I’ve been working on a comprehensive bibliography for divine council research (i.e., all the stuff I cover in The Unseen Realm and more) for nearly seven years. It’s something I squeeze in amid blogging, writing, podcasting, and regular work. Currently, it’s about 230 pages and 3,000 entries. It’s about three-quarters of what it ought to be. About 2,000 of the entries have corresponding PDFs that I have collected over the years. It lives online (private account) at Zotero.
Despite the snail’s pace, this is an important project that will be foundational to all my future research. I’m sort of at the point of irritation (not quite desperation) with finding the time to finish it. I estimate that it would take another 300-350 hours (that’s five more Mike years at the rate I’m going).
Consequently, I’ve decided to crowd source the project. Tonight I created a Go Fund Me campaign to raise money so I can hire someone to complete the project.
The goal is $4500, which should cover the hours needed at a decent hourly rate (could be less – the hours are just a guess). It would be a nice way for a student or stay-at-home mom (or research geek) to earn some money. Obviously, though, I have no idea if this will work — if I’ll get funding. But if 400 people gave $10, it would basically hit its mark. I hope you will all consider contributing. Anyone who contributes $50 or more will get unlimited access to the bibliography (once completed) and its PDF resources. Trust me — there’s nothing on the planet like it. If you’re into this stuff and like to read academic material, this is a trip to nerdvana.
Again, the money isn’t for me. It’s for whoever I hire to do the job. Presuming it starts to gain steam, that means I’ll be looking for someone to do the work. There’s a lot to do. It’s easy but tedious work that can be done anywhere with an internet connection. Unfortunately, the tasks that need to be done are not the sort of thing that 2-3 people can work on the same time.
I should add that, if this actually works, I have several other projects I could crowd source to hire someone.
I’m on board!!! Next paycheck, you’ve got at least $50 coming from me!!! I want me some unlimited access!!!
I’m already feeling pangs of nerdvana!!!
By they way, when you did the event in NC you made a joke about using the word “monism” as a great way to find a spouse.
Suffice it to say, I made my girlfriend listen to that line and she burst out laughing (she’s not all nerdy–but lucky for me, she likes nerdy guys and loves to listen to me ramble about philosophy and such:)
Thanks for everything!
Have to love that! Thanks for the pending contribution. You’ll love the stuff I’ve collected (and am still collecting – haven’t let the bibliography ball and chain stop me there).
Sounds like you need a full-time assistant!
I do. Working on something that may help with that, but it won’t be in place for some time.
I am in for $50 US How do I send it?
I am in Canada and our dollar is down
Credit card? PayPal?
Love your work and will support it
Janina
Thanks, Janina – all I know is that donations are taken at this URL:
http://www.gofundme.com/divinecouncil
What is the deadline for the gofund? I am not familiar with that site. Also, if I can’t donate before the deadline is the access going to be same or higher once completed?
I am totally looking forward to it. I only wish it was in .docx format so I could upload it as personal books on LOGOS, unless of course there is a plan for this to show up as a resource on LOGOS.
They don’t make you set a deadline, so there isn’t one. The actual bibliography (the master list of items) *may* be exportable into a document form. Never looked at that. The advantage to it being online is that you can sort/search and then get the PDF if one exists for the item.
As a theology student I would be wonderfully interested in helping with the project. If necessary, I could submit a resume and provide references.
You can send that to me via email. Others have. If this works, there will be other things. For this one, I’ll have to pick someone.
Mike, I have always believed if anyone deserves this kind of support it is you. Having had the pleasure of meeting you a few years back, I can attest to your integrity and scholarly commitment to enriching the Body of Christ.
Are there any fellow TWU alumni who took classes at Trinity Western’s Dead Sea Scrolls Institute prepared to meet or beat my donation of $50US?
nice challenge! Thanks, Robbie!
Kindles (amazon) hate Apple plug-ins
so they don’t load. Result= no link.
Search of usual suspects at gofundme
return neg results…or several hundred.
Simple link or fund title please?
TIA
Out of frustration, “Josh and Tina’s Horse Farm Wedding” almost got the cash.
Best.
Here’s the link:
http://www.gofundme.com/divinecouncil
Thanks!
Thanks/Done/You’re Welcome.
Together we have helped save Josh & Tina from a horrible mistake. …yippee-ki…no.
Best.
Hello,
I went to Gofundme.com, but I didn’t locate anything under Dr. Michael Heiser, or Divine Council. What is it under?
Thanks,
Arlene
Here is the URL:
http://www.gofundme.com/divinecouncil
Thanks!
If ever you meet your goals, I would be very interested in a part time job like this. I’m a stay-at-home mom and it would be a great opportunity for me to gain some money, while helping a good cause!
Thanks – send me a short description of your skills; if this works, there will be other things. I have half a dozen interested persons in this one already.
