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Cultural Tools for Interpreting the Good News
The book itself | 2002 | John J. Pilch

Posted on 02/21/2006 7:52:06 PM PST by Dennis Paul Morony

Page 39: "Jesus is moved to repentance by the preaching of John and submits to his baptism. Perhaps his manual labor was sometimes less than perfect, perhaps he cheated a customer even if unintentionally. John was announcing 'forgiveness of debts' using a word, forgive, which in peasant experience was always linked with forgiveness of debts. Even Jesus as an artisan could plausibly have needed forgiveness of debts."

Page 40: "Scholars note that Jesus initially was a disciple of John, even baptizing others with the baptism of John (John 3:22). No doubt he also learned the basic skills of a Holy Man from John, an experienced, successful, and, to judge by the crowds he attracted, highly respected Holy Man."

"For his followers, all experiences of the Risen Christ are instances of 'religious trance.'"

Page 71, bottom: "The nature of this sighting of the risen Jesus is an altered state of consciousness experience. Ninety percent of the people on the face of this planet have such experiences routinely, etc."


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic
KEYWORDS: experience; holyman; jesus; resurrection; trance
Humm.. Gee, what can I say? We just finished a four week Bible Studies course here in the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, Texas. And the funny thing is:

This particular book has a stamp called "Nihil obstat," by one Robert C. Harren, "Censor deputatus," and an "Imprimatur" by one John F. Kinney, Bishop of St. Cloud, minnesota, April 8, 2002.

I guess one of the biggest problems I have with Dr. Pilch is what it seems to me is his meaning of the phrase "Holy Man."

Why?

Because Webster's Third New International Dictionary, 1971 Edition has a word that I think describes better what Dr. Pilch seems to be saying:

"Shaman - A priest-doctor who uses magic to cure the sick, to divine the hidden, and to control events that effect the welfare of the people."

Now, should this be true, would it not be reasonable to question whether DR. Pilch even believes in God himself, in the first place? And if he doesn't, of what practical use are those rubber stamps slapped on the front pages of his little book?

1 posted on 02/21/2006 7:52:09 PM PST by Dennis Paul Morony
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To: Dennis Paul Morony

Humm...

You forgot to post a link.


2 posted on 02/21/2006 7:57:56 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo
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To: Dennis Paul Morony
Then Holy Man is much like Soul Man - Blues Brothers - 1978

Coming to you, on a dusty road
Good loving, I got a truck load
and when you get it, you got something
So don't worry, 'cause I'm coming

I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man
I'm a soul man, I'm a soul man

Got what I got, the hard way
and I'll make better, each and every day
So honey, don't you fret
'cause you ain't seen nothing yet

I'm a soul man, ow!
I'm a soul man, play it Steve!
I'm a soul man, ow!
I'm a soul man, huh! Listen!

3 posted on 02/21/2006 8:36:00 PM PST by 69ConvertibleFirebird (Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.)
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