I picked up these books on display in the Idaho Falls library.

1.  When God Was a Woman (Harcourt Brace & Company, 1976) by Merlin Stone

The author writes,

“This is not intended as an archaeological or historical text.  It is rather an invitation to all women to join in the search to find out who we really are, by beginning to know our own past heritage as more than a broken and buried fragment of a male culture” (xxv).

“In the beginning, people prayed to the Creatress of Life, the Mistress of Heaven.  At the very dawn of religion, God was a woman.  Do you remember?” (1)

Reading this book, I can see how a matriarchal, polyandrous goddess can not tolerate biblical revelation—the Genesis story, the Levitical patriarchal system, Hosea’s grief, Ezekiel’s warnings, and Paul’s writings in the New Testament—for these concepts are an abomination, absolute heresy to an omnipotent goddess.  The biblical character, Jezebel, is a courageous hero.

In hieromos gamos, the goddess is the dominant one.  She is the high priestess.  Men are no priests, only escorts, and to be castrated (look out!).  On the other hand, women are able to freely make love in the temples at will.  When it comes to the worship of mother goddess, how dare any oppressive males use the terminology of temple prostitution?  For anyone to suggest so, they ought to be furiously lumped in with the “anti-sex Hebrews”.

Consider the goddess worship in ancient Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). “. . . the Sun Goddess of Arinna, the Hattian deity who appears to have been adopted by the invading Hittites, was still known in prayer as ‘She who controls kingship in heaven and on earth.’ (146). 

If you don’t believe me in the existence of ancient goddess worship, go to the Museum of Archaeology in Ankara, Turkey.  See for yourself the fat goddess figurine seated upon a double feline throne (dated 5750 B.C.).  She is a real beauty.

To my LDS friends: how does the LDS mother of heaven compare with the archaeological evidence and the sweeping authority of the ancient pagan goddesses?

2.  The Lost Apostle:  Searching for the Truth About Junia (Jossey-Bass, 2006) by Rena Pederson

This book reminded me of a discussion posted by Kevin Barney on By Common Consent (for anyone interested in Richard Bauckham’s article, “Joanna the Apostle”, refer to 239n29 in this book).  I do appreciate how Rena includes briefly the argumentation by Michael H. Burer, O.B. Wallace, Douglas Moo, F.F. Bruce, John Piper and Wayne Grudem, etc. on the status of Junia or Junias as an apostle.

She even explores Thecla (chapter four, 61-76).

And she also delves into the goddess worship by women next door to Junia (96-97), providing extensive resources in an endnote (240-242n31).  See the following Web sites:

http://www.crystalinks.com/romegods.html

http://www.novaroma.org/religio_romana/deities.html

http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_gregory_gods.htm

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/1203

http://www.roman-empire.net/children/gods.html

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0197622.html

http://www.loggia.com/myth/gods1.html

http://www.inamma.virtualslave.net/roman.html

http://www.famroma.wiccan.net/kidgods.html

 

She explains many goddesses:  Bona Dea, Mater Matuta, Ceres, Liberta, Fortuna, Diana, Juno, Venus, Vesta, Isis, Cybele, Carmentalia, Abeona, Edusa, Paventia, and Orbona.

And on one more matter of interest, she explores the early church creeds in relation to women (106).

*The Council of Nicea, in 325 C.E., decreed that women were no longer to be ordained along with the clergy for leadership roles but were to remain among the laity.

*The Council of Laodicea, in 352, forbade women from the priesthood and presiding over churches.  The council also barred women from approaching the altar.

*The Fourth Synod of Carthage, in 398, said women may not teach men in assembly and may not baptize.

*Council of Chalcedon, in 451, ruled that no woman under forty could be ordained a deacon, and then only under close scrutiny

The author disagrees with the verdicts in these councils.  So here are some questions I can’t resist—Is the LDS Church following the creeds for the male patriarchal system or are they following the Bible?  Or are there elements in these decrees that are based on Scriptural texts?