Justice League vs Suicide Squad – Review

So yesterday the final issue of the Justice League vs Suicide Squad crossover event was released. The final chapter to the first major event of the DC Rebirth universe is now in the bag. Overall, it was an enormously entertaining book and the art was really great. 

That being said, while I definitely enjoyed it, I can’t deny that the plot of the entire event was extremely basic. The dialogue was good, but the plot was pretty simple. The Justice League discovers the existence of the Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller sends the SS on a mission. The two teams collide and fight, only to find out there’s a larger enemy on the move and so they unite to take out the uber bad guy and end up becoming friends. And in the end, an unsuspecting “villain” becomes the hero who saves the day. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun read and the chemistry between the characters is very well written. The specifics inside the plot is done well, but the plot itself is a bit bland when you spell it all out.

On my Goodreads profile I rated the book 4 stars because I did thoroughly enjoy it and would recommend it. I actually would have given it 3 stars but because the first and last issues were so strong I gave it a 4. The first two issues were actually crazy good, but toward the middle it started to get a little dry (issues #3 & #4). By issue #5 it started to turn itself around and the final issue was a great conclusion (despite the predictability). 

One of the things I liked, as stated above, is the chemistry between the characters. The personalities of each character really stands out in this book and you really get a good sense comradery between the two groups by the end. I was also excited to see Killer Frost play such a big role in the story. KF has been pretty irrelevant of late, but with her recent role in the Flash tv show it was nice to see Caitlin get some love.

As a whole, this book, all 312 pages, is a big success. The six main issues (JL vs SS #1-#6) are really good, despite some blandness during the middle issues, and the tie-in issues (SS #8-#10 and JL #12-13) fit very nicely alongside the main story. Suicide Squad #10 is actually an epilogue to the story which serves as very good prelude to what will likely be the next story arc in the Suicide Squad rebirth series (which has been very good). The writing is good, the character dynamics come out nicely, and the artwork is really nice. So despite the pretty generic plot outline, Justice League vs Suicide Squad definitely lived up to the hype.

Rating: 7.5/10

–M

A Return to the Copper State?

With just under 3 semester left until I graduate from KU, the pressure is mounting on finding a real job (preferably one that doesn’t involve asking follow up questions such as, “would you like fries with that?”) and a place to live for when I leave Lawrence. Perhaps prematurely, but not by much, I’ve begun looking into areas I could see myself living. Of course, the general rule is that you should find a job first and then a place of residence, but it never hurts to look.

Having spent some time in Arizona in the past I can vouch for the quality of living in the Grand Canyon state. I enjoyed my stay in Arizona very much and upon leaving told myself that should the timing and everything else work out, returning to the greater Phoenix area would not be a bad move. I really love the area and while the weather in the months of June through August, and lets be real, most of September, is not ideal to me in the slightest, I can adjust. 

The truth is, the greater Phoenix area has everything I love; a Whole Foods, shopping centres, Barnes & Noble, and of course, In-N-Out Burger. The city of Phoenix actually divides itself into 15 “urban villages.” Phoenix is a general term as one can live in Rio Vista, Deer Valley, or South Mountain etc and it is still a part of Phoenix. One urban village in particular stood out to me while I was going over the villages and where they’re located. I noticed one, “Central City.” As a comic fan and a fan of the Flash, I instantly recognised it as the name of the name of the city where the Flash tv show takes place. Central City, Phoenix is a relatively small village in relation to the other 15, however it includes the downtown area, and I’ve always been more of a city person. 

That being said, I’m generally leaning toward Camelback East, which is near the Biltmore area, and Paradise Valley. 

So while there are still 3 semesters left and lots of time to figure things out, and since I haven’t even landed a permanent job yet, this is for now but a pipe dream. And while I’ve also looked into Kansas City and will likely do 99% of my job hunting in Kansas City, I can’t help but keep Camelback East in the back of my mind. It makes all the sense in the world to move to Kansas City post-KU since I would only need to move my stuff 45 minutes from where I currently live. However, I don’t have much stuff to move at all which opens up other options. Obviously there will need to be much more thought out planning for this crucial step in my life, but I can’t help but feel sometimes that the universe is calling me back to Arizona. Sure, it runs contrary to my preference for fall and the Christmas season marked by cold weather and snow, but if the stars align and the opportunity is there, I can’t say I wouldn’t take it.

