The Apostle of Allah, may the Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny, said: 'The Apostles said to Jesus, Peace he upon him: "O Spirit of Allah! With whom should we keep company?" He said: "He the sight of whom reminds you of Allah, the speech of whom increases your knowledge, and the works of whom make you desirous of the other world." ' " (Al-Kafi, i, 39)
The Incorrigible Fool:
53. It has been reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq], Peace be upon him, said: 'Verily, Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said: 'I treated the sick, then I healed them by the permission of Allah, and I cured those born blind and the lepers by the permission of Allah, and I treated the dead and revived them by the permission of Allah, and I treated the fool, but I could not correct him' Then it was said: 'O spirit of Allah. What is a fool?' He said 'He is one who is admirable in his own view to himself, He who considers all merit to be for him and not against him, and who finds all rights to be for himself and does not find against himself any right. Such is the fool for whom there is no way to cure him.'" (Bihar al anwar, xiv, 323)
The Heart's Sickness:
54 And Jesus the son of Mary said: "There is no sickness of the heart more severe than callousness, and no soul is more severely affected than the one that goes without hunger, and these two are the halters of expulsion [from divine mercy] and abandonment." (Bihar al-anwar, lxvi, 337)
55. Verily, Jesus ('a) said: "Why do you come to me clothed in the garments of monks while your hearts are those of ferocious wolves? Wear the clothes of kings, but soften your hearts with fear." (Bihar al-anwar, lxxiii, 208)
Anger and Its Source:
56. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq] ('a) said "The disciples said to Jesus the son of Mary ('a): 'O teacher of the good! Teach us what is the most severe of things.' Then he said: the most severe of things is the wrath of Allah.' They said: 'Then what prevents the wrath of Allah?' He said: 'That you not be wrathful.' They said: 'What is the source of wrath?' He said: 'Pride, haughtiness and contempt for the people.' '' (Bihar al-anwar, xvi, 257)
Five Evils:
57. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah, [Imam Sadiq], Peace be upon him, said: "The Messiah, Peace be upon him, used to say: 'He who has many worries, his body becomes sick; he who is ill-tempered, his self becomes his torment; he who often talks, often stumbles; he who often lies, loses his worth; he who quarrels with men, loses his manliness.' (Bihar al-anwar. xiv. 318)
Evil scholars:
58. Imam Sadiq ('a) said: Jesus the son of Mary, Peace be upon our Prophet and his progeny and with him. said: Woe unto the evil scholars! How the fire inflames them!' (Al-Kafi, i, 47)
Satan's Clientele:
59. Jesus ('a) met Iblis who was driving five donkeys. Loads were upon them. Jesus ('a) asked him about the loads. Iblis said, "They are for trade, and I am looking for buyers." Jesus ('a) said, "What is the merchandise?" Iblis said, "One of them is injustice." He ('a) asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "Rulers. And the second is pride." He asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "Village chiefs. And the third is envy." He asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "The learned. And the fourth is treason." He asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "Those who work for merchants. And the fifth is trickery." He said, "Who buys it?" He said, "Women." (Bihar al-anwar, lxiv, 196)
The Richest of All Men:
60. Jesus, Peace be upon him, said: "My hands 'are my servant and my feet are my mount; the earth is my bed, a stone my pillow; my blanket in the winter is the east of the earth and my lamp in the night is the moon; my stew is hunger and my motto is fear; my garment is wool and my fruit and my basil what grows from the earth for wild beasts and cattle. I sleep while I have nothing and I rise while I have nothing, and yet there is no one on earth wealthier than I" (Bihar al-anwar, xvii, 239)
Seeking God's Pleasure:
61. And Jesus ('a) used to say: "O apostles, love God through hatred of the 'disobedient, and approach God by distancing [yourselves] from them, and seek pleasure by their displeasure." (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 330)
Criterion of Mutual Relations:
62. It is reported that Imam Sadiq, Peace be upon him, said: "Jesus the son of Mary, Peace be upon them, said to some of his companions: 'Do not do to others what you do not like others to do to you, and if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him your left cheek too.[7] (Bihar al-anwar, x, 287).
Others Opinion of Oneself:
63. The Messenger of God (s) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said to John the son of Zachariah, 'If something is said of you which is true, then know that it was a sin that you had committed, so ask God's forgiveness for it, and if something is said of you which is not true, then know that a good deed will be recorded for you for this, for which you did not have to labor.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 287).
On Having a Good Opinion of God:
64. Al-Sayyid ibn Tawus, may God have mercy on him, said: "I read in the Gospel that Jesus ('a) said: 'Who among you gives his son a stone when he asks for bread? Or who hands out a snake when asked for a cloak? If despite the fact that your evil is well-known you give good gifts to your sons, then it is more fitting that your Lord should give good things to one who asks." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 318; Sa'd al-su'ud, 56) [8]
Inner Chastity
65. Jesus ('a) said: "You heard what was said to the people of yore, 'Do not commit adultery,' but I tell you, he who looks at a woman and desires her has committed adultery in his heart. If your right eye betrays you, then take it out and cast it away, for it is better for you that you destroy one of your organs than cast your entire body into the fire of hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it away, for it is better for you to destroy one of your organs than that your entire body should go to hell. (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 3l7) [9]
The Life and Acts of Jesus ('a)
66. It is reported that Imam 'Ali ('a) said in one of his sermons: "If you like, I will tell you about Jesus the son of Mary, Peace he upon him. He used a stone as his pillow, wore course clothing and ate rough food. His stew was hunger and his lamp in the night was the moon. His cover in the winter was the east of the earth and its west. His fruit and his basil is that which grows from the earth for the cattle. He had no wife to try him, and no son to grieve him. He had no wealth to distract him, nor greed to abase him. His mount was his feet and his servant was his hands." (Nahj al-balaghah, Sermon 158)
67. Imam Musa al-Kazim ('a) said: "John the son of Zachariah ('a) cried and did not laugh, and Jesus the son of Mary ('a) laughed and cried; and what Jesus did was more excellent than what John did." (Al-Kafi, ii, 665)
68. Jesus, Peace he upon him, served a meal to the Apostles, and when they had eaten it, he himself washed their hands. They said: "O Spirit of God! It would have been more proper for us to wash yours!" He said: "I did this only that you would do this for those whom you teach." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 326)
69. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq], Peace he upon him, said: "Verily, Jesus the son of Mary, Peace be upon him, came to the tomb of John the son of Zachariah, Peace he upon him, and he asked his Lord to revive him. Then he called him, and he answered him and he came out from the grave and said to him: 'What do you want from me?' And he said to him: 'I want you to be friends with me as you were in this world' Then he said to him: 'O Jesus! The heat of death has not yet subsided, and you want me to return to the world and the heat of death would return to me. So he Jesus left him, and he returned to his grave.' " (Al-Kafi iii, 260)
70. Jesus, Peace he upon him, passed by a grave whose occupant was being chastised. Then he passed it the following year when he was not being chastised. He said: "O Lord! I passed through this town last year and he was being chastised, and I passed through it this year while he is not being chastised." Then God revealed to him: "O Spirit of God! Verily one of his children matured and removed obstacles from a road and sheltered an orphan. Then I forgave him for the deeds of his child." (Al-Kafi. vi, 3)
71. Imam Sadiq ('a) was asked: "Did Jesus the son of Mary raise anyone from the dead, so that he ate and had a livelihood, and continued his life for a term and had off spring?" He said: "Yes, he had a friend who was a brother to him in God. And when Jesus passed by, he would go to visit him. And Jesus ('a) would spend a while with him. Then he would leave with salutations of Peace unto him. Once his mother came out to him [Jesus] and she said to him: 'He died, O Apostle of God!' He said to her: 'Would you like to see him?' She said: 'Yes.' He said to her: 'I will come tomorrow to raise him with the permission of God. The next day he came and said to her: 'Accompany me to his grave.' So they went to his grave. Jesus ('a) stopped and then he called on God. Then the grave opened and her son came out alive. When his mother saw him and he saw her, they cried. Jesus ('a) felt compassion for them and said to him: 'Would you like to remain with your mother in the world?' He said: 'O Apostle of God! With eating and a daily bread and a term, or without a term and a daily bread?' Then Jesus ('a) said to him: 'Of course with daily bread and a term. You will live for twenty years, marry and father a child.' He said: 'Yes, in that case.' " [Imam Sadiq] said: "Then Jesus ('a) returned him to his mother and he lived for twenty years, married and fathered a child." (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 233).
72. Abu al-Layth said in his commentary of the Qur'an: "The people asked Jesus ('a) in ridicule: 'Create a bat for us and put a soul in it, if you are one of the truthful. Then he took some clay and formed a bat and breathed into it. Then it suddenly flew between the sky and the earth. The clay was molded and breathed into by Jesus, but the creation was by God, the Supreme. And it is said that they asked to create a bat because it is more wonderful than other creatures. (Bihar al-anwar, lxiv, 322)
73. Al-Sayyid ibn Tawus, may God have mercy on him, said: "I read in the Gospel that Jesus ('a) boarded a ship and his disciples were with him, when suddenly there was a great confusion in the sea, so that the ship came near to being covered by the waves. And it was as though [Jesus ('a)] was asleep. Then his disciples came to him and awakened him and said: 'O master! Save us so that we do not perish.' He said to them: 'O you of little faith! What has frightened you?' Then he stood up and drove away the winds, and there was a great stillness. The people marveled, and said: 'How is this? Verily the winds and the sea obey him.' " [10] (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 266)
74. It is reported that a woman from Canaan brought her invalid son to Jesus, Peace he upon him. She said: "O Prophet of God! This my son is an invalid. Pray to God for him." He said: "That which I have been commanded is only the healing of the invalids of the Children of Israel." She said: "O Spirit of God! Verily the dogs receive the remnants from the tables of their masters after the meal, so, avail us of that which may benefit us of your wisdom." Then he supplicated God, the Supreme, asking for permission. Then He gave His permission, and he made him well. (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 253)
75. It is reported that Jesus ('a) passed by a man who was blind, leprous and paralytic, and Jesus heard him giving thanks and saying: "Praised be God Who has protected me from the trials with which He afflicts most of men." Jesus ('a) said: "What trial remains which has not visited you?" He said: "He protected me from a trial which is the greatest of trials, and that is unbelief" Then Jesus ('a) touched him, and God cured him from his illnesses and beautified his face. Then he became a companion of Jesus ('a) and worshipped with him. (Bihar al-anwar, lxxi, 33)
God's Words Addressed to Jesus
76. Imam Ja'far Sadiq ('a) said: "Among things with which God, the Blessed and Exalted, exhorted Jesus ('a) was: 'O Jesus! I am your Lord, and the Lord of your fathers. My Name is the One (al-Wahid), and I am one (Ahad) and single (Mutafarrid) in creating all things. All things are My handiwork, and all My creations shall return to Me.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 289)
77. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq] ('a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) ascended [to heaven] clad in garments of wool spun by Mary, woven by Mary, and sewn by Mary. When he was brought up to heaven it was called: 'O Jesus! Cast off from yourself the finery of the world.' "(Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 338)
78. God confided to Jesus the son of Mary ('a): "O Jesus! Cut yourself off from fatal desires and part with every desire that keeps you away from Me, and know that you are near me at the station of a trusted Apostle (rasul), so beware of Me." (Tuhaf al- 'uqul, 375).
