Admiration

Passages

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• From Paul and Matthew Among Jews and Gentiles: Essays in Honor of Terence L. Donaldson (2021)

  That Matthew finds in Mary and Tamar, Rahab and Ruth women who see and bring to fulfilment God’s purposes for Israel, sometimes in their own voices, is a claim that finds external support here, in these two widely separated works of Second Temple Judaism. Mary and the Voices of Women in Matthew’s Gospel It remains the case, however, that Mary does not, in her own voice, speak. A final question, briefly, raised by Mary’s silence. Does Matthew’s interest in women as bearers of God’s purpose indicate also an interest in women as speakers of the word? Time fails me to tel of Rachel’s weeping and the anointing woman at Bethany, of the Canaanite woman and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. 51 I end with two brief observations. First, the Canaanite woman. In Matthew, the anointing woman at Bethany stands in contrast to the disciples. In her act of anointing, she proclaims Jesus’ death; they (even after three passion predictions) do not. “When they saw this,” Matthew says, “the disciples were indignant; they said, ‘Why this waste?’ ” (26:8). “The disciples” is a Matthean insertion. Mark has simply “some people.” Matthew creates a deliberate contrast between the woman who sees Jesus’ purpose and witnesses to it, and the disciples who do not. In the same way, Matthew’s gospel commends the Canaanite woman for her “great faith.” In this she stands in contrast to the disciples. When the 50 These words come at the end of Deborah’s long resumé of Israel’s covenantal history: “Go, earth; go, heavens and lightnings; go, angels of the heavenly host; go and tell the fathers in their chamber of souls and say, ‘The Most Powerful has not forgotten the least of the promises that he established with us’ ” (32:13). She is the seer of the promises of God. When Deborah finishes singing she goes together with the people to Shiloh where they offer sacrifices ( L.A.B. 32:18); she seems to have a priestly as well as prophetic function, and she judges the people. 51 I hope to explore further Matthew’s treatment of these women, and the whole question of women and the word in the New Testament (NT) and in the early church, in a book provisional y entitled— Women and the Word. 14 144 Paul and Matthew among Jews and Gentiles Canaanite woman begs Jesus repeatedly to heal her daughter, Jesus says to her final y, “O woman, great is your faith” (15:28; Mark 7:29 has simply “For this saying you may go your way,” with no reference to her faith). 52 To the disciples, however, Jesus says repeatedly in Matthew, “ye of little faith” (ὀλιγόπιστοι, 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8, 17:20) The Canaanite woman, moreover, speaks her faith in her own voice. Whereas Mark merely reports that she speaks, Matthew gives us direct discourse. Twice she cries out to Jesus: “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David”; “Lord, help me” (Matt 15:22,

• From The Laws of Human Nature (2018)

  We may no longer venerate the goddess as a deity, but we can appreciate on a deep level all of those who promote rationality in our own world, and we can seek to internalize their power as much as we can. “Trust your feelings!”—But feelings are nothing final or original; behind feelings there stand judgments and evaluations which we inherit in the form of . . . inclinations, aversions. . . . The inspiration born of a feeling is the grandchild of a judgment—and often of a false judgment!—and in any event not a child of your own! To trust one’s feelings—means to give more obedience to one’s grandfather and grandmother and their grandparents than to the gods which are in us: our reason and our experience. —Friedrich Nietzsche W 2 Transform Self-love into Empathy The Law of Narcissism e all naturally possess the most remarkable tool for connecting to people and attaining social power—empathy. When cultivated and properly used, it can allow us to see into the moods and minds of others, giving us the power to anticipate people’s actions and gently lower their resistance. This instrument, however, is blunted by our habitual self-absorption. We are all narcissists, some deeper on the spectrum than others. Our mission in life is to come to terms with this self-love and learn how to turn our sensitivity outward, toward others, instead of inward. We must recognize at the same time the toxic narcissists among us before getting enmeshed in their dramas and poisoned by their envy. The Narcissistic Spectrum From the moment we are born, we humans feel a never-ending need for attention. We are social animals to the core. Our survival and happiness depend on the bonds we form with others. If people do not pay attention to us, we cannot connect to them on any level. Some of this is purely physical—we must have people looking at us to feel alive. As those who have gone through long periods of isolation can attest, without eye contact we begin to doubt our existence and to descend into a deep depression. But this need is also deeply psychological: through the quality of attention we receive from others, we feel recognized and appreciated for who we are. Our sense of self-worth depends on this. Because this is so important to the human animal, people will do almost anything to get attention, including committing a crime or attempting suicide. Look behind almost any action, and you will see this need as a primary motivation. In trying to satisfy our hunger for attention, however, we face an inevitable problem: there is only so much of it to go around. In the family, we have to compete with our siblings; at school, with classmates; at work, with colleagues.

• From The History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch (2017)

  õ The Oration sums up the spirit of the entire Renaissance. Pico argued that humans are the only ones of God’s creatures who can use their free will to improve themselves, and that learning is the what God intends us to do. õ The problem was that Pope Innocent VIII didn’t see it that way. In 1487, the pope assembled a commission of theologians to investigate Pico’s 900 Theses, and they found heresy, no matter what Pico thought he was doing. Basically, Pico’s crime was what religion scholars today call syncretism: blending the ideas of different religious traditions and suggesting that human knowledge is constantly expanding and drawing on new sources. PICO AND SAVONAROLA õ Pico ended up in Florence as a refugee on the run from the Vatican officials. He’d first heard Savonarola preach in the late 1470s or early 1480s, and he had found the friar strangely alluring back then. He got to Florence ahead of Savonarola, and had a hand in persuading him to come to town. He also had a hand in persuading the town fathers to put up with Savonarola’s fiery preaching, at least for the time being. õ These two made an unlikely pair: Savonarola was a puritanical preacher who believed he had a monopoly on truth. Pico thought humanity’s job was to read everything and paste together the best religion. Yet Pico was so moved by Savonarola’s call to moral reform that at one point he was tempted to take holy orders so that he could become his disciple. 8 The History of Christianity II

