US TV set for 'Jesus wife' storm

BBC ^ | 10/31/03

[nypokerface]

A leading US TV news reporter has said her network is taking a risk with a news special which asks whether Jesus Christ had a wife.

ABC's Elizabeth Vargas said Jesus, Mary and Da Vinci, to be shown in the US on Monday night, was being made "as respectfully as we can".

But she admitted: "You can't talk about this subject without intriguing people or offending people."

The programme is partly based on the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code.

The book alleges Mary Magdalene - a biblical figure widely thought to have been a prostitute - was actually Jesus's wife.

The book also asserts Magdalene fled Jerusalem with Jesus' child after his crucifixion.

This story was supposed to have been kept alive by a secret society that included the medieval painter and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci.

Da Vinci left clues about the story in his art, the novel alleged.

ABC have already screened the special, which talks to some theologians to try and unravel the theory, for some journalists and religious leaders.

'Crackpot theory'

It has already drawn criticism from a representative of the Catholic League, Joseph Feo, who said the news special had relied too much on the opinions of Father Richard McBrien of Notre Dame.

Father McBrien is said to believe the historical importance of Mary Magdalene had been under-rated.

Mr De Feo said: "The majority of the people who spoke believed in either the plausibility or the outright truth of [book author] Dan Brown's claims. The facts themselves scream out that this is a crackpot theory."

Vargas said ABC had not found any proof as to whether Jesus had a wife, but could not completely discount the theory either.

"For me, it's made religion more real and, ironically, much more interesting - which is what we're hoping to do for our viewers," she said.

[BSunday]

The authors' point here is not to compromise or to demean Jesus, but to offer another, more complete perspective of Jesus as God's incarnation in man.

I guess God's plan is never good enough for man. We always have to spice it up a little, don't we ?

[job]

Actually, no, and I mean no with respect to Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical denominations, I have never heard any disagreement that the Word is Christ, and that Christ was with God in the beginning.

[stands2reason]

Why would the fact that Jesus was possibly married upset anyone, besides Catholic Priests of course?

There is no "fact"....it's a load. Why wasn't she mentioned in the Bible? Did he divorce her? If he was married---then the New Testament is highly fallible. You don't see how that might "upset" Christians? Or do you just like to pick on them?

[Belial]

Actually, no, and I mean no with respect to Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical denominations, I have never heard any disagreement that the Word is Christ, and that Christ was with God in the beginning.

Oh, there is plenty of disagreement. One main dissenting argument looks at the beginning of John as some kind of gnostic formulation.

Anyway, isn't it kind of a stretch to describe Christ as a word?

[nightdriver]

Do you, then, reject "churchianity," or christianity? Or both?

[stands2reason]

Feminists and anti-celibates loooove it....

[job]

I think if you believe "the Word" references just a word, there is probably not much reason for any further discourse.

[Paulus Invictus]

I agree that there are too many imponderables re the subject since the Gospels are virtually silent as to Jesus' life up until he was about 30. Jewish men were and still are expected to fulfill their destiny and marry. The story of the water-to-wine wedding feast has intrigued me, since according to ancient Jewish wedding customs, the bridegroom had to provide the wedding feast and wine. Jesus did the job in a most unexpected way. Hmmmm.

Here's a theological thought from Matthew 5:48: Jesus commanded: "Be ye therefore teleoi (complete or fulfilled or perfect." It is widely thought that a man is not complete without a wife or a woman without a husband (one flesh). Hence, was Jesus married and therefore "complete" as a man? The answer is we don't know if he was or was not married, but who really cares and why?

[PatriotCJC]

Mary Magdalene is posited as the author of the Fourth Gospel in the sense in which antiquity defined authorship (Brown 1990: 1051-1052). The author is the person whose ideas the book expresses, not necessarily the person who set pen to papyrus (Brown 1966: lxxxvii). According to Brown, the Fourth Gospel was authored by an anonymous follower of Jesus referred to in the Gospel text as the Beloved Disciple. This Beloved Disciple knew Jesus personally and was in the originating group of the Johannine Community (Brown 1979: 31). The Fourth Gospel was based on this disciple's own eyewitness account (John 21:24). Brown identifies several phases in the development of the Fourth Gospel: 1) the initial pre-Gospel version authored by the Beloved Disciple; 2) the pre-Gospel work produced by "the evangelist" or main writer; and, 3) the final version written by a redactor after the death of the Beloved Disciple (1979:22-23).

[Paulus Invictus]

You are completely wrong by stating that it is a belief of the LDS religion that Jesus was married. Where did you get that erroneous idea, from anti-Mormons?

[SoothingDave]

Here's a theological thought from Matthew 5:48: Jesus commanded: "Be ye therefore teleoi (complete or fulfilled or perfect." It is widely thought that a man is not complete without a wife or a woman without a husband (one flesh). Hence, was Jesus married and therefore "complete" as a man? The answer is we don't know if he was or was not married, but who really cares and why?

You think, then, that Jesus required a wife in order to be complete? Being the Incarnate God wasn't enough?

SD

[Belial]

I think if you believe "the Word" references just a word, there is probably not much reason for any further discourse.

By simply translating logos to English and using it to prop up the theory of the Trinity, you are losing the entire Neo-Platonic context the word was used in. It would be like someone reading today's phrase "Word up" in another language 2,000 years in the future and completely missing the meaning. Context matters.

IOW, just watch the Life of Brian.

[job]

The church was and is His bride; he is the Bridegroom.

[job]

Or, it was authored by John.

[Belial]

You are completely wrong by stating that it is a belief of the LDS religion that Jesus was married. Where did you get that erroneous idea, from anti-Mormons?

The Mormon's #2 man (Brigham Young) believed that Christ married.

[PatriotCJC]

Whoever the author is, it is still the most gnostic text in the NT.

[Paulus Invictus]

And where on earth did you get that idea? As far as I know (and I've read all his writings and speeches), Brigham never said as much nor does the Church say anything about it or does it have a doctrinal statement that Jesus was married. Oh, and Brigham is not regarded as "the #2 man." He was the 2nd man to be president of the Church, but was not #2 in charge.

[Paulus Invictus]

No, I didn't say that I believe the idea. I just wonder about it.

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

Read 'Bloodline of the Holy Grail' by Laurence Gardiner

Fascinating book, along with the Second Messiah.

I own both, as well as some other books by Knight & Lomas, 'The Hiram Key', and 'Uriel's Machine'. A fascinating window into the mind of Freemasons.

[Paulus Invictus]

And that belief comes from what source? Is it in the New Testament? Where?