79. It is reported that one day Jesus, Peace be upon him, came upon severe rain and thunder, so he sought a place of shelter. He saw a tent at a distance, and came to it. There he saw a woman in it, so he turned away from it. Suddenly, he saw a cave in a mountain, and when he arrived there he saw a lion in it. So he rested his hand against the cave, and said: "My God! Everything has a shelter, but You put no shelter for me." Then God, the Supreme, revealed to him: "Your shelter is in the abode of My Mercy. By My Greatness, on the Resurrection Day, verily, I will marry you to a hundred houris created by My hands, and verily for your wedding I will lay out a feast for four thousand years, each day of which is like the lifetime of the entire world. And I will command a crier to cry out: Where are the ascetics of the world? Be present at the wedding of the ascetic Jesus the son of Mary!" (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 328)
80. One of the Imams [Imam Sadiq or Imam Baqir] said: "Verily, a man of the Children of Israel exerted himself for forty nights. Then he called God, but He did not answer him. Then he came to Jesus complaining to him and asking him to pray. So Jesus purified himself and prayed to God, the Supreme. Then God revealed to him: 'O Jesus! Verily, he came to me by a door other than that by which one should come. Verily, he called Me while there was doubt about you in his heart. So had he called Me until his neck broke or his fingers had fallen off, I would not have answered him.' "(Al-Kafi, ii, 400)
81. God said to Jesus: "O Jesus! Verily I have granted unto you the poor and made you merciful towards them. You love them and they love you. They are pleased with you as a leader and guide, and you are pleased with them as companions and followers. These are two of My qualities. Whoever meets Me with these [qualities] meets Me with the purest of deeds which are dearest to Me." (Bihar al-anwar lxxii 55)
82. God revealed to Jesus ('a): "Be to the people like the ground below in meekness, like the flowing water in generosity, and like the sun and the moon in mercy, which shine on the good and the sinner alike. (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 326)
83. God revealed to Jesus: "Say to the Children of Israel: 'Do not enter any of My houses without lowered eyes and clean hands. And inform them that, verily, I will not answer the prayer of any of them while any of My creation is oppressed by them.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
84. God the Supreme revealed to Jesus: "O Jesus! I have honored nothing in creation like My religion, and I have bestowed nothing on it like My mercy. Wash your exterior by water and cure your interior by good deeds, for verily you shall return to Me. Get ready, for that which is approaching, and let me hear from you the sounds of sorrow." (Al-Kafi)
Of Knowledge and us Seekers:
85. Verily God the Supreme said to Jesus: "Honor those who possess knowledge and know of their excellence, for verily their excellence over that of all My creation - except for the prophets and messengers - is like that of the sun over the stars, and like that of the Hereafter over this world, and like My excellence over all things." (Bihar al-anwar, ii, 25)
86. Verily God revealed to Jesus: "Indeed, you must be receptive to exhortation! Or you will be ashamed before Me to exhort the people." (Irshad al-qulub)
87. God the Supreme said in the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel: "Woe unto those who have heard the knowledge but have not sought it. How they will be gathered with the ignorant into the fire! And learn the knowledge and teach it, for even if knowledge does not bring you felicity, it will not bring you wretchedness, and even if it does not raise you, it will not lower you, and even if it does not enrich you, it will not Impoverish you, and even if it does not benefit you, it will not harm you. And do not say, 'We fear lest we should know but not act', but say, 'We hope to know and to act.' And knowledge intercedes on behalf of one who has it, and it is for God not to disgrace him. Indeed, on the Resurrection day God will say: 'O assembly of the learned ('u1ama')! What is your opinion of our Lord?' Then they will say: 'It is our opinion that He will have mercy upon us and forgive us.' Then the Almighty will say: 'Indeed, I have done so. Indeed, I have entrusted you with My wisdom not because I wanted evil for you, but because I wanted good for you. So enter among My good servants into My garden (paradise) by My mercy.' " (Bihar al-anwar, i, 186)
The Remembrance of God:
88. Imam Rida, Peace be upon him, said: "Engraved on the ring of Jesus, Peace be upon him, were two sentences from the Gospel: 'Blessed is the servant who remembers God for His sake, and woe unto the servant who forgets God for his own sake.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 247)
89. God, the Great and Almighty, said to Jesus ('a): "O Jesus! Remember Me within yourself and I will remember you within Myself, and remember Me publicly and I will remember you publicly in a public better than that of men. O Jesus! Soften your heart for Me and remember Me much in solitude, and know that My pleasure is in your fawning over Me, in an animated and not in an impassive manner." (Al-Kafi, ii, 502)
Humility and the Etiquette of Prayer:
90. Among things that were revealed by God to Jesus is: "Do not call upon Me except by praying humbly to Me and with all your heart. Then verily when you call upon Me thus I will answer you." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 290)
91. God revealed to Jesus ('a): O Jesus! "Give Me the tears of your eyes, and the humility of your heart, and stand beside the tombs of the dead, and call to them aloud that you may be advised by them, and say: 'I will join you with those who join you.' (Bihar al-anwar, lxxxii, 178)
92. God the Supreme revealed to Jesus: "When I give you a blessing, receive it with humility, [and] I will complete it for you." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 328)
93. [Imam] Ja'far reported that his father ('a) said: "Najashi the king of Habashah [Ethiopia] sent for Ja'far the son of Abu Talib and his companions. When they arrived before him, he was sitting in the dust in his house with worn garments.... Ja'far ibn Abu Talib said to him: 'O pious king! What is the matter, that I see you sitting in dust in worn garments?' He said: 'O Ja'far! We find in that which was revealed to Jesus ('a): "Verily, it is God's due from His servants that they show humility when they are shown favor." So, when God showed His favor by His prophet, Muhammad (s), I showed this humility to God.' " He [Imam Ja'far] said: "When that news reached the prophet (s), he said to his companions: 'Verily, giving alms brings abundance, so give alms and God will have mercy on you, and humility elevates one's station, so be humble and God will elevate you, and forgiveness increases dignity, so forgive and God will grant you dignity. (Bihar al-anwar, xviii, 417)
An Advice to Rulers:
94. A Christian primate (Jathiliq) visited Mus'ab ibn Zubayr [who was a governor during his brother's caliphate] and spoke words that angered him. He [Mus'ab] raised a cane against him, then left him until his anger subsided. He [the primate] said: "If the emir permits me, I would tell him something revealed by God to Christ ('a)". He (Mus'ab) turned to him, and he (the primate) said: "Verily, God revealed to Christ, 'It is not fitting for a sultan to become angry, for he commands and is obeyed, and it is not fitting for him to be hasty, for nothing eludes him, and it is not fitting for him to be unjust, for injustice is repulsed by him.' " Then Mus'ab became embarrassed and was pleased with him. (Adab al-nafs, ii, 69)
On Lying and Hypocrisy:
95 It is reported from the Gospel: "Beware of liars who come to you in sheep's clothing while in reality they are ravenous wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. It is not possible for a good tree to bear vicious fruit, nor for a vicious tree to bear good fruit." ('Uddat al-da'i, l52). [11]
96. God said to Jesus, Peace be upon him: 'O Jesus! Yours must be a single tongue in secret and in public, and likewise your heart. Verily, I warn you of yourself, and I suffice as the All-aware.[12] It is not proper that there be two tongues in a single mouth, nor two swords in a single scabbard, nor two hearts in a single breast, and likewise two minds." (Al-Kafi. ii, 343)
Notes:
[1] Ibn al 'Arabi, The Bezels of Wisdom (Fusus al-hikam). tr. R. W. J. Austin (Lahore: Suhail, 1988), p.177.
[2] Frithjof Shuon, Islam and the Perennial Philosophy (Lahore: Suhail, 1985).
[3] Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, Jesus in the Eyes of the Sufis (London: Khaniqahi-Nimatullahi Publications, 1983).
[4] We are reminded by the Glorious Qur'an: "O Jesus, I will take you away and lift you up to me..." (3:54)
[5] Cf Matt. 23:25.
[6] Cf Matt 6.25-34:
25.Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26. look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or Store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feed~ them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28. And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of
30. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31. So do not worry, saying, 'what shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32. For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things ""ill be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV)
[7] This is perhaps one of the most widely misunderstood of the sayings of Jesus ('a). For it does not seem to he intended in the general ascribed to it, for that would amount to encouraging aggression, oppression and wrong doing. Turning the other cheek can however be an effective way of putting to shame the other side. An episode related by Muhammad Husayn Azad about Imam Bakhsh Nasikh, one of the masters of Urdu poetry, suggests how it can be used as an effective deterrent. Once someone had sent as a present some spoons made of crystal glass for the poet. These were considered a novelty in those days, and were quite beautiful. One day a young man belonging to some noble family came to visit Nasikh. Seeing the spoons he asked him about where he had got them and how much they had cost. Then he picked up one of them and held it admiringly. Thereafter as they conversed, to keep his idle hands busy he began to tap the spoon on the ground. The fragile thing that it was broke into two pieces. immediately Nasikh picked up another spoon and placed it in front of the youth with the remark, "Now play with this one!" (Mawlana Muhammad Husayn Azad, Ab-e hayat (Calcutta: 'Uthmaniyyah Book Depot, 1967), p.434)
[8] The corresponding verses of the Bible are Matt 7:9-11, which in the New international Version (NIV) are translated as follows:
9 Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
[9] The corresponding verses of the Bible are Matt. 5:27-30, translated in the King James Version (KJV) as:
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shall not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
[10] Cf. Matt 8:23-27 (KJV):
23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, inasmuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful', O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
[11] Cf. Matt 7:15-16, 18 (KJV):
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
[12] Cf. Qur'an 17:17; 25:58.
Selected, edited and translated by
Mahdi Muntazir Qa'im and Muhammad Legenhausen
Vol 13. No. 3.- 4
Introduction:
In the Qur'an, in a passage describing the annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus ('a) is described as a Word from God: "O Mary! Verily Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him; his name is the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, eminent in this world, and in the Hereafter of those near [to God]" (3:44)
The context in which this ayah was revealed was one of inter-religious encounter. It is said that the Christians of Najran sent a delegation to the Prophet of Islam (s) at Makkah to question him about the teachings of Islam concerning Jesus ('a), and God revealed the above and other ayat of Surat Al 'Imran in response. The response is not only not a denial of Christian teachings, although the divinity of Christ is clearly rejected, but also an affirmation of much believed by Christians as well, even the designation of Christ as logos: 'O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your creed, and do not say of Allah but the Truth. Verily, the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a Spirit from Him (Qur'an 4:171) So in addition to being called the Word of God, Jesus ('a) is also called a Spirit of God and in some of the narrations reported in the Shi'i tradition, this title is used.
Of course, the interpretation of the logos in Christian theology differs markedly from the interpretation of the kalimah by Muslim scholars. For the Christian, according to the Gospel of John, the Word was God and the Word became flesh.' For the Muslim, on the other hand, the Word is creature, even while it is the creative principle, for it is in God's utterance of the word 'Be'. That creation takes place. To call Christ the Word of Allah is not to deify him, but to verify his status as prophet. Because of his high status as prophet, Jesus ('a) becomes a complete manifestation of God, one who conveys the message of God, one who can speak on behalf of God, the Word of God Jesus ('a) becomes the Word of God not because of an incarnation whereby his flesh becomes divine, but because his spirit is refined to such an extent that it becomes a mirror whereby divinity comes to be known. The temple is holy not because of any inherent sanctity in the structure, but because it is the place of the worship of God.
The differences between Islamic and Christian thinking about Jesus ('a) are as important as they are subtle. Both accept the virgin birth, although it is ironic that a growing number of liberal Christians have come to have doubts about this miracle while Muslims remain steadfast! Among the other miracles attributed to Jesus ('a) in the Glorious Qur'an are the revival of the dead and the creation of a bird from clay, but all of the miracles performed by Jesus ('a) are expressly by the permission of Allah. Just as in the miracle of his birth, Jesus ('a) came into the world by a human mother and divine spirit, so too, his miracles are performed as human actions with divine permission. In this regard the error of the Christians is explained by Ibn 'Arabi as follows:
"This matter has led certain people to speak of incarnation and to say that, in reviving the dead, he is God. Therefore, since they conceal God, Who in reality revives the dead, in the human form of Jesus, He has said, They are concealers [unbelievers] who say that God is the Messiah, son of Mary. (5:72)" [1]
The point is that one can find God in Jesus ('a) without deifying him, and furthermore that deifying Jesus ('a) is really an obstacle to finding God in Jesus ('a), for in the deification one ceases to look in Jesus ('a) for anything beyond him. It is as if one were to become distracted from a message by focusing one's attention on the words through which it was conveyed.
To the above point it may be added that not only does the doctrine of the incarnation prevent one from finding God in Christ ('a), but it also prevents one from seeing Christ ('a) the man, because his imagined divinity gets in the way.
One of the central questions of Christian theology is: "Who was Jesus Christ?" The formulation of answers to this question is called Christology. In this area of theology, Christians have debated the significance of the historical Jesus as opposed to the picture of Jesus presented in the traditions of the Christian Churches and the Biblical understanding of Jesus. The time has come for Muslims to begin work in this area, as well. Through the development of an Islamic Christology we can come to a better understanding of Islam as contrasted with Christianity, and Islam in consonance with Christianity, too. Indeed, the first steps in this direction are laid out for us in the Qur'an itself, in the verses mentioned above and others. Contemporary work toward an Islamic Christology is scarce. Christian authors have tended to stress the salvific function of Jesus ('a) which seems to have no place in Islam, and given this, the Christians ask one another whether Christ ('a) can be the savior of Muslims and others who are not Christians. Christians should be reminded that Muslims accept Jesus ('a) as savior, along with all the other prophets, for the prophetic function is to save humanity from the scourge of sin by conveying the message of guidance revealed by God. The important difference between Islam and Christianity here is not over the issue of whether Jesus ('a) saves, but how he saves. Islam denies that salvation is through redemption resulting from the crucifixion, and instead turns its attention to the instruction provided in the life of the prophets ('a).
Muslims, on the other hand, have tended to produce polemical works showing how much of what is in the Bible is consistent with the Islamic view of Christ ('a) as prophet rather than as a person of the Trinity. Some interesting work along these lines has been initiated by Ahmad Deedat in South Africa. More profound insights into the differences between Islam and other faiths, including Christianity, may be found in the writings of Frithjof Schuon, Shaykh 'Isa Nur al-Din Ahmad, who presents the beginnings of a genuine Christology from a sufi perspective in his Islam and the Perennial Philosophy.[2] There is also a valuable collection of stories about Jesus ('a) culled from the writings of various Muslim mystics, Jesus in the Eyes of the Sufis. [3] Some of the items reported in this work have their origins in the narrations attributed to the Shi'i Imams ('a) presented below.
These days there is much discussion of dialogue between different faith communities. Conferences have been held for this purpose in the Islamic Republic of Iran as well as in Africa, Europe and the United States. Perhaps one of the best ways Christians can find common ground for discussion with Muslims is to become familiar with the portrait of Jesus ('a) presented in Islamic sources, the most important of which are the Qur'an and hadith, and as for the latter, no matter what one's religious orientation, it must be admitted that the narrations handed down through the Household of the Prophet (s) deserve careful attention. For those of us who have the honor of being counted among the Shi'ah, the importance of what has been related by the Ahl al-Bayt weighs especially heavily, as it should, according to the famous hadith al-thaqalayn", in which the Prophet (s,), in the last year of his life, is reported to have said:
"Verily, I am leaving with you two weighty things (thaqalayn): the Book of Allah and my kindred, my household, for indeed, the two of them will never separate until they return to me by the Pond [of Kawthar on the Last Day]."