• From Paul and Matthew Among Jews and Gentiles: Essays in Honor of Terence L. Donaldson (2021)

  Attitudes to and incorporation of non-Jews in Judaism, including the Jesus movement, is a topic about which there has been considerable disagreement, both in antiquity and among scholars today. 1 The question is closely related to ideas about salvation, so that a certain position on the status of (religio-ethnic) outsiders would have implications for theologies controlling access to the world to come, and vice versa. A third parameter is also frequently involved, that of how to define and understand the role of mission, based on the position taken on matters of inclusion and salvation. 2 Two of the most important texts/collection of texts later included in the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew and the Pauline writings, have often been referred to in discussions of the status of Gentiles in the church. While for many modern scholars Paul and Matthew may seem to present the reader with divergent positions on several topics involved in this discussion, analyzing and juxtaposing Paul’s and Matthew’s attitudes to gentile inclusion, traditional scholarship has often favored, as has also the church, This essay is dedicated to Terry Donaldson, friend and colleague. As an undergraduate student at Lund University in the early 1990s, I began reading Terry’s work and found it extremely interesting and refreshing. His sharp mind, honesty in interpretation, and consistent refusal to avoid difficult passages and topics made me instantly add him to my list of academic heroes. He is still on that list. It has been an honor and a privilege to get to know Terry, in Canada during my McMaster years and since then after my move to Oslo. I look forward to many more years of discussions of shared interests, not least on Paul and Matthew, who persist in challenging us to always try new ways of understanding their complex and immensely important writings. 1 For sources and discussion, see the indispensable study by Terence L. Donaldson, Judaism and the Gentiles: Jewish Patterns of Universalism (to 135 CE) (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2007). Another important contribution, aiming at understanding Gentiles as they are presented in texts from the Dead Sea Scrol s to the Didache, is David C. Sim and James S. McLaren, eds., Attitudes to Gentiles in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity (London: Bloomsbury, 2013). 2 See Anders Runesson, “Particularistic Judaism and Universalistic Christianity? Some Critical Remarks on Terminology and Theology,” JGRChJ 1 (2000): 120–44; also published in ST 54:1 (2000): 55–75. 10 100 Paul and Matthew among Jews and Gentiles a harmonized understanding of the two, not only with regard to the issue of Gentiles, but also on matters concerning Jews, Jewish law, salvation, and mission.

• From The History of World Literature (2007)

  146 Lecture 34: Rabindranath Tagore’s Stories and Poems say, and to stay out of the way while doing so. We can see this as part of the removal of the writer from his or her work that we have already noticed in other Realist writers. Rabindranath Tagore is at a crossroads in all this. At the end of the 19 th century colonialism was at its height, so that European inÀ uences permeated and modi¿ ed local literary traditions. India had been under English inÀ uence since about 1600, so that by the time India became an independent country (1947), English had become more or less the common language of the country. Many modern Indian writers use English in their works. India had its own rich literary traditions reaching back 3,000 years, but in Tagore we have an Indian writer using a Western literary form: the short story. Tagore was inÀ uenced by the Realists Chekhov, Turgenev, Shaw, and Ibsen. Since the height of European inÀ uence on non-Western cultures coincided with the Realist Movement, most of the earliest Western-type literature from these cultures is in the Realist mode. The literature is about middle- or lower- class characters, describes contemporary life, uses a more or less objective point of view with minimal authorial intrusion, and includes some social criticism. Tagore illustrates all of this, writing Realist stories about people who exploit the caste system, suppress women, and bene ¿ t from the sufferings of the poor. Tagore was educated in India and Europe and, like Goethe, was something of a universal man: poet, novelist, dramatist, essayist, teacher, musician, and painter. He founded a school that became a university, wrote the words and music for 2,000 songs (two of which became the national anthems of India and Bangladesh), and directed his erudition and talent toward international understanding and cultural synthesis. He supported Mahatma Gandhi but cautioned against too much nationalism and too little internationalism; he saw Gandhi as the perfect union of the East and the West. In a short story, “Broken Ties,” Tagore sends his protagonist through a period of Western inÀ uence, then through a period of mysticism, guided by a swami, and to a This is what an Indian writer looks like at the beginning of the century, using Western forms for Eastern material.

• From Branded: Brainwashed Inside NXIVM (2020)

