Ship of Fools: Nicky Gumbel's comments on BBC Radio 2 17:30 21st May

Thread: Nicky Gumbel's comments on BBC Radio 2 17:30 21st May Board: The Da Vinci Code / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Aethelstan (# 3502) on :

Johnny Walker is speaking to Nicky Gumbel of HTB now on Radio 2

[ 21. May 2006, 20:33: Message edited by: Louise ]

Posted by Aethelstan (# 3502) on :

To summarise what Nicky Gumbel said:

There is no suggestion of any kind of sexual relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdelene in any early documents (he made specific reference to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Nag Hamadi).

Later documents tell us more about Gnosticism than they do about the historical Jesus.

When Johnny Walker asked if, supposing the story (of Jesus and Mary Magdelene) were true, it would matter, Nicky Gumbel simply replied that the story is not true.

He added that the difference between the Jesus who emerges from Brown's novel and the Jesus of the gospels is that the former has no power to change lives, whereas the latter does and continues to do so.

Walker pointed out that the Church has to be careful not to simply generate publicity for the novel and film. Gumbel replied that that was true, but that this was a good opportunity for the Church to take advantage of the widespread interest any story about Jesus. He felt that this and protesting about the film are both valid responses.

Hope I've got that right! Nothing particularly surprising.

Posted by Louise (# 30) on :

Here's the Listen Again link to the programme on the BBC for anyone who wants to hear it. It will be available until seven days from now.

Louise

(changed thread title to make it clearer since the programme has gone out)

[ 21. May 2006, 20:34: Message edited by: Louise ]

Posted by mr_ricarno (# 6064) on :

Doesn't sound as if he engaged particularly well with the issue at hand. He seems to have been using it as an opportunity to slip in a subliminal Gospel message...

When it came to the hypothetical question of what would have happened if Jesus were married, he just repeated his argument that it was rubbish. I think he'd have done better to have speculated a little, or at least given a different answer.

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mr_ricarno:
When it came to the hypothetical question of what would have happened if Jesus were married, he just repeated his argument that it was rubbish. I think he'd have done better to have speculated a little, or at least given a different answer.

I think that we can do better.

Posted by kempis3 (# 9792) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Aethelstan:

When Johnny Walker asked if, supposing the story (of Jesus and Mary Magdelene) were true, it would matter, Nicky Gumbel simply replied that the story is not true.

The novel is fiction -- but a fiction with a grain of truth concerning Church History.

What is annoying is that many of us will not accept lectures on mendacity from church leaders like Gumbel.

If the bullies of the pulpit were trustworthy, we would listen to them.

The great contribution of TDVC is that these issues are, at last, being brought into the light where they can be discussed without victimization.

Posted by Vikki Pollard (# 5548) on :

Oh dear. Sounds remarkably like the "Why do I have to clean my teeth?" "Because I say so" scenarios one hears in families where the adults don't really engage with their children.

I wonder why he bothered going on radio just to say that?

There again, I'm still wondering why anyone is bothering. [Roll Eyes]

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