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The Holy Bible: King James Version, Quatercentenary Edition The Holy Bible: King James Version, Quatercentenary Edition

The Holy Bible: King James Version, Quatercentenary Edition The Holy Bible: King James Version, Quatercentenary Edition

This 400th anniversary edition of the King James Version of the Bible is a reprint of the 1611 text, in an easy-to-read roman font instead of the black-letter type of the original. The original capital letters, many of which are pictorial, have been restored to each chapter in order to replicate the visual appeal of the early editions.

The 1611 text is followed page-for-page and line-for-line, and all misprints are reproduced rather than corrected. The large body of preliminary matter, which includes genealogies, maps, and lists of readings, is also included. The text of the 1611 edition differs from modern editions of the King James Version in thousands of details, and this edition is the most authentic version of the original text that has ever been published.

The volume concludes with an essay by Gordon Campbell on the first edition of the King James Bible.

About the Author

Gordon Campbell is Professor of Renaissance Studies, Department of English at the University of Leicester

Leather Bound: 1552 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (October 26, 2010)

The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament Volume One The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament Volume One
The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament Volume One The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament: Apocrypha

The most esteemed body of books left out of the Bible, the Old Testament Apocrypha is of interest to historians, religious scholars, and ordinary laypeople alike. For more than 70 years this version, edited by R.H. Charles, has been the definitive critical edition. Out of print for years, Apocryphile Press is proud to make it available once more to scholars and the curious.

Paperback: 700 pages
Publisher: Apocryphile Press (November 1, 2004)

The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, Volume Two The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, Volume Two
The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, Volume Two The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, Volume Two

Of all the books left out of the Bible, only the Apocrypha rivals the Pseudepigrapha in popularity and importance. This edition of the Pseudepigrapha was edited by R. H. Charles and was the definitive critical edition for over 70 years.

Paperback: 800 pages
Publisher: Apocryphile Press (November 1, 2004)

The Urantia Book The Urantia Book
The Urantia Book The Urantia Book

Love

Love is truly contagious and eternally creative. (p. 2018) “Devote your life to proving that love is the greatest thing in the world.” (p. 2047) “Love is the ancestor of all spiritual goodness, the essence of the true and the beautiful.” (p. 2047) The Father’s love can become real to mortal man only by passing through that man’s personality as he in turn bestows this love upon his fellows. (p. 1289) The secret of a better civilization is bound up in the Master’s teachings of the brotherhood of man, the good will of love and mutual trust. (p. 2065)

Prayer

Prayer is not a technique of escape from conflict but rather a stimulus to growth in the very face of conflict. (p. 1002) The sincerity of any prayer is the assurance of its being heard. … (p. 1639) God answers man’s prayer by giving him an increased revelation of truth, an enhanced appreciation of beauty, and an augmented concept of goodness. (p. 1002) …Never forget that the sincere prayer of faith is a mighty force for the promotion of personal happiness, individual self-control, social harmony, moral progress, and spiritual attainment. (p. 999)

Suffering

There is a great and glorious purpose in the march of the universes through space. All of your mortal struggling is not in vain. (p. 364) Mortals only learn wisdom by experiencing tribulation. (p. 556)

Angels

The angels of all orders are distinct personalities and are highly individualized. (p. 285) Angels....are fully cognizant of your moral struggles and spiritual difficulties. They love human beings, and only good can result from your efforts to understand and love them. (p. 419)

Our Divine Destiny

If you are a willing learner, if you want to attain spirit levels and reach divine heights, if you sincerely desire to reach the eternal goal, then the divine Spirit will gently and lovingly lead you along the pathway of sonship and spiritual progress. (p. 381) …They who know that God is enthroned in the human heart are destined to become like him—immortal. (p. 1449) God is not only the determiner of destiny; he is man’s eternal destination. (p. 67)

Family

Almost everything of lasting value in civilization has its roots in the family. (p. 765) The family is man’s greatest purely human achievement. ... (p. 939)

Faith

…Faith will expand the mind, ennoble the soul, reinforce the personality, augment the happiness, deepen the spirit perception, and enhance the power to love and be loved. (p. 1766) “Now, mistake not, my Father will ever respond to the faintest flicker of faith.” (p. 1733)

History/Science

The story of man’s ascent from seaweed to the lordship of earthly creation is indeed a romance of biologic struggle and mind survival. (p. 731) 2,500,000,000 years ago… Urantia was a well developed sphere about one tenth its present mass. … (p. 658) 1,000,000,000 years ago is the date of the actual beginning of Urantia [Earth] history. (p. 660) 450,000,000 years ago the transition from vegetable to animal life occurred. (p. 669) From the year A.D. 1934 back to the birth of the first two human beings is just 993,419 years. (p. 707) About five hundred thousand years ago…there were almost one-half billion primitive human beings on earth. … (p. 741) Adam and Eve arrived on Urantia, from the year A.D. 1934, 37,848 years ago. (p. 828)

From the Inside Flap

What’s Inside?

Parts I and II

God, the inhabited universes, life after death, angels and other beings, the war in heaven.

Part III

The history of the world, science and evolution, Adam and Eve, development of civilization, marriage and family, personal spiritual growth.