  642 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:52,217 They're giving him millions of dollars, 643 00:30:52,317 --> 00:30:54,118 millions and millions and millions, 644 00:30:54,219 --> 00:30:56,554 to pay their way up, to get different color sashes, 645 00:30:56,654 --> 00:31:00,525 to go from white to green to orange to whatever. 646 00:31:00,625 --> 00:31:04,095 And it's all going straight into his pocket. 647 00:31:04,195 --> 00:31:07,065 [Narrator] NXIVM's leader, Keith Raniere. 648 00:31:07,165 --> 00:31:10,835 He was this leader who had created this curriculum 649 00:31:10,935 --> 00:31:12,837 that was changing people's lives. 650 00:31:12,937 --> 00:31:18,176 He was amazingly smart and had the answers to everything. 651 00:31:18,276 --> 00:31:21,379 And everybody revered him. 652 00:31:21,479 --> 00:31:23,882 He would come in the evenings sometimes 653 00:31:23,982 --> 00:31:26,851 to--to the auditorium, and he would speak to us. 654 00:31:26,951 --> 00:31:28,953 It was sort of like he was a rockstar 655 00:31:29,053 --> 00:31:31,022 showing up to an event. 656 00:31:31,122 --> 00:31:36,861 He sort of had that feeling of a religious person. 657 00:31:36,961 --> 00:31:41,299 That energy of end all, be all. 658 00:31:41,399 --> 00:31:44,168 [Narrator] Particularly for female members. 659 00:31:45,169 --> 00:31:47,739 [Dr. Marie] The women around him just loved him. 660 00:31:47,839 --> 00:31:49,908 I wasn't attracted to him, 661 00:31:50,008 --> 00:31:54,212 but he had something magical about him. 662 00:31:54,312 --> 00:31:57,081 [Paige] People always mentioned Keith's...charm 663 00:31:57,181 --> 00:31:58,683 and his charisma. 664 00:31:58,783 --> 00:32:01,586 Keith has a way of making you feel like you're very important 665 00:32:01,686 --> 00:32:03,087 while still being in control. 666 00:32:03,187 --> 00:32:04,489 And the more time you spend with him, 667 00:32:04,589 --> 00:32:07,225 the more you're like, he's friendly and engaging, 668 00:32:07,325 --> 00:32:09,594 and he cares about me, and I'm special, 669 00:32:09,694 --> 00:32:12,096 and he understands what I'm going through. 670 00:32:12,196 --> 00:32:14,098 And none of that is real. 671 00:32:14,198 --> 00:32:16,067 It is what he's trying to make you believe. 672 00:32:16,167 --> 00:32:17,936 It's exactly the same as the girls 673 00:32:18,036 --> 00:32:20,204 he was charming as a teenager. 674 00:32:20,305 --> 00:32:23,308 It's just on macro scale with a lot more money. 675 00:32:25,376 --> 00:32:27,145 [Narrator] In 1999, Raniere ends 676 00:32:27,245 --> 00:32:31,082 his nearly decade-long relationship with Toni. 677 00:32:31,182 --> 00:32:35,153 And Keith told me that Toni wasn't there anymore, 678 00:32:35,253 --> 00:32:38,990 that they broke up, and I was quite surprised. 679 00:32:39,090 --> 00:32:41,859 Toni doesn't realize that there are other females. 680 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:44,862 [Paige] Turns out, he likes to sleep with his followers. 681 00:32:44,963 --> 00:32:48,533 Like, a lot. Like, so much. 682 00:32:48,633 --> 00:32:52,570 He had a habit of singling out women, 683 00:32:52,670 --> 00:32:57,141 and then bringing them into kind of his close inner circle, 684 00:32:57,241 --> 00:32:59,644 making them feel like they had a sexual relationship

• From Paul and Matthew Among Jews and Gentiles: Essays in Honor of Terence L. Donaldson (2021)

  5 5 Introduction of an otherwise equally graphic portrayal of the passion in Matthew, as well as in other gospel accounts. Their proposal is both intriguing and theologically promising. In the spirit of friendship and respect for a great scholar and a genuine caring human being, I, alongside other colleagues and friends, present this Festschrift to Professor Terry Donaldson with respect and admiration. I also want to thank his wife, Lois, and his adult children Graeme, Meredith, and David. Tabula Gratulatoria Robert Derrenbacker Stephen Chambers John Kampen John W. Marshall Richard S. Ascough Mark Nanos Edith Humphrey Paula Fredriksen Margaret Y. MacDonald John S. Kloppenborg Philip A. Harland Harry O. Maier Colleen Shantz Cecilia Wassen Peter Richardson Bradley H. McLean Bruce W. Longenecker Richard N. Longenecker Michael Knowles Don Garlington Catherine Jones Ho Jin Nam Murray Baker Joan Campbell John Bertone Luke Amoussou Robert Jewett Steve Notley N. T. Wright 6 6 7 Part One Paul 8 9 1 Paul without Judaism: Historical Method over Perspective Steve Mason Looking back on Pauline research in the last decades there is one trend which is generally accepted in international scholarship, namely that Paul is a Jew, and that he must be understood on the background of Judaism and the O.T. Johannes Munck 1 A nomenclature which is thrust upon the past will always end by distorting it, whether by design or simply as a consequence of equating its categories with our own, raised, for the moment, to the level of the eternal. There is no reasonable attitude toward such labels except to eliminate them. Marc Bloch 2 When I left a chair in ancient history to take up a New Testament (NT) post (2011), my world changed in many ways. What struck me most about the graduate-student cadre in the new setting was their fascination with “the new perspective on Paul” (hereafter NP). This impressed me, first, because the “new” perspective was older than most of them. Second, it seemed a tiny boat, lashed to the already small ship of Paul’s corpus, for so many researchers. Third, most seemed at least as concerned about alignment with a Paul-guru or theological tradition as with the open-ended project of understanding the historical Paul. This last impression was strengthened during research for an SBL panel on part of N. T. Wright’s Paul and the Faithfulness of God (2013). 3 I found the internet heaving with debates about whether Wright’s Paul fit the NP and, more earnestly, whether Wright was sound in relation to a theological standard. Any distinction between Wright’s own theology and that of Wright’s Paul was hard to detect. I could not help thinking: “Some of you say I belong to Sanders, 1 Johannes Munck, “Pauline Research since Schweitzer,” in The Bible in Modern Scholarship (ed. J. Philip Hyatt; Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1965), 166–77 (174). 2 March Bloch, The Historian’s Craft (trans. P. Putnam; New York, NY: Vintage, 1953 [manuscript ca. 1943]).

