Visions

[pjthompson]

Random quote of the day:

“Christianity holds no brief for fairies, aliens and the like. Its officials can scarcely tolerate reputable visions of the Virgin Mary. On the whole, it wishes apparitions would go away. If they don't, it is tempted to call them the work of the devil.”

—Patrick Harper, Daimonic Reality



Disclaimer: The views expressed in this random quote of the day do not necessarily reflect the views of the poster, her immediate family, Desus and Mero, Beyoncé, or the Marine Corps Marching Band. They do, however, sometimes reflect the views of the Cottingley Fairies.

Comments

[wayfaringwordhack]

I have not read Mr. Harper's book, so I speak with zero authority, but that quote of his seems very reductive and not reflective of Christianity as a whole, only a small slice, yet it is written as an encompassing blanket statement. I don't think any of us like those. :-/

You might find the teachings of Michael Heiser interesting especially anything that touches on the Divine Council or unseen realm. His work is seen as "out there" by some--and he makes some denominations of Christianity uncomfortable--but he reads and understands the Bible as I have always understood it, too, only he is a very educated scholar on the matter and has the academic chops to back what he says. ;)

[pjthompson]

Thanks for the recommendation.

Daimonic Reality is a remarkable, wide-ranging book which I can highly recommend. Harpur isn't anti-Christian, per se, just anti dogmatic thinking and pro imagination, in the Jungian sense of active imagination that accepts different levels of perception. His point is that no matter how human institutions, both academic and formally religious, try to deny the complexity of daimonic reality (daimon from the Greek meaning creatures of myth and psyche rather than the limited church definition of demon), they find a way of pushing themselves back into our more mundane reality.

[wayfaringwordhack]

Sounds interesting. :D