Latter Day Struggles 375: When God Refuses to Be Church-Correlated
Series Title: A Two-Hundred Year Old Mirror: How the Faith Expansion Journey has Always Made Christian Leadership Sweat! [Episode I of II]
In the next two Monday episodes you are going to LOVE this conversation between Valerie and her friend Casey McFarland (of @pioneerparadox) as they discuss a fascinating aspect of early Christian history that is sure to resonate with you on your own faith expansion journey. They delve into the world of early Christian Gnostics and their progressive beliefs that challenged the early church general leadership by claiming that while a church can be a useful resource in one's journey towards spiritual light and truth, God could be found within each of us and is not controlled by any other human person or institution.
If you don't want to feel alone in your wrestles with institutional authority, these two episodes will hit home in every way. Also stay tuned for the end of the episode where Casey & Val make an exciting announcement that you will not want to miss!
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:11 Casey's Background and Interests
03:26 Early Christian History and Book Discussion
06:49 Comparing Early Christianity and Modern LDS Church
11:48 The Role of Early Christian Leaders
30:40 Valentina and Progressive Early Christians
36:43 Ancient Philosophical Schools and Heresies
37:32 The Threat of Competing Beliefs
38:24 Valentina's Following and the Church's Response
40:00 Gnostic Beliefs and Self-Discovery
40:59 Quotes from Gnostic Texts
43:13 Gnostic Christianity vs. Traditional Christianity
48:23 The Concept of Maya and Moksha
52:58 Stages of Faith and Compassion
01:01:34 The Transforming Power of Love
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