–M

Quote of the Day

From Supergirl Rebirth issue #2 where Kara meets with Cat Grant who praises Kara for her potential and also offers her a valuable life lesson:

“Life is about action. The minute you even begin to doubt yourself, you fall in with the herd.” ~Cat Grant

Wise words to remember. So many opportunities in life are completely missed because we lack confidence in ourselves. Whether it’s the job your never applied for or the girl you never asked out, we must always remember to believe in ourselves. Because if we can’t believe in us, no one else will.

–M

Macro Claims, Mirco Evidence

A recent paper published by the Association of Psychological Science made some very interesting discoveries on the validity of “micro-aggressions.” The author of the paper isolated five premises for micro-aggression theory. The premises are that micro-aggressions;

1) are operationalised with sufficient clarity and consensus to afford rigorous scientific investigation
2) are interpreted negatively by most or all minority group members
3) reflect implicitly prejudicial and implicitly aggressive motives
4) can be validly assessed using only respondents’ subjective reports
and 5) exert an adverse impact on recipients’ mental health.

However, the author failed to find sufficient evidence for said premises and stated that the micro-aggression research programme was “marked by an absence of connectivity to key domains of psychological science.” They then called for an end of the use of the term and a moratorium on micro-aggression training programmes. The author summarised their findings with the following:

There is scant dispute that some individuals engage in subtle slights, insults, and snubs against minorities. Nevertheless, the boundaries of the microaggression concept require substantial clarification. At present, they appear to be sufficiently fluid and porous to allow a vast number of potential behaviors, many of which hinge on highly subjective retrospective judgments, to be classified as microaggressions. In addition, the decision about which behaviors to include under the vast microaggression umbrella has in some cases been influenced substantially by embedded political values that have not been adequately explicated. The MRP presumption that certain microaggressions are invariably or usually associated with widely shared implicit messages has yet to be investigated empirically; moreover, this presumption is at variance with large bodies of research and theorizing in social cognition and cognitive-behavioral therapy. The concept of unintentional microaggressions is oxymoronic, as it runs counter to traditional definitions of aggression. Furthermore, there is no evidence that microaggressions are statistically associated with aggression or prejudice in deliverers. Finally, the inclusion of microassaults within the expansive microaggression construct is conceptually dubious and requires further justification.

As a student at a public university, I frequently am met with this bizarre theory of “micro-aggressions.” Last year, a white student who was part of a black lives matter type group demonstrating outside a building accused a sorority who was also outside raising money for the children’s hospital of micro-aggressing minority students. The logic behind their claim was nowhere to be found. My general rule for encountering such claims is that I take micro-aggressions, micro-seriously. 

–M

Who Should Pay for the Wall?

Recently I read a very well written open letter to President Trump. The letter was written by George Mason University economist, Don Boudreaux, and articulates why it would be an economic loss if Trump forced the Mexican government to pay for his proposed border wall.

Over and over gain on the campaign trail, then candidate Trump touted his plan to build a wall on the southern border as a means of preventing illegal immigration. While I generally support building a wall, it was his insistence that Mexico would pay for it that had many call into question the seriousness of his proposal. 

Following the logic that illegal immigrants who cross the border from Mexico bring crime and take jobs from American workers and thus harm our economy, it makes sense why we should demand that Mexico pay for the wall.

However, as Boudreaux writes, “if Mexico pays for the wall, American imports from Mexico will rise by twelve billion dollars without any increase at all in American exports!”

Boudreaux continues:

Surely a man so very smart as you are, and one so skilled at the art of the deal – and one who also fervently believes that Americans “win” when we export as much as possible and import as little as possible – should demand of Mexican President Nieto, not that Mexicans pay the full price of the wall, but instead that the wall be built on Mexico’s side of the border and be paid for exclusively, and with top dollar, by us Americans.  If Pres. Nieto insists on sharing the costs of the wall, be strong!  Resist!  Put your foot down and shout “No señor!”  That way, you see, you’ll have furthered your goal of out-bargaining the Mexicans by increasing our exports to them without our having to accept any additional imports from them!

By your economic reckoning, if you succeed in having Americans pay to build this border wall, and prevent the Mexicans from paying as much as a single peso toward its construction, your brilliant deal-making will have denied the hapless Mexicans any of the gains from building this wall.  You, sir, by successfully bargaining for America to pay fully for the wall, will capture for us all of those gains!

