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The gospel according to Thomas is an ancient collection of sayings attributed to Jesus and thought to be recorded by his brother Judas, the Twin (Thomas means "twin" in Aramaic). Some scholars suggest that this gospel was collected from New Testament sayings, while others believe it springs from a completely independent author because many of the quotations are not in the New Testament at all. It slept for two millennia in a stone jar until it was accidentally exhumed by a group of fertilizer gatherers in the northern Egyptian desert in 1945. (The gospel is just one document in the fourth-century papyrus library discovered near the city of Nag Hammadi, from which the entire collection gets its name.) Marvin Meyer's distinguished translation includes Coptic text on each left page and the English translation on the right. It is considered by many to be perhaps the closest we'll ever get to reading what was actually said by the historical Jesus. In The Gospel of Thