New Gospels
Among other things, early Christianity included or was partly based on a
literary movement.
There really is no way to deny this historical fact; the New Testament
exemplifies exactly this
as do many still extant literary creations of the first and second centuries
AD.
Can Christianity become a literary movement again? Actually it has never not
been
a literary movement even if some of the more recent examples of this are
cringe-worthy,
like the "Left behind" novels with their tales based on simple-minded literal
readings
of the Book of Revelation and related texts.
The idea suggested here is intended to counter both the Religious Left and the
Religions Right,
since I have deep reservations about both and think that each is based on
fundamental errors
of understanding of original Christian faith.
But how do you recapture the essence of earliest Christian faith while at the
same time being
relevant for the 21st century? Quite possibly through re-starting the tradition
of writing gospels.
Think of an entire contemporary genre of new gospels, of new kinds of gospels,
not to invent
history out of wishes and fears but to try and interpret the gospels as we have
them
as if it was possible to "fill in the blanks" that these documents leave open.
Yes, imagination
would be important, but the idea is creation of a new kind of "historical
fiction" that follows
as much as possible the accounts in the canonical Bible -plus a few works
that can claim
to be complimentary to the Bible like, for instance, The Gospel of Philip and,
for some
specific verses, the Gospel of Thomas. Here and there a "Virtuous Pagan" like
Cicero
could be cited.
Way back in the 1980s an ambition of mine was creation of such a new gospel, to
be
called The Gospel of Veronica. Thankfully I ceased work on that project since
my understanding of what this might become has changed for the better. But what
if
I resumed work -started over again- with a new perspective?
What would be an adventure of ideas might be something along the lines of:
(1) Discovery of a lost trove of Biblical-era documents including the Gospel of
Veronica
(2) This gospel, as much as a mere man can do so, tells the story from the
vantage
of a woman who knew Jesus and who was an artist who painted his portrait at some
point in the story, a "fact" that later became the stuff of various legends and
miracle stories.
(3) this would be unlike the other gospels in that Veronica lived several
decades after Jesus' death
and reported some of her experiences as late as maybe 90 AD or thereabouts
Sort of
Luke-Acts but more in the style of the Gospel of John.
(4) the story would be told with as little devotionalism as possible, to convey
the story truthfully,
although including devotions in a few places.
My objective would be historical verisimilitude as much as can be achieved,
each "verse"
or passage based on scholarly evidence and the conclusions of Bible
researchers.
That is, this is not intended to simply be an exercise in creative writing
where everything
is basically made up to meet expectations of Evangelical theology and beliefs.
That isn't how I operate nor is it what I actually believe even if, about a good
number of issues, I agree with Evangelicals. However, about some other matters
I do not agree and this would be very clear in the Gospel of Veronica.
At any rate there could well be a variety of kinds of new gospels. One form
is suggested
by the early 20th century volume If Christ Cam to Chicago. This was a best
seller
of the time not only for the fresh way it depicted Jesus in a contemporary
setting
but because the inside cover showed a map of locations of all the whorehouses
in Chicago !
Ergo: If Christ Came to Nevada.
Or Paris, or Appalachia, or Bangalore, or you name it.
Which should get the ball rolling.
Billy
----------------------------------------------------------------
Wikipedia
Saint Veronica was a woman of
Jerusalem<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem> in the first century AD,
according to Christian Sacred
tradition<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_tradition>.[3]<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Veronica#cite_note-Trinity-3>
A celebrated saint in many pious Christian
countries<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_by_country>, the Acta
Sanctorum<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acta_Sanctorum> published by the
Bollandists<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollandist> listed her feast under
July 12,[4]<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Veronica#cite_note-4> but the
German Jesuit<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesuit> scholar Joseph Braun cited
her commemoration in Festi Marianni on 13 January.
According to Church tradition, Veronica was moved with sympathy when she saw
Jesus<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus> carrying his cross to Golgotha and
gave him her veil that he might wipe his forehead. Jesus accepted the offering,
held it to his face, and then handed it back to her—the image of his face
miraculously impressed upon it. This piece of cloth became known as the Veil of
Veronica<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_Veronica>.[5]<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Veronica#cite_note-5>[6]<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Veronica#cite_note-6>[7]<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Veronica#cite_note-7>
The name "Veronica" itself is a Latinisation of
Berenice<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berenice>
(Greek<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language>: Βερενίκη, Berenikē, with
a secondary form Beronike), a
Macedonian<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Macedonian_language> name,
meaning "bearer of victory". The woman who offered her veil to Jesus was known
by this name in the Byzantine<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine> East,
but in the Latin<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Church> West the name took
a life of its own. As proven by a medieval text, "Veronica" was used by the
13th century as a designation for a relic venerated in Rome as the true image
of Jesus. Since the Latin<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin> word for "true"
or "authentic" happens to be vera, the theory emerged that the name itself is
derived from the Latin phrase "true image", vera icon (one Latin word for image
is icon, derived from Greek<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language>:
εικόνα, eikona). In the 13th-century text and also in some later sources the
term Veronica was used for the veil, not the person, but for centuries it has
been better known as the name of the woman. The claim that the name Veronica is
derived from vera icon proved to be very persistent and we encounter it until
today.
[Hans Memling 026.jpg]
---------------------------
New Advent
Catholic Encyclopedia
St. Veronica
In several regions of Christendom<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03699b.htm>
there is honored under this name a
pious<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12748a.htm> matron of
Jerusalem<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08344a.htm> who, during the Passion
of Christ, as one of the holy<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07386a.htm>
women<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15687b.htm> who accompanied Him to
Calvary<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03191a.htm>, offered Him a towel on
which he left the imprint of His face. She went to
Rome<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13164a.htm>, bringing with her this image
of Christ<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08374c.htm>, which was long exposed
to public veneration. To her likewise are traced other
relics<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12734a.htm> of the Blessed
Virgin<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm>
venerated<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05188b.htm> in several churches of
the West. The belief<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02408b.htm> in the
existence of authentic images of
Christ<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08374c.htm> is connected with the old
legend of Abgar of Edessa<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01042c.htm> and the
apocryphal<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01601a.htm> writing known as the
"Mors Pilati". To distinguish at
Rome<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13164a.htm> the oldest and best known of
these images it was called vera icon
(true<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15073a.htm> image), which ordinary
language soon made veronica. It is thus designated in several
medieval<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10285c.htm> texts mentioned by the
Bollandists<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02630a.htm> (e.g. an old
Missal<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10354c.htm> of
Augsburg<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02073b.htm> has a Mass "De S. Veronica
seu Vultus Domini"), and Matthew of
Westminster<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15597a.htm> speaks of the imprint
of the image of the Savior which is called Veronica: "Effigies Domenici vultus
quae Veronica nuncupatur". By degrees, popular
imagination<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07672a.htm> mistook this word for
the name of a person<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11726a.htm> and attached
thereto several legends which vary according to the country.
* In Italy<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08208a.htm> Veronica comes to
Rome<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13164a.htm> at the summons of the Emperor
Tiberius<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14717b.htm>, whom she cures by making
him touch the sacred image. She thenceforth remains in the capitol of the
empire, living there at the same time as Sts.
Peter<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11744a.htm> and Paul, and at her death
bequeaths the precious image to Pope
Clement<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04012c.htm> and his successors.
* In France<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06166a.htm> she is given in
marriage to Zacheus, the convert of the Gospel, accompanies him to
Rome<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13164a.htm>, and then to Quiercy, where
her husband becomes a hermit<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07280a.htm>, under
the name of Amadour, in the region now called Rocamadour. Meanwhile Veronica
joins Martial, whom she assists in his apostolic preaching.
* In the region of Bordeaux<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02682a.htm>
Veronica, shortly after the Ascension of
Christ<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01767a.htm>, lands at Soulac at the
mouth of the Gironde, bringing
relics<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12734a.htm> of the Blessed
Virgin<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm>; there she preaches, dies,
and is buried in the tomb<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14773b.htm> which was
long venerated<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05188b.htm> either at Soulac or
in the Church of St. Seurin at
Bordeaux<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02682a.htm>. Sometimes she has even
been confounded with a pious<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12748a.htm>
woman<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15687b.htm> who, according to Gregory of
Tours<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07018b.htm>, brought to the neighboring
town of Bazas some drops of the blood of John the
Baptist<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08486b.htm>, at whose beheading she was
present.
* In many places she is identified with the Haemorrhissa who was cured in
the Gospel.
These pious<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12748a.htm> traditions cannot be
documented, but there is no reason why the
belief<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02408b.htm> that such an act of
compassion did occur should not find expression in the veneration paid to one
called Veronica, even though the name has found no place in the Hieronymian
Martyrology or the oldest historical Martyrologies...
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