God: An Anatomy, with Francesca Stavrakopoulou and Andrew Copson | Humanists UK In Conversation With
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2024
- Francesca Stavrakopoulou is a broadcaster and Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion. She is interested in biblical traditions and religious practices most at odds with Western cultural values. Francesca presented a three-part BBC documentary series about the Bible and archaeology, The Bible’s Buried Secrets, in March 2011. She also appears regularly on the BBC’s The Big Questions and Sunday Morning Live. Her first non-academic book 'God: An Anatomy' was published in September 2021.
I just finished reading God: An Anatomy. For all the decades I was a Christian I thought I read the Bible deeply, with my concordances and commentaries and such...but her book was an eye-opener. So many things I'd never noticed, so much context that I never grasped (even with my history degree). Great work!
" You believe in a book that has talking animals,wizards,witches,demons,sticks turning into snakes,burning bushes,food falling from the sky.People walking on water, and all sorts of magical,absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones that need help?"~ Mark Twain (1835-1910)
You believe in a universe out of nothing
Life out of nothing...
You strawman religions and fight the shallowest versions with no effort to go deeper
@@mmccrownus2406 and you know absolutely nothing about the theory of evolution, abiogensis, science or atheism.
@@mmccrownus2406
Maybe if a deeper was ever presented - rather than simply arrogantly claimed - that would be most helpful
@@mmccrownus2406 "You believe in a universe out of nothing. Life out of nothing".
Now this IS a strawman.. The irony.
@@mmccrownus2406 creation ex nihilo the explanation provided by the Abrahamic religions literally means out if nothing. That isn't a scientific claim it's a religious claim.
Thank you for having Francesca on your show. Many are in the angry atheist stage. Some will never move past it. I was stuck in it for quite awhile. People like Francesca and Bart Ehrman are giving us the gift of history.
As a Christian I love them and I love how they are bringing the people in good faith together who want to learn and live a life where we minimize harm!! ❤❤ hi from 2 years in the future
"Insight into the ancient imagination" perfectly worded, that's why I find the bible so interesting as well even though I'm an atheist. It really is like time travel. Just ordered her book, can't wait to read it.
Issac, working with the bible really has nothing to do with one's faith when we realize it recognized it is both a historical document is a literary document expressing different ideas myths and so on of the authors... And in that sense it is all very real as are so many other ideas very real as long as we understand the fullness of what real is
As always, Prof. Francesca delivers: facts mixed with her unique humor... Love Francesca!
Another must read and addition for my library! Thanks so much, Francesca - and you, too, Andrew!
Francesca needs to write more books...I need her knowledge
Thank you for this.
I've just bought a copy of her book.
I'm grateful to her for promoting the study of the Bible for its own sake.
I'm also an atheist and I love studying it.
My reasons are:
1. Its primary importance in Western civilisation. The Bible is a profoundly important historical and cultural artifact.
2. Its continuing predominance in contemporary religious practice.
3. It rivals Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, the Maharashtra, the accounts of the pantheons of Greece and Rome, the Norse and Icelandic Sagas, the origin myths of China and Japan and others.
The continuing cultural influence of these mythic stories is strong. So it deserves to be read and appreciated as great mythic literature.
I don't know. It's barbarous throughout. But I think that it's interesting to hear from an expert. I don't want to slog through it on my own.
@@lizlanman47
I don't read the Bible as anything other than literature. It's fiction.
So happy you are on the planet! And on the topic of “not truly grasping the truth of the text” is classic cult tactics. Thanks again for your courage and diligence in studies!
Great point RE cult tactics - evangelicalism is simply the biggest cult there is...😖
*Brilliant Prof. Dr. Francesca Stavrakopoulou. Beauty and brains! ♥️ 🧠 🙌*
Wouldn't you rather say brains first?