So while it may sound nice to crack down on the Mexican government and effectively blackmail them into paying for our border wall, doing so would actually further increase our trade deficit with Mexico–another thing Trump has consistently argued we need to reduce–by $12B. 

Though Trump loves to talk a tough game with Mexico, in this particular case, it would actually be an economic benefit for the US if we were to build our own wall and force Mexico into taking $12B worth of US exports. Now that would be sticking it to Mexico.

–M

Supergirl: Last Daughter of Krypton – Review

Tonight I read the first volume of the New 52 Supergirl. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of the Supergirl TV show, and have been loving the Rebirth series thus far. I had put off reading the New 52 run for a while now, mostly because I had not heard many good reviews of it. The reactions I’ve read are very mixed and a lot of people said it was very confusing to follow. Having just finished volume 1 I can say that I have absolutely no idea what those people are talking about. The first volume which contains issues #1-7 was exceptionally good.

As a fan of the classic Loeb run I wasn’t sure how I would feel about a brand new origin story. However, Michael Green and Mike Johnson did a great job rewriting Supergirl’s mythology and creating a fun and thrilling story about the girl of steel. 

After her pod crash landed on earth, Kara Zor-El awakes to find herself in an unfamiliar land with no idea of how she got there. She is instantly attacked by robots who come within seconds of taking her down. Then she discovers strange abilities she did not previously posses. She makes easy work of the robots and then is confronted by Superman. Though she recognises the symbol on his chest as the crest for the house of El, she is in disbelief that he is truly who he says he is–her cousin Kal-El. 

From here we see Kara discover and develop her powers and search for answers as to where she is and how she arrived there. When she learns the truth about herself, her parents, and the fate of her home planet Krypton, she comes into contact with a worldkiller named Reign who is intent on conquering earth. Using her newly attained powers she must stop Reign and her allies. In this volume Kara comes to terms with who she is and the life she will now have to live. Unlike the tv show, Kara is a teenage girl and thus has a lot of growing up to do. The writers do a good job of developing Kara as a character from a confused and enraged stranger in a strange new land, to a reluctant but persistent hero who is determined to save the people of her new home planet. 

There were a few loose ends that could have been tied up better but overall I thought this was a solid story and Mahmud Asrar’s art complimented the writing very well. This is a very good beginning and introduction to Supergirl. Supergirl is definitely one of my favourite characters and this looks to be the start of a great series. Kara has a bit of a complex history since the Crisis to say in the least. I just ordered volumes 2 and 3 on Amazon Prime this afternoon and am very eager to read them. In short the New 52 Supergirl vol. 1 is, well…super.

Rating: 7.5/10

–M

Supergirl: Being Super Chapter 1 – Review

This afternoon I finally got around to reading the first issue of the four part series, Supergirl: Being Super by Mariko Tamaki. This out of continuity series is a different and unique look at the everyday life of Supergirl as a teenage girl, Kara Danvers.

I’m a big fan of the Supergirl tv show on the CW and I’ve really been enjoying the rebirth series so far. Though I haven’t read the New 52 Supergirl yet, I recently purchased The Last Daughter of Krypton and am looking forward to reading that. So as a pretty big fan of Supergirl I was very excited when I learned about this series.

What I like about this is that it really is more of story about Kara Danvers than it is about Supergirl. In fact, Kara never once steps out in her red and blue costume in this comic. One thing I’ve always struggled with concerning Superman is that I simply find him to be a generally unrelatable character. The tv show has done a really good job making Supergirl a very relatable and charismatic character and the same can be said about this comic. Unlike the tv show however, in this, Kara is 16 years old and in high school. Throughout the pages of this comic we see Kara confront the every day struggles of a 16 year old girl battling the daily drama of high school.

There’s a lot of great humour in this comic and I found myself frequently laughing as I read through it. Tamaki’s writing is very enjoyable and easy to follow. Right from the opening monologue Tamaki draws the reader in and holds their attention throughout. The dynamic between Kara and her friends and Kara and her parents is really fun to read and just overall extremely well written. Even the personalities of Kara’s best friends; Dolly and Jen come out really well and you really feel like you get to know them–that’s good writing. On top of that, Joëlle Jone’s artwork throughout is very nice to look at.