Part IV

The life and teachings of Jesus including the missing years. AND MUCH MORE…

Excerpts

God, …God is the source and destiny of all that is good and beautiful and true. (p. 1431) If you truly want to find God, that desire is in itself evidence that you have already found him. (p. 1440) When man goes in partnership with God, great things may, and do, happen. (p. 1467)

The Origin of Human Life, The universe is not an accident... (p. 53) The universe of universes is the work of God and the dwelling place of his diverse creatures. (p. 21) The evolutionary planets are the spheres of human origin…Urantia [Earth] is your starting point. … (p. 1225) In God, man lives, moves, and has his being. (p. 22)

The Purpose of Life, There is in the mind of God a plan which embraces every creature of all his vast domains, and this plan is an eternal purpose of boundless opportunity, unlimited progress, and endless life. (p. 365) This new gospel of the kingdom… presents a new and exalted goal of destiny, a supreme life purpose. (p. 1778)

Jesus, The religion of Jesus is the most dynamic influence ever to activate the human race. (p. 1091) What an awakening the world would experience if it could only see Jesus as he really lived on earth and know, firsthand, his life-giving teachings! (p. 2083)

Science, Science, guided by wisdom, may become man’s great social liberator. (p. 909) Mortal man is not an evolutionary accident. There is a precise system, a universal law, which determines the unfolding of the planetary life plan on the spheres of space. (p. 560)

Life after Death, God’s love is universal… He is “not willing that any should perish.” (p. 39) Your short sojourn on Urantia [Earth]…is only a single link, the very first in the long chain that is to stretch across universes and through the eternal ages. (p. 435) …Death is only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery. (p. 159)

About the Author

The text of The Urantia Book was provided by one or more anonymous contributors working with a small staff which provided editorial and administrative support during the book's creation. The book bears no particular credentials (from a human viewpoint), relying instead on the power and beauty of the writing itself to persuade the reader of its authenticity.

Leather Bound: 2097 pages
Publisher: Urantia Foundation; Box Lea edition (August 25, 2015)

The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Texts in English The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Texts in English

The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Texts in English The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Texts in English

One of the world's foremost experts on the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Qumran community that produced them provides an authoritative new English translation of the two hundred longest and most important nonbiblical Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran, along with an introduction to the history of the discovery and publication of each manuscript and the background necessary for placing each manuscript in its actual historical context.

About the Author

Florentino Garcia Martinez

Paperback: 586 pages
Publisher: Eerdmans; 2nd edition (February 6, 1996)

The Nag Hammadi Library in English The Nag Hammadi Library in English

The Nag Hammadi Library in English The Nag Hammadi Library in English

This definitive edition of THE NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY is the only complete, one-volume, English-language edition of the renowned library of fourth-century manuscripts discovered in Egypt in 1945 It includes the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary and other Gnostic gospels and sacred tests. First published in 1978 and revised, expanded, and updated in 1999, THE NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY launched modern Gnostic studies and exposed a movement within Christianity whose teachings are in many ways – as bestselling author Elaine Pagels has shown – as relevant today as they were centuries ago. This edition takes into account recent developments in Gnostic scholarship, including the significance of the Gospel of Thomas as a source of the authentic sayings of Jesus. The translators include such prominent scholars as Elaine Pagels, Marvin Meyer, Helmut Koester, and Bentley Layton. The Chicago Theological Seminary Register called it “A tremendous achievement”.

Paperback: 549 pages
Publisher: HarperOne; 3rd edition (1988)

The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation

The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation

From the Back Cover This collection of apocryphal texts supersedes the best-selling edition by M. R. James, which was originally published in 1924, and regularly reprinted. Several new texts have come to light since 1924 and the textual base for some of the apocrypha previously translated by James is now more secure, as in several cases there are recently published critical editions available. Although a modest appendix to James's edition was added in 1953, no thorough revision has previously been undertaken. In this volume, J. K. Elliott presents new translations of the texts and has provided each of them with a short introduction and bibliography directed to those who wish to pursue further the issues raised in the texts, or to consult the critical editions, other versions, or general studies. The translations are in modern English, in contrast to James's deliberate imitation of the language of the Authorized Version. The collection is designed to give readers the most important and famous of the Christian apocrypha, together with a select sample of gnostic texts. Full translations of the earliest texts are printed.

About the Author

J. K. Elliott (Editor)

Paperback: 774 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; First Paperback Edition edition (December 22, 2005)


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The Birth of a Divine Revelation: The Origin of the Urantia Papers The Birth of a Divine Revelation: The Origin of the Urantia Papers

The Birth of a Divine Revelation: The Origin of the Urantia Papers The Birth of a Divine Revelation: The Origin of the Urantia Papers

Report on the origins of the Urantia Papers. Describes the evolution of events which led to the Papers. Includes biography of William Sadler, the human agent, an account of an associated group, (the Forum), and discussion of threats to the Revelation before it was published.. Offers a wealth of detail heretofore unpublished. Original scholarly research.

About the Author

Through a series of unusual events the author came to recognize that our planet is experiencing celestial visitations today, and that this world is under the supervision of agencies which report directly to our Creator. As a result of these discoveries he had a striking spiritual experience late in 1967. Since that time he has devoted his energies to the study and purpose of revelation.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From Chapter 1: A man wanted to know the difference between Edgar Cayce, the so-called Sleeping Prophet, and the Sleeping Subject described by William Sadler in the Appendix to his book, The Mind At Mischief. The latter was suspected of being involved in the creation of The Urantia Papers. I shall describe the sequence of events which led Sadler to investigate the behavior of the Sleeping Subject, how that relationship developed into The Urantia Papers, and why Edgar Cayce could not have been the Sleeping Subject.