• From The Laws of Human Nature (2018)

  His wife, Caterina’s stepmother, treated her as one of her own. The girl was to have the finest education. The man who had served as Galeazzo’s tutor, the famous humanist Francesco Filelfo, would now serve as Caterina’s tutor. He taught her Latin, Greek, philosophy, the sciences, and even military history. Often alone, Caterina would wander almost daily into the vast castle library, one of the largest in Europe. She had her favorite books that she would read over and over. One of these was a history of the Sforza family, written by Filelfo himself in the style of Homer. There, in this enormous volume with its elaborate illustrations, she would read about the remarkable rise to power of the Sforza family, from condottiere (captains in mercenary armies) to ruling the duchy of Milan itself. The Sforzas were renowned for their cleverness and bravery in battle. Along with this, she loved to read books that recounted the chivalric tales of real-life knights in armor, and the stories of great leaders in the past; among these, one of her favorites was Illustrious Women by Boccaccio, which related the deeds of the most celebrated women in history. And as she whiled away her time in the library, all of these books converging in her mind, she would daydream about the future glory of the family, somehow herself in the midst of it all. And at the center of these fantasies was the image of her father, a man who to her was as great and legendary as anyone she had read about. Although the encounters with her father were often brief, to Caterina they were intense. He treated her as an equal, marveling at her intelligence and encouraging her in her studies. From early on, she identified with her father—experiencing his traumas and triumphs as if they were her own. As were all the Sforza children, girls included, Caterina was taught sword fighting and underwent rigorous physical training. As part of this side of her education, she would go on hunting expeditions with the family in the nearby woods of Pavia. She was trained to hunt and kill wild boars, stags, and other animals. On these excursions she would watch her father with awe. He was a superior horseman, riding with such impetuosity, as if nothing could harm him. In the hunt, taking on the largest animals, he showed no signs of fear. At court, he was the consummate diplomat yet always maintained the upper hand. He confided in her his methods—think ahead, plot several moves in advance, always with the goal of seizing the initiative in any situation. There was another side to her father, however, that deepened her identification with him. He loved spectacle; he was like an artist. She would never forget the time the family toured the region and visited Florence. They brought with them various theater troupes, the actors wearing outlandish costumes. They dined in the country inside the most beautifully colored tents.

• From Paul and Matthew Among Jews and Gentiles: Essays in Honor of Terence L. Donaldson (2021)

  26 Clements ( Mothers on the Margins, 63–7, citation 63) draws a parallel between Joseph in his righteousness and Tamar in hers. She is right to see a parallel between the two stories—but the birth narrative, I suggest, draws that parallel a little differently. See further, later in this chapter. 27 Daniel J. Harrington, in “Pseudo-Philo: A New Translation and Introduction,” in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (ed. James H. Charlesworth; 2 vols.; Garden City, NJ: Doubleday, 1983), 297–377, esp. 299, dates L.A.B. to “around the time of Jesus”; parallels with 2 Baruch and 4 Ezra, however, may suggest a date between 70 and 100 AD. Translations of Pseudo-Philo follow Harrington. Wainwright, in Feminist Critical Reading, 163, notes that the Palestinian Targums “emphasize the role of God” in Tamar’s story; “it seems that by the first century, God is explicitly linked to the Tamar story and hence to its double-edged power.” 28 The elders of the people decree that “a man should not approach his wife lest the fruit of their wombs be defiled and our offspring serve idols. For it is better to die without sons” ( L.A.B. 9:2). 137 From Tamar and Mary to Perpetua 137 Moses is born. Thanks to Tamar in Matthew, the Davidic line continues and Jesus is born. Literary dependence between Matthew and Pseudo-Philo “is doubtful,” Harrington notes. 29 The commonalities thus suggest a Jewish tradition of reflection on Tamar’s biblical story as a story of righteous faithfulness—in both cases in the context of the genealogical fulfilment of God’s covenant promises.30 Rahab Rahab, too, plays a crucial role in the realization—the “utterance”—of the promises of God. In Josh 2, it is she who shelters the Israelite spies so that the promise of Genesis that Abraham’s descendants should take possession of the land might be fulfilled (Gen 28:3–4). 31 Yet Rahab appears as the wife of Salmon nowhere in the Bible or in Second Temple Jewish or rabbinic literature: she is Matthew’s insertion. 32 Why? Again, attention to her scriptural story yields interesting fruit. To the Israelite spies Rahab says, “The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below” (Josh 2:11). This is a confession of faith. By Rahab’s faith, the spies are saved and Israel wins the promised land. As Tamar is faithful to the law of Israel’s God, so Rahab believes the promises of Israel’s God: “I know that the Lord has given you the land” (Josh 2:9). Through her, as through Tamar, God’s covenant promises to Israel are fulfilled.

• From In an Unspoken Voice (2010)