The end of the chapter does a very nice job of setting up chapter 2 and has the reader begging for more. As a whole, this is a really great comic and though we’re only 15 days into the new year, this is without a doubt the best comic I’ve read this year. I loved everything about this and I’m really excited for chapter 2 to come out. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys comics and especially to fans of Supergirl. 

Rating: 9/10

–M

Son of God Titulature in Ancient Judaism

This is part 5 of my 2016 fall semester term paper. This part discusses how the term ‘son of god’ was used in ancient Judaism and how it relates to kings and how it may have been applied to Jesus in context.

Though some have argued that the title ‘Son of God’ is distinctly unique when applied to Jesus and that nothing pre-Pauline or within the Old Testament uses it in a messianic sense [27], the divine declaration at Jesus baptism in Mark 1.11 directly correlates with the Israeli royal ideology found Psalm 2.7 and Isa 42.1. This among other passages in the Old Testament demonstrates the fundamental tenant of royal ideology among the Israelites; that the king of Israel was thought to be a superhuman divine being who was not just the son of God, as reflected in Psalm 2.7 but that he was considered a God in his own right. [28] This is depicted in Psalm 45.6– 7 which is part of a larger set of verses dedicated to the king for a royal wedding. There the text explicitly calls the king of Israel a God, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity; you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you.” There is great evidence from ancient Near Eastern cultures which employ similar ideology concerning kings and rulers as being the sons of god’s and being ‘fathered by god,’ most notably, Egyptian and Mesopotamian. As Adela Yarbro Collins writes, “The Canaanite and Israelite notions of kingship were more similar to the Mesopotamian.” [29] 

The language used in Nathan’s oracle to David in 2 Samuel 7.14, “I will be his father, and he shall be my son” does not imply either a physical, nor a metaphysical son, but rather that God will adopt David’s son as his own, thus making him the Son of God. Thus, the king of Israel will always be God’s son, which in turn will make the king of Israel also a God, per Ps. 45. Furthermore, John and Adela Collins takes the declaration in Mark 1.11 to reflect an ancient Near Eastern enthronement ceremony for a king. The two argue that “it seems very likely that the Jerusalemite enthronement ritual was influenced, even if only indirectly, by Egyptian ideas of kingship. At least as a matter of rhetoric, the king was declared to be the son of God, and could be called elohim, a god.” [30] Egyptian evidence provides direct references in which the deity specifically refers to the king as his ‘son.’ [31] Thus, Mark’s use of Psalm 2.7 in his baptism scene, “you are my son,” can be understood to model the enthronement ceremony of the king of Israel and where God officially adopted Jesus as his son. This again stresses why it was so important for Matthew to establish Jesus as being descended from the Davidic line. [32]

In Judaism, the term ‘messiah’ is generally restricted to (though not always) being a figure who would restore the Davidic line and make Israel great again after the Babylonian exile. [33] The Israelites were anticipating a ruler or king who would emerge and defeat the occupiers (during Jesus’ time, the Romans) and reestablish the Davidic throne. During the Second Temple period, the Hebrew word designated for kings, took on a more eschatological meaning, referring to a future king. Son of God in this context simply refers to the promise by God to David in 2 Sam 7.14, that the king of Israel would be God’s son. Psalm 110 and 45 attribute divinity to the king, but it must be stressed for that this level of divinity was attained only through adoption, the king was not pre-existent. [34]

–M

Sources:
[27] Joseph A. Fitzmyer, “4Q246: The ‘Son of God’ Document from Qumran” Biblica 74 (1993) 153–74
[28] Son of God was also given to other figures in the Bible. Angles are called ‘sons of God’ in Gen 6.2; Job 1.6, 2.1. A “righteous individual” can be called the son of God as seen in Wis 1.10–20; Sir 4.10. The nation of Israel is also called God’s son by God in Ex 4.22–23; Hos 1.11.
[29] Adela Yarbro Collins, “Mark and his Readers: The Son of God among Jews” Harvard Theological Review 29 no. 4 (1999); 393-408.
[30] Adela Yarbro Collins and John J. Collins, King and Messiah as Son of God: Divine, Human, and Angelic Messianic Figures in Biblical and Related Literature, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman’s Publishing Co., 2008); 15.
[31] See inscription of Amenophis III, the inscription at the coronation of Haremhab, and the blessing of Ptah from the period of Rameses II.
[32] In both ancient Near Eastern and in Hellenistic traditions, stories of divine paternity emerged retroactively after the heroic achievements of the life the story is depicting have been revealed. Thus it makes sense that Matthew adds an infancy story about Jesus’ birth. See: Miller (2013); 133–153
[33] Collins and Collins, King and Messiah as Son of God, 42
[34] Ibid., 1–2