Paperback: 600 pages
Publisher: Moyer Pub (February 16, 2000)

The Birth Of A Divine Revelation

The Mechanical Origin
of
The Urantia Papers

Ernest P. Moyer

PO Box 1206
Hanover, Pennsylvania 17331
Early, 1997


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    TABLE OF CONTENTS    

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CHAPTER 43


MATTHEW BLOCK IN HIS OWN WORDS

A Bibliographic Essay on Some Human Sources Used in The Urantia Book
by Matthew Block
copyright (©) 1992 by Matthew Block


Here Matthew quotes partially from the two Acknowledgments given on pages 16 and 1343 of The Urantia Papers. Refer to my full quotations in the previous chapters. I offer a few minor comments in this reproduction of his statement. I mark those with ****. He then makes the following remarks:

Following these introductory remarks is a list of nineteen books which appear to have been considered worthy of use by the revelators, in pursuance of their mandate to give preference to human sources whenever possible. All of these books (with a few exceptions, to be noted in the list) contain sentences, paragraphs or even whole chapters whose phrasings and organization of thoughts or information are so closely paralleled in The Urantia Book as to strongly suggest their use. While a few of these have long been known to some UB readers (e.g., the Breasted book and one of the two books by Bundy and by Jones), most were apparently first discovered in libraries and used bookstores in the Chicago area during the spring, summer and autumn of 1992, in the course of my research into The UB's human sources. The research so far has been so fruitful mainly because none of the books were obscure; they were all written by authorities in their respective fields (often by professors from prominent American universities) and many were reviewed in the popular and academic press. Further, the book titles themselves are often giveaways to the alert Urantia Book reader; by their very titles, for instance, I targeted Purposive Evolution and The Architecture of the Universe (listed below) as likely primary sources.

It is interesting to note that, although these books cover many fields, including religion, philosophy, archaeology, physics, astronomy and history, the revelators directly acknowledge using only the highest human concepts and insights pertaining to God and the seven superuniverses and to the life and teachings of Jesus (as the above citations indicate). I was thus quite surprised, initially, at the extent to which the revelatory culled from books which do not focus on these areas. (As a matter of fact, I was surprised that the revelators culled extensively from books at all, as I had always supposed that they had accessed some sort of celestial concept registry to locate appropriate human concepts and expressions, only referencing books in exceptional cases.) Nevertheless, regardless of the lack of specific acknowledgments, it is clear that many more textual sources in various fields will eventually be traced. Iestimate that writings published before 1936 form the basis of about one-third of Parts I and II and at least two-thirds of Parts III and IV, and most of these works will probably be found within the next few years. Eventually we will be able to map out the whole Urantia Book according to which parts were "revealed for the first time" and which were not. And, again, this will not be too difficult since the revelators, while avoiding extensive word-for-word borrowings, made no attempt to disguise their sources by departing widely from the original human expressions. (It may be, however, that some papers are not composed of direct restatements of specific texts but are rather syntheses of several indirect sources. In this case, we should be able to track down writings which discuss similar concepts or issues in similar ways.)

Clearly, these findings are of pivotal importance to serious Urantia Book readers. In providing a great deal of new substantiation of the revelators' preferential use of human sources, they spark new insights into what this revelation really is and how human and superhuman voices and viewpoints interfaced in its production. As we gain a better grasp of how original it is (in its function as pure revelation), and how derivative (in it's function of presenting superhuman restatements of human concepts and expressions), we will be better able to see how the revelation positions itself with respect to evolutionary human knowledge, wisdom and faith.

My own experience has taught me that, as a result of my former ignorance and underestimation of early 20th century thought and scholarship, my sense of this positioning had been skewed. If unfamiliar with a concept or a piece of information presented in the papers -- especially if it struck me as uncommonly beautiful, brilliant, or incisive -- I would usually assume it was "revealed for the first time," little realizing that it might have been known or expressed, in some form or other, by some people of earlier generations. But in becoming more familiar with the thought trends of that period and others, and with the discovery of more human sources, I've come to a better appreciation of the higher reaches of human thought (as reflected in the book) and can now begin to give the book's human side its proper due.

Along with this heightened awareness of the book's human component has come a greatly increased appreciation of the sheer bril1iance with which the revelators accomplished their purposes in referencing these sources. In comparing the source materials with the corresponding passages in The UB, I am continually struck by the presenters' ingenious ability to seamlessly integrate human observations with revelatory supplementation or correction. Time and again they prove themselves deft and Creative editors, performing the difficult task of remaining true to the original expression while at the same time slightly altering it to make the re-worded sentence(s) more congruent with revealed teachings. One illustration of this technique will suffice for the purposes of the present essay. In his discussion of chemical elements, W.F.G. Swann writes on page 64 Of The Architecture of the Universe:

"Starting from any one of them, and noting some property such as the melting point, for example, the property would change as we went along the row, but as we continued it would gradually come back to a condition very similar to that which we started . . . The eighth element was in many respects like the first, the ninth like the second, the tenth like the third, and so on. Such a state of affairs pointed not only to a varied internal structure, but also to a certain harmony in that variation suggestive of some organized plan in building the atom."