  “Peter Levine’s approach to understanding and healing trauma is innovative, vital and thoroughly creative. The map for therapy that he introduces is very helpful to any healer of trauma. Once again Levine reminds us that our evolutionary ancestors are not so removed from us. That we and the other animals are all one family and that we should learn from them, as our survival and sanity depends on it. Levine’s suggestion to change posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to posttraumatic stress injury (PTSI) is much more realistic as we are healing the hurt and not the disorder.” —Mira Rothenberg, author of Children with Emerald Eyes and founder of Blueberry Treatment Centers [image file=image_rsrc2MZ.jpg] Copyright © 2010 by Peter A. Levine. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the written permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books. Published by North Atlantic Books P.O. Box 12327 Berkeley, California 94712 and ERGOS Institute Press P.O. Box 110 Lyons, Colorado 80540 Cover design © Ayelet Maida, A/M Studios Cover art © fotosearch.com Author photograph © Gerry Greenberg Figures 6.2a through 6.4d—From Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body written by Peter Levine and published by Sounds True. Used with permission from Sounds True, www.soundstrue.com. Diagrams A and B (color insert)—Netter illustrations from www.netterimages.com. © Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Creative design of all other figures: Justin Snavely In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness is sponsored by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences, a nonprofit educational corporation whose goals are to develop an educational and cross-cultural perspective linking various scientific, social, and artistic fields; to nurture a holistic view of arts, sciences, humanities, and healing; and to publish and distribute literature on the relationship of mind, body, and nature. North Atlantic Books’ publications are available through most bookstores. For further information, visit our website at www.northatlanticbooks.com or call 800-733-3000. The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows: Levine, Peter A. In an unspoken voice : how the body releases trauma and restores goodness / Peter A. Levine; foreword by Gabor Maté. p. cm. Summary: “Based on findings from biology, neuroscience, and the emerging field of body-oriented psychotherapy, In an Unspoken Voice explains that trauma is not a disease or a disorder, but an injury caused by fright, helplessness, and loss and that this wound can be healed only if we attend to the wisdom of the living, knowing body”—Provided by publisher. eISBN: 978-1-58394-652-7 1. Psychic trauma. I. Title. RC552.T7L483 2010 616.85′21—dc22 2010023653 v3.1_r1 [image file=image_rsrc2N0.jpg] In all things in nature there is something of the marvelous. —Aristotle (350 BC)

• From The Laws of Human Nature (2018)

  One of Socrates’s earliest admirers was a young man named Chaerephon. Frustrated that more Athenians did not revere Socrates as he himself did, Chaerephon visited the Oracle of Delphi and posed a question: “Is there a wiser man than Socrates in all of Athens?” The oracle answered no. Chaerephon felt vindicated in his admiration of Socrates and rushed to tell his mentor the good news. Socrates, however, being a humble man, was not at all pleased to hear this and was determined to prove the oracle wrong. He visited many people, each eminent in their own field—politics, the arts, business—and asked them many questions. When they kept to knowledge of their field, they seemed quite intelligent. But then they would expatiate on all kinds of subjects about which they clearly knew nothing. On such subjects they merely spouted the conventional wisdom. They did not think through any of these ideas. Finally Socrates had to admit that the oracle was indeed accurate —he was wiser than all the others because he was aware of his own ignorance. Over and over again he examined and reexamined his own ideas, seeing inadequacies and infantile emotions lodged within them. His motto in life had become “The unexamined life is not worth living.” The charm of Socrates, what made him so devilishly fascinating to the youth of Athens, was the supreme openness of his mind. In essence, Socrates assumed the weaker, vulnerable position of the ignorant child, always asking questions. Think of it this way: We like to scoff at the superstitious and irrational ideas that most people held in the seventeenth century. Imagine how those of the twenty-fifth century will scoff at ours. Our knowledge of the world is limited, despite the advances of science. Our ideas are conditioned by the prejudices instilled in us by our parents, by our culture, and by the historical period we live in. They are further limited by the increasing rigidity of the mind. A bit more humility about what we know would make us all more curious and interested in a wider range of ideas. When it comes to the ideas and opinions you hold, see them as toys or building blocks that you are playing with. Some you will keep, others you will knock down, but your spirit remains flexible and playful. To take this further, you can adopt a strategy promulgated by Friedrich Nietzsche: “He who really wants to get to know something new (be it a person, an event, a book) does well to entertain it with all possible love and to avert his eyes quickly from everything in it he finds inimical, repellent, false, indeed to banish it from mind: so that, for example, he allows the author of a book the longest start and then, like one watching a race, desires with beating heart that he may reach his goal.

• From Branded: Brainwashed Inside NXIVM (2020)

  He was doing all of these insanely smart things. Keith talked about starting his own new form of mathematics. And more than just being a smart guy, he was very charismatic. We were told that he was in The Guinness Book of World Records, that he was the third-smartest person in the world. That he graduated college with, like, a 4.0. Keith Raniere portrayed himself as a genius, smarter than Albert Einstein. 200-something IQ. [Narrator] But some say Keith's accomplishments are just self-aggrandizing lies. [Rick] He wasn't this genius he made himself out to be. In fact, I don't think he has more than an average intelligence. That was an act. That was something that he put together to appear in a certain way. He was a middling to below-average student. [Armando] There are two different versions of Keith-- the legend that he wants you to believe, and then there is the actual dude. [Dr. Marie] He seemed to understand exactly what to say to make you think that he was the answer to all of your problems. [Narrator] But Raniere does show another truer side of himself in college. [Rick] I got a call from a woman who was his girlfriend when he attended Rensselaer Polytechnic. She was terrified of him. She told me that, uh, he had stalked her and was just a very frightening individual. [music] [Narrator] After graduating in 1982, Raniere capitalizes on his outgoing personality by taking a job selling health, beauty, and home care products with the company Amway. You know, we never had the money to feel really independent until we discovered Amway? Started part time. We're earning extra income as Amway distributors, bringing others into it. [Dr. Lauch] Amway is a multi-marketing model, where part of your obligation in signing on is to get more people to sign on. People would then get a percentage of whatever the next person paid. That added to their income. [Narrator] What some call a legal pyramid scheme. Eight years later, Raniere takes the insights he learned at Amway to open up his own pyramid scheme outside Albany-- Consumer's Buyline, a membership-only club offering discounts on groceries and appliances. The basic principles of Consumer Buyline is that the more people that you get to buy something, the more you can bargain for lower rates, which is the principle that, like, Costco, Sam's Club, Groupon-- that's how those work. You pay for a membership. They buy a certain amount of inventory. And because they're buying in bulk, they get a discount, then you get a discount. [Armando] There were a lot of incentives for bringing in new members, because the more members that you convinced to join Consumer Buyline, the better opportunities all of you would get. Well, I never think of exactly how big Consumer's Buyline should become. But we have a constantly expanding vision. [Narrator] Within a few years, Raniere's Consumer Buyline enjoys massive growth, expanding to over 200,000 members, and more than 150 employees.

