Seeking health and wholeness is being human, and the wisdom from antiquity regarding health offers immeasurable value and a firm basis. This course opens the pages of mostly forgotten books written by the earliest followers of Jesus. Although we discuss why these ancient texts were not included in the Bible and how they were re-discovered, our main interest for this course lies in the healing messages they contain. The more we ponder their meaning, the more we find resonance in Biblical teachings as well. Students of this course do not need to know the Bible to understand and appreciate the healing messages we will explore in the extra-biblical books. But those who do know the Bible or have faith in it will discover how these more recently discovered texts add dimension to the whole picture of the early years of Jesus followers. Since this is an introductory course, I presume you know little or nothing about the lost and forgotten books, gospels, letters, and texts written about a hundred years after Jesus. Some of them are controversial, some inspiring, and some quite confusing to modern readers. But I will introduce you to the ones well use in the course how to find them, how to read them, and how to understand their basic messages. Who should or shouldnt take this course?If youre interested in expanding your ideas about healingIf youre a scholar of religion without specific training in extra-canonical textsIf you want to alleviate suffering in the world or deal with tragedies and human sorrowsIf youre curious about what was going on during and after the New Testament timeIf you like challenging yourself with big philosophical and religious ideasIf you are seeking deep answers to religious questionsIf you have had some kind of uplifting, inspiring experience with a sacred textThen you definitely want to get going with this course! On the other hand, if you have already studied the Coptic language and read Nag Hammadi literatureIf you are seeking the full interpretation of Nag Hammadi texts If you want to know all the ancient texts that touch on the subject of healingIts better to skip this course and wait for my next courses. Do I need to purchase any study materials?Nothing is required for taking the course. It is possible to complete the course using only free online references, but you may find it helpful to purchase a hard copy book (roughly $35). Further explanation about the resources you may wish to obtain will be in lecture 5. Whats in the course?After an introductory video, the course consists of four sections:1. Getting familiar with some ancient texts and learning to use them2. Identifying key healing principles from these early Christian texts3. Finding a common message of healing from the diverse followers of Jesus4. Exercising your authority to adapt ancient healing ideas to your 21st-century lifeWhat to expect in each section: 1. Well approach the search for healing in these texts by first identifying your own pain points or the places you would like to see healing, or resolution, or transformation. Then Ill explain a little about what happened to these texts written around the same time as the New Testament and how we can find and use them today. Ill give you the resources you need, including links to free online courses, and references to a couple of books you may want to purchase. No purchase is necessary, but you might appreciate buying one or two of the books to enhance your study. Youll also find four exercise sheets that will help you know how to find and use the texts. 2. In the next section, I’ll introduce you to three specific texts: * The Secret Revelation of John* The Tripartite Tractate* The Dialogue with the SaviorEach of them includes special teachings from the Savior (portraying Jesus, or Christ) that teach something about God (or the divine Being), evil, and how the Savior saves us from evil. They were all written around the same time, perhaps a little more than a hundred years after Jesus. But each text is consistent with the main message, and yet they say it differently and for different reasons. The main activity in this section consists of writing a couple of reflections on the texts, followed by a quiz at the end. The quiz will help you feel confident in your knowledge of the basic healing concepts. 3. Next, well make a comparison between these new-to-us (but ancient) texts and more familiar passages in the Bible. Again, I want to emphasize that prior knowledge of the Bible is not necessary for this course. But those of you who do know the Bible will recognize familiar passages, and youll see why the comparison sheds further light on both the familiar and unfamiliar works. Well also take a closer look at some possible reasons for why these newer works (to us) were not included in the canon of the Bible, even when we find valuable ideas in them. This section includes a couple of PDF essays that will be helpful references in your later research and thinking about these texts. The topics are When and why the Bible became a canon and No such t