Compare this with the parallel passage on p. 480 of The UB:

"Starting from any one element, after noting some one property, such a quality will change for six consecutive elements, but on reaching the eighth, it tends to reappear, that is, the eighth chemically active element resembles the first, the ninth the second, 'and so on. Such a fact of the physical world unmistakably points to the sevenfold constitution of ancestral energy and is indicative of the fundamental reality of the sevenfold diversity of the creations of time and space."

Notice the care - and flair - with which the second passage was restated. While retaining the original sentence structures and using similar wordings, the Mighty Messenger departs from the speculative tone of Swann's last clause, inserting a revealed statement of decisive significance in its place. Hundreds of other examples of this technique appear in the books listed below: their cumulative effect is quite astounding. Other patterns of referencing, equally ingenious, are also discernible, but these will be brought forward in later essays. (In this connection, it should be noted that in the listings, when I describe passages in some of the books as being "reproduced with little change" or "lightly rewritten," etc., the changes may be small in terms of form but quite significant in terms of substance.)

Interestingly, these books have sometimes been of great help in the further understanding of the papers that use them. Often the presenters are obliged to present an abbreviated treatment of a concept or a history which is discussed at greater length by the source. For instance, my understanding of the book's puzzling reference to "cosmic self-maintenance" (p. 482) was greatly enhanced when I came upon this concept presented at length in the Noble book (see below). In light of these benefits to comprehension of both content and context, I feel it would be helpful for the readership to be made aware of these sources and perhaps some of these books with expired copyrights could be re-published. Further, as an organization dedicated to furthering the study of The Urantia Book, The (Urantia) Fellowship would do well to openly acknowledge the existence of these works in some way, perhaps even in its informational literature about The Urantia Book. We should be aware, as well, that a confident and well-reasoned acknowledgment would disarm debunkers who hold the notion that revelation always and necessarily means, to its gulled believers, complete superhuman inspiration.

The following listings are necessarily brief and incomplete. In the coming months I intend to analyze some of these books at greater length. My main goals in each of the essays, which I hope to publish in The Journal and other periodicals of the Urantia movement, will be: (1) to lay out the parallels between the book in question and The UB, (2) to show how the superhuman presenters supplemented the human statements with revelatory information or insights, and (3) to see whether and how the book in question sheds light, in terms of content and/or context, on the corresponding passages in The UB.

In the meantime I and other readers will continue to be on the lookout for more human sources. If anyone knows of books or writings not included in this list, I would be very grateful to hear from you. If anyone has any questions about these books or the projects, please feel free to contact me at: 3719 N. Southport Ave., #217, Chicago, IL 60613 (312/975-1764).

****Matthew has since departed from this address and telephone number. Also his expectations of his work have been seriously delayed. At the moment of this writing he expects to publish a book on only one part of his discoveries by the fall of 1999.****

****In an earlier document in the autumn of 1992 Matthew also made the following remark but he did not included it in the above:****

[Clearly, these findings are of fundamental importance to serious students of the Urantia Papers, sparking new questions and insights into what this revelation really is and how human and superhuman voices and viewpoints interfaced in its production. As we gain a better grasp of how original it is, or how derivative, we will be better able to see how the revelation positions itself with regard to evolutionary human knowledge, wisdom and faith. We will also be better prepared to grapple with the perplexing questions of the nature and extent of the book's authority, applicability and accessibility in the decades and centuries to come -- questions such as: What bearing does the book's being written in 1934-35 have on its future relevance and immediacy? What does it mean that, "this book is intended for the coming age," when so much of it directly addresses and responds to the thought trends and world situation of the early 20th century -- no longer our own, much less that of later generations? (Of course, the revelators themselves broach these questions somewhat in "The Limitations of Revelation" and elsewhere).]


Matthew's Source List as of December 1992


1. Aston, W.G. 1905. Shinto (The Way of the Gods). Longmans, Green, and Co., New York. (Paper 131 The World's Religions, section 7.) Sentences from Aston's translation of the "Wa Rongo" collection of Shinto Oracles, lightly rewritten or paraphrased, constitute the entire selection of Ganid's abstract of Shinto.

2. Bishop, William Samuel. 1926. The Theology of Personality. Longmans, Green, and Co., New York. (Foreword, section XII; Paper 106 Universe Levels of Reality, section 8.) Though there appears to be no superhuman lifting of content here, Bishop uses the terms "trinity," "triunity," and -- amazingly -- "A Trinity of Trinities"; in the exposition of his constructive theology. These terms are completely re-worked in The UB.

3. Breasted, James Henry. 1933. The Dawn of Conscience. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. (Paper 95 The Melchizedek Teachings in the Levant, sections 2-5; Paper 111 The Adjuster and the Soul, preamble.) Breasted's analysis and assessments of early Egyptian social idealism and religion -- including the teachings of Amenemope and Ikhnaton, the ka and the ha, Egypt's influence on the Hebrews, etc. -- are incorporated into The UB's corresponding discussions.

4. Bundy, Walter E. 1928. The Religion of Jesus. The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis. (Paper 196 The Faith of Jesus, preamble, sections 1-2; etc.) Portions from every chapter of this book, whose thesis is that the human Jesus founded the religion of personal experience and that we must recover the religion of Jesus from the religion about Jesus, are deftly concentrated in Paper 196 with the retention of many of Bundy's exact wordings.