• From Paul and Matthew Among Jews and Gentiles: Essays in Honor of Terence L. Donaldson (2021)

  111 Only the most discerning of readers will realize that we have sought to honor our fellow Wycliffe College alumnus, colleague, and friend Terry Donaldson with reflections that, while focused primarily on material other than Matthew or Paul, seek to show ways in which early Christian writers chart significantly different paths within the same world. In doing so, our reflections perhaps may and hopeful y do successful y suggest where Matthew in particular may have a very different path before him, one that Mark was not able to envision or perhaps did not even wish to envision. As such our study is intended to honor Terry and to contribute to NT study in the same way that Terry has been ever-creative in seeking to unearth aspects of early Christian discipleship and witness with a view to understanding its significance for Christian study and witness today. His unflinching but always diplomatic and gracious approach to difference of interpretation is one that Matthew would have no doubt commended but also one that might have been viewed with suspicion by Mark. Accordingly, is it not appropriate that we highlight Mark’s divergence from Matthew on this point? Do we not thus honor Terry’s work, the work of a close colleague and friend, by in fact creating the necessity of real dialogue, in this case one between Mark and Matthew, but not just as a historical possibility but as a contemporary reality? Will not this dialogue help us to understand better competing visions of “the end” and our own behavior as we come to “the end?” Is it not better to be prepared to fail, and to acknowledge our failures than to think that God would never let us fail? We offer Terry our collegial respect and support as he helps others to think through these tough questions and honor him for doing so in so many ways already. 180 180 181 Contributors Stephen Black, Research Associate, Vancouver School of Theology L. Gregory Bloomquist, Professor, Faculty of Theology, St. Paul University, Ottawa Ronald Charles, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia Catherine Sider Hamilton, Professor of New Testament and New Testament Greek, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto Michael A. G. Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Seminary L. Ann Jervis, Professor of New Testament, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto Steve Mason, Distinguished Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Religions and Cultures, Department of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Origins, University of Groningen Adele Reinhartz, Professor, Department of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Ottawa Anders Runesson, Professor of New Testament, Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo Matthew Thiessen, Associate Professor, Department of Religious Studies, McMaster University Leif Vaage, Professor of New Testament, Emmanuel College of Victoria University, University of Toronto 182 182 183 Index Anderson, Janice C. 132, 139, 140 Hays, Richard B. 32, 133 Hubbard, Moyer V. 72, 77, 82 Bauckham, R. 135, 137 Baur, F. C. 87, 88, 92, 95 Käsemann, Ernst 66, 69, 128

• From Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality (2007)

  In treating women as objects, he was losing something of his own humanity. Somewhere along the way he came to his senses. He was repulsed by the person he was becoming. He describes it as a “rebirth” in which for the first time he saw things as they really are. Several years later, my friend came across a group that works undercover in Southeast Asia to free young girls from the sex trade. In remote rural areas, girls are kidnapped and brought to the city, where they are forced to work as prostitutes. My friend signed up and recently went undercover on a “mission,” rescuing girls and helping them start a new life. I was with him when he showed a group of people a picture of him surrounded by the girls he had helped rescue. People were blown away by the picture.15 He’s charging into hell and bringing heaven with him. We don’t respect the divine image in others just because we want to uphold their humanity. It isn’t just about them. It’s about us. It’s about our humanity as well. I just received an email asking if I would sign a petition protesting the use of torture to get information from enemy soldiers caught in battle. The email said this issue is being debated among politicians right now and that the public needs to speak up on the matter. There’s a debate about this? The issue isn’t just what torture does to the person being tortured, it’s what torturing does to the person doing it. We’re already in trouble when people debate the use of torture as if it’s only about what it does to the enemy. Our own humanity is at stake. The New Humanity The first Christians had a phrase for what happens when people properly respect and acknowledge the image of God in those around them. In the letter to the Ephesians, we read about a group of people who were previously divided because of race, background, wealth, socio-economic status, worldview, and religion.16 One group is made up of Jews, the other Greeks, and in this new church, they find themselves united because they’ve all become followers of the resurrected Jesus Christ. All of the old categories simply don’t work anymore. This new commonality, this new bond, is simply bigger than all of the things that had previously kept them apart. The first Christians called this the “new humanity.”

• From Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away (2022)