@@StellaMontenegro - Maybe I think about it the other way around because I'm not very pretty ;)
After reading comments on about 10 videos of interviews of Dr. Stavrakopoulou, it is very concerning with the lack of belief that a woman can be both beautiful and brilliant. Her looks have nothing to do with her accomplishments. I wish men would just chill out on this topic. Often time they grow hateful of beautiful women with an intellect.
Love this. Really added colour to the religious debate and helped me articulate why I’m a non believer. But also that doesn’t stop you benefiting from the messages and enjoying the stories within
I've just bought the book after watching your podcast. Francesca is a breath of fresh air in a crowded and often hostile group of 'believers' and 'non-believers' arguing for and against the pantheon of deities that have come to dominate the lives of billions. I come from a generation where religious belief was assumed and an atheist was as strange a being as a vegetarian. How times have changed ... or have they?
I would actually rephrase your comment regarding "groups of believers and non-believers arguing for and against", to "believers and non-believers arguing for." Personally I don't believe, in the true atheist sense (not the agnostic sense), and I see the arguments as being totally one sided. They believe, I don't, and they can't accept my non-belief. They think my atheism is somehow some weird _activist movement,_ and I..... simply don't give two hoots about whatever they want to believe. They however label, categorise, threaten and generally make trouble for, atheists.
These billions of people now, and even these billions and billions of people who once lived and never believed in this god, those who couldn't know anything about this god, had satisfying and contend lives too. I'm pretty sure of that because I'm one of them.
Yup, that's the reality!😑
Atheism is a myth its not real. People claim it because either they're mad at God & or they love their sins. It takes more faith to believe in the atheist myth than believe in God the creator of the universe. Who could believe that nothing with no intelligence made the universe ? Time is running out for the lost. Cry out to God while you still breathe. Repent
@@macmac6817 so funny.
@@MrCanis4 fake atheist give it away because they work so hard trying to prove it. They go as far as becoming professors in bible & traveling the Holy land. Lol
They become mythology preachers even. The faith they have is tremendous. I will give them 1 positive thing & that is that they know more about the Word of God than the majority of mainstream Christians or the lukewarm churches of today.. Atheist try to be educated so they can be more convincing to others & to themselves of the myth. They do believe in God they don't fool me.
Repent & obey Jesus & you will be the happiest person.
@@macmac6817 I don't believe there is a god as I don't believe Thor exists. If you can prove to me that Thor doesn't exist, then I can prove that your god doesn't exist. I just using the same method. If you can't prove that Thor doesn't exist. Then you don't have to require Atheists to be able to prove a negative. That would be very disrespectful.
BTW: jesus? to me a meaningless person who may or may not have existed.
One of my earliest memories is asking Dad why there wasn't a picture of god in my bible. Super interesting to learn about what the original version of yahweh was meant to look like. A bit funny that in reality a depiction of him would've been too explicit for my children's bible. The fact that I have access to brilliant information like this makes me so grateful born in this era :) Subscribed!
What a brilliant discussion. Thank you Humanists UK and Prof Stavrakopoulou. I’ve started the book and it’s great!
Great podcast. Love both of you. Defying the myths of atheism, two of the most genuine, nicest, sweetest, kindest, most benevolent and altruistic people on the planet...both extremely intelligent as well. :)
Saw the book; bought instantly (well, as long as it took Amazon to deliver); loved it; this interview gives you a very fair account of the book! Charming, provocative, informative, questioning. Thanks, Francesca!
I just bought a copy myself. Prof. Francesca is a master of her craft, I wish I had the ability to enroll in some of her classes.
I'll have to get Francesca's book now, ive always thought shes fascinating to listen to,especially when shes questioned by people with religious certainty
🤔 *ua-cam.com/video/7d16CpWp-ok/v-deo.html*
*The source called the SOUL needs to be highlighted as a most intriguing matter.*
@@barraadhi4802 🥱🥱
So like her aprouch to this theme - and its so needed. Read the book in English, but whould have loved it to be translated in to Norwegian ( or Danish - easy to read for us). Thank you Prof Stavrakopoulous !
