Family of Blood

[tree_and_leaf]

Paul Cornell's definitely been watching The Last Temptation of Christ; except I didn't find the alt!life in LTC particularly moving, whereas I definitely had a lump in my throat at the 'one adventure he'll never have' sequence here. Possibly it's because the Doctor is a character I've loved for years, while being decidedly unconvinced by film!Jesus (who was even more emo than poor old John Smith); but it probably also has something to do (a) with David Tennant's very convincing besotted-new-dad-look, and John's need to know the children were safe before he could die, a nice touch which pointed to the decision he knew he would finally take, and also (b) the fact that alt!John Smith was not getting his end away with every woman in Galilee under the somewhat disturbing pretext that 'every woman is Mary'.† Whether that's some half baked goddess archetype, or 'all cats are grey in the dark', I"m not impressed.

†Magdalen, not BVM, thankfully - it wasn't quite that pervy.

On the subject of batshit Mary Magdalen fen: I am not inclined to buy the theory, advanced by 'The Real Mary Magdalene', which I picked up out of a sense of dread (and put down) in the town library this morning, that Luther believed that Jesus and Mary were lovers - actually, physical lovers. In fact, I'll eat a chasuble if that turns out to have any substance to it at all. If nothing else, if he'd said anything that heretical, the Roman Catholics would never have shut up about it

Comments

[prelud.livejournal.com]

the Roman Catholics would never have shut up about it
Indeed.

[tree_and_leaf]

Every time I think that the various factions in the Anglican church are behaving badly, I think of some of the German Reformation era pamphlets I have read. And then I feel slightly better, although it doesn't exactly restore my faith in humanity!

[prelud.livejournal.com]

[prelud.livejournal.com]

Now I`m not sure what you mean. Lutheran pamphlets or Catholic pamphlets? And what was in them?

[tree_and_leaf]

Both. And scurrilous abuse, mainly, combined with a bit of theological critique. But mostly, it was each side telling the other that they smelled (only at greater length, and with a sort of wierdly inspired baroque inventiveness.)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Definite "lump in throat" time.

[tree_and_leaf]

*wipes away surruptitious tear*

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

That Luther theory does, indeed sound utterly insane.

Quite apart from the fact that the Roman Catholic church would have made an absolute meal of it, there is nothing in the Bible even to hint at it.

I'd ask why people come up with these mad ideas, but I suppose they sell books...

[tree_and_leaf]

Well, yes, quite how they think that someone who worked on the principle of 'sola scriptura', and was rude about the Catholic church had added stuff to the substance of the faith would go for something as lacking in scriptural basis as that, I can't imagine. I don't think even the most obdurate Harry Potter shipper would come up with Jesus/ Mary Magdalen based on the texts....

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I don't think even the most obdurate Harry Potter shipper would come up with Jesus/ Mary Magdalen based on the texts....

If only because they'd be far too busy writing Deborah/Jael and Cain/Leviathan.

[tree_and_leaf]

Deborah/ Jael, fine (even Deborah/ Jael/ Judith), but Cain/ Leviathan?

Point taken, though. Mind you, I can actually imagine Jesus/ Mary Magdalen versus Jesus/ John the Evangelist shipwars...

I feel slightly unclean now *sporks eyes out*.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Jesus/Mary Magdalene is clearly the Harry/Hermione equivalent.

Meanwhile Judith/Holofernes is the Death Eater/Order Member OMG teh Tension of choice.

(You feel unclean? I have spent my evening learning to put Gaudy Night in lolcats.)

H/Hr OMGtheirlove issognostic

[tree_and_leaf]

Jesus/Mary Magdalene is clearly the Harry/Hermione equivalent.

Thinking about the sort of Gnostic types who go in for the former, that's disturbingly accurate.

Re: H/Hr OMGtheirlove issognostic

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

No canon, all sentiment.

Re: H/Hr OMGtheirlove issognostic

[tree_and_leaf]

Combined, in extreme caes, by the insinuation that if you can't see why the ship ought to be there, it's because you are a bad and bigoted person. And the belief that it's the author's fault for not being brave enough to write the Foreordained Truth (no Paul-bashing, kthanxbai)