  Title : Quit Author: Duke, Annie ASIN : B09PTLY4BL [image file=Image00023.jpg] Praise for Quit“This brilliant and entertaining book documents a major flaw in human actions and decisions: the bias against quitting. I learned a lot from its compelling tales of failures and sound recommendations. You will too.” —Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner in economics and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thinking, Fast and Slow “Every business school has a course in starting new businesses, but few have a course in shutting them down at the right time. This book fills that gap with brilliant new insights and fantastic stories. Quit what you are doing right now and start reading this book.” —Richard Thaler, Nobel Prize winner in economics and bestselling coauthor of Nudge “Engrossing, important, and grounded in science, Quit is a gem that will allow you to navigate the world more effectively.” —Katy Milkman, bestselling author of How to Change “Quit is the rare book that is both a page-turner and a legitimately important contribution. If you’ve never thought of quitting as a competitive advantage before, prepare to be enlightened.” —David Epstein, bestselling author of Range “There aren’t many times you will say, “this book changed my life.” This is one of them.” —Seth Godin, bestselling author of The Practice “Only a poker player could write this classic book on when—and more importantly how—to fold a bad hand in business, investing, relationships and life.” —Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stillness Is the Key “There’s no wisdom that matters more in life than knowing when to persist and when to pull the plug. Annie Duke offers a wealth of knowledge to help you figure out whether it’s time to let go.” —Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife “A game-changing book of strategy from a world-class thinker on risk and decision-making.” —Shane Parrish, host of The Knowledge Project podcast “The opposite of a great virtue is also a virtue. And Quit is the perfect dialectical complement to Grit . Weave these two virtues into your character and live a much more fulfilling life.” —Philip Tetlock, bestselling author of Superforecasting “Quitting is not just an art; it’s also a science—and there is no one so uniquely suited to teach us both as Annie Duke.” —Brian Christian, coauthor of Algorithms to Live By “Not since Kenny Rogers has an expert storyteller so clearly demonstrated the importance of knowing when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em, nor presented a clearer strategy to determine when, instead of merely walking away, it’s time to run.” —David McRaney, author of How Minds Change “You won’t want to quit reading this book, both because it is such a rewarding read and also because its lessons are so important, useful, and memorable.” —Don A.

• From Paul and Matthew Among Jews and Gentiles: Essays in Honor of Terence L. Donaldson (2021)

  Paul and Matthew among Jews and Gentiles2 2 was a very decent banjo player. For a night of songs and games, we just played and played together while others were singing. I knew right then that there was something fascinating about this person. Later on, I learned that his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto was in Mathematics. One can see traces of that training in his work as a biblical scholar. There is always in his work a search for precision and for beauty, for balance and for nuance, for logical development and for capturing vast amounts of information in ways that help one see patterns without ever imposing rigid or formulaic propositions on the materials under study. One may, for example, refer especially to Terry’s Judaism and the Gentiles for this kind of careful approach. 2

• From The Laws of Human Nature (2018)

  we are acknowledging people’s achievements, celebrating them, without having to feel insecure. We are admitting their superiority in the arts or sciences or in business without feeling pain from this. But this goes further. In recognizing the greatness of someone, we are celebrating the highest potential of our species. We are experiencing Mitfreude with the best in human nature. We share the pride that comes from any great human achievement. Such admiration elevates us above the pettiness of our day-to-day life and will have calming effect. Although it is easier to admire without any taint of envy those who are dead, we must try to include at least one living person in our pantheon. If we are young enough, such objects of admiration can also serve as models to emulate, at least to some degree. Finally, it is worth cultivating moments in life in which we feel immense satisfaction and happiness divorced from our own success or achievements. This happens commonly when we find ourselves in a beautiful landscape—the mountains, the sea, a forest. We do not feel the prying, comparing eyes of others, the need to have more attention or to assert ourselves. We are simply in awe of what we see, and it is intensely therapeutic. This can also occur when we contemplate the immensity of the universe, the uncanny set of circumstances that had to come together for us to be born, the vast reaches of time before us and after us. These are sublime moments, and as far removed from the pettiness and poisons of envy as possible. For not many men . . . can love a friend who fortune prospers without envying; and about the envious brain cold poison clings and doubles al the pain life brings him. His own woundings he must nurse, and feel another’s gladness like a curse. —Aeschylus 11 Know Your Limits The Law of Grandiosity We humans have a deep need to think highly of ourselves. If that opinion of our goodness, greatness, and brilliance diverges enough from reality, we become grandiose. We imagine our superiority. Often a small measure of success will elevate our natural grandiosity to even more dangerous levels. Our high self-opinion has now been confirmed by events. We forget the role that luck may have played in the success, or the contributions of others. We imagine we have the golden touch. Losing contact with reality, we make irrational decisions. That is why our success often does not last. Look for the signs of elevated grandiosity in yourself and in others—overbearing certainty in the positive outcome of your plans; excessive touchiness if criticized; a disdain for any form of authority. Counteract the pull of grandiosity by maintaining a realistic assessment of yourself and your limits. Tie any feelings of greatness to your work, your achievements, and your contributions to society. The Success Delusion By the summer of 1984, Michael Eisner (b. 1942), president of Paramount Pictures, could no longer ignore the restlessness that

• From Paul and Matthew Among Jews and Gentiles: Essays in Honor of Terence L. Donaldson (2021)