5. Bundy, Walter E. 1929. Our Recovery of Jesus. The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis. (Paper 196 The Faith of Jesus, preamble, sections 1-2.) A companion volume to the preceding book, this one has material that parallels paragraphs in Paper 196 which were not paralleled by the preceding one. The two books together supply about 95% of the basis of the preamble and the first two sections. The last section differs in tone and content and may be original with the mldwayers.

6. Burton, Ernest DeWitt and Mathews, Shailer. 1901, 1927. The Life of Christ. University of Chicago Press. Chicago. (Part IV, passim.) The content of this book does not appear to be used but rather its chapter and section titles. Parallel titles include: "The Crisis at Capernaum," "Discourse on Spiritual Freedom," "The Widespread Fame of Jesus (Christ)," "The Man with the Withered Hand," "The Woman Taken in Adultery," and (More) Parables by the Sea."

7. Cowdry, E. V., editor. 1930. Human Biology & Racial Welfare. Paul B Hoeber, Inc., New York. (Paper 51 The Planetary Adams, section 4; Paper 65 The Overcontrol of Evolution, section 2; Paper 82 The Evolution of Marriage, section 6; etc.) The revelators tacitly reference essays by Hrdlicka, Conklin and Davenport in their discussions of race differences, the dangers and benefits of race mixing and the feasibility of a modest eugenics program.

8. Edwards, Tryon, original compiler, 1890-1934 and later. The New Dictionary of Thoughts. Classic Publishing Co., London & New York. (Paper 48 The Morontia Life, section 7.) The vast majority of the 28 "statements of human philosophy" in the Morontia Mota section are taken well-nigh consecutively from the first 35 Pages of this 750-page book, which is arranged alphabetically by subject. The subjects from which the revelators cull quotations include: Ability, Accident, Action, Adversity, Affectation, Affliction, Anger, Anxiety, Art, Aspiration. These quotes are usually not reproduced verbatim in The UB but are recast so as to have a more cosmic and spiritual tone.

9. Fosdick, Harry Emerson. 1933. The Hope of the World. Harper and Brothers, New York & London. (Paper 171 On the Way to Jerusalem, section 7.) "Goodness is effective only when it is attractive", on

p. 18 is the essence of Fosdick's sermon "The Fine Art of Making Goodness Attractive."

10. Frost Jr., S.E., c,ompiler and editor. 1943. The Sacred Writings of the World's Great Religions. The New Home Library, New York. (Paper 131 The World's Religions.) This book is a selection from previous - and, unfortunately, uncited - translations of various holy books. The UB appears to use the same translations of the Jain, Zoroastrian and Confucian writings as Frost, as well as the Aston Shinto translation. There is a remarkable degree of overlap in the passages selected in the two books.

11. Hartshorne, Charles. 1941. Man's Vision of God. Willett, Clark and Co., Chicago. (Foreword, section I.) Hartshorne's list of the seven conceivable types of perfection is reproduced almost verbatim on p. 3 of The UB. I suspect that Hartshorne published an earlier (Pre-1936) presentation of this system in a journal, so it may already have been in print before the Foreword was written.

(Refer to my discussion in preceding chapters. EPM)

12. Hopkins, E. Washburn. 1923. Origin and Evolution of Religion. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. The whole of Paper 85 The Origins of Worship is derived directly from the first several chapters of this book, each section in the paper corresponding almost exactly to a chapter in the book. Paper 92 The Later Evolution of Religion incorporates some of Hopkins' comments, as do Papers 90 and 96; and the preamble and section 1 of Paper 104 Growth of the Trinity Concept are based directly on Hopkins' chapters on "The Triad," "The Hindu Trinity," "The Buddhistic Trinity," and "The Christian Trinity."

13. Jones, Rufus M. 1932. A Preface to Christian Faith in a New Age. Macmillan Co., New York. (Paper 195 After Pentecost, sections 5-10.) Every chapter of the book is used in the revelators' discussions of Christianity's struggle to awaken to its spiritual mission in the face of modern secularism and its own institutional shortcomings. Virtually every paragraph of Section 10 (The Future) is drawn consecutively from the last half of this book.

14. Jones, Rufus M. 1916. The Inner Life. Macmillan Co., New York. (Paper 102 The Foundations of Religious Faith, preamble). Jones quotes the same two extracts of Bertrand Russell's "A Free Man's Worship" (1903) which the Melchizedek paraphrases in the first two paragraphs of the paper. Both Jones and The Melchizedek use these passages to illustrate materialistic despair, which can only be remedied by faith in God and a spiritual interpretation of the universe.

15. Noble, Edmund. 1926. Purposive Evolution: The Link Between Science and Religion. Henry Holt and Co., New York. (Paper 42 Energy - Mind and Matter, section 11; Paper 116 The Almighty Supreme, section 7.) Noble's theory of cosmic self-maintenance (the universe as purposive) is referred to in The UB on p. 482; his chapter "Is the Universe an Organism?" (in which he gives a negative answer) seems to be responded to by the revelators on p. 1276-77: "The Living Organism of the Grand Universe".

16. Osborn, Henry Fair Held. 1928. Man Rises to Parnassus: Critical Epochs in the Prehistory of Man. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. (Paper 64 The Evolutionary Races of Color, sections 2, 4; Paper 80 Andite Expansion in the Occident, sections 3, 8, 9; etc.) This book seems to be the prime source for The UB's discussion of the successive human races in Europe from the Foxhall Peoples to the Neanderthals, the cr o-Magnons and the ancestors of the Nordics. The UB largely adheres to Osborn's geological, racial and cultural chronologies and to his characterizations of the cultures of these various peoples. Osborn's discussion of the Bretons is paralleled exactly on p. 899 of The UB.