Incredibly intelligent lady. I can't remember the last time I heard so much common sense and logic, when religion is the topic of conversation. Refreshing, enlightening and.... ooooohhhh, spicy!!!! Brilliant presentation, will get the book asap!
Just ordered the book, and found the links (youtube videos) about it by chance. Can't wait to read it and get a better understanding of our history. Love the passion that Prof. Francesca puts in her work and explanations.
A brilliant volume by a brilliant scholar! Great work, Prof. Francesca!
Have ordered the book. What a treasure FS is.
Brilliant interview. Thank you both.
What a fascinating discussion!
Thank you
fascinating. TY.
Got it on Audible today! Professor Starvrakopoulou is always FANTASTIC! Awesome sense of humor too! Thank you, Professor!
Wait... There's an audiobook?! Does Prof S. narrate? I'm going to have to look into this now. Lol
@@woodygilson3465 There is an audiobook too! And yes; She's narrating it herself!
@@Tumbledweeb I'm loving the book. The audiobook is going be a great addition, I think.
The book is great. Loved it.
love this
Great academic. Will check out the book when I can.
Thank you Francesca 😊 I have just bought your book 😊
i found this book on Amazon as an audiobook in the US. Congratulations Professor!
We love Francesca.
This woman is my new obsession! Greetings from Brazil ❤️🇧🇷
Very interesting conversation. I definitely experienced god's wind.
Loved every second of this. Love the book too, started and a long way to go. We need humanism for neglected and abandoned humanity not religions or god/s. Keep up your good work!
Thank God for people like Francesca
I have to get that book. Francesca Stavrakopoulou is fantastic
Professor Stavrakopoulou I can't enough good things about you. You're wonderful.
Not only are you a gold plated academic but your demeanour when talking on your topic is a disarming mix of playful, childlike, feminine and complete grasp of your field.
As a humanist you rock my boat big time and it's so easy to learn from you.
Your students are so lucky!
Paul
Old guy
New Zealand
To fix the flaw , Brilliant
I would absolutely fall in love with Francesca after a good conversation on Hebrew Bible....well, I think I'm in love now BEFORE that conversation
41:37 Professor‘s grimace here makes me giggle a bit
very interesting interview btw, hope we can hear more from Prof Stavrakopoulou in the future
Uproariously funny ~ divine comedy ~ Thank you so much guys for that ~
Okay, I've ordered the book, mainly because I want to know how Yaweh has aged. Was he born an adult? Does he look like an incredibly old man now, or does he remain young and handsome?
I found her book on Amazon but it has a red cover instead of this cover, anyone know why that is?
The American publisher changed the cover.
So glad she mentioned that book. I read it 20 years ago and loved the ideas within. And then Willem Defoe played Jebus in the movie of it.
Marvellous interview, love her book! It helped alot with my research. Monotheistm is destined to return to politheism and to its animal forms again, it's its natural course
How so? What do you mean by it being it's natural course to return to polytheism from monotheism?
Polytheism and Monotheism need to be thrown into the furnace. Never mind regressing into another form!
Henotheism is the term I’ve always heard for a group that accepts that other gods are real but choose to worship one over the others. And by that terminology, the Israelites who wrote the Bible seem quite Henotheistic, believing that many other gods/angels/demons all exist in a very Mt Olympus like hierarchical system.
The first commandment backhandedly admits that there are other gods, but that Yahweh prohibits their worship amongst his followers
@@andybeans5790 also god says “they must not be allowed to eat from the tree of life lest they become immortal like US” who is the US he is referring to?
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Exceptionalism
From my own personal mystical experiences, the spirit of a being can be likened to "air beneath air, thick air with power interwoven into the sentient agent." And I can attest and agree that these entities actually do have a humanoid/human-like form. According to tradition, there are three planes of being: Somatic, Psychic, and Pneumatic. I cloistered myself to the the Lord a couple years ago. My time cloistered lasted for about half a year if not longer. It was a bit hard to keep track of time the way I went about it. I had tons of supernatural experiences. Most of them were spontaneous things that happened to me out of nowhere, completely unexpected.