  Delighted to share in honoring Terry Donaldson, whom I have considered a model of scholarly probity since our graduate-student days, I offer this essay in a constructive historical vein. In a recent volume representing the PWJ approach, Donaldson wrote a typical y circumspect review, which highlighted several problems with this perspective. I shall take one of his positive reflections on the volume, however, as my departure point: I also appreciate the attention that is given to terminological matters. Many of the terms and categories used in critical reconstructions of the past are laden with meanings and connotations that have accumulated through centuries of subsequent use, which readily leads to anachronisms, distortions, and false assumptions. 18 This is a basic principle of ancient history. Alas, when it comes to terms and categories we all find it easier to strain out the gnats in others’ work while we swallow whole the camels we find more congenial. 19 I shall push farther in this direction, hoping to be radical enough to get at some ignored ancient roots. 18 Donaldson, “Paul within Judaism: A Critical Evaluation from a ‘New Perspective’ Perspective,” in Nanos and Zetterholm, Paul within Judaism, 283 (emphasis added). 19 As much of my research has been devoted to “the rectification of names,” I am sympathetic; cf. Mason and Tom Robinson, Early Christian Reader (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2004), 7–10. PWJ scholars place weight on framing categories, however—diaspora, gospel, Judaism—that had no currency, while their concern for shades of meaning in pistis is difficult to follow. Cf. Anders Runesson, “The Questions of Terminology: The Architecture of Contemporary Discussions in Paul,” in Nanos and Zetterholm, Paul within Judaism, 59–68: “Christians” is not emic language in Paul; etic definitions would be hazardous; and even if Acts 11:26 were trusted concerning early use, Christianoi might be better rendered “messianics.” But we normal y transliterate (rather than translate) place and group names. Although Christ-followers preferred in-house terms—brothers and sisters, slaves of Christ, in Christ—all known outside observers thought that Christiani had been around for decades before 100 CE (Josephus, Ant. 18.64 in the most likely authentic part, 93 CE referring to the 30s; Pliny, Ep. 10.96, on former Christians who left 25 years earlier; Tacitus, Ann. 15.44.2 and Suetonius, Ner. 16.2 on Christians in Nero’s Rome). Cf. John Barclay, “ ‘Jews’ and ‘Christians’ in the Eyes of Roman Authors c. 100 CE” in Jews and Christians in the First and Second Centuries: How to Write Their Histories (ed. Peter J. Tomson and Joshua Schwartz; Leiden: Bril , 2013), 313–26; Birgit van der Lans and Jan N. Bremmer, “Tacitus and the Persecution of the Christians: An Invention of Tacitus?”

• From Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality (2007)

  We know why he kept it. How you treat the creation reflects how you feel about the creator. When a human being is mistreated, objectified, or neglected, when they are treated as less than human, these actions are actions against God. Because how you treat the creation reflects how you feel about the Creator. To be a Christian is to work for the new humanity. Jesus commands his followers to feed and clothe and visit and take care of those who need it. They’re fellow image-bearers, they’re just like us, and when we love them, we’re loving God. A church exists to be a display of the new humanity. A community of people who honor and respect the poor and rich and educated and uneducated and Jew and Gentile and black and white and old and young and powerful and helpless as fully human, created in the image of God. These bonds we have with each other are why, for many, there is so much power in the Eucharist, also called Mass or the Lord’s Supper or communion. We take the bread and dip it in the cup to remind ourselves of Jesus’s body and blood.19 To reflect on the truth that we’re all in this together, one body, and that his body being broken and blood being spilled are for our union. It isn’t just about our relationship to God as individuals. Often communion is seen as a time to reflect on God’s love for us in Jesus’s dying on the cross. Which it is. But it was originally just as much about my desperate need to be reminded of your humanity and the humanity of all the people around us. When I respect the image of God in others, I protect the image of God in me. When Jesus speaks of loving our neighbor, it isn’t just for our neighbor’s sake.20 If we don’t love our neighbor, something happens to us. And in trying to protect the image of God in them, we just might be protecting the image of God in ourselves in the process. Because with every decision, conversation, gesture, comment, action, and attitude, we’re inviting heaven or hell to earth. I have a new hero. Her name is Lil, and I would guess she’s in her late fifties. I met her earlier this year when she introduced me to her daughter, whom she was pushing in a wheelchair. Early in their marriage, Lil and her husband21 decided that they would adopt two children. As they became familiar with the family services system, they learned that there were kids in the system nobody wanted. So they went to the local adoption agency and asked for the kids with the most pronounced disabilities, the most traumatic histories, and the most hopeless futures. They asked if they could have the kids nobody wanted. Over the past thirty or so years, they have raised well over twenty children, raising their biological children alongside their adopted children.

• From The Laws of Human Nature (2018)

  them from our influence. At a certain tipping point, they may turn against us with a suddenness that is shocking. Like Elizabeth, we must realize that we are actually in a weak position, and we must struggle to adopt the opposite attitude: We expect nothing from the people around us, from those whom we lead. We are not defensive or sitting back but completely active— everything we get from others, and most definitely their respect, must be earned. We have to continually prove ourselves. We have to show that our primary consideration is not ourselves and our sensitive egos but the welfare of the group. We must be responsive and truly empathetic to people’s moods, but with limits—to those who show themselves to be mostly self-promoting, we are tough and merciless. We practice what we preach, working harder than others, sacrificing our own interests if necessary, and being accountable for any mistakes. We expect the members of the group to follow our lead and prove themselves in return. With such an attitude, we will notice a very different effect. People will open themselves to our influence; as we move toward them, they move toward us. They want to win our approval and respect. With such an emotional connection, we are more easily forgiven for mistakes. The group energy is not squandered on endless infighting and the clashing of egos but is directed toward reaching goals and accomplishing great things. And in achieving such results, we can forge an aura of authority and power that only grows with time. What we say and do seems to carry extra weight, and our reputation precedes us. That . . . is the road to the obedience of compulsion. But there is a shorter way to a nobler goal, the obedience of the wil . When the interests of mankind are at stake, they wil obey with joy the man whom they believe to be wiser than themselves. You may prove this on al sides: you may see how the sick man wil beg the doctor to tel him what he ought to do, how a whole ship’s company wil listen to the pilot. —Xenophon Keys to Human Nature We humans like to believe that the emotions we experience are simple and pure: we love certain people and hate others, we respect and admire this individual and have nothing but disdain for another. The truth is that this is almost never the case. It is a fundamental fact of human nature that our emotions are almost always ambivalent, rarely pure and simple . We can feel love and hostility at the same time, or admiration and envy. This ambivalence began in our childhood and set the pattern for the rest of our lives. If our parents were relatively attentive and loving, we remember our childhood fondly, as a golden period. What we conveniently forget is that even with such parents we tended to