[Magdalen] Epiphany

[Sally Davies]

I read Ann's comment as a spectrum thing, meaning that it's not an 'either
you understand or you don't'. There are different ways to understand Paul -
and I've been through a few shades on the spectrum. There are always things
I feel I understand more now, and things I still don't understand and
probably never will. And yes, things I don't like and probably never will.

One book that really changed my perspective was "The Gospel According to
Paul" by Robin Griffith-Jones. I don't read a lot of scholarship and
generall feel rather ignorant of the various controversies, but this book
was an eye opener.

Even if it could be shown that Paul definitely wrote the passages which
have been so painfully used and abused against women's dignity and
equality, I would still revere him for the one or two stunningly beautiful
and profound passages to which I return again and again. When he wrote
"there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free", he could
have been describing himself - a beautiful, wild, confusing, frustrating
mix of all those characteristics.

For instance, his words on love, and his word-picture of the Cosmic Christ
"the image of the invisible God", as well as the lovely doxologies which I
daresay were in common usage in the early church but have been saved and
preserved for us by Paul.

I also love the way he never gave up in his own life, struggling to
understand more and to love more - despite coming from what seems like a
very legalistic, judgemental and unloving background. When his authentic
personal voice is speaking from the page, it's always fresh, raw and so
real it could be happening right now, somewhere in the world. In fact, it
probably is.

I guess that in life he wasn't easy to get along with; a number of great
teachers seem to have outright fallen out with him or at least concluded to
go their separate ways. And he's still not easy to get along with now. But
so, so worth it.

Sally D



On Friday, 9 January 2015, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com> wrote:

> Ann, I apologize for misreading your earlier post. I didn't realize you
> were just responding to Jay, and I took your comment to indicate that folks
> who aren't fond of Paul only feel that way because they don't understand
> him...as more enlightened people do. And I heard that as rather
> condescending.
> Grace
>
> > On Jan 8, 2015, at 2:06 PM, Ann Markle <ann.markle at aya.yale.edu
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> > Grace, it's obvious that mileage does vary on this list - about Paul and
> > everything else!  But anyone who doesn't understand might grow in wisdom
> by
> > trying to understand. - and Jay said clearly she DIDN'T understand (why
> > Paul got into the canon of scripture).  I always learned (from very wise
> > teachers) that it's better to wrestle with scripture and try to better
> > understand, than categorically dismiss.  And of course, it's ok to
> disagree
> > with parts of scripture -- I certainly do, even parts of Paul, and so
> does
> > every single person I know, lay or ordained.  I think Jay and I are
> simply
> > having a disagreement about Paul, into which you felt it necessary to
> > insert your opinion and take me to task.  Of course, that's allowed, too,
> > as differing opinions are what make pub conversation interesting.  It's
> > when it gets personal by attributing personal characteristics, moods and
> > motivations (Ann Markle is snarky, condescending) that it gets to be time
> > to bow out of the conversation and let others have the last word.  Sorry
> I
> > spoke up with a differing opinion - I guess I should have known better.
> >
> > Ann
> >
> > The Rev. Ann Markle
> > Buffalo, NY
> > ann.markle at aya.yale.edu <javascript:;>
> > blog:  www.onewildandpreciouslife.typepad.com
> >
> >> On Thu, Jan 8, 2015 at 1:54 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >>
> >> Yes, that's what I thought, too, Ann. Your remark felt very
> condescending
> >> to me. There are many things about Paul's writings that are wonderful,
> and
> >> there are other things that I find offensive. I believe it's possible to
> >> understand something and still not like it.  Obviously YMMV.
> >> Grace
> >>
> >>> On Jan 8, 2015, at 1:33 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Bit o' snark there, don'tcha think?
> >>>
> >>>> On Thu, Jan 8, 2015 at 1:19 PM, Ann Markle <ann.markle at aya.yale.edu
> <javascript:;>>
> >> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> Feel bad for folks who don't understand Paul.
> >>>>
> >>>> Staunch feminist,
> >>>>
> >>>> Ann
> >>>>
> >>>> The Rev. Ann Markle
> >>>> Buffalo, NY
> >>>> ann.markle at aya.yale.edu <javascript:;>
> >>>> blog:  www.onewildandpreciouslife.typepad.com
> >>>>
> >>>> On Thu, Jan 8, 2015 at 1:06 PM, M J [Mike] Logsdon <mjl at ix.netcom.com
> <javascript:;>>
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>>>>> I sometimes wonder how some, if not almost all, of Paul got into
> the
> >>>>> canon.
> >>>>> But that's me.<<<
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Lee Hays of the Weavers once said that whenever Paul came into a town
> >> he
> >>>>> instantly set sex back 20 years.
> >>
>