Christian*New Age Quarterly

Spring 2024
(Our Current Full Issue)

Volume 26, Number 3

Please visit "Explore C*NAQ Plus" to learn about Volume 26, Number 3+,
which will be released in Summer 2024!

Contents

Author

Description

Facts, Truth, Norman Vincent Peale and Joseph Campbell

Matthew Striegel
In this essay, Matthew Striegel distinguishes fact from truth: "A fact can be measured by an instrument, perceived by a human sense, or understood by a mortal mind." On the other hand, truth "is the interpretation of facts such that they fit in with the thinker's worldview and previously acquired facts." Then he differentiates between the viewpoints of Norman Vincent Peale and Joseph Campbell.

A Pensive Pause
Finding Happiness

Joanne Winetzki
Joanne Winetzki credits Thucydides (circa 460 BC — 404 BC) for having said, "The secret of happiness is freedom." For Winetzki, freedom and courage go hand in hand. "Maintaining happiness is now a work in progress," she said and added that moving forward requires casting aside negativity.

Reading Between the Images: Books as Symbols

Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith surmises that Joseph Campbell was a bibliomaniac. When asked about his spiritual practices, Campbell replied, "I underline books." So does Smith. He explores books as symbols and is delighted to find that books offer: "the realms of knowledge tucked away in the folds of other minds and the secrets of unknown subjects."

A Tale of Saint Iodasaph
Will Only a Few Be Saved?

Robert M. Price
On the holy day celebrating Prince Siddhartha under the Bodhi Tree, Saint Iodasaph tells the monks a well-known story. The Buddha is Prince Siddhartha's designation by virtue of having achieved Enlightenment. Mara, the tempter, tries to lure him by urging him to go and enjoy Nirvanic bliss. When that doesn't work, Mara attempts to dissuade him from sharing his knowledge with others: "Come now! You know the hearts of men! Who will listen? They are all my loyal customers!" The Buddha simply responds, "Some will listen." The monks were puzzled by the possibility of only "some ..." and beg the Saint to explain. The Saint clarifies by expounding on the Sutta to the Hebrews. And therein lies a treat for those who understand.

Zarathustra Speaks
The Gnostic Stance

Robert M. Price
Despite the elaborative mythology characterizing Gnosticism, Robert M. Price sees within its stance an element of demythologizing. According to Price, "The Gnostic, or knower, occupies a superior vantage point to that where the common run of mankind dwell. Not just a different one, but a higher one.... Thus the Gnostic is responsible for creating his own values, no matter what the mob may say." And this is as true today as it was for the ancient Gnostics.

A Peek Between the Covers

Joanne Winetzki
Joanne Winetzki reviews The Diary of Jesus Christ by Bill Cain, SJ, a fictional look at the life of Jesus, aka Joshua, as he walked the earth from within his human perspective. Winetzki credits Cain for weaving "a different kind of amazement into his treatment of the serious aspects of Joshua's mission." Winetzki's concluding paragraph offers, "The Diary of Jesus Christ is a book that many of us will find grows more dearly appreciated every time it is plucked from the bookcase for a reread."

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Contents	Author	Description
Facts, Truth, Norman Vincent Peale and Joseph Campbell	Matthew Striegel	In this essay, Matthew Striegel distinguishes fact from truth: "A fact can be measured by an instrument, perceived by a human sense, or understood by a mortal mind." On the other hand, truth "is the interpretation of facts such that they fit in with the thinker's worldview and previously acquired facts." Then he differentiates between the viewpoints of Norman Vincent Peale and Joseph Campbell.
*A Pensive Pause* Finding Happiness	Joanne Winetzki	Joanne Winetzki credits Thucydides (circa 460 BC — 404 BC) for having said, "The secret of happiness is freedom." For Winetzki, freedom and courage go hand in hand. "Maintaining happiness is now a work in progress," she said and added that moving forward requires casting aside negativity.
Reading Between the Images: Books as Symbols	Joseph Smith	Joseph Smith surmises that Joseph Campbell was a bibliomaniac. When asked about his spiritual practices, Campbell replied, "I underline books." So does Smith. He explores books as symbols and is delighted to find that books offer: "the realms of knowledge tucked away in the folds of other minds and the secrets of unknown subjects."
A Tale of Saint Iodasaph Will Only a Few Be Saved?	Robert M. Price	On the holy day celebrating Prince Siddhartha under the Bodhi Tree, Saint Iodasaph tells the monks a well-known story. The Buddha is Prince Siddhartha's designation by virtue of having achieved Enlightenment. Mara, the tempter, tries to lure him by urging him to go and enjoy Nirvanic bliss. When that doesn't work, Mara attempts to dissuade him from sharing his knowledge with others: "Come now! You know the hearts of men! Who will listen? They are all my loyal customers!" The Buddha simply responds, "Some will listen." The monks were puzzled by the possibility of only "some ..." and beg the Saint to explain. The Saint clarifies by expounding on the Sutta to the Hebrews. And therein lies a treat for those who understand.
*Zarathustra Speaks* The Gnostic Stance	Robert M. Price	Despite the elaborative mythology characterizing Gnosticism, Robert M. Price sees within its stance an element of demythologizing. According to Price, "The Gnostic, or knower, occupies a superior vantage point to that where the common run of mankind dwell. Not just a different one, but a higher one.... Thus the Gnostic is responsible for creating his own values, no matter what the mob may say." And this is as true today as it was for the ancient Gnostics.
*A Peek Between the Covers*	Joanne Winetzki	Joanne Winetzki reviews The Diary of Jesus Christ by Bill Cain, SJ, a fictional look at the life of Jesus, aka Joshua, as he walked the earth from within his human perspective. Winetzki credits Cain for weaving "a different kind of amazement into his treatment of the serious aspects of Joshua's mission." Winetzki's concluding paragraph offers, "The Diary of Jesus Christ is a book that many of us will find grows more dearly appreciated every time it is plucked from the bookcase for a reread."

Spring 2024 (Our Current Full Issue)

Volume 26, Number 3

Spring 2024
(Our Current Full Issue)