© 2024 Richard Jernigan
© 2024 International Urantia Association (IUA)
| Journal — May 2024 — Content | Journal — May 2024 — Index | Thomas Aquinas and Some Speculation on the Origin of The Urantia Book |
Richard Jernigan, USA
In every study group I’ve attended over the years conjecture invariably enters our discussions. Some of it is wild speculation; other comments are more thoughtfully informed. In this issue of Journal we feature two interesting propositions. David Kantor, who has been working on a documentary focused on Christianity and The Urantia Book, speculates on the role of Christian philosopher Thomas Aquinas’ 13th century Summa Theologica as possible groundwork for the fifth epochal revelation. James Woodward gives us a detailed analysis of that allusive word “morontia,” and why it was necessary for the revelators to invent a new term to embrace a new concept more adequately.
Also, in this issue Mark Blackham explores the idea that the celestial personalities far above us sometimes find themselves at odds with one another. In his article “Dealing With Conflict In A Spiritual Life,” Mr. Blackham observes that disagreement in the heavenly realms is not unusual, particularly at the system, constellation, and local universe levels. He delineates the multiple beings whose role it is to mediate and reconcile the problems arising in creating and managing our grand universe.
Bringing us back to how our celestial friends do guide and enlighten us with new truths, Richard E. Warren provides a three-part study on “Truth, Beauty, and Goodness and the Father,” and how those three supreme values inform and help us develop our relationship with God.
We hope you enjoy these articles as much as we did as they crossed our screens.
Incidentally, this issue also marks my initial foray as Chief Editor of the Urantia Association International Journal. Mark Blackham has done a spectacular job as Chief Editor, having stood on the shoulders of Suzanne Kelly, Kathleen Swadling, Seppo Kanerva, and others (Seppo edited two of my articles back in the 1990’s). I cannot thank Mark enough for his kind, patient, and wise guidance as he hands me the wheel and pursues other projects that will support this great gift we call The Urantia Book. I also thank Myra Hight and James Woodward for their untiring support, insight, and good cheer. I’ve made new friends and gotten to know others better.
As your new Chief Editor, I have a couple of items to offer further engagement to readers. First, beginning with the November 2024 issue we will begin publishing reader comments. We want to hear from you and give you an opportunity to share your thoughts and reactions to the articles we publish. To submit a letter to the editor, please see About the Journal.
The other item to announce is a special edition of Journal to be published in September on the topic of “Government, Politics, and The Urantia Book.” Articles will be non-partisan and will delve into the rich content The Urantia Book offers us on this timely subject. We have several writers at work on this and if you are interested in more information on submissions, please contact me at richardjernigan@urantia-association.org.
Happy reading.
¶ References
| Journal — May 2024 — Content | Journal — May 2024 — Index | Thomas Aquinas and Some Speculation on the Origin of The Urantia Book |