HEALING THEOLOGIES IN CHRISTIAN SCIENCE AND SECRET REVELATION OF JOHN: A CRITICAL CONVERSATION IN PRACTICAL THEOLOGY by SHIRLEY THOMAS PAULSON A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY AND RELIGION School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham June 2017 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Dedicated to my mother, in appreciation for her instilling in me an unwavering love for God and for humanity and generations to come ABSTRACT This thesis asks what might be revealed from a Practical Theology conversation between historical texts and contemporary Christian Science experience about healing theologies and practices. Certain enduring theological ideas (God’s goodness and omnipotence, the deceptiveness and impotence of evil, and a correlation between healing and salvation) explain these Christian healing practices. I investigate such ideas and practices using a Practical Theology methodology that accommodates an epistemological contrast and enables meaningful analysis of the ideas. This ‘critical conversation’ between the Secret Revelation of John, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and myself as an autoethnographic ‘text,’ draws out comparisons and contrasting ideas of Christian healing. The three parts of the thesis reflect moments of ‘conversation’: (1) an overview of the conversation’s structure and identification of its partners; (2) a detailed conversation between the two historical texts based on three key themes (the enduring theological ideas mentioned above), and (3) engaging my experience as a twenty-first-century ‘text’ in conversation with the same themes in epistemologically contrasting contexts. I conclude that understanding theological views from contrasting epistemologies is a constructive means for expanding mutual understanding of Christian healing practices with great potential benefit to scholarly and ecumenical audiences. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Embarking on calm waters requires few outside supporters, but the controversial storms I have encountered in the preparation of this thesis have required support and strength from many wise, loving, and patient friends and family members. My mother instilled in me the love of God and love for humanity through Christian Science, which has served as my life’s bedrock. While I was enrolled at Garrett- Evangelical Theological Seminary, Professor George Kalantzis spotted my need for help as a Christian Scientist navigating my first serious encounter with Christian controversies. He also introduced me to another controversial world where the Nag Hammadi literature still provokes fear of heresy, confusion, and utter bewilderment, as well as fresh inspiration. One of those Nag Hammadi tractates, the Secret Revelation of John, has now been my conversation partner for seventeen years. Soon after graduation I met Michael Kinnamon, a leading ecumenist, who assured me that Christian Science belongs in the Christian conversation. Ann Graham-Brock, an early Christian scholar and George Chryssides, a New Religious Movements scholar, recognized my need for scholarly help finding the right means for the conversation I sought, and they continue serving as faithful mentors. Next I arrived in the Religion and Philosophy Department of the University of Birmingham (UK) with two extraordinary supervisors, Karen Wenell and Stephen Pattison. Karen did me the favour of taking maternity leave which forced me to listen to Stephen’s explanations of Practical Theology. Until then, I had thoroughly rejected it because its epistemological premise was contrary to mine. Fortunately, Stephen’s patience, persistence, and explanations won me over, and his patience was well tested until the end. Upon Karen’s return, she guided me with less tension but with scholarly wisdom through the academic rigor of conversation with antiquity. Patricia Walters, my local adviser, helped me channel my overflow of ideas into useful directions for research and writing. I have no colleagues who have ventured into conversation between modern Christian Science healing practices, Nag Hammadi texts, mainstream Christianity, and contemporary PT scholarship. But I have close friends who are experts in one or two of these fields and who have listened as the thesis developed, asked probing questions, explained nuances, guided me to resources, and encouraged me when I was lost. Hal Taussig, an expert in extracanonical texts, read the thesis and offered important critical help; Celene Lillie’s friendship and expertise on Secret Revelation of John is invaluable. Lois Carlson, Helen Mathis, Linda Bargmann, and Alexis Deacon kept my Christian Science anchor secure. Laurance Doyle and Amy Lang guided me through the science of quantum mechanics sufficiently to understand its meaning for this thesis. Three particular friends who are scholars and know my project well have offered deep support every step of the way through their biblical expertise, scholarly wisdom, friendship, and deeply Christian love: Susan Humble, Deborah Saxon, and Barry Huff. To my surprise, a group of high school friends celebrating our graduation anniversary, showed great interest in my project when we assembled last year, and I learned from them the wide range of interest this project may inspire. I acknowledge and am deeply grateful that my longtime friend, Jean Perkins, copy edited for compliance with The SBL Handbook of Style, noted redundancies and asked for clarification. Finally I cannot say enough about the support I have experienced from my family, including my husband Richard, our children and their spouses. All of them have listened, cared, shared their love and wisdom; above all they have sacrificed for the sake of my work. Table of Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Part One: Methodological Preparation for Critical Conversation ............... 7 Chapter One: Conversation Partners ................................................................................. 7 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures as Conversation Partner ................................... 8 Secret Revelation of John as Conversation Partner ........................................................................ 13 Myself as Conversation Partner ............................................................................................................ 18 Traditional Christian Contribution to the Conversation on Healing ....................................... 25 Chapter Two: Conversation Methodology .................................................................... 31 Relevant Historic Development of PT Methodology .................................................................... 32 The Meaning of the ‘Web’ in Current PT Methodology ............................................................. 36 The Role of Conversation in PT Methodology ............................................................................... 37 Methodological Problems and Solutions ........................................................................................... 39 Chapter Three: Identification of Three Themes ......................................................... 46 Three Themes in S&H ............................................................................................................................ 46 Three Themes in SRJ ............................................................................................................................... 48 Part Two: Critical Conversation with Themes .................................................. 50 Chapter Four: Theme One – Healing Characteristics of God .............................. 51 Interpretation of SRJ Narrative, Theme One .................................................................................. 51 God’s Realm Beyond Time and Agitation ........................................................................................ 53 God’s Realm Beyond Agitation in SRJ ........................................................................................................ 56 God’s Realm Beyond Time in S&H ............................................................................................................... 60 Creation ........................................................................................................................................................ 66 Cultural Context for Creation in SRJ and S&H ........................................................................................ 66 Mind, the Creator for SRJ and S&H .............................................................................................................. 72 Omnipotence .............................................................................................................................................. 76 Dualism .......................................................................................................................................................