Perhaps some Christians will be dismissive of what is said of Jesus ('a) in the Islamic narrations because the main debate about contemporary Christology among Christians is whether research about the historical Jesus ('a) is relevant to religion, or whether knowledge of Jesus ('a) requires attention to the role he plays in the Church and in theology. The Islamic narrations, coming centuries after the life of Christ ('a) (and in some cases more than a century after the life of Muhammad [s] will likely be dismissed by liberal Christians in pursuit of a portrait of Jesus ('a) based on the standards of historical research currently accepted in the West. The neo-orthodox Christian claims that the Savior is not to be found in history, but in the Church, so it will not be surprising if he displays no interest in what Islam has to say about Christ ('a). However, the Christian may find that the Islamic perspective illuminates a middle ground between the historian's emphasis on the natural and the ecclesiastical emphasis on the supernatural. The humanity of Jesus ('a) is evident in the narrations of the Shi'ah, but it is a humanity transformed, a perfected humanity, and as such there is no denying its supernatural dimension.
The Muslim always seems to appear as a stranger to the Christian, but perhaps it is from the stranger that the Christian can best come to know his savior. The crucifix has hung in the Church for so long that it becomes difficult for the Christian to find significance there. The attraction of the quest for the historical Jesus is that it provides a fresh look at the subject, even if that quest is marred by naturalistic presumptions inimical to the religious outlook. By trying to see Jesus ('a) as the Muslim sees him, the Christian may find his savior come to life, lifted up to God in his own inner life rather than crucified. [4]
If we have given reason for Christians to study the narrations of the Shi'ah about Jesus ('a), the question of the value of such study for Muslims remains. Some might wonder why, when we have the Qur'an and Sunnah, we should be especially interested in Jesus ('a). To begin with, Jesus ('a), along with the prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses, Peace be with them, and Muhammad (s) has a special status in Islam as one of the greatest prophets, the ulu al- 'azm, the prophets who brought the divine law. What was revealed to the last of them, (s), is a confirmation of what was revealed to the others. The truth of the revelation is not to be found in its particularity but in its universality, and we come to understand this best when we understand the teachings of all the prophets ('a). Is this not why so much attention is given to the previous prophets in the Qur'an?
All of the prophets ('a) have brought a gospel of love, love of God and love of neighbor and love even for the meanest of His creatures. So, in the reports narrated below we find Jesus ('a) giving some of his food to the creatures of the sea. At the same time, however, this love is not to be confused with a sentimentalism which would prevent the execution of the divine law. Jesus ('a) found fault with the Pharisees not because of their regard for the exterior forms of religion, but because of their disregard for its interior forms, that is, because of their hypocrisy. [5]
The words of the Spirit of Allah reported in the selections that follow are primarily concerned with morals. These are Christian morals and at the same time Islamic morals. Today Christendom is in a state of moral upheaval. Peculiarly modern ideas of what is right and wrong have found their way into the theologians' understandings of ethics. Significant areas of agreement are difficult to find. The simple morality taught by Jesus ('a) and which continues to be emphasized in Islam resonates in the narrations of the Shi'ah. While excessive asceticism is forbidden, we are to turn, like Jesus ('a), away from the world to find refuge in God.
From the following narrations we not only become reacquainted with the moral teachings of Jesus ('a) and with his character, but we also discover what the dear friends of Allah, the Household of the Prophet (s) found it important to transmit about him, and thereby we get a glimpse into their moral teachings and characters, too.
Muhammad Legenhausen
The Words of Jesus ('a)
Divine Omnipotence:
1. It is said that Jesus the son of Mary ('a) was sitting and an old man was working with a small shovel tilling the earth. Jesus ('a) said: "O Allah! Extract his desire from him." The old man put down the small shovel and slept for an hour. Then Jesus ('a) said: "O Allah! Return the desire to him." Then he stood up and began to work. Jesus ('a) asked him about it. He said: "When I was working my soul said to me: 'How long will you work, being that you are an old man?' Then I put down the small shovel and slept.' Then my soul said to me: 'By Allah! You have no alternative but to live as long as you remain.' Then I stood up with my small shovel." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 329)
2. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq] ('a) said: "The Devil [iblis, the devil who tempted Adam and Eve. Cf. Qur'an 2:34; 7:11; 15:31; 38:74] said to Jesus the son of Mary: 'Does your Lord have the power to put the earth into an egg without reducing the size of the earth or enlarging the egg?' Then Jesus ('a) said: 'Woe unto you, for weakness is not attributed to Allah. Who is more powerful than He Who makes the earth subtle and makes the egg great?' (Bihar al-anwar, iv, 142)
3. It is reported that Imam Sadiq ('a) said: "Iblis came to Jesus ('a), then he said: 'Do you not claim that you can revive the dead?' Jesus said: 'Yes.' Iblis said: 'Then throw yourself down from the top of the wall.' Then Jesus said: 'Woe unto you! Verily the servant does not try his Lord.' And Iblis said: 'O Jesus! Can your Lord put the earth in an egg while the egg remains in its form?' Then he said: 'Verily impotence is not attributed to Allah, the Supreme, but what you said cannot be.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 271)
Of Human Poverty:
4. One of the Imams is reported to have said: "It was said to Jesus the son of Mary ('a): 'How did you begin the morning, O Spirit of Allah?' He said: 'I began the morning with my Lord, the Blessed and Supreme, above me and the fire (of hell) before me and death in pursuit of me. I do not possess that which I hope for and I cannot avoid what I hate. So which of the poor is poorer than me?' " (Bihar al-anwar, lxxvi, 17)
The World and the Hereafter:
5. Jesus ('a) said: "O assembly of disciples! I have thrown the world prostrate before you, so do not lift it up after me, for one of the evils of this world is that Allah was disobeyed in it, and one of the evils of this world is that the next world is not attained except by abandoning this one. So pass through this world without making it your home, and know that the root of all wrong is the love of this world. Many a vain desire leaves a legacy of lasting sorrow." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
6. [Jesus ('a)] said: "Blessed is he who abandons the present desire for the absent promise." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
7. Jesus ('a) said: "Who would build a house on the waves of the sea? This world is that house, so you should not take it as a dwelling.'' (Bihar al-anwar," xiv, 326)
8. Jesus ('a) said: "Woe to the companion of the world! How he dies and leaves it and how he relies on it and it deceives him, and how he trusts it and it forsakes him! Woe unto those who are deceived! How that which is repugnant encompasses them and that which is beloved separates from them! And that which is promised will come to them. And woe to those whose endeavors are only for the world and error. How he will be disgraced before Allah tomorrow!"
(Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 328)
9. Jesus, Peace be upon him, is reported to have said: "How can one be of the people of knowledge if the next world is shown to him while he remains involved in this world, and what harms him is more desirable to him than what benefits him?'' (Majmu'at at warram, i, 83)
10. It was said to Jesus ('a): "Teach us a deed for which Allah will love us." He said: "Detest the world and Allah will love you. (Tanbih al-khawatir, i, 134)
11. It has been reported by Mujahid from Ibn 'Abbas from the Apostle of Allah, may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him and with his folk: "Verily, Jesus. Peace be upon him, passed a city which had come to ruin and whose foundations had collapsed. He said to some of his disciples: 'Do you know what it is saying?' One said: 'No.' Jesus, Peace be upon him, said: 'It says: "Verily, the true promise of my Lord has come. My rivers have dried up, though once they were full; my trees have withered, though once they were in bloom; my castles are in ruins and my residents have died. Then, oh, these are their bones within me, and their property that was gained lawfully along with their ill-gotten gains are in my belly, and the inheritance of the heavens and the earth is only for Allah." '" (Adab al-nafs, I, 122)
12. The Messiah, Peace he upon him, said to the Apostles: "Verily, the eating of barley bread and the drinking of plain water today in this world is for he who would enter heaven tomorrow." (Adab al-nafs, ii, 225)
13. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq], Peace he upon him, said: 'Jesus the son of Mary, may the blessings of Allah be upon him, said: 'You work for the sake of this world while it is not by work that you are provided for in it. And you do not work for the sake of the next world, while it is only by work that you will be provided for in it. Woe be unto you, evil learned ones ('ulama)! You take your wage and neglect works. Soon the worker's work will he accepted, and soon you will be driving forth from the narrowness of this world toward the darkness of the grave. How can one be knowledgeable who is on the way to the next world and yet his face is turned towards this world, and he likes the things that harm him more than the things that benefit him?' ' (Al-Kafi, ii, 319)
14. Jesus ('a) said: "The love of this world and the next cannot come together in the heart of a believer, like water and fire in a single vessel." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
l5 It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq], Peace be upon him, said that Jesus, Peace be upon him, said: ''It is hard to get any good thing whether it is of the world or the hereafter. As to the good things of this world they are hard to get because there' is nothing of it which as soon as you extend your hand to get, some profligate does not grab first, while the good things of the other world are hard to obtain because you do not find any helper who may help
you to obtain it.'' (al-Kafi viii, 144)
16. When Jesus passed by a house whose inmates had died and others had taken their place, he said: " woe to your owners who inherited you! How they have learned no lesson from their late brothers." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 329)
17. Jesus ('a) said: "This world and the next one are rivals. When you please one of them you displease the other." (Bihar al-anwar, lxxiii, 122)
18. It has been reported that Abu 'Abd Allah, Peace he upon him, said: "The world took the form, for Jesus ('a), of a woman whose eyes were blue. Then he said to her: 'How many have you married?' She said: 'Very many.' He said: 'Then did they all divorce you?' She said: 'No, but I killed all of them.' He said: 'Then woe be to the rest of your husbands! How they fail to learn from the example of the predecessors!'
19. It is reported that 'Ali ibn al-Husayn [Imam Sajjad], Peace be upon him, said: "The Messiah, Peace be upon him, said to his Apostles: 'Verily, this world is merely a bridge, so cross over it, and do not make it your abode.' '' (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 319)
20. I heard Imam Rida ('a) say: "Jesus the son of Mary, may Allah bless him, said to the apostles: 'O Children of Israel! Do not grieve over what you lose of this world, just as the people of this world do not grieve over what they lose of their religion, when they gain this world of theirs.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 304; al-Kafi. ii, 127)
21. Jesus ('a) said: "Do not take the world as a master, for it will make you its slave. Keep your treasure with one who will not squander it. The owners of the treasures of this world fear for its ruin, but he who owns the treasure of Allah does not fear for its ruin.'' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
22. Jesus ('a) said: ''In truth I say unto you, just as one who is sick looks at food and finds no pleasure in it due to the severity of the pain, the companions of this world find no pleasure in worship and do not find the sweetness of it, for what they find is the sweetness of this world. In truth I say unto you, just as an animal which is not captured and tamed becomes hardened and its character is changed, so too when hearts are not softened by the remembrance of death and the effort of worship they become hard and coarse, and in truth I say unto you, if a skin is not torn, it may become a vessel for honey, just as hearts, if they are not torn by desires, or fouled by greed, or hardened by pleasures, may become vessels for wisdom.'' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 325)
23. It was said to Jesus ('a): "[Would it not be better] if you got a house?" He said: "The remains which are left from those before us is enough for us.'' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
On Wisdom
24. It is reported that Jesus ( 'a) said: ''O assembly of scholars ( 'ulama)'. Just as the sovereigns have abandoned wisdom, leaving it to you. So you should abandon sovereignty, leaving it for them.'' (Adab al nafs. i, 134)
25. And it was said to him [Jesus ( a)]: "Who trained you?" He said: "No one trained me. I saw the ugliness of ignorance and I avoided it.'' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 326)
26. The apostle of Allah [Muhammad] (s) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) stood up among the Children of Israel and said: 'O Children of Israel! Do not speak with the ignorant of wisdom, for otherwise you do injustice with it, and do not keep it from its folk, for otherwise you do injustice to them, and do not help the unjust with his injustice, for otherwise your virtue becomes void. Affairs are three: the affair whose righteousness is clear to you, so follow it: the affair whose error is clear to you, so avoid it'. and the affair about which there are differences, so return it to Allah, the Almighty and Glorious." (Faqih, iv, 400)
27. Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said: "O assembly of Apostles! I have a request of you. Fulfill it for me." They said: "Your request is fulfilled, O Spirit of Allah!" Then he stood up and washed their feet. They said: "It would have been more proper for us to have done this, O Spirit of Allah!" Then he said: "Verily, it is more fitting for one with knowledge to serve the people. Indeed, I humbled myself only so that you may humble yourselves among the people after me, even as I have humbled myself among you." Then Jesus ('a) said: "Wisdom is developed by humility, not by pride, and likewise plants only grow in soft soil, not in rocks.'' (Bihar al-anwar, ii, 62; Al-Kafi, vi, 37)
28. Al-Sayyid ibn Tawus, may Allah have mercy on him, said: I read in the Gospel that Jesus ('a) said: "I tell you, do not worry about what you will eat or what you will drink or with what you will clothe your bodies. Is not the soul more excellent than food, and the body more excellent than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor store away, yet your heavenly Lord provides for them. Are you not more excellent than they'? Who among you by worrying can add a single measure to his stature'? Then why do you worry about your clothes?'' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 317) [6]