17. Palmer, George Herbert. 1930. The Autobiography of a Philosopher. Greenwood Press reprint, New York, 1968) (Paper 181 Final Admonitions and Warnings, section 1.) Palmer's assertion of the superiority of the inner peace resulting from faith in the Father's loving care, over the "two inferior forms of hardihood" (optimism and stoicism), is paralleled in The UB's discussion on pgs. 1954-55.

18. Sabatier, Auguste. 1904. Religions of Authority and the Religion of the Spirit. McClure, Phillips & Co., New York. (Paper 155 Fleeing Through Northern Galilee, sections 5 & 6.) The sections in The UB on "The Discourses on True Religion, - which distinguish the religions of authority from the religion of the spirit - are an amplification of Sabatier's thesis. The UB's listing of the "three manifestations of the religious urge" on p. 1728 correspond to Sabatier's "Three Degrees of Religious Evolution." Sabatier's book was quite influential; both Rufus Jones and Walter Bundy, among others, refer to the religions of authority and the religion of the spirit, attributing the origin of the latter to Jesus, as does Sabatier.

19. Swann, W.F.G. 1934. The Architecture of the Universe. The Macmillan Co., New York. (Paper 41 Physical Aspects of the Local Universe; Paper 42 Energy - Mind and Matter, passim. Parts of Swann's opening chapter On "The Dogmas of Natural Philosophy" are reproduced with little chance in section 9 ("Natural Philosophy") of Energy - Mind and Matter. Many of his temperature, size and distance estimates relating to intra-atomic and astronomic bodies are used in The UB as are several of his analogies and illustrations (e.g.., if the volume of a proton should be magnified to the size of a head of a pin, then, in comparison, a pin's head would attain a diameter equal to that of the earth's orbit around the sun.

Matthew asked that I not include other reference sources known to me, prior to his own publication.




    TABLE OF CONTENTS    



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Disclaimer

Disclaimer:
Some material presented will contain links, quotes, ideologies, etc., the contents of which should be understood to first, in their whole, reflect the views or opinions of their editors, and second, are used in my personal research as "fair use" sources only, and not espousement one way or the other. Researching for 'truth' leads one all over the place...a piece here, a piece there. As a researcher, I hunt, gather and disassemble resources, trying to put all the pieces into a coherent and logical whole. I encourage you to do the same. And please remember, these pages are only my effort to collect all the pieces I can find and see if they properly fit into the 'reality aggregate'.

Personal Position

Personal Position:
I've come to realize that 'truth' boils down to what we 'believe' the facts we've gathered point to. We only 'know' what we've 'experienced' firsthand. Everything else - what we read, what we watch, what we hear - is what someone else's gathered facts point to and 'they' 'believe' is 'truth', so that 'truth' seems to change in direct proportion to newly gathered facts divided by applied plausibility. Though I believe there is 'truth', until someone representing the celestial realm visibly appears and presents the heavenly records of Facts And Lies In The Order They Happened, I can't know for sure exactly what "the whole truth' on any given subject is, and what applies to me applies to everyone. Until then I'll continue to ask, "what does The Urantia Book say on the subject?"
~Gail Bird Allen

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The Oxford Study Bible: Revised English Bible with Apocrypha The Oxford Study Bible: Revised English Bible with Apocrypha
The Oxford Study Bible: Revised English Bible with Apocrypha The Oxford Study Bible: Revised English Bible with Apocrypha

This volume combines a cultural guide to the biblical world and an annotated Bible. Its notes feature the reflections of Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Jewish scholars.

  • Twenty-three insightful articles on aspects of the history, literary background, and culture of the biblical era.
  • A special index of people, places, and themes of the Bible.
  • 36 pages of full-color New Oxford Bible Maps, with index.

Paperback: 1860 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (March 12, 1992)

Nave's Topical Bible: A comprehensive Digest of over 20,000 Topics and Subtopics With More Than 10,000 Associated Scripture References Nave's Topical Bible: A comprehensive Digest of over 20,000 Topics and Subtopics With More Than 10,000 Associated Scripture References

Nave's Topical Bible: A comprehensive Digest of over 20,000 Topics and Subtopics With More Than 10,000 Associated Scripture References Nave's Topical Bible: A comprehensive Digest of over 20,000 Topics and Subtopics With More Than 10,000 Associated Scripture References

"Nave's Topical Bible, " the best known of all topical bibles, has been a valuable Bible-study reference and a best-seller for more than 75 years. It is a comprehensive digest of over 20,000 topics and subtopics with more than 100,000 associated Scripture references. The most significant references for each topic actually include the full text of the verse cited saving the need to separately look up each verse.

Because "Nave's "groups verses by "idea" (or "topic"), it offers a better overview of relevant Scriptures than a concordance, which only lists or indexes verses according to specific words. This edition also includes the helpful Scripture index (left out of some other editions), which makes it possible for the reader studying a particular biblical text to locate every topic and grouping of Scripture in "Nave's "whenever a particular verse is included. That way, it is possible for the reader to study either all the verses related to a particular topic "or" all the topics related to a particular verse it works both ways.