 

Wonder Woman: Year One – Review

Today marked the release of Wonder Woman #14 and the conclusion of Year One. This is one of the best origin stories I’ve ever read, and I’m not just saying that. Greg Rucka is a fantastic writer who wrote one of my favourite Wonder Woman runs of all time back in 2003-2006 (issues #195-226). That, plus the brilliant artwork by Nicola Scott, gives us one of the best titles in the entire DC Rebirth. 

Throughout these seven issues (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14) Rucka explores where Diana came from and how she began her mission to protect the people of man’s world, and came to be known as ‘Wonder Woman.’ Keeping true to Diana’s roots, Rucka lightly updates the story making minor changes. The first issue of this arc also plays into the other story arc Rucka was  simultaneously writing, The Lies, which sets up the rest of the series. After being bit by a snake near a tree, Diana becomes ill and is rushed to care. After being healed by Asclepius, Diana and the Amazons see what to them initially looks to be a meteor headed toward Themyscira. Upon impact, the Amazons learn that it was not a meteor, but in fact a plane that had crashed. They hurry to the crash site to discover that two on board are dead with only one survivor.

From there the story should familiar to most Wonder Woman readers. The survivor is Steve Trevor and while the Amazons nurse him back to health, Queen Hippolyta calls for a contest to determine which Amazon will return Steve to his homeland and “help bring an end to whatever threat delivered him to” the shores of Themyscira. The contest ensues, and Diana wins and becomes the ambassador to the outside world. 

It’s a little unclear still how much of the New 52 story Rucka intends to keep in place. Issue #11 set up the groundwork for Rucka to completely retcon New 52 out of existence should he choose to do so. Issue #2 does not provide any information about how Diana was born/created. The Perez origin dictated that she was made from clay and brought to life by the gods. The New 52 origin however revealed that the clay creation was a cover story and that really she was the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta.

Another interesting difference from New 52 and Perez, is the how she got her powers. In Perez’s origin story Diana, made from clay was endowed by the gods with her powers (her strength, speed, beauty, etc.) In New 52, Diana’s powers are a direct result of her being the daughter of Zeus of Hippolyta, and therefore a demigoddess. Rucka appears to at least undermine the New 52 story by making Diana’s powers once again a gift from the god’s who visited her when she was placed in a cell upon arriving in the States with Steve Trevor. (They placed her in a cell since they didn’t know who she was or what to do with her). It is not clearly determined what powers Diana received from the gods, only that she would ‘learn them as she needed them.’ Initially she did not know she could fly until the situation called for it in issue #10. 

As Wonder Woman discovers her powers and how to use them she helps Etta, Steve, and Barbara Ann uncover a plot from the Sear Group, and eventually confronts Ares, the god of war. Seeing Diana learn her powers and begin to understand her mission to protect people is exciting see and you really see her grow and become a symbol of hope. You can see the evolution in her understanding of herself and what she must do to protect the people of ‘man’s world.’ Overall it’s an amazing introduction to Wonder Woman and Nicola Scott’s art is simply stunning. Year One is a very uplifting, and moving origin into Diana’s background, how she came to earth, and came to be known as the superheroine, Wonder Woman. As far as WW origins go, while the George Perez origin will always hold a special place in my heart, this one is possibly the best. Though I love the origin story in New 52, this one is simply too good. It’s a great starting place for people interested in her story and great read for those excited for the Wonder Woman movie.

Rating: 10/10

–M

Fathered By Joseph and Born of a Young Woman

This is part 4 of my term paper on adoptionist Christology of the Ebionite sect. This particular section concerns the belief of the Ebionites that Jesus was fathered by Joseph, making him the product of human intercourse.