Self-knowledge'
29 It is reported by Mufaddal, one of the companions of Imam al-Sadiq ('a), from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, Peace be upon him, in a long hadith, that he said: "Jesus the son of Mary, Peace be upon our Prophet and upon him, used to spend some time with the disciples and advise them, and he used to say: 'He does not know me who knows not his soul, and he who does not know the soul between his two sides, does not know the soul between my two sides. And he who knows his soul which is between his sides, he knows me. And he who knows me knows He Who sent me.' " (Adab al-nafs, ii, 213)
On Prayer and Worship:
30. Jesus ('a) said to a worshipper, "What do you do?" He answered, "I worship." He ('a) said, "Then who provides for you?" He said, "My brother." He ('a) said, "Your brother is more of a worshipper than you are!" (Adab al-nafs, i, 215)
31. I asked Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq ('a)] about the best thing by which the servant may draw near to his Lord and what is most beloved by Allah, the Almighty and Glorious. He said: "I know of nothing, after knowledge (ma'rifah), better than the ritual prayer (salat). Do you not see that the good servant Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said: 'And He enjoined on me the ritual prayer (salat) and the alms tax (zakat) for as long as I live.'?" (Al-Kafi, iii, 264)
32. It is reported that Imam Sadiq ('a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) passed by a group of people who were crying. He asked why they were crying. It was said to him that they were crying for their sins. He said, they should pray about them and they will be forgiven." (Bihar al-anwar, vi, 20)
Pride of the Sanctimonious:
33. Jesus ('a) said: "O group of Apostles! How many lamps the wind has put out, and how many worshippers pride has corrupted.!" (Bihar al-anwar, lxxii, 322)
On Chastity:
34. Imam Sadiq ('a) said: "The Apostles met with Jesus ('a) and said to him: 'O teacher of the good! Guide us!' He said to them: 'Verily Moses the interlocutor of Allah ('a) commanded you not to swear by Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, falsely, and I command you not to swear by Allah falsely or truly.' They said: 'O Spirit of Allah! Guide us more!' Then he said: 'Verily Moses the prophet of Allah ('a) commanded you not to commit adultery, and I command you not to talk to yourselves about adultery, let alone to commit adultery. Verily one who talks to himself about adultery is like one who sets fire to a house that is decorated so the smoke damages the decor, even though the house is not burnt.' (Al-Kafi, v, 542)
35. Jesus (a) said: "Never stare at that which is not for you. If you restrain your eyes you will never commit adultery; and if you are able to avoid looking at the garments of women who are not permitted for you, then do so." (Majmu'at al-Warram, i, 62)
36. It is reported that Imam Sadiq ('a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said, 'When one of you sits in his house, he should have clothes on. Verily, Allah has allotted modesty for you, just as He has allotted your sustenance."" (Bihar al-anwar, lxxi, 334)
Looking at the Bright Side:
37. It is reported that he [Jesus ('a)] passed by a carcass with his disciples. Then the disciples said: "How putrid the smell of this dog is!" Then Jesus ('a) said: "How intense is the whiteness of his teeth!" (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
Hope and Fear:
38. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq] ('a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) sent two of his companions on an errand. Then one of them returned thin and afflicted and the other fat and chubby. He said to the one who was thin: what did this to you, that I see you this way?' He said: 'The fear of Allah.' And he said to the other who was fat: 'What did this to you, that I see you this way?' He said: 'A good opinion of Allah.' " (Bihar al-anwar, lxx. 400)
Death:
39. It is reported from Imam Sadiq, Peace be upon him, from his father that he said: "Jesus, Peace be upon him, used to say: 'Regarding the terror which you do not know when you will encounter [i.e. death], what prevents you from preparing for it before it comes upon you suddenly?' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 330)
Of Advice and Advisers:
40. And he (Jesus ('a)) said: "How long will you be advised without taking any advice? Certainly you have become a burden to the advisors." (Adab al-nafs, i, 175)
41. [Imam] al-Sadiq, Peace be upon him, said: "Verily, a man came to Jesus the son of Mary, Peace be upon him, and said to him: 'O Spirit of Allah! I have committed fornication [or adultery, sex between a man and woman not married to each other, in Arabic: zina] so purify me.' Then Jesus ordered the people to be called so that none should be left behind for the purification of so-and-so. Then when the people had been gathered together and the man had entered into a hole, so as to be stoned, the man in the hole called out: 'Anyone for whom Allah, the Supreme, has a punishment should not punish me.' Then all the people left except for John and Jesus, Peace be upon them. Then John, Peace be upon him, approached him and said to him: 'O sinner! Advise me!' Then he said to him: 'Do not leave your self alone with its desires or you will perish.' John, Peace be upon him, said: 'Say more.' He said: 'Verily, do not humiliate the wrongdoer for his fault.' John, Peace be upon him, said: 'Say more. He said: 'Do not become angry.' John, Peace be upon him, said: 'That is enough for me.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 188)
Goodness Imperishable:
42. Jesus ('a) said to his companions: "Accord great regard for the thing which is not eaten by the fire." They said: ''What is that?" He said: "That which is good (al-ma'ruf)." (Bihar al-anwar. xiv, 330)
Charity:
43. Imam Sadiq ('a) said: ''Verily, when Jesus the son of Mary ( 'a) passed along the shore of a sea, he threw a piece of his bread into the water, Then some of the disciples said: 'O Spirit of Allah and His Word! Why did you do this when that was your food.' He said: "I did this in order that some animal among the animals of the sea may eat it, and the reward of Allah for this is great.' (Tahdhib, iv, 105)
Moderation in Food and Sleep:
44. Jesus ('a) said: "O Children of Israel! Do not be excessive in eating, for those who are excessive in eating are excessive in sleeping, and those who are excessive in sleeping are deficient in praying, and of those who are deficient in praying, it is written that they are negligent." (Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, xix, 188; Adab al-nafs. i, 189)
45. Jesus the son of Mary ('a) stood up among the Children of Israel to preach. He said. 'O Children of Israel! Do not eat before you become hungry and when you become hungry eat but do not eat your fill, because when you eat your fill your necks become thick and your sides grow fat and you forget your Lord" (Bihar al-anwar lxvi, 337)
The blessed and the wretched:
46 It is reported that [Imam] Ali (a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary (a) said: ''Blessed is he whose silence is contemplation (fikr). whose glance is an admonition, whose house suffices him and who cries over his mistakes and from whose hand and tongue the people are safe.' '' (Bihar a1-anwar xiv, 319)
47 Jesus said: "How can someone benefit himself while he trades himself for all that is in this world, then he abandons that which he has traded as inheritance to others and destroys himself. But blessed is the man who purifies himself and prefers his soul to everything of this world.'' (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 329)
48. I heard Imam Sadiq ( 'a) say: ''Christ ( 'a) said to his disciples: 'If you are not lovers and my brothers, you must accustom yourself to the enmity and hatred of the people, otherwise you will not be my brothers. I teach you this that you may learn it; I do not teach you so that you may become proud. Verily, you will not achieve that which you seek unless you give up that which you desire, and by enduring patiently that which you detest. And guard your gaze for it plants lust in the heart, and it is sufficient to tempt one. Happy are they who see that which they desire with their eyes, but who commit no disobedience in their hearts. How far is that which is in the past, and how near is that which is to come. Woe to those who have been deluded when what they loathe approaches them, and what they love abandons them, and there comes that which they were promised. There is lesson in the creation of these nights and days. Woe to those whose efforts are for the sake of this world, and whose achievements are errors. How he will be disgraced before his Lord! And do not speak much about anything other than the remembrance of God. Those who talk much about things other than God have their hearts hardened, but they do not know it. Do not look at the faults of others as if you have been appointed to spy over them, but attend to the emancipation of your own selves, for you are slaves, possessed. How much water flows in a mountain without its becoming soft, and how much wisdom you are taught without your hearts becoming soft. You are bad slaves, not pious slaves, nor of those who are noble and free. Indeed you are like unto the oleander: all who see it wonder at its flowers, but when they eat from it they die. Peace be unto you.' (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 324)
Of wealth and Property:
49. It is reported that Jesus ('a) found fault with property and said: ''It has three characteristics.'' It was said: ''And what are they', O Spirit of Allah.''' He said: ''One acquires it illegitimately, and if it is acquired legitimately, it keeps one from spending it in its right place, and if one spends it in its right place, its management keeps one from worshiping one's Lord." (Bihar al-anwar xiv 329)
50). It is reported that the Commander of the faithful [Imam Ali], peace be upon him, said: "Jesus the son of Mary, Peace he upon him, said: 'The dinar is the illness of religion, and the scholar (al-'alim) is the physician of religion. So if you see that the physician brings illness upon himself, distrust him, and know that he is not to advise others.' " (Bihar al-anwar. xiv, 319)
On Company:
51 Imam Ali ('a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said: 'Verily the evil doer is infectious, and the associate of the wicked is brought down. So beware of those with whom you associate.' " (Al-Kafi, ii, 640)
52. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq], Peace he upon him, said: The Apostle of Allah, may the Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny, said: 'The Apostles said to Jesus, Peace he upon him: "O Spirit of Allah! With whom should we keep company?" He said: "He the sight of whom reminds you of Allah, the speech of whom increases your knowledge, and the works of whom make you desirous of the other world." ' " (Al-Kafi, i, 39)
The Incorrigible Fool:
53. It has been reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq], Peace be upon him, said: 'Verily, Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said: 'I treated the sick, then I healed them by the permission of Allah, and I cured those born blind and the lepers by the permission of Allah, and I treated the dead and revived them by the permission of Allah, and I treated the fool, but I could not correct him' Then it was said: 'O spirit of Allah. What is a fool?' He said 'He is one who is admirable in his own view to himself, He who considers all merit to be for him and not against him, and who finds all rights to be for himself and does not find against himself any right. Such is the fool for whom there is no way to cure him.'" (Bihar al anwar, xiv, 323)
The Heart's Sickness:
54 And Jesus the son of Mary said: "There is no sickness of the heart more severe than callousness, and no soul is more severely affected than the one that goes without hunger, and these two are the halters of expulsion [from divine mercy] and abandonment." (Bihar al-anwar, lxvi, 337)
55. Verily, Jesus ('a) said: "Why do you come to me clothed in the garments of monks while your hearts are those of ferocious wolves? Wear the clothes of kings, but soften your hearts with fear." (Bihar al-anwar, lxxiii, 208)
Anger and Its Source:
56. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq] ('a) said "The disciples said to Jesus the son of Mary ('a): 'O teacher of the good! Teach us what is the most severe of things.' Then he said: the most severe of things is the wrath of Allah.' They said: 'Then what prevents the wrath of Allah?' He said: 'That you not be wrathful.' They said: 'What is the source of wrath?' He said: 'Pride, haughtiness and contempt for the people.' '' (Bihar al-anwar, xvi, 257)
Five Evils:
57. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah, [Imam Sadiq], Peace be upon him, said: "The Messiah, Peace be upon him, used to say: 'He who has many worries, his body becomes sick; he who is ill-tempered, his self becomes his torment; he who often talks, often stumbles; he who often lies, loses his worth; he who quarrels with men, loses his manliness.' (Bihar al-anwar. xiv. 318)
Evil scholars:
58. Imam Sadiq ('a) said: Jesus the son of Mary, Peace be upon our Prophet and his progeny and with him. said: Woe unto the evil scholars! How the fire inflames them!' (Al-Kafi, i, 47)
Satan's Clientele:
59. Jesus ('a) met Iblis who was driving five donkeys. Loads were upon them. Jesus ('a) asked him about the loads. Iblis said, "They are for trade, and I am looking for buyers." Jesus ('a) said, "What is the merchandise?" Iblis said, "One of them is injustice." He ('a) asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "Rulers. And the second is pride." He asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "Village chiefs. And the third is envy." He asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "The learned. And the fourth is treason." He asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "Those who work for merchants. And the fifth is trickery." He said, "Who buys it?" He said, "Women." (Bihar al-anwar, lxiv, 196)
The Richest of All Men:
60. Jesus, Peace be upon him, said: "My hands 'are my servant and my feet are my mount; the earth is my bed, a stone my pillow; my blanket in the winter is the east of the earth and my lamp in the night is the moon; my stew is hunger and my motto is fear; my garment is wool and my fruit and my basil what grows from the earth for wild beasts and cattle. I sleep while I have nothing and I rise while I have nothing, and yet there is no one on earth wealthier than I" (Bihar al-anwar, xvii, 239)
Seeking God's Pleasure:
61. And Jesus ('a) used to say: "O apostles, love God through hatred of the 'disobedient, and approach God by distancing [yourselves] from them, and seek pleasure by their displeasure." (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 330)
Criterion of Mutual Relations:
62. It is reported that Imam Sadiq, Peace be upon him, said: "Jesus the son of Mary, Peace be upon them, said to some of his companions: 'Do not do to others what you do not like others to do to you, and if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him your left cheek too.[7] (Bihar al-anwar, x, 287).
Others Opinion of Oneself:
63. The Messenger of God (s) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) said to John the son of Zachariah, 'If something is said of you which is true, then know that it was a sin that you had committed, so ask God's forgiveness for it, and if something is said of you which is not true, then know that a good deed will be recorded for you for this, for which you did not have to labor.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 287).
