a response to a post in challenging_god, asking how we'd reconstruct the Bible

[novapsyche]

You know, I really appreciate the mythological aspect of Genesis. I think it's a victim of fundamentalist interpretation.

So I'd keep Genesis, along with Exodus (again for myth value--I don't deeply identify with the historical story per se), I Samuel (a good example of being selected by God at an early age and staying faithful), Job (amazing literature, let alone scripture), Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Habakkuk (really, go back and read it--it's short, pithy, and has occult value), Zechariah (again, fairly short, and has occult value), John, Hebrews, and Revelation.

Then, from outside, I'd add the Gospel of Thomas, as well as perhaps other Gnostic texts (some I can't remember the titles of; others I just haven't read yet, so I can't pass judgment on them). Probably a good portion of Eastern texts such as the Tao Te Ching (which, again, I haven't read much of). And heck, some poetry. The Bible needs more poetry than just Psalms.

So, I'd have a very strange Bible. I'm not sure how many people other than myself would read it.

Comments

[wring.livejournal.com]

i'd read it! though you left out Ruth, my favorite book.

[padpedpladuk.livejournal.com]

Neat! I'd read it too. I would also include Slaughterhouse 5 (the sequel to Revelation) and Catch-22 (the sequel to Job).

For erotic poetry you might also consider the Song of Solomon.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

Hmm. My Bible would be even stranger, and would contain:

At the Core:
The Tao Te Ching
Portions of Genesis, interspersed with major portions of "Hypostasis of the Archons" and "On the Origin of the World"
Proverbs Chapters 8-9
The Odes of Solomon
Matthew
Luke
Thomas
John
Acts
Romans
I Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Colossians
Hebrews
The Gospel of Truth
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
The Wisdom of Solomon
The Wisdom of Jesus Son of Baruch, Chapter 24
The Thunder: Perfect Mind
The Hymn of the Pearl

Deuterocanonical:
Selections from the Upanishads
Exodus
Job
Select Psalms
Isaiah
Ezekiel
Hosea
Jonah
Mark
II Corinthians
Phillipians
I Thessalonians
II Thessalonians
James
Letter of Ptolemy to Flora
The Valentinian Exposition

[calya.livejournal.com]

I certainly would read it. I especially like the thought of including gnostic and eastern texts in with the old traditional stuff. I think I'd include the Gospel of Matthew in my Bible reconstruction, though, because it's different in many ways from Mark, Luke and John. It explores Jesus's life in a different way, and is the only Gospel which fully expounds upon the Sermon on the Mount.
Anyway, that was just my two cents. *Smile*

Gospel of Thomas?

[sphinxi.livejournal.com]

I'm intrigued about the inclusion of the Gospel of Thomas - It's quite entertaining but I would have thought its extreme anti-sex message makes it of limited value outside a hardline gnostic context.Acts of Andrew is also good in terms of entertainment value.
I would add a few common sense items from Plutarch eg Against Superstition. The Acts of Thekla is another one I would add as long as we're not after historical validity. Just a thought. I haven't read much of the Old Testament.