Interesting!
You do know the supernatural isn't real right?
You may think you witnessed things but that's delusion backed by the culture you was raised in.
@@jameswright... The bones in my spine were physically made healthy the second I asked the god to heal my back in Autumn of 2013. Are my bones a delusion? I'm not in agony anymore, so I don't think that's the case. It happened during my time being cloistered. It's been nine years since that happened. I don't have medical records to back it up conveniently enough, but I know what happened to me. It happened in private. You can believe what you want. You're honestly better off as a monist. You save yourself a lot of trouble. You have less to worry about. I used to be agnostic until this stuff started happening to me. Now I can't go back. I've tried. The culture I was raised in believes in the incarnation of a Canaanite god from a Canaanite Pantheon and a pact people can make with Him. He's not omni and this is heresy, but it's true. I did experience this phenomena after making a pact with Him. Yeah it's part of my culture and it's not delusion. There are many gods. Yahweh is currently the strongest because His cults are imperial and nationalized.
@@sagemcallister4822
Still delusional... no medical records is convenient, maybe your issues were all in your head or they just went naturally like pain does and also there is wishful thinking self deception.
Their's no truth in any god claim, no evidence for any god and lot's of people claiming personal experience with nothing more than hearsay.
What trouble will i save myself?
The word Life fits in very well instead of the word God in all aspects for the Universal being we are.
Wonderful women
Neville would smile about consciences wrestle each other.
I wonder Doctor Stavrakopoulou, based on your studies, can we match celestial events (comets, eclipses, etc) with the scriptures somehow? That could bring a whole new sphere of knowledge.
Reading the Bible cured me of my belief in the Bible. I've met few christians who know what the bible says. They normally know what their teacher said.
I like Dr. Stavrakopoulou's innocence in her approach to dissecting the scriptures. Being an unbeliever, she does not have to un-learn what she has learned, but rather follow the evidence to wherever it leads. Platonic philosophy was popular in the later Rome era, and Christianity had split into scores of sects by about 200 CE with the Roman sect mixing Platonic philosophy therein. Constantine didn't legalize all of Christianity, rather only the Roman sect of Christianity which had neutered God.
So the serpent in the garden of Eden could be interpreted as Lillith returning to talk Eve into disobedience. It makes more sense to me than the serpent being Satan since the devil wants to destroy humankind, not use a subtle ploy to give god and her estranged husband the finger in an epic way.
25:44 Did Francesca just let it rip?
Lovely juicy Braaiins 🧟😊💞🥇AWESOME book 🏆
God = Life
Jesus = Humane Humanity
Christ = at One with Life
Empty of ego (separateness) = Full of Life
Holy Spirit = Eternally actualizing Infinite potential
Dream it, feel it, do it.
“The Final Theory: Rethinking Our Scientific Legacy “, Mark McCutcheon something new under the sun!
We exist/operate as a trinity. There is our body, the outer world, and our mind. The father, the son, and the holy spirit.
A brilliant speaker... especially when she stresses her point of view... look at her eyes and teeth and lips movement ... amazing
All evil starts with 2 things. 1. Is seeing people as things. The moment you stop seeing people as people but start seeing people as things you open your mind to 2. Greed and the idea that the needs of your small group are more important than the needs of another small group.
Christianity creates a belief that those who are not saved through their own gullibility are somehow evil and evil people are just trash because their evil
My interpretation of humanism says that people make mistakes because of lack of knowledge and that if someone saw how being immoral really just hurts yourself (even if your immoral deeds never get found out) they would leave behind those immoral behaviors. There are no people that should be thrown away. Just educated.