On Having a Good Opinion of God:
64. Al-Sayyid ibn Tawus, may God have mercy on him, said: "I read in the Gospel that Jesus ('a) said: 'Who among you gives his son a stone when he asks for bread? Or who hands out a snake when asked for a cloak? If despite the fact that your evil is well-known you give good gifts to your sons, then it is more fitting that your Lord should give good things to one who asks." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 318; Sa'd al-su'ud, 56) [8]
Inner Chastity
65. Jesus ('a) said: "You heard what was said to the people of yore, 'Do not commit adultery,' but I tell you, he who looks at a woman and desires her has committed adultery in his heart. If your right eye betrays you, then take it out and cast it away, for it is better for you that you destroy one of your organs than cast your entire body into the fire of hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it away, for it is better for you to destroy one of your organs than that your entire body should go to hell. (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 3l7) [9]
The Life and Acts of Jesus ('a)
66. It is reported that Imam 'Ali ('a) said in one of his sermons: "If you like, I will tell you about Jesus the son of Mary, Peace he upon him. He used a stone as his pillow, wore course clothing and ate rough food. His stew was hunger and his lamp in the night was the moon. His cover in the winter was the east of the earth and its west. His fruit and his basil is that which grows from the earth for the cattle. He had no wife to try him, and no son to grieve him. He had no wealth to distract him, nor greed to abase him. His mount was his feet and his servant was his hands." (Nahj al-balaghah, Sermon 158)
67. Imam Musa al-Kazim ('a) said: "John the son of Zachariah ('a) cried and did not laugh, and Jesus the son of Mary ('a) laughed and cried; and what Jesus did was more excellent than what John did." (Al-Kafi, ii, 665)
68. Jesus, Peace he upon him, served a meal to the Apostles, and when they had eaten it, he himself washed their hands. They said: "O Spirit of God! It would have been more proper for us to wash yours!" He said: "I did this only that you would do this for those whom you teach." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 326)
69. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq], Peace he upon him, said: "Verily, Jesus the son of Mary, Peace be upon him, came to the tomb of John the son of Zachariah, Peace he upon him, and he asked his Lord to revive him. Then he called him, and he answered him and he came out from the grave and said to him: 'What do you want from me?' And he said to him: 'I want you to be friends with me as you were in this world' Then he said to him: 'O Jesus! The heat of death has not yet subsided, and you want me to return to the world and the heat of death would return to me. So he Jesus left him, and he returned to his grave.' " (Al-Kafi iii, 260)
70. Jesus, Peace he upon him, passed by a grave whose occupant was being chastised. Then he passed it the following year when he was not being chastised. He said: "O Lord! I passed through this town last year and he was being chastised, and I passed through it this year while he is not being chastised." Then God revealed to him: "O Spirit of God! Verily one of his children matured and removed obstacles from a road and sheltered an orphan. Then I forgave him for the deeds of his child." (Al-Kafi. vi, 3)
71. Imam Sadiq ('a) was asked: "Did Jesus the son of Mary raise anyone from the dead, so that he ate and had a livelihood, and continued his life for a term and had off spring?" He said: "Yes, he had a friend who was a brother to him in God. And when Jesus passed by, he would go to visit him. And Jesus ('a) would spend a while with him. Then he would leave with salutations of Peace unto him. Once his mother came out to him [Jesus] and she said to him: 'He died, O Apostle of God!' He said to her: 'Would you like to see him?' She said: 'Yes.' He said to her: 'I will come tomorrow to raise him with the permission of God. The next day he came and said to her: 'Accompany me to his grave.' So they went to his grave. Jesus ('a) stopped and then he called on God. Then the grave opened and her son came out alive. When his mother saw him and he saw her, they cried. Jesus ('a) felt compassion for them and said to him: 'Would you like to remain with your mother in the world?' He said: 'O Apostle of God! With eating and a daily bread and a term, or without a term and a daily bread?' Then Jesus ('a) said to him: 'Of course with daily bread and a term. You will live for twenty years, marry and father a child.' He said: 'Yes, in that case.' " [Imam Sadiq] said: "Then Jesus ('a) returned him to his mother and he lived for twenty years, married and fathered a child." (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 233).
72. Abu al-Layth said in his commentary of the Qur'an: "The people asked Jesus ('a) in ridicule: 'Create a bat for us and put a soul in it, if you are one of the truthful. Then he took some clay and formed a bat and breathed into it. Then it suddenly flew between the sky and the earth. The clay was molded and breathed into by Jesus, but the creation was by God, the Supreme. And it is said that they asked to create a bat because it is more wonderful than other creatures. (Bihar al-anwar, lxiv, 322)
73. Al-Sayyid ibn Tawus, may God have mercy on him, said: "I read in the Gospel that Jesus ('a) boarded a ship and his disciples were with him, when suddenly there was a great confusion in the sea, so that the ship came near to being covered by the waves. And it was as though [Jesus ('a)] was asleep. Then his disciples came to him and awakened him and said: 'O master! Save us so that we do not perish.' He said to them: 'O you of little faith! What has frightened you?' Then he stood up and drove away the winds, and there was a great stillness. The people marveled, and said: 'How is this? Verily the winds and the sea obey him.' " [10] (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 266)
74. It is reported that a woman from Canaan brought her invalid son to Jesus, Peace he upon him. She said: "O Prophet of God! This my son is an invalid. Pray to God for him." He said: "That which I have been commanded is only the healing of the invalids of the Children of Israel." She said: "O Spirit of God! Verily the dogs receive the remnants from the tables of their masters after the meal, so, avail us of that which may benefit us of your wisdom." Then he supplicated God, the Supreme, asking for permission. Then He gave His permission, and he made him well. (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 253)
75. It is reported that Jesus ('a) passed by a man who was blind, leprous and paralytic, and Jesus heard him giving thanks and saying: "Praised be God Who has protected me from the trials with which He afflicts most of men." Jesus ('a) said: "What trial remains which has not visited you?" He said: "He protected me from a trial which is the greatest of trials, and that is unbelief" Then Jesus ('a) touched him, and God cured him from his illnesses and beautified his face. Then he became a companion of Jesus ('a) and worshipped with him. (Bihar al-anwar, lxxi, 33)
God's Words Addressed to Jesus
76. Imam Ja'far Sadiq ('a) said: "Among things with which God, the Blessed and Exalted, exhorted Jesus ('a) was: 'O Jesus! I am your Lord, and the Lord of your fathers. My Name is the One (al-Wahid), and I am one (Ahad) and single (Mutafarrid) in creating all things. All things are My handiwork, and all My creations shall return to Me.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 289)
77. It is reported that Abu 'Abd Allah [Imam Sadiq] ('a) said: "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) ascended [to heaven] clad in garments of wool spun by Mary, woven by Mary, and sewn by Mary. When he was brought up to heaven it was called: 'O Jesus! Cast off from yourself the finery of the world.' "(Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 338)
78. God confided to Jesus the son of Mary ('a): "O Jesus! Cut yourself off from fatal desires and part with every desire that keeps you away from Me, and know that you are near me at the station of a trusted Apostle (rasul), so beware of Me." (Tuhaf al- 'uqul, 375).
79. It is reported that one day Jesus, Peace be upon him, came upon severe rain and thunder, so he sought a place of shelter. He saw a tent at a distance, and came to it. There he saw a woman in it, so he turned away from it. Suddenly, he saw a cave in a mountain, and when he arrived there he saw a lion in it. So he rested his hand against the cave, and said: "My God! Everything has a shelter, but You put no shelter for me." Then God, the Supreme, revealed to him: "Your shelter is in the abode of My Mercy. By My Greatness, on the Resurrection Day, verily, I will marry you to a hundred houris created by My hands, and verily for your wedding I will lay out a feast for four thousand years, each day of which is like the lifetime of the entire world. And I will command a crier to cry out: Where are the ascetics of the world? Be present at the wedding of the ascetic Jesus the son of Mary!" (Bihar al-anwar xiv, 328)
80. One of the Imams [Imam Sadiq or Imam Baqir] said: "Verily, a man of the Children of Israel exerted himself for forty nights. Then he called God, but He did not answer him. Then he came to Jesus complaining to him and asking him to pray. So Jesus purified himself and prayed to God, the Supreme. Then God revealed to him: 'O Jesus! Verily, he came to me by a door other than that by which one should come. Verily, he called Me while there was doubt about you in his heart. So had he called Me until his neck broke or his fingers had fallen off, I would not have answered him.' "(Al-Kafi, ii, 400)
81. God said to Jesus: "O Jesus! Verily I have granted unto you the poor and made you merciful towards them. You love them and they love you. They are pleased with you as a leader and guide, and you are pleased with them as companions and followers. These are two of My qualities. Whoever meets Me with these [qualities] meets Me with the purest of deeds which are dearest to Me." (Bihar al-anwar lxxii 55)
82. God revealed to Jesus ('a): "Be to the people like the ground below in meekness, like the flowing water in generosity, and like the sun and the moon in mercy, which shine on the good and the sinner alike. (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 326)
83. God revealed to Jesus: "Say to the Children of Israel: 'Do not enter any of My houses without lowered eyes and clean hands. And inform them that, verily, I will not answer the prayer of any of them while any of My creation is oppressed by them.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 327)
84. God the Supreme revealed to Jesus: "O Jesus! I have honored nothing in creation like My religion, and I have bestowed nothing on it like My mercy. Wash your exterior by water and cure your interior by good deeds, for verily you shall return to Me. Get ready, for that which is approaching, and let me hear from you the sounds of sorrow." (Al-Kafi)
Of Knowledge and us Seekers:
85. Verily God the Supreme said to Jesus: "Honor those who possess knowledge and know of their excellence, for verily their excellence over that of all My creation - except for the prophets and messengers - is like that of the sun over the stars, and like that of the Hereafter over this world, and like My excellence over all things." (Bihar al-anwar, ii, 25)
86. Verily God revealed to Jesus: "Indeed, you must be receptive to exhortation! Or you will be ashamed before Me to exhort the people." (Irshad al-qulub)
87. God the Supreme said in the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel: "Woe unto those who have heard the knowledge but have not sought it. How they will be gathered with the ignorant into the fire! And learn the knowledge and teach it, for even if knowledge does not bring you felicity, it will not bring you wretchedness, and even if it does not raise you, it will not lower you, and even if it does not enrich you, it will not Impoverish you, and even if it does not benefit you, it will not harm you. And do not say, 'We fear lest we should know but not act', but say, 'We hope to know and to act.' And knowledge intercedes on behalf of one who has it, and it is for God not to disgrace him. Indeed, on the Resurrection day God will say: 'O assembly of the learned ('u1ama')! What is your opinion of our Lord?' Then they will say: 'It is our opinion that He will have mercy upon us and forgive us.' Then the Almighty will say: 'Indeed, I have done so. Indeed, I have entrusted you with My wisdom not because I wanted evil for you, but because I wanted good for you. So enter among My good servants into My garden (paradise) by My mercy.' " (Bihar al-anwar, i, 186)
The Remembrance of God:
88. Imam Rida, Peace be upon him, said: "Engraved on the ring of Jesus, Peace be upon him, were two sentences from the Gospel: 'Blessed is the servant who remembers God for His sake, and woe unto the servant who forgets God for his own sake.' " (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 247)
89. God, the Great and Almighty, said to Jesus ('a): "O Jesus! Remember Me within yourself and I will remember you within Myself, and remember Me publicly and I will remember you publicly in a public better than that of men. O Jesus! Soften your heart for Me and remember Me much in solitude, and know that My pleasure is in your fawning over Me, in an animated and not in an impassive manner." (Al-Kafi, ii, 502)
Humility and the Etiquette of Prayer:
90. Among things that were revealed by God to Jesus is: "Do not call upon Me except by praying humbly to Me and with all your heart. Then verily when you call upon Me thus I will answer you." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 290)
91. God revealed to Jesus ('a): O Jesus! "Give Me the tears of your eyes, and the humility of your heart, and stand beside the tombs of the dead, and call to them aloud that you may be advised by them, and say: 'I will join you with those who join you.' (Bihar al-anwar, lxxxii, 178)
92. God the Supreme revealed to Jesus: "When I give you a blessing, receive it with humility, [and] I will complete it for you." (Bihar al-anwar, xiv, 328)
93. [Imam] Ja'far reported that his father ('a) said: "Najashi the king of Habashah [Ethiopia] sent for Ja'far the son of Abu Talib and his companions. When they arrived before him, he was sitting in the dust in his house with worn garments.... Ja'far ibn Abu Talib said to him: 'O pious king! What is the matter, that I see you sitting in dust in worn garments?' He said: 'O Ja'far! We find in that which was revealed to Jesus ('a): "Verily, it is God's due from His servants that they show humility when they are shown favor." So, when God showed His favor by His prophet, Muhammad (s), I showed this humility to God.' " He [Imam Ja'far] said: "When that news reached the prophet (s), he said to his companions: 'Verily, giving alms brings abundance, so give alms and God will have mercy on you, and humility elevates one's station, so be humble and God will elevate you, and forgiveness increases dignity, so forgive and God will grant you dignity. (Bihar al-anwar, xviii, 417)
An Advice to Rulers:
94. A Christian primate (Jathiliq) visited Mus'ab ibn Zubayr [who was a governor during his brother's caliphate] and spoke words that angered him. He [Mus'ab] raised a cane against him, then left him until his anger subsided. He [the primate] said: "If the emir permits me, I would tell him something revealed by God to Christ ('a)". He (Mus'ab) turned to him, and he (the primate) said: "Verily, God revealed to Christ, 'It is not fitting for a sultan to become angry, for he commands and is obeyed, and it is not fitting for him to be hasty, for nothing eludes him, and it is not fitting for him to be unjust, for injustice is repulsed by him.' " Then Mus'ab became embarrassed and was pleased with him. (Adab al-nafs, ii, 69)
On Lying and Hypocrisy:
95 It is reported from the Gospel: "Beware of liars who come to you in sheep's clothing while in reality they are ravenous wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. It is not possible for a good tree to bear vicious fruit, nor for a vicious tree to bear good fruit." ('Uddat al-da'i, l52). [11]
96. God said to Jesus, Peace be upon him: 'O Jesus! Yours must be a single tongue in secret and in public, and likewise your heart. Verily, I warn you of yourself, and I suffice as the All-aware.[12] It is not proper that there be two tongues in a single mouth, nor two swords in a single scabbard, nor two hearts in a single breast, and likewise two minds." (Al-Kafi. ii, 343)
Notes:
[1] Ibn al 'Arabi, The Bezels of Wisdom (Fusus al-hikam). tr. R. W. J. Austin (Lahore: Suhail, 1988), p.177.
[2] Frithjof Shuon, Islam and the Perennial Philosophy (Lahore: Suhail, 1985).
[3] Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, Jesus in the Eyes of the Sufis (London: Khaniqahi-Nimatullahi Publications, 1983).
[4] We are reminded by the Glorious Qur'an: "O Jesus, I will take you away and lift you up to me..." (3:54)
[5] Cf Matt. 23:25.
