Ronald H. Miller
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Ronald H. Miller is chair of the Religion Department[1] at Lake Forest College. Miller earned a Ph.D. in history and literature of religions from Northwestern University and a B.S and M.A from St. Louis University. He is a co-founder and co-director of Common Ground, an adult education group for religious study and dialogue what was founded in 1975. Miller is vice president of the Interreligious Engagement Project 21[2]. Miller writes books aimed at a popular audience that convey contemporary issues in New Testament studies as well as in spirituality and philosophy. In his understanding of Jesus' life and mission, Miller is influenced by biblical scholars Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan
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[edit] The Hidden Gospel of Matthew
In 2004, Miller retranslated and wrote an extensive commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, entitled The Hidden Gospel of Matthew: Annotated and Explained. Miller finds Matthew to be written about 60 years after the death of Jesus (or Jeshu, as he translates it). By noting the differences between Jeshu's sayings as they are recorded in the Gospel of Mark and in Matthew, Miller attempts to decode the author's agenda and to recover the original meaning of Jeshu's sayings. Miller finds the cherished Christian stories of the virgin birth, the last supper, and the resurrection to be largely "Christian Midrash" — sermons preaching Matthew's agenda to particular Christian groups in the first century. Miller finds Matthew's agenda to be to disseminate the idea that the Jews are responsible for rejecting Jeshu. Miller sees Jeshu as a mystic whose nondual consciousness has been spiritually transformed and whose teachings can lead to the transformaton of our consciousness and lead us to live non-violently. This leads to the somewhat blasphemous notion that it is possible for spiritual seekers – of any faith! – to achieve a type of spirituality or enlightenment that is similar to Jeshu's.
[edit] The Gospel of Thomas
In his more personal book The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice, Miller comments on many of the sayings of Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas. In interpreting these often gnomic sayings, he finds that a consistent – if post-rational – spiritual message is contained in them. Miller distinguishes sharply between traditional dogmatic Christians and the followers of the Jesus of the Gospel of Thomas. He calls followers of the spirituality that he envisions Thomas Christians[1] Miller believes that the gospel was written by a member of the followers of Thomas in the early Jesus Movement. This, he believes, occurred even before the Jesus Movement had been separated from Judaism.
[edit] Notes
- ^ . This is not to be confused with the various Saint Thomas churches of India, whose members are also known as Thomas Christians. Thomas Christians in Miller's sense would not trace their lineage directly from Saint Thomas, since Miller (for one) doesn't believe that Saint Thomas wrote the Gospel of Thomas.
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] Books
- Dialogue and Disagreement: Franz Rosenzweig's Contribution to Jewish-Christian Dialogue, 1989
- The Wisdom of the Carpenter, 2001
- The Hidden Gospel of Matthew: Annotated and Explained, Skylight Paths Publishing, 2004
- The Gospel of Thomas: a Guidebook for Spiritual Practice, 2004
- Healing the Rift: Growing Beyond Our Shared History As Jews And Christians, 2005 (with Laura Bernstein)
- Sacred Writings of Paul: Selections Annotated and Explained Skylight Paths Publishing (April 2007) ISBN 1594732132 ISBN-13: 978-1594732133
[edit] Articles
- "Thomas Merton: Pioneer of Pluralism", accepted for publication for a book entitled Thomas Merton and the Jews
- "Space for Spirit", Finding a Way, edited by L. Zirker, Tuttle, 1996
- "Pilgrimage Without End", Five Spiritual Journeys, edited by L. Zirker, Iroquois House, 1981
- "The Spirituality of Franz Rosenzweig", Western Spirituality, edited by Matthew Fox, Fides, 1979
[edit] Awards and honors
- Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst Fellowship for the study of philosophy and theology, 1969-1970
- Clement Stone Scholarship for study in Israel, Summer, 1972
- Great Teacher Award, Lake Forest College, 1986
- Bird Award for Intellectual Contributions to the Lake Forest College Campus Community, 1993
- Charlotte Simmons Prize for Fostering Beneficial Community Relations with Lake Forest College, 1994
- William R. Bross Professorial Chair in the Religion Department at Lake Forest College, 1995-