Mike, God lead you to do this I descern. And I know it will help people.You showed such heart-warming trust to me when I went to those two meetings you were at. And I want to tell you how glorious and apprciated that is. Also, its hard for us all to miss how you emphasize God using ordinary people. And I am an “ordinary person” , when it comes to money.I gave a “Unity gift” hoping this is about the Theology of Unity, that God loves.
It was fun. I always like to meet with people who follow the blogs and other things I do. I like to know what led them to it and how it helped (or not).
Mike, I am so looking forward to this resource. I have already used material from your first draft in my sermons and teachings. I hope to be able to use more. My bible study group has appreciated some of the insights from it. I just added to the gofund campaign. Keep up the good work.
Just wait. 🙂
eagerly awaiting the release of your new titles on iBooks… Will those titles be available alongside the Kindle versions in May?
I’d really like to buy you some coffee or dinner or something sometime… I’mcontextualizing the Gospel for Animists in PNG, and will be translating scripture into a tribal language soon… The divine council stuff and understanding the ‘angelology’ of Archons and stuff is super helpful to getting my head around both ANE worldview and the target animistic tribal worldview of my tribe here.
Keep up the fascinating work.
so far as I know, when they ship that will include Kindle. No idea about iBooks. The emphasis here is always Amazon and Kindle first (along with Logos’ own formats).
wow – amazing task ahead of you; I try to let people know where I’m going, so if our paths ever intersect, shoot me an email.
Bonsoir Michael. My name is Gisèle. Tom Hawkins had sent me a draft you had written MYTH THAT IS TRUE COSMIC NARRATIVE on December 15, 2007. I loved, loved that work. I have a Masters in Pastoral Theology from Saint Paul University in Ottawa Canada. I started to write a thesis in the hopes of being accepted to participate in the doctorate program at Saint Paul.
What you wrote in your paper, some of it, I have experienced personally.
Here is a (very) rough Introduction of this thesis. I am writing in English (I am French, and English is a second language).
DOES GOD REALLY INTERACT WITH US HUMANS?
This thesis will try to prove that God actually interacts with us humans. Why would we care if God really intervenes with humanity? In my eyes, if I am successful in proving that our Divinity actually cares about HIS/HER creatures, this will give us a renewed hope in God.
As I am writing the introduction for this thesis, the date is the 17 October 2015. When one looks at society now, the thirst for spiritual knowledge is insatiable. Men and woman are looking for anything extra ordinary. Look at the vampire saga Twilight, why all the young girls in love with Edward, he is sexy and has super natural powers. We have werewolf movies, again humans with special powers. There is even a movie called Priest, who battles vampires. We have lots of Angel movies that come to earth to battle the devils. These are very popular. Exorcism movies and anything and everything that touches the spiritual attracts humanity. People are spiritual and search for this, but are not necessarily Church going. People that have dabbled with ouija boards, voodoo, scéances, witchcraft do not need proof that the spiritual exist, they know… They know that there is so much power beyond what we know in other dimensions. That power is from different sources. We will see some of these powers in this thesis, what it is and where it comes from. You cannot have good without bad; animaanimus; yin/yan.
What I am trying to attempt with writing this thesis, is that it is not a fantasy that God actually exists and loves us, but is a reality, with proof from real people who have actually encountered God, and from scientific facts with the help of psychology. The people that have encountered a special connection with God, have suffered beyond Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. This fact alone makes it difficult for other people to believe them. This paper will concentrate on these people to help us bring us to the reality that God really exists, and actually comes in this dimension to interact with us humans.
The following phrase is taken from the Internet on Facebook in the Anti-Media’s page:
“A Muslim, a Jew, a Christian, a pagan and an atheist all walk in a coffee shop and talk, laugh, drink coffee and become good friends. It’s not a joke. It’s what happens when you’re not an asshole”
This phrase sums up what I am trying to convey in this paper. I am not trying to judge anything, anyone, any religion, but to convey facts and proofs that God actually wants to interact with us humans!
How do I propose to attack this thesis? With the help of Theology and Psychology.
*************
This is extremely raw, but this is what I want to write in this thesis. I am writing you Michael, because I was going to quote much of your work, and of course I need your permission.
Why I am writing you:
1) to ask permission to quote you in this thesis (for acceptance for a doctorate program). Naturally, I will write everything, and send it to you before going to the University with this draft of a thesis.
2) to ask to work for you, gee, when I read about your work regarding the Council, I would appreciate very much being considered to work for you. I need the money, and I would love the work. Funny, I had a few visions for Tom regarding him being at the Council, he was not happy with me about this, but then later on, he himself was discussing about the Council of God (I simply had to mention this, since it was on my mind) 🙂
Merci beaucoup Michael de me considérer.
Gisèle
Gisele – thanks for this note. Yes, you can quote me (best to quote something from Unseen Realm in that regard, or a published journal article (naturally). As far as work, perhaps at some point I will crowd-source another project. I would announce that on this blog. Hope your thesis defense goes well!
Merci beaucoup Michael for your positive permission.