[6] Cf Matt 6.25-34:
25.Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26. look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or Store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feed~ them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28. And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of
30. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31. So do not worry, saying, 'what shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32. For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things ""ill be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV)
[7] This is perhaps one of the most widely misunderstood of the sayings of Jesus ('a). For it does not seem to he intended in the general ascribed to it, for that would amount to encouraging aggression, oppression and wrong doing. Turning the other cheek can however be an effective way of putting to shame the other side. An episode related by Muhammad Husayn Azad about Imam Bakhsh Nasikh, one of the masters of Urdu poetry, suggests how it can be used as an effective deterrent. Once someone had sent as a present some spoons made of crystal glass for the poet. These were considered a novelty in those days, and were quite beautiful. One day a young man belonging to some noble family came to visit Nasikh. Seeing the spoons he asked him about where he had got them and how much they had cost. Then he picked up one of them and held it admiringly. Thereafter as they conversed, to keep his idle hands busy he began to tap the spoon on the ground. The fragile thing that it was broke into two pieces. immediately Nasikh picked up another spoon and placed it in front of the youth with the remark, "Now play with this one!" (Mawlana Muhammad Husayn Azad, Ab-e hayat (Calcutta: 'Uthmaniyyah Book Depot, 1967), p.434)
[8] The corresponding verses of the Bible are Matt 7:9-11, which in the New international Version (NIV) are translated as follows:
9 Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
[9] The corresponding verses of the Bible are Matt. 5:27-30, translated in the King James Version (KJV) as:
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shall not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
[10] Cf. Matt 8:23-27 (KJV):
23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, inasmuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful', O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
[11] Cf. Matt 7:15-16, 18 (KJV):
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
[12] Cf. Qur'an 17:17; 25:58.
Truth would make a better story
Father Raymond J. de Souza
For The Calgary Herald
Sunday, March 04, 2007
So they have found the ossuary that held the bones of Jesus. And another for Mary Magdalene. There is, of course, a third one for their son. And others for Joseph and Mary. All buried together in the tomb of a reasonably well-off first-century Jewish family in Jerusalem.
Shocking news! Not because Jesus was supposed to have risen from the dead and ascended to heaven. Not because it has long been thought Joseph died in Nazareth long before the Crucifixion in Jerusalem. But because, as everyone knows, Dan Brown cracked the code and told us that Mary Magdalene had run off to France.
The novelist's version was challenged in New York this past week by the Hollywood filmmaker James Cameron, best known for his love story set upon the doomed cruise ship Titanic.
Cameron is floating his credibility on his new television documentary, The Lost Tomb of Jesus, and presented the ossuaries at a news conference full of credulous latter-day scribes who have hours of time for writers and filmers of fiction when it comes to the things of religion, but rather less time for actual theologians and biblical scholars.
Cameron spun some tales about what all this means, suggesting that Jesus was married and had a son with Mary Magdalene. How's that? Well, the bones in the "Jesus" ossuary were found by DNA tests not to be related to the ossuary assigned to Mary Magdalene.
Ergo, they must be married, and the parents of the child in the "son of Jesus" ossuary. But, of course, we don't know whom the names refer to, some of which were common in Palestine at the time, and some beginning with very loose threads, out of which Cameron spins a tale of whole cloth. It is more reasonable, in fact, just to hold to the biblical account.
Will this challenge the very basis of Christianity and set off a worldwide debate? That's what the Times of London asked 11 years ago when it ran this story about the tomb, itself discovered in 1980. The debate is not quite getting off the ground, but perhaps this time Cameron will lay on a Celine Dion soundtrack and the foundations of the faith will start shaking.
Yet the Cameron project is touchingly familiar -- we see it every year, usually around Easter time. An obscure bit of archeology somewhere in the Holy Land is trumpeted to prove that some major event of biblical history never happened, cooked up by fraudulent religious hucksters years later.
There is a certain, ahem, selectivity when it comes to biblical-era archeology. Findings that support the biblical texts don't quite get the same prominence as findings that question them. All of the scientific rigour which is insisted upon otherwise is abandoned in favour of conjecture and speculation -- often the best that can be done at a remove of some two millennia.
One of the stories being told is that the famous "James" ossuary displayed at the Royal Ontario Museum with great fanfare a few years back actually is the lost ossuary from the Jesus-Mary-Magdalene set. The James ossuary was supposed to belong to the brother of Jesus, and was supposed to set off another great debate, which rather fizzled when the ossuary was declared to be a forgery.
Yet the search for the bones of Jesus or the descendants of Mary Magdalene continues apace, whether under the guise of fiction novels or documentaries. The search goes on because Christianity itself is a relentlessly historical religion, as is the Judaism from which it emerged.
The faith depends upon real historical events -- the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus primary among them. Christianity is not a religion of the abstract, of fanciful tales told to illustrate some larger truth. It is instead a religion of the particular, of stories told about real events which testify to the apparently fantastic news that God become man in Jesus Christ. The Christian claim is that the stories are better than fantastic tales -- they are true events.
If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain -- so wrote Saint Paul to the Corinthians at the beginning, making a claim of history and faith at the same time.
So it is true that if the bones of Jesus were found, the Christian faith would be in vain. Perhaps that is why such energy is spent on the search for them, and why in the absence of evidence, fantastic tales are indeed told. The shame of it is that the original truth is more marvellous than any latter-day fiction.
© The Calgary Herald 2007
Father Raymond J. de Souza
For The Calgary Herald
Sunday, March 04, 2007
So they have found the ossuary that held the bones of Jesus. And another for Mary Magdalene. There is, of course, a third one for their son. And others for Joseph and Mary. All buried together in the tomb of a reasonably well-off first-century Jewish family in Jerusalem.
Shocking news! Not because Jesus was supposed to have risen from the dead and ascended to heaven. Not because it has long been thought Joseph died in Nazareth long before the Crucifixion in Jerusalem. But because, as everyone knows, Dan Brown cracked the code and told us that Mary Magdalene had run off to France.
The novelist's version was challenged in New York this past week by the Hollywood filmmaker James Cameron, best known for his love story set upon the doomed cruise ship Titanic.
Cameron is floating his credibility on his new television documentary, The Lost Tomb of Jesus, and presented the ossuaries at a news conference full of credulous latter-day scribes who have hours of time for writers and filmers of fiction when it comes to the things of religion, but rather less time for actual theologians and biblical scholars.
Cameron spun some tales about what all this means, suggesting that Jesus was married and had a son with Mary Magdalene. How's that? Well, the bones in the "Jesus" ossuary were found by DNA tests not to be related to the ossuary assigned to Mary Magdalene.
Ergo, they must be married, and the parents of the child in the "son of Jesus" ossuary. But, of course, we don't know whom the names refer to, some of which were common in Palestine at the time, and some beginning with very loose threads, out of which Cameron spins a tale of whole cloth. It is more reasonable, in fact, just to hold to the biblical account.
Will this challenge the very basis of Christianity and set off a worldwide debate? That's what the Times of London asked 11 years ago when it ran this story about the tomb, itself discovered in 1980. The debate is not quite getting off the ground, but perhaps this time Cameron will lay on a Celine Dion soundtrack and the foundations of the faith will start shaking.
Yet the Cameron project is touchingly familiar -- we see it every year, usually around Easter time. An obscure bit of archeology somewhere in the Holy Land is trumpeted to prove that some major event of biblical history never happened, cooked up by fraudulent religious hucksters years later.
There is a certain, ahem, selectivity when it comes to biblical-era archeology. Findings that support the biblical texts don't quite get the same prominence as findings that question them. All of the scientific rigour which is insisted upon otherwise is abandoned in favour of conjecture and speculation -- often the best that can be done at a remove of some two millennia.
One of the stories being told is that the famous "James" ossuary displayed at the Royal Ontario Museum with great fanfare a few years back actually is the lost ossuary from the Jesus-Mary-Magdalene set. The James ossuary was supposed to belong to the brother of Jesus, and was supposed to set off another great debate, which rather fizzled when the ossuary was declared to be a forgery.
Yet the search for the bones of Jesus or the descendants of Mary Magdalene continues apace, whether under the guise of fiction novels or documentaries. The search goes on because Christianity itself is a relentlessly historical religion, as is the Judaism from which it emerged.
The faith depends upon real historical events -- the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus primary among them. Christianity is not a religion of the abstract, of fanciful tales told to illustrate some larger truth. It is instead a religion of the particular, of stories told about real events which testify to the apparently fantastic news that God become man in Jesus Christ. The Christian claim is that the stories are better than fantastic tales -- they are true events.
If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain -- so wrote Saint Paul to the Corinthians at the beginning, making a claim of history and faith at the same time.
So it is true that if the bones of Jesus were found, the Christian faith would be in vain. Perhaps that is why such energy is spent on the search for them, and why in the absence of evidence, fantastic tales are indeed told. The shame of it is that the original truth is more marvellous than any latter-day fiction.
© The Calgary Herald 2007
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salimmeghani
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:30 pm
Christianity
About Jesus being crucified at the cross. If you read the modern bible, a verse in it implies that he knew about being crucified long before it happened to him, yet he still persisted in this path. In any case Jesus was a good man (whether just prophet or not) and Ishu-bai is also in our ginans.
Ismailism is very diverse, because it incorporates a bit of most religions (like hinduism, christianity, islam, etc). We musn't forget that many Ismailis were Hindus, or whatever before they converted to the Ismaili religion.
In my viewpoint, as long as religion is progressive and not stagnant then it is a good thing. Ismailis are very modern and progressive. Look at how we dress in Europe for example, or the fact that we allow women in our Jamatkhanas. Also, we have some very good modern beliefs, (given to us by firmans from mawla bapa) such as the importance of education for all.
Ismailism is very diverse, because it incorporates a bit of most religions (like hinduism, christianity, islam, etc). We musn't forget that many Ismailis were Hindus, or whatever before they converted to the Ismaili religion.
In my viewpoint, as long as religion is progressive and not stagnant then it is a good thing. Ismailis are very modern and progressive. Look at how we dress in Europe for example, or the fact that we allow women in our Jamatkhanas. Also, we have some very good modern beliefs, (given to us by firmans from mawla bapa) such as the importance of education for all.
Re: Christianity
As muslims we are taught in the Quran that Jesus was not crucified. It was made to appear to the people that Jesus was crucified.salimmeghani wrote:About Jesus being crucified at the cross. If you read the modern bible, a verse in it implies that he knew about being crucified long before it happened to him, yet he still persisted in this path. In any case Jesus was a good man (whether just prophet or not) and Ishu-bai is also in our ginans.
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Shams
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salimmeghani
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:30 pm
Chrisitianity
Sorry, didn't mean to cause any offence. I don't follow the koran. Du'a (I suppose it is a sort of extract from the koran), is good enough for me. I did read the Koran ages ago but found the many verses on hell and fire very disturbing. You see I don't believe in a hell (just a 'is') as I don't think Allah is cruel enough to create one. What do you think?
Handwritten, illustrated Bible revisits ancient tradition
1 day ago Handwritten, illustrated Bible revisits ancient tradition
Mar 24, 2007 1:00 AM (1 day ago)
By MATT SEDENSKY, AP
NAPLES, Fla. (Map, News) - The pages are made of calfskin, the ink is 500 years old, the letters each perfectly inscribed with quills. And yet for all the antiquity the St. John's Bible embraces, there are decidedly modern signs too - images of terrorist targets, urban apartment buildings, even cheering football fans.
This Bible is more than a massive sacred text being painstakingly handwritten and illustrated at a master calligrapher's studio at a converted shed in Wales - the first effort of its size in five centuries. The text is a remarkable convergence of past and present that has created a timeless art piece, a spiritual inspiration and an idealistic reflection of the universality of faith, including everything from prehistoric cave paintings to satellite images from space.
In a sense, it seeks to be all things to all people.
"This is the yearning," explained Donald Jackson, who is the lead scribe on the project, "the voices of people in different cultures and religions, voicing their yearning for closeness to God."
Portions of the massive seven-volume Bible - expected to cost its sponsors about $7.8 million when it's done - are on display through next month at the Naples Museum of Art. Visitors see not only the remarkable calligraphy that seems too perfect to have come from the human hand, but the artistic interpretations of passages. They are on pages nearly 2 feet high and 16 inches wide.
They vary widely, from simple illustrations of butterflies, to one-of-a-kind portrayals, such as that of the creation story, which is represented in a panel of seven side-by-side strips depicting the initial chaos of the world's birth, the emergence of human life and the divine day of rest.
Jackson did most of the illustrations - or illuminations - himself, but five others are helping with much of the lettering and nine guest artists have also contributed. The images chosen to illustrate the text represent a remarkable variety.
In Luke, the parable of the prodigal son includes the simple rectangular towers a reader would identify as the obliterated World Trade Center to represent the need for forgiveness and to seek alternatives to revenge. The story of Adam and Eve features an African man and woman, whose likenesses were influenced by photographs of Ethiopian tribes; they are surrounded by designs taken from objects as varied as Peruvian feather capes and Middle Eastern textiles. In a depiction of the Pentecost, there is a gold column of fire, but also simple black outlines of spectators at a college football game.
"If these words have any importance it isn't an importance that belongs in the past," Jackson said. "If there is any importance at all, they're going to always be important - now, in the past and in the future."
The Bible also aims at religious unity. In Psalms, for example, one large image is superimposed with digital voice prints - electronic images of sounds. They include not only St. John's monks' chants, but a sacred song of Native Americans, the sound of a Jewish men's chorus, Buddhist tantric harmonics, the Islamic call to prayer, Taoist temple music, a popular Hindu devotional and an Indian chant.
