tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post5949298591924468248..comments2024-02-28T12:04:11.837-08:00Comments on Jesus in Love Blog: New book shows closeted gay Jesus: "Dark Knowledge" by Kenneth LowKittredge Cherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617858676733169316noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-73449682882260188972012-02-20T18:42:54.627-08:002012-02-20T18:42:54.627-08:00Terry, thank you for sharing your response and sub...Terry, thank you for sharing your response and subsequent reflections here and on your own blog. I do believe that God calls us to keep growing spirituality, and that involves being “shaken up” sometimes.<br /><br />I also had a strong first reaction that Jesus was not a shame-based closet case. I do see the closet as a place of sin, as in the commandment against “bearing false witness.” Reading “Dark Knowledge” caused me to wonder more about how the human side of Jesus dealt with his attractions to other men. In my “Jesus in Love” novels he has already largely come to terms with his bisexual feelings and accepted them as good. But it is likely that he went through a process of self-knowledge and self-acceptance to reach that enlightened state. And he couldn’t have instantly come out as queer to everyone, so there may well have been some discretion that could be seen as “the closet.”Kittredge Cherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02617858676733169316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-54954825677079752832012-02-17T08:12:41.031-08:002012-02-17T08:12:41.031-08:00This is an extraordinary post, which has shaken me...This is an extraordinary post, which has shaken me up substantially. Like Trudie, this is definitely not one I will make time to read - although there do seem to be many merits to it, beyond the headlines claims about Jesus' sexuality.<br /><br />My immediate, instinctive and visceral reaction to the core claim was to reject it out of hand. Stepping back, to work out why my reaction was so strong, led me to an unexpected conclusion: it's impossible for Jesus to be have been closeted and ashamed - because the closet is a place of sin. <br /><br />How I got there is too complex to post here, but I have elaborated at Queering the Church - http://queeringthechurch.com/2012/02/17/the-gay-closet-as-a-place-of-sin/<br /><br />(Still, I'm pleased that you posted about the book).Terence Weldonhttp://queeringthechurch.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-32297723089957849442012-02-13T20:10:18.575-08:002012-02-13T20:10:18.575-08:00The anonymous comment is correct in describing the...The anonymous comment is correct in describing the standard interpretation of how the charge of blasphemy was made by the Jews and then switched to treason in order to get the Romans to use the death penalty. In “Dark Knowledge,” the charge made by the Jewish authorities is homosexual acts, which is no more of a crime to the Romans than blasphemy was. But in the book the author explains at length his intriguing theory of how they convinced the Romans to execute Jesus anyway.Kittredge Cherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02617858676733169316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-35659457392278350752012-02-13T17:41:02.896-08:002012-02-13T17:41:02.896-08:00I may be mistaken, but the reason that Pilot did n...I may be mistaken, but the reason that Pilot did not find Jesus guilty was because the Romans (as overlords) reserved the exclusive right to use the death-penalty in the areas that they controlled, and Blasphemy against the Hebrew religion/God was not a capitol offense. The Jews brought Jesus before Pilot with the charges of Blasphemy, fully expecting the Governor to take the charge as serious as they did, and Pilot basically responds with "Blasphemy against your religion is not a crime under Roman Law, go away". The Jews realize their mistake and charge him with something they know is a capitol offense under Roman Law, sedition/treason against Roman authorities. By saying that Jesus claimed to be the King of the Jews, they were able to get the Roman's attention. When Pilot still shows skepticism over Jesus' guilt, the Jewish leaders threaten to tell to revolt (or tell the Emperor that Pilot was not loyal and was allowing activities). The Emperor at the time was Tiberious and he did not have a reputation for intolerance and cruelty for nothing. Pilot knew that if their was yet another revolt in the region (or if the Jews poisoned Tiberious' opinion of him) that he would be 'recalled' to Rome (and being called into Tiberius' office was kind of a death sentence). He then agreed to have Jesus executed even though he was innocent to prevent being recalled. <br /><br />Anyways, I think that there is some value in this book, even if it is mostly inaccurate interpolation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-18752073923565647312012-02-09T12:54:42.447-08:002012-02-09T12:54:42.447-08:00Trudie and Bill, I debated in my mind about whethe...Trudie and Bill, I debated in my mind about whether to write about “Dark Knowledge” here because I have similar objections to the author’s viewpoint. The Jesus whom I know through faith is unashamed of being human (sexuality included). He is also able through his divine insight to reconcile the conflicts that we experience between sexuality and spirituality.<br /><br />However I decided it was important to let people know about “Dark Knowledge” because the concept of a “gay Jesus” is one of the main themes of this blog. I don’t want to enforce a new conformity or political correctness upon those who seriously grapple with what that means, as author Ken Low did. If his book gets a few if us to think more about the life of Christ, then it has provided a valuable service. I’m looking forward to introducing a great new queer theology book by Patrick Cheng when it comes out next month.Kittredge Cherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02617858676733169316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-21370428620852871902012-02-09T08:23:29.860-08:002012-02-09T08:23:29.860-08:00Jesus said "Let the children come unto me&quo...Jesus said "Let the children come unto me" but I don't think that implies that he was a pedophile. I think's Low's comment that none of us is reconciled with our sexuality is key here- sounds like some self-loathing to me.Bill Murphynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-44554995801250110052012-02-09T04:36:51.145-08:002012-02-09T04:36:51.145-08:00This is a book I will definitely take a "pass...This is a book I will definitely take a "pass" on. Your review says exactly what I believe; if Jesus did indeed have a contact at the soul level that made him aware of God acting through him in a unique way, Shame would have no part in the picture. I will stay with your vision of Jesus, thanks just the same!Trudiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17866513608442388870noreply@blogger.com