For the pastor or teacher interested in saving hours of time but not willing to give their second best, and for anyone wanting to be challenged by what God has to say about a given subject, "Nave's Topical Bible" is the passport that will allow immediate and successful entry to the many points of interest."

About the Author

Orville J. Nave, A.M., D.D., LL.D., compiled this magnificient reference work while serving as a Chaplain in the United States Army. He referred to his work as "the result of fourteen years of delightful and untiring study of the Word of God."

Hardcover: 1616 pages
Publisher: Hendrickson Pub (July 1, 2002)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (Super Value Series) Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (Super Value Series)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (Super Value Series) Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (Super Value Series)

Read the best of Matthew Henry's classic commentary on the Bible in one convenient book. Henry's profound spiritual insights have touched lives for over 300 years. Indexed maps and charts make this a book any pastor, student, Bible teacher, or devotional reader will treasure!

About the Author

Matthew Henry (1662-1714) was a Presbyterian minister in England who began his commentary on the Bible in 1704. He completed his work up to the end of Acts before his death. Afterward, his ministerial friends completed the work from Henry's notes and writings.

Series: Super Value Series
Hardcover: 1200 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (July 30, 2003)

The Urantia Book The Urantia Book
The Urantia Book The Urantia Book

Love

Love is truly contagious and eternally creative. (p. 2018) “Devote your life to proving that love is the greatest thing in the world.” (p. 2047) “Love is the ancestor of all spiritual goodness, the essence of the true and the beautiful.” (p. 2047) The Father’s love can become real to mortal man only by passing through that man’s personality as he in turn bestows this love upon his fellows. (p. 1289) The secret of a better civilization is bound up in the Master’s teachings of the brotherhood of man, the good will of love and mutual trust. (p. 2065)

Prayer

Prayer is not a technique of escape from conflict but rather a stimulus to growth in the very face of conflict. (p. 1002) The sincerity of any prayer is the assurance of its being heard. … (p. 1639) God answers man’s prayer by giving him an increased revelation of truth, an enhanced appreciation of beauty, and an augmented concept of goodness. (p. 1002) …Never forget that the sincere prayer of faith is a mighty force for the promotion of personal happiness, individual self-control, social harmony, moral progress, and spiritual attainment. (p. 999)

Suffering

There is a great and glorious purpose in the march of the universes through space. All of your mortal struggling is not in vain. (p. 364) Mortals only learn wisdom by experiencing tribulation. (p. 556)

Angels

The angels of all orders are distinct personalities and are highly individualized. (p. 285) Angels....are fully cognizant of your moral struggles and spiritual difficulties. They love human beings, and only good can result from your efforts to understand and love them. (p. 419)

Our Divine Destiny

If you are a willing learner, if you want to attain spirit levels and reach divine heights, if you sincerely desire to reach the eternal goal, then the divine Spirit will gently and lovingly lead you along the pathway of sonship and spiritual progress. (p. 381) …They who know that God is enthroned in the human heart are destined to become like him—immortal. (p. 1449) God is not only the determiner of destiny; he is man’s eternal destination. (p. 67)

Family

Almost everything of lasting value in civilization has its roots in the family. (p. 765) The family is man’s greatest purely human achievement. ... (p. 939)

Faith

…Faith will expand the mind, ennoble the soul, reinforce the personality, augment the happiness, deepen the spirit perception, and enhance the power to love and be loved. (p. 1766) “Now, mistake not, my Father will ever respond to the faintest flicker of faith.” (p. 1733)

History/Science

The story of man’s ascent from seaweed to the lordship of earthly creation is indeed a romance of biologic struggle and mind survival. (p. 731) 2,500,000,000 years ago… Urantia was a well developed sphere about one tenth its present mass. … (p. 658) 1,000,000,000 years ago is the date of the actual beginning of Urantia [Earth] history. (p. 660) 450,000,000 years ago the transition from vegetable to animal life occurred. (p. 669) From the year A.D. 1934 back to the birth of the first two human beings is just 993,419 years. (p. 707) About five hundred thousand years ago…there were almost one-half billion primitive human beings on earth. … (p. 741) Adam and Eve arrived on Urantia, from the year A.D. 1934, 37,848 years ago. (p. 828)

From the Inside Flap

What’s Inside?

Parts I and II

God, the inhabited universes, life after death, angels and other beings, the war in heaven.

Part III

The history of the world, science and evolution, Adam and Eve, development of civilization, marriage and family, personal spiritual growth.

Part IV

The life and teachings of Jesus including the missing years. AND MUCH MORE…

Excerpts

God, …God is the source and destiny of all that is good and beautiful and true. (p. 1431) If you truly want to find God, that desire is in itself evidence that you have already found him. (p. 1440) When man goes in partnership with God, great things may, and do, happen. (p. 1467)

The Origin of Human Life, The universe is not an accident... (p. 53) The universe of universes is the work of God and the dwelling place of his diverse creatures. (p. 21) The evolutionary planets are the spheres of human origin…Urantia [Earth] is your starting point. … (p. 1225) In God, man lives, moves, and has his being. (p. 22)

The Purpose of Life, There is in the mind of God a plan which embraces every creature of all his vast domains, and this plan is an eternal purpose of boundless opportunity, unlimited progress, and endless life. (p. 365) This new gospel of the kingdom… presents a new and exalted goal of destiny, a supreme life purpose. (p. 1778)