@Yvonne Hitler was raised Catholic and got a lot of help from the Catholic Church for the Holocaust. The new pope released the files and “apologized” not that it matters much to the families of 6 million Jewish people. For 1400 years European cities had laws that expelled all Jews from living in the city. That was a direct result of Christians saying that ALL Jews were responsible for killing Jesus. Here’s the thing. Jesus either didn’t exist or he was just some fool who taught people that the Jews were wrong and you aren’t supposed to wash your hands before eating and that if you don’t hate life you are not worthy to follow him. The Bible is immoral as hell.
Also I used to attend a Baptist Christian church and the pastor literally talked about how all humans were scum in the eyes of god. I was told that I needed to leave studying science behind and needed to immerse myself in the word. I told the pastor that was one of the stupidest ideas I ever heard.
Biblical Christianity does not suggest the throwing away of any people. Its quite the opposite in fact. Jesus always approached the least of those wherever he went. In his own words He came to save sinners, not those that were righteous.
@@redbandit15 hmm I’ve never met a Christian who takes that part of the fictional story to heart.
@@redbandit15 oh so the Bible isn’t full of parables about Hell where those without faith with be cast away…. There are literally at least 5 times Jesus mentions throwing away people in parable form. It’s like you have no understanding of that book you claim to believe in…
@@kirkmarshall2853 A person is given the choice to love God in this life. If you don't choose to love Him in this life, don't think you will somehow love Him in Eternity. Once in Eternity you will either be in the full presence of God in Heaven or in the complete absence of God in Hell. If you rejected His forgiveness here, his presence and light will reveal your full wickedness and you will flee God. The only place you can hide from God is in Hell. Its not as much God casting you into Hell as much as you fleeing His presence. Remember not one of us is pure enough to enter Heaven and in our sinful state we cannot enter His presence. God knowing our state of wickedness sacrificed Himself to rescue us from our eternal damnation. For that alone I love Him and will serve Him until I die.
Not sure about her explanation of why people remove(d) their shoes before entering holy places, in many cultures. I don’t think that was about “connecting”; rather, it was about dirt. Everything from dust to excrement was part of the environment, and it makes much more sense that this is why one takes the shoes off. In Islamic tradition, one washes the feet, too, before entering the prayer room. This a more likely reason for that custom. Sometimes, dirt is just dirt.
Ah ha... so then, Jesus, Yahweh, etc. were apparently "trending" in their time. The ever-present generational gap, elders-wise. The phrases, "Jesus movement..." and "fill the gap to fix the flaw." Both telling and thought provoking. Thanks Humanists UK ~~ :)
The way you put it emphasizes the curiously human behavior of so very many gods ... one might be tempted to ask, who was made in the image of whom. exactly?
A sky wizard of Oz,becomes a zombie carpenter to save us all from a magic apple curse?That people is why mankind is doomed
The Bible has incredible scientific accuracy like round Earth and jet streams and quarantine.
I was curious if in your research have you encountered the idea of "Yahweh" literally being the sound we humans make when breathing. This concept comes from the idea that "God" breathes life into humans and is considered the "breath of life". Ever come across any of that, Francesca?
Was the dream dreamt by Isaiah or Ezequiel?
51:24 well, I do think most prominent women of that time of transition is also complicit on this
If there’s a video of how Moses parted the sea or Jesus Christ walking on water I’d like to see them please 😅
Why are you not covered by main stream media?
25:35
Rip city fart who did it?
Spirit translates as breath.
It’s called Organizing religion for a reason
Stavrakopoulou means "woman of the (Holy) Cross"
THE irony.....
one might almost say the idea of Augustine is at some fundamental level Jewish, we live in time we can imagine time, hence (obviously viscious cirle logic) think our way forward as one 'community' of 'believers' etc etc
When people use sheep droppings and camel droppings to fuel their cooking fire. I believe they had smoked something akin to mushrooms.
archaeologists found incense inside the holy of holies in the temple of Judah, it had dung and cannabis in it
Billions of people still burn dung for fuel today. I don't know what your comment is supposed to mean.