"We wanted a sense of ecumenism and sort of all of humanity seeking God as an underlying characteristic, even though it's in a Bible that is specifically Christian," said the Rev. Eric Hollas, a Benedictine monk at St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., which commissioned the Bible.
The New Revised Standard Version translation is used because most major Christian denominations approve of it.
The undertaking is a historic one. While other religious traditions have maintained a custom of hand-penning their sacred texts, it has fallen out of favor in Christianity since the Middle Ages. The St. John's Bible is considered the most ambitious undertaking of its kind in 500 years. Christopher de Hamel, a medieval manuscript scholar at Cambridge University in England, said the project is so monumental that it defies religion.
"The Bible is probably the most important text, the most widely circulated text, the most central text in Western civilization," de Hamel said. "Whether it's true or not true is irrelevant. And to take that great book, which has been copied by hand for two-thirds of its history, and to recreate it by hand as it was in the Middle Ages, is as thrilling as rebuilding the Parthenon using the same kind of marble or the same kind of carving, or building a new Stonehenge by dragging giant stones across the country."
Jackson - who received a scholarship to art school at the age of 13 and taught college himself at 20 - had dreamed of creating a handwritten Bible for decades before he began the project. He pitched the idea to the Rev. Eric Hollas, a Benedictine monk at St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., 12 years ago, and three years later found himself signing a contract commissioning the project on behalf of the Catholic order.
"We wanted to do something that, in a sense, would be a gift to the world," Hollas said.
Aside from his responsibilities penning royal documents for the House of Lords, 69-year-old Jackson has refused other work since beginning the Bible. The project was to be finished this year, but has fallen behind schedule and likely won't be complete until Fall 2009.
Jackson, raised a Methodist, said he has grown more spiritual as the project progressed. He first saw it as an artistic challenge; now, he feels more deeply about the book's content, precisely how he said he hopes others will react too.
"It seems that the words have value when you go through the trouble to do it in this way," he said.
1 day ago Handwritten, illustrated Bible revisits ancient tradition
Mar 24, 2007 1:00 AM (1 day ago)
By MATT SEDENSKY, AP
NAPLES, Fla. (Map, News) - The pages are made of calfskin, the ink is 500 years old, the letters each perfectly inscribed with quills. And yet for all the antiquity the St. John's Bible embraces, there are decidedly modern signs too - images of terrorist targets, urban apartment buildings, even cheering football fans.
This Bible is more than a massive sacred text being painstakingly handwritten and illustrated at a master calligrapher's studio at a converted shed in Wales - the first effort of its size in five centuries. The text is a remarkable convergence of past and present that has created a timeless art piece, a spiritual inspiration and an idealistic reflection of the universality of faith, including everything from prehistoric cave paintings to satellite images from space.
In a sense, it seeks to be all things to all people.
"This is the yearning," explained Donald Jackson, who is the lead scribe on the project, "the voices of people in different cultures and religions, voicing their yearning for closeness to God."
Portions of the massive seven-volume Bible - expected to cost its sponsors about $7.8 million when it's done - are on display through next month at the Naples Museum of Art. Visitors see not only the remarkable calligraphy that seems too perfect to have come from the human hand, but the artistic interpretations of passages. They are on pages nearly 2 feet high and 16 inches wide.
They vary widely, from simple illustrations of butterflies, to one-of-a-kind portrayals, such as that of the creation story, which is represented in a panel of seven side-by-side strips depicting the initial chaos of the world's birth, the emergence of human life and the divine day of rest.
Jackson did most of the illustrations - or illuminations - himself, but five others are helping with much of the lettering and nine guest artists have also contributed. The images chosen to illustrate the text represent a remarkable variety.
In Luke, the parable of the prodigal son includes the simple rectangular towers a reader would identify as the obliterated World Trade Center to represent the need for forgiveness and to seek alternatives to revenge. The story of Adam and Eve features an African man and woman, whose likenesses were influenced by photographs of Ethiopian tribes; they are surrounded by designs taken from objects as varied as Peruvian feather capes and Middle Eastern textiles. In a depiction of the Pentecost, there is a gold column of fire, but also simple black outlines of spectators at a college football game.
"If these words have any importance it isn't an importance that belongs in the past," Jackson said. "If there is any importance at all, they're going to always be important - now, in the past and in the future."
The Bible also aims at religious unity. In Psalms, for example, one large image is superimposed with digital voice prints - electronic images of sounds. They include not only St. John's monks' chants, but a sacred song of Native Americans, the sound of a Jewish men's chorus, Buddhist tantric harmonics, the Islamic call to prayer, Taoist temple music, a popular Hindu devotional and an Indian chant.
"We wanted a sense of ecumenism and sort of all of humanity seeking God as an underlying characteristic, even though it's in a Bible that is specifically Christian," said the Rev. Eric Hollas, a Benedictine monk at St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., which commissioned the Bible.
The New Revised Standard Version translation is used because most major Christian denominations approve of it.
The undertaking is a historic one. While other religious traditions have maintained a custom of hand-penning their sacred texts, it has fallen out of favor in Christianity since the Middle Ages. The St. John's Bible is considered the most ambitious undertaking of its kind in 500 years. Christopher de Hamel, a medieval manuscript scholar at Cambridge University in England, said the project is so monumental that it defies religion.
"The Bible is probably the most important text, the most widely circulated text, the most central text in Western civilization," de Hamel said. "Whether it's true or not true is irrelevant. And to take that great book, which has been copied by hand for two-thirds of its history, and to recreate it by hand as it was in the Middle Ages, is as thrilling as rebuilding the Parthenon using the same kind of marble or the same kind of carving, or building a new Stonehenge by dragging giant stones across the country."
Jackson - who received a scholarship to art school at the age of 13 and taught college himself at 20 - had dreamed of creating a handwritten Bible for decades before he began the project. He pitched the idea to the Rev. Eric Hollas, a Benedictine monk at St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., 12 years ago, and three years later found himself signing a contract commissioning the project on behalf of the Catholic order.
"We wanted to do something that, in a sense, would be a gift to the world," Hollas said.
Aside from his responsibilities penning royal documents for the House of Lords, 69-year-old Jackson has refused other work since beginning the Bible. The project was to be finished this year, but has fallen behind schedule and likely won't be complete until Fall 2009.
Jackson, raised a Methodist, said he has grown more spiritual as the project progressed. He first saw it as an artistic challenge; now, he feels more deeply about the book's content, precisely how he said he hopes others will react too.
"It seems that the words have value when you go through the trouble to do it in this way," he said.
http://www.canada.com/components/print. ... d448a2cae5
Pope approves limbo report
Unbaptized children may be admitted to heaven
Nicole Winfield
The Associated Press
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Pope Benedict has reversed centuries of traditional Roman Catholic teaching on limbo, approving a Vatican report released Friday that says there were "serious" grounds to hope that children who die without being baptized can go to heaven.
Theologians said the move was highly significant, both for what it says about Benedict's willingness to buck a long-standing tenet of Catholic belief and for what it means theologically about the Church's views on heaven, hell and original sin: the sin that the faithful believe all children are born with.
Although Catholics have long believed that children who die without being baptized are with original sin and thus excluded from heaven, the Church has no formal doctrine on the matter.
Theologians, however, have long taught that such children enjoy an eternal state of perfect natural happiness, a state commonly called limbo, but without being in communion with God.
"If there's no limbo and we're not going to revert to St. Augustine's teaching that unbaptized infants go to hell, we're left with only one option, namely, that everyone is born in the state of grace," said the Rev. Richard McBrien, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame.
"Baptism does not exist to wipe away the 'stain' of original sin, but to initiate one into the Church," he said in an e-mailed response.
Benedict approved the findings of the International Theological Commission, a Vatican advisory panel, which said it was reassessing traditional teaching on limbo in light of "pressing" pastoral needs, primarily the growing number of abortions and infants born to non-believers who die without being baptized.
While the report does not carry the authority of a papal encyclical or even the weight of a formal document from the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, it was approved by the Pope on Jan. 19 and was published on the Internet, an indication that it was intended to be widely read by the faithful.
© The Calgary Herald 2007
Pope approves limbo report
Unbaptized children may be admitted to heaven
Nicole Winfield
The Associated Press
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Pope Benedict has reversed centuries of traditional Roman Catholic teaching on limbo, approving a Vatican report released Friday that says there were "serious" grounds to hope that children who die without being baptized can go to heaven.
Theologians said the move was highly significant, both for what it says about Benedict's willingness to buck a long-standing tenet of Catholic belief and for what it means theologically about the Church's views on heaven, hell and original sin: the sin that the faithful believe all children are born with.
Although Catholics have long believed that children who die without being baptized are with original sin and thus excluded from heaven, the Church has no formal doctrine on the matter.
Theologians, however, have long taught that such children enjoy an eternal state of perfect natural happiness, a state commonly called limbo, but without being in communion with God.
"If there's no limbo and we're not going to revert to St. Augustine's teaching that unbaptized infants go to hell, we're left with only one option, namely, that everyone is born in the state of grace," said the Rev. Richard McBrien, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame.
"Baptism does not exist to wipe away the 'stain' of original sin, but to initiate one into the Church," he said in an e-mailed response.
Benedict approved the findings of the International Theological Commission, a Vatican advisory panel, which said it was reassessing traditional teaching on limbo in light of "pressing" pastoral needs, primarily the growing number of abortions and infants born to non-believers who die without being baptized.
While the report does not carry the authority of a papal encyclical or even the weight of a formal document from the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, it was approved by the Pope on Jan. 19 and was published on the Internet, an indication that it was intended to be widely read by the faithful.
© The Calgary Herald 2007
We hear a great deal about the diversity of interpretation and pluralism within Islam and the need to build bridges across interpretations. The same is also true about Christianity as alluded to in the following article. The definition of the dialogue in the context of faiths at the end is particularly noteworthy.
Let's begin the dialogue
Bishop Fred Henry
For The Calgary Herald
Sunday, July 29, 2007
The recent publication of a three-page document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith entitled "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church" has created quite a pastoral and theological brouhaha.
I am disappointed in the overheated and under-nuanced media coverage that has fuelled unnecessary tears, anger and ecumenical upset.
I am equally disappointed with the Vatican's lack of pastoral sensitivity, as it should have been better prepared to handle the predictable pastoral confusion the document's release created.
In combating the phenomenon of modern-day relativism, attention must not only be focused on abstract truth, but on controlling the spin, as the teaching touches minds, hearts, souls and relationships.
The reaction of one commentator is significant: "As one who has tried to build bridges between Protestants and Roman Catholics, I cringed last week when Pope Benedict XVI released his shocking statement on 'Catholic identity.' In clear, non-negotiable and jaw-dropping terms, the pontiff stated that (1) only Catholics are true Christians; (2) other Christian denominations are 'not true church,' and (3) all non-Catholics lack the 'means of salvation.' Boom! Just like that, Benedict blew up every ecumenical bridge that has been built since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s."
I can only conclude that either the author didn't read the document or failed to appreciate the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and the Decree on Ecumenism.
I encourage all Christians to read the brief document from the Congregation (www.vatican.va).
It addresses five questions about the nature of the Church, and all five are a commentary on Vatican II documents.
Vatican II didn't say the church of Christ "is" the Catholic Church. The council document (Lumen Gentium) said the church of Christ "subsists in" the Catholic Church.
The Congregation points out that the latter phrase of subsistence brings out more clearly the fact there are numerous elements of sanctification and truth outside her structure.
It is true that the document points out there are "defects" in the other Christian communities, but hastens to add "these are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation. In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church."
According to Catholic doctrine, these communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church.
These communities, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery. Therefore, they cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called "churches" in the proper sense.
The congregation also points out that the Catholic Church falls short of what it should be. "Because of the division between Christians," it says, "the fullness of universality is not fully realized in history."
There are some who think ecumenical or religious dialogues are like other dialogues -- negotiations between countries, bargaining between labour and management, or any attempts to find middle ground between disputing parties. This is not the case. Dialogue in society involves compromise; that's how we get things done, and that is good.
But when people of faith talk to one another, they are not attempting compromise. Our goal in dialogue is not to pretend that our differences don't exist and seek to construct one religion, but to share and learn from one another.
Religious dialogue is both a process of spiritual growth and a set of experiences that can have a transforming effect on those engaged in it. This kind of dialogue is the art of spiritual communication. The participants maintain their religious practice, they invite their partners to be present when they pray and they seek to understand how each understands what one must do to be holy.
In religious dialogue, we are also compelled to make our language understandable, acceptable and well-chosen, so that we can be both truthful and charitable to one another.
Our recent forays indicate that this is not an easy task.
Fred Henry is bishop of the Calgary diocese.
© The Calgary Herald 2007
Let's begin the dialogue
Bishop Fred Henry
For The Calgary Herald
Sunday, July 29, 2007
The recent publication of a three-page document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith entitled "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church" has created quite a pastoral and theological brouhaha.
I am disappointed in the overheated and under-nuanced media coverage that has fuelled unnecessary tears, anger and ecumenical upset.
I am equally disappointed with the Vatican's lack of pastoral sensitivity, as it should have been better prepared to handle the predictable pastoral confusion the document's release created.
In combating the phenomenon of modern-day relativism, attention must not only be focused on abstract truth, but on controlling the spin, as the teaching touches minds, hearts, souls and relationships.
The reaction of one commentator is significant: "As one who has tried to build bridges between Protestants and Roman Catholics, I cringed last week when Pope Benedict XVI released his shocking statement on 'Catholic identity.' In clear, non-negotiable and jaw-dropping terms, the pontiff stated that (1) only Catholics are true Christians; (2) other Christian denominations are 'not true church,' and (3) all non-Catholics lack the 'means of salvation.' Boom! Just like that, Benedict blew up every ecumenical bridge that has been built since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s."