Concerning the belief held by the Ebionites that Jesus was fathered by Joseph, scholars have made several interesting points. While Epiphanius deems this concept as “utterly false, lame, crooked” and “not right anywhere” there is actually some reason to doubt whether Matthew actually intended to suggest that Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. As I have previously stated, the Ebionites translated the term ‘virgin’ in Isaiah 7.14 to mean ‘young women’ giving room for Jesus to have a human father and a human mother. In the Septuagint (LXX) the term ‘virgin’ did not necessarily mean ‘virgin’ as we think of it in English. Simply, there was no word for ‘virgin’ in ancient languages. While it may mean ‘one who has not yet experienced sexual intercourse’ in ancient languages, it was not clear by the word alone and required additional context to express that meaning. Both Matthew, which was accepted by the Ebionites, and Luke use the Greek word parthenos, which generally means in Greek; a young mature woman. As Miller points out, in the rare instances in the LXX where parthenos means virgin as we think of it in English, it is qualified as follows, “a Parthenos who has not known a man.” In Hebrew, the words of interest are betulah and almah, neither of which means ‘virgin.’ Both mean ‘a young woman’ and when virginity is implied, betulah, like parthenos, is qualified with “who has not known a man.” Almah just means a ‘young woman.’ Simply using parthenos does not imply that one has never had sexual intercourse and further context clues are required. However, Matthew only, refers to Mary as a parthenos in context of Isa 7.14. The question then becomes, how did Matthew understand parthenos in Isaiah, as a virgin or as a young woman?

Miller notes that “the ancient scholars who produced the [LXX] thought the parthenos meant “young woman” because they consistently used it to translate the Hebrew almah.” Since Matthew is making a clear parallel to Isaiah, it is likely he took parthenos to mean “the young woman will conceive” since no Jewish sources read it to mean ‘virgin.’ [24] Miller also questions Matthew’s trues interest in quoting Isa 7.14. Since almah in Isa 7.14 was not taken to mean ‘virgin’ but ‘young woman’ then presumably any time a young woman gives birth to a child that prophecy would be fulfilled. Something else must have caught Matthew’s attention. Miller proposes that it was not parthenos that Matthew was stressing, but rather the meaning of Jesus’ name. Matthew 1.21 was written to mirror the prophecy from Isaiah which he quotes in 1.23. The difference is after “and you will name him…” and thus “Matthew’s primary interest in Isa 7.14 was the rich symbolism of the name Emmanuel, not the word parthenos.

Of this, Brown offers another possibility for which to interpret the use of parthenos in Isaiah 7.14. According to Brown, “while the Hebrew is vague about whether the conception had already taken place or would take place in the future, the Greek is not vague and the conception is definitely future.” This would indicate that emphasis in the LXX translation is not the word ‘virgin’ but the word ‘will.’ By that the meaning would be, ‘the woman who is currently a virgin will by natural means give birth to a child. Matthew’s use of Isaiah was also a mechanism for placing Jesus within the Davidic line, which would strengthen the argument that Matthew did not see Mary as a ‘parthenos who had not known a man.’ [25]

Though the Ebionites rejected the teachings of Paul [26], it should be briefly mentioned that there is also no evidence of a ‘virgin’ birth in the epistles either. The only times Paul mentions Jesus’ birth, it’s always by a natural process. In Romans 1.3–4 Paul says that Jesus was descended from David through the flesh. In Galatians 4.4 Paul explicitly says that Jesus was born of a woman. This indicates that for Paul and thus the early Christians prior to Paul’s letters, Jesus had a biological father who was descended from the Davidic line (i.e. Joseph). Paul also makes a point of distinction when he says that Jesus’ birth was “through the flesh” but that his resurrection was “through the spirit.” Given that both Matthew, Paul, and by extension pre- Pauline communities appear to have understood Mary as a young woman and Jesus as being born by natural causes, it is easy to see where the Ebionites got the idea that Jesus was just a man, fathered by Joseph. It also further suggests earliness of Ebionite christological views.

–M

Sources:

[24] Robert J. Miller, Born Divine: The Births of Jesus and Other Sons of God (United States: Polebridge Press, 2003); 189-192.
[25] Raymond Brown, the Birth of the Messiah, 149-150. Brown also draws parallels between Luke 1.32-33 and 2 Samuel 7 as an attempt to link Jesus as God’s son to the promise by God to the King of Israel, also called ‘God’s son’ which would further establish Jesus as the Davidic Messiah see. pp. 310. Similarly, Dennis MacDonald has noted a stark parallel between the announcement of Jesus’ birth in Luke, to the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite line 190-200; see Mythologizing Jesus (2015)
[26] Sharron Watters Coonrad, “Adoptionism: The History of a Doctrine” 78