On the subject of Paul not saying anything about Jesus being on earth... isn't the most obvious explanation that Paul had never heard of Jesus being on earth?
yes, that's been covered extensively by people like Richard Carrier
“Who was Jesus: A Conspiracy in Jerusalem “, Kamal Salibi.
@Yvonne who said The Lord's Supper was on earth? Paul's cited source for that story was a vision, and nobody else was present except Jesus.
“We are monotheists, unlike those pagans. We have only one god, & also an evil spirit, & also the son of god, & the holy spirit, & the holy mother.”
700 bc. Starting median Empire . United whit babilonian defit asurien. Its signifisen episode in that era.
I am wondering when YHWH stopped being a tribal god for a specific tribe in the Levant, and became a universal god for all humanity, although still a bit exclusive within Judaism.
Mot who?
Kind of like the Cerne Abbas giant.
If I lived in UK, I swear I would make this woman my wife! I love when she crushes fundamentalists
● My First QUESTION for;
*FRANCESCA STAVRAKOPOULOU*
👇🏿
Was *PONTIUS PILATE*, who was,
The Fifth Governor of the ROMAN Province of JUDAEA, and served
under the Emperor,
CAESAR AUGUSTUS
a FICTIONAL Character in history or a FACTUAL Character in history ❓🤔💭
Factual character in a fictional gospel.
@@ciaran82359
Penkethman
Was "*JOSEPHUS*"
a FICTIONAL Character in history or a FACTUAL Character in history ❓🤔💭
It is quite interesting to see how excited Francesca gets when she talks about genitalia…
But considering that there are many religions and they all have a God there are many Gods
My imaginary friend is better than your imaginary friend.
We're going to have to engage in warfare to settle this.
@@k-3402 Clearly, no other solution is possible.
25:43 HAHAHAHA that sweet gastric release is about the equivalent of evidence anyone has ever presented for any "god" LOL
This is a woman that I think is beautiful, but I'm not certain it isn't because I love her brain and her laugh.
"The God of the Jews is the *_big dog_* of the heavens."!
Jude 1:4/paraphrased... "for certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who perverted and turned the Grace of God into LASCIVIOUSNESS/LEWDLINESS (sexual immorality) and denying the deity of the Lord God (YHWH) and Lord Christ Jesus." ... Amen.
I got the idea of god’s body when I read that Yahweh was going to show his backside to Moses in Exodus 33.23.
He likes showing his private areas to his favourite fans.
Michelangelo depicted God's bare butt with great panache on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It has *got* to be a brilliant piece of irony. (He is known to have been particularly p*ssed off by the church authorities at the time).
My parents were indifferent to religion, but as a Greek, we were studying both Jesus and Hercules stories in primary school, so I thought they were brothers from different mothers. Their stories were so similar. They both lived in ancient times, had god as a father, traveled around and performed miracles. I was ridiculed in class when I said they were half brothers, but as I grew up I realized I wasn't exactly wrong!
I thought i was christian as a nieve kid, became an athiest as i got older and saw gaping holes in the gospel, and as an adult id call myself a agnostic, being rather open minded about who and why we are here, and im yet to settle on 1 individual idea of the human condition.
I grew up in a plymouth brethren family.
We were excommunicated and turned brethren, until a difference of opinions caused a parting of the ways, and we became open brethren.
My fathers fire n brimstone sermons and hour long winded prayers were not appreciated, and we moved on to the gospel hallers, where we made a home.
Talk about pius and hypocritical wankers. Lol.
I have forgotten more of the bible than i can ever remember, ( i earnt my pocket money learning and reciting verses that were randomly chosen) and now having done considerable research, i believe the cover story of the bible is plagerised from other previous texts, but underneath there is a hidden code that tells the true story.
One thing i can say is that the book of revelation has nothing to do with the return of christ.
I suspect tha the good professor's book would be a good bit more interesting to me than the Bible.
Enlil versus Enki. Which is the genocide and which cares about humans?
What were they? Where did they come from? Are they returning?