Jesus, The religion of Jesus is the most dynamic influence ever to activate the human race. (p. 1091) What an awakening the world would experience if it could only see Jesus as he really lived on earth and know, firsthand, his life-giving teachings! (p. 2083)

Science, Science, guided by wisdom, may become man’s great social liberator. (p. 909) Mortal man is not an evolutionary accident. There is a precise system, a universal law, which determines the unfolding of the planetary life plan on the spheres of space. (p. 560)

Life after Death, God’s love is universal… He is “not willing that any should perish.” (p. 39) Your short sojourn on Urantia [Earth]…is only a single link, the very first in the long chain that is to stretch across universes and through the eternal ages. (p. 435) …Death is only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery. (p. 159)

About the Author

The text of The Urantia Book was provided by one or more anonymous contributors working with a small staff which provided editorial and administrative support during the book's creation. The book bears no particular credentials (from a human viewpoint), relying instead on the power and beauty of the writing itself to persuade the reader of its authenticity.

Leather Bound: 2097 pages
Publisher: Urantia Foundation; Box Lea edition (August 25, 2015)

Zondervan Pictorial Encylopedia of the Bible, Vols. 1-5 Zondervan Pictorial Encylopedia of the Bible, Vols. 1-5
Zondervan Pictorial Encylopedia of the Bible, Vols. 1-5 The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (5 Volume Set)

From the Back Cover

The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, the result of more than ten years of research and preparation, provides Bible students with a comprehensive and reliable library of information. Varying viewpoints of scholarship permit a well-rounded perspective on significant issues relating to doctrines, themes, and biblical interpretation. Well-organized and generously illustrated, this encyclopedia will become a frequently used resource and reference work because of its many helpful features: - More than 5,000 pages of vital information of Bible lands and people - More than 7,500 articles alphabetically arranged for easy reference - Hundreds of full-color and black-and-white illustrations, charts, and graphs - Thirty-two pages of full-color maps and hundreds of black-and-white outline maps for quick perspective and ready reference - Scholarly articles ranging across the entire spectrum of theological and biblical topics, backed by recent archaeological discoveries - Two hundred and thirty-eight contributors from around the world. The editors have brought to this encyclopedia the fruit of many years of study and research.

About the Author

Merrill C. Tenney was professor of theological studies and dean of the Graduate school of Theology at Wheaton College.

Hardcover: 5 volume set More than 5,000 pages
Publisher: Zondervan Publishing House; Second Printing edition (March 15, 1975)

HarperColins Bible Dictionary HarperColins Bible Dictionary
HarperColins Bible Dictionary HarperCollins Bible DictionaryHarperCollins Bible Dictionary

The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary puts the latest and most comprehensive biblical scholarship at your fingertips. Here is everything you need to know to fully understand the Old Testament, the Apocrypha, and the New Testament. An unparalleled resource, The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary explains every aspect of the Bible, including biblical archaeology, culture, related writings such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Bible‘s influence on Western civilization, biblical history, theological concepts, modern biblical interpretations, flora nad fauna, climate and environment, crafts and industry, the content of individual books of the bible, and more.

The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary features:

  • Contributions by 193 noted experts on the Bible and the ancient Near East
  • More than 3700 entries covering the Bible from A to Z
  • Outlines for each book of the Bible
  • 590 black–and–white photographs
  • 53 color photographs
  • An updated pronunciation guide
  • 72 black–and–white maps
  • 18 color maps
  • Dozens of drawings, diagrams, and tables

About the Author

Paul J. Achtemeier is Professor of Biblical Interpretation at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. A widely respected authority on the Bible, he is the author or co-author of 14 books, former editor of the quarterly Interpretation, and New Testament editor of the Interpretation Biblical Commentary Series. Professor Achtemeier has also been chief executive officer and president of the Society of Biblical Literature, and president of the Catholic Biblical Association.

The Editorial Board of the revised edition of The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary includes associate editors; Roger S. Boraas, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Religion, Uppsala College; Michael Fishbane, Ph.D., Nathan Cummings Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Chicago Divinity School; Pheme Perkins, Ph.D., Professor of Theology (New Testament), Boston College; and William O. Walker, Jr., Ph.D., Professor of Religion, Trinity University.

The Society of Biblical Literature is a seven-thousand-member international group of experts on the Bible and related fields. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Amazon.com Review

For the maps alone, this book is worth it. Following 1,250 pages that describe and explain the people, places, terms, and events of the Bible from Aaron to Zurishaddai, the 16 spectacular maps detail the political entities and boundaries of biblical times, bringing the historic times to vivid life. A fascinating book, an impressive collection of scholarship, and a possession to cherish, the 188 contributors and five editors show what can be produced if you don't cut corners on excellence. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Hardcover: 1178 pages
Publisher: HarperOne; Rev Upd Su edition

Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary Old and New Testament Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary Old and New Testament

Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary Old and New Testament Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary Old and New TestamentVine's Complete Expository Dictionary Old and New Testament

A Nelson exclusive. Study the meaning of biblical words in the original languages-without spending years learning Greek or Hebrew. This classic reference tool has helped thousands dig deeper into the meaning of the biblical text. Explains over 6,000 key biblical words. Includes a brand new comprehensive topical index that enables you to study biblical topics more thoroughly than ever before.

Hardcover: 1184 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 2nd Edition edition (August 26, 1996)


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