I can only conclude that either the author didn't read the document or failed to appreciate the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and the Decree on Ecumenism.
I encourage all Christians to read the brief document from the Congregation (www.vatican.va).
It addresses five questions about the nature of the Church, and all five are a commentary on Vatican II documents.
Vatican II didn't say the church of Christ "is" the Catholic Church. The council document (Lumen Gentium) said the church of Christ "subsists in" the Catholic Church.
The Congregation points out that the latter phrase of subsistence brings out more clearly the fact there are numerous elements of sanctification and truth outside her structure.
It is true that the document points out there are "defects" in the other Christian communities, but hastens to add "these are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation. In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church."
According to Catholic doctrine, these communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church.
These communities, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery. Therefore, they cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called "churches" in the proper sense.
The congregation also points out that the Catholic Church falls short of what it should be. "Because of the division between Christians," it says, "the fullness of universality is not fully realized in history."
There are some who think ecumenical or religious dialogues are like other dialogues -- negotiations between countries, bargaining between labour and management, or any attempts to find middle ground between disputing parties. This is not the case. Dialogue in society involves compromise; that's how we get things done, and that is good.
But when people of faith talk to one another, they are not attempting compromise. Our goal in dialogue is not to pretend that our differences don't exist and seek to construct one religion, but to share and learn from one another.
Religious dialogue is both a process of spiritual growth and a set of experiences that can have a transforming effect on those engaged in it. This kind of dialogue is the art of spiritual communication. The participants maintain their religious practice, they invite their partners to be present when they pray and they seek to understand how each understands what one must do to be holy.
In religious dialogue, we are also compelled to make our language understandable, acceptable and well-chosen, so that we can be both truthful and charitable to one another.
Our recent forays indicate that this is not an easy task.
Fred Henry is bishop of the Calgary diocese.
© The Calgary Herald 2007
Wealth chasm widening: Carter
Christians urged to offer more help to world's poor
Graeme Morton
Calgary Herald
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter has challenged the North American Christian church to bridge the growing chasm between the world's wealthy and the teeming masses of poor.
In a wide-ranging, keynote interview with host Bill Hybels during the recent Leadership Summit, Carter said Christians need to offer both their time and money to demonstrate God's love for mankind in practical terms.
"In countries like Liberia, the right to have a little food, clothing and some rudimentary shelter is the best they can hope for in terms of human rights," Carter told Hybels, founding pastor of the giant Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago.
The Leadership Summit was simulcast to hundreds of worship centres, including First Alliance Church, where about 800 Calgarians took part.
"In North America, we tend to build cocoons around ourselves," Carter said. "We wipe poor people out of our minds. For us, it's hard to imagine how a person in Africa can survive on a dollar a day."
Carter has been publicly critical, and in turn taken considerable flak, for attacking the Bush administration's combative foreign policy. The former president says his opposition comes from his deep-held faith.
"As Christians, we worship the Prince of Peace, and the noblest thing we can do is promote peace around the world," said Carter.
"As a superpower, the U.S. should be a beacon of peace and the champion of human rights for the rest of the world," Carter added.
"It's an extension of what every human being should aspire to."
Carter, who at 82 still teaches Sunday school in his small Baptist church in Plains, Ga., urged conference attendees to "not be timid" in trying to live out Christ's teachings.
"We can accommodate changing times without altering the unchanging principles of Jesus," Carter added.
Hybels lauded Carter's ongoing push for peace.
"I can probably count on two hands the number of times I've led prayers for peace here at Willow Creek," Hybels said after the interview.
"But he's (Carter) right. War begets war. We need to teach non-retaliatory responses in our homes, in the marketplace and around the world."
Often labelled the "best ex-president" in American history, Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and has been tireless in his efforts for Habitat for Humanity and the Atlanta-based Carter Center, which conducts humanitarian work in dozens of countries.
"We (Carter Center) don't try to duplicate anyone else's efforts. We go to places and tackle situations which nobody else is dealing with," said Carter, who describes health care in much of the world as being at "primitive levels."
Carter, who led the U.S. from 1976 to 1980, called the Camp David peace accord he helped broker between Israel and Egypt his proudest political feat, while saying the Iran hostage crisis, which dragged on for the final year of his presidency, was his darkest hour.
Carter said his humiliating election loss to Ronald Reagan in November 1980 felt like "a punch in the stomach" at the time, but that he and his wife Roslyn have tried to use their retirement years productively.
"The last 25 years have given us a life as challenging and rewarding as we could have ever hoped for," Carter said.
He urged leaders in both religious and business sectors to surround themselves with bright, provocative minds.
"It's okay for your subordinates to disagree vigorously," Carter said. "It's healthier for your organization than having sycophants who only say what they think you want to hear."
gmorton@theherald.canwest.com
****
Santa: kindly saint or secular pitchman?
'How we view Santa is . . . how we view our own lives
Graeme Morton
Calgary Herald
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Is Santa Claus the enduring embodiment of everything a saint should be -- kind, generous and forgiving of human foibles?
Or is he merely the ultimate secular pitchman, dragged out of retirement each winter to endorse corporate good cheer, Coca-Cola and a sleigh full of other products?
Perhaps a little of both?
Meagan Kelln, 25, who'll enter her fourth year of religious studies at the University of Calgary next month, has spent the summer probing the Santa saga and how it has evolved from both sacred and secular sources. She has pored over scores of books, sermons, academic papers, pamphlets, lyrics to Christmas carols, films . . . you name it.
"What intrigues me is the different agendas that people bring to the myth of Santa," says Kelln, a native Calgarian. "I'm not sure I'll shed any particularly blinding new light on the subject."
In a western culture so deeply saturated by the rituals of shopping, buying and ownership, Kelln says Santa can be described as the God of the growing religion of consumerism.
"We use Santa to feel warm and fuzzy about Christmas. You get this gift from him that's anonymous, mysterious and you don't really have to do anything to deserve it," says Kelln. She notes Santa is employed by some parents for, "you better be good, or . . ." discipline.
The religious link to Santa Claus traditionally dates back to Nicholas, who was orphaned as a child in present-day Turkey in the fourth century AD. He became a bishop in the early Christian church and was known for his boundless generosity and devotion to children, obvious parallels to the red-clad philanthropist.
Nicholas is venerated in both the Catholic and Orthodox churches, Kelln notes . He is also the patron saint of sailors, eligible maidens and -- somewhat appropriately for modern Christmas -- merchants.
St. Nicholas' feast day, Dec. 6, is widely celebrated in some European countries, which frees up the Dec. 25 period for a more spiritual focus on Christ's birth.
Kelln says the North American vision of Santa was largely shaped by the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, attributed to either Washington Irving or Clement Moore. Drawings of Santa by popular artists like Thomas Nast, who leaned more toward the "twinkle in the eye" figure than a serene saint, cemented the image in the public's mind.
"What's intriguing about Santa is that as myths go, he's a pretty recent phenomenon," Kelln says.
"How we view Santa is really how we view our own lives, the values we hold as individuals."
Kelln, who says she wasn't raised in a churchgoing home, remains a Santa fan in adulthood.
"Christmas remains my favourite time of the year," she says. "It's all about family, of love and pure giving, of a renewal at the end of the year," she says.
"Scholars can tend to be a pretty cynical bunch. But it's still nice to give people a gift."
Kelln says one of the quirkiest takes she's found on poor ol' Santa emerged from a 1960s-era psychoanalytical study of the myth.
"They were talking in terms of Santa as a remnant of a pagan fertility god, of his bag as representing the womb, and Santa coming down the chimney as symbolizing the birth canal," Kelln says.
Kelln, who plans to move on to the master's level in religious studies, will present her findings to her U of C
advisers and peers this fall and at a
Student Religious Studies conference in Lethbridge next year.
gmorton@theherald.canwest.com
© The Calgary Herald 2007
Christians urged to offer more help to world's poor
Graeme Morton
Calgary Herald
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter has challenged the North American Christian church to bridge the growing chasm between the world's wealthy and the teeming masses of poor.
In a wide-ranging, keynote interview with host Bill Hybels during the recent Leadership Summit, Carter said Christians need to offer both their time and money to demonstrate God's love for mankind in practical terms.
"In countries like Liberia, the right to have a little food, clothing and some rudimentary shelter is the best they can hope for in terms of human rights," Carter told Hybels, founding pastor of the giant Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago.
The Leadership Summit was simulcast to hundreds of worship centres, including First Alliance Church, where about 800 Calgarians took part.
"In North America, we tend to build cocoons around ourselves," Carter said. "We wipe poor people out of our minds. For us, it's hard to imagine how a person in Africa can survive on a dollar a day."
Carter has been publicly critical, and in turn taken considerable flak, for attacking the Bush administration's combative foreign policy. The former president says his opposition comes from his deep-held faith.
"As Christians, we worship the Prince of Peace, and the noblest thing we can do is promote peace around the world," said Carter.
"As a superpower, the U.S. should be a beacon of peace and the champion of human rights for the rest of the world," Carter added.
"It's an extension of what every human being should aspire to."
Carter, who at 82 still teaches Sunday school in his small Baptist church in Plains, Ga., urged conference attendees to "not be timid" in trying to live out Christ's teachings.
"We can accommodate changing times without altering the unchanging principles of Jesus," Carter added.
Hybels lauded Carter's ongoing push for peace.
"I can probably count on two hands the number of times I've led prayers for peace here at Willow Creek," Hybels said after the interview.
"But he's (Carter) right. War begets war. We need to teach non-retaliatory responses in our homes, in the marketplace and around the world."
Often labelled the "best ex-president" in American history, Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and has been tireless in his efforts for Habitat for Humanity and the Atlanta-based Carter Center, which conducts humanitarian work in dozens of countries.
"We (Carter Center) don't try to duplicate anyone else's efforts. We go to places and tackle situations which nobody else is dealing with," said Carter, who describes health care in much of the world as being at "primitive levels."
Carter, who led the U.S. from 1976 to 1980, called the Camp David peace accord he helped broker between Israel and Egypt his proudest political feat, while saying the Iran hostage crisis, which dragged on for the final year of his presidency, was his darkest hour.
Carter said his humiliating election loss to Ronald Reagan in November 1980 felt like "a punch in the stomach" at the time, but that he and his wife Roslyn have tried to use their retirement years productively.
"The last 25 years have given us a life as challenging and rewarding as we could have ever hoped for," Carter said.
He urged leaders in both religious and business sectors to surround themselves with bright, provocative minds.
"It's okay for your subordinates to disagree vigorously," Carter said. "It's healthier for your organization than having sycophants who only say what they think you want to hear."
gmorton@theherald.canwest.com
****
Santa: kindly saint or secular pitchman?
'How we view Santa is . . . how we view our own lives
Graeme Morton
Calgary Herald
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Is Santa Claus the enduring embodiment of everything a saint should be -- kind, generous and forgiving of human foibles?
Or is he merely the ultimate secular pitchman, dragged out of retirement each winter to endorse corporate good cheer, Coca-Cola and a sleigh full of other products?
Perhaps a little of both?
Meagan Kelln, 25, who'll enter her fourth year of religious studies at the University of Calgary next month, has spent the summer probing the Santa saga and how it has evolved from both sacred and secular sources. She has pored over scores of books, sermons, academic papers, pamphlets, lyrics to Christmas carols, films . . . you name it.
"What intrigues me is the different agendas that people bring to the myth of Santa," says Kelln, a native Calgarian. "I'm not sure I'll shed any particularly blinding new light on the subject."
In a western culture so deeply saturated by the rituals of shopping, buying and ownership, Kelln says Santa can be described as the God of the growing religion of consumerism.
"We use Santa to feel warm and fuzzy about Christmas. You get this gift from him that's anonymous, mysterious and you don't really have to do anything to deserve it," says Kelln. She notes Santa is employed by some parents for, "you better be good, or . . ." discipline.
The religious link to Santa Claus traditionally dates back to Nicholas, who was orphaned as a child in present-day Turkey in the fourth century AD. He became a bishop in the early Christian church and was known for his boundless generosity and devotion to children, obvious parallels to the red-clad philanthropist.
Nicholas is venerated in both the Catholic and Orthodox churches, Kelln notes . He is also the patron saint of sailors, eligible maidens and -- somewhat appropriately for modern Christmas -- merchants.
St. Nicholas' feast day, Dec. 6, is widely celebrated in some European countries, which frees up the Dec. 25 period for a more spiritual focus on Christ's birth.
Kelln says the North American vision of Santa was largely shaped by the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, attributed to either Washington Irving or Clement Moore. Drawings of Santa by popular artists like Thomas Nast, who leaned more toward the "twinkle in the eye" figure than a serene saint, cemented the image in the public's mind.
"What's intriguing about Santa is that as myths go, he's a pretty recent phenomenon," Kelln says.
"How we view Santa is really how we view our own lives, the values we hold as individuals."
Kelln, who says she wasn't raised in a churchgoing home, remains a Santa fan in adulthood.
"Christmas remains my favourite time of the year," she says. "It's all about family, of love and pure giving, of a renewal at the end of the year," she says.
"Scholars can tend to be a pretty cynical bunch. But it's still nice to give people a gift."
Kelln says one of the quirkiest takes she's found on poor ol' Santa emerged from a 1960s-era psychoanalytical study of the myth.
"They were talking in terms of Santa as a remnant of a pagan fertility god, of his bag as representing the womb, and Santa coming down the chimney as symbolizing the birth canal," Kelln says.
Kelln, who plans to move on to the master's level in religious studies, will present her findings to her U of C
advisers and peers this fall and at a
Student Religious Studies conference in Lethbridge next year.
gmorton@theherald.canwest.com
© The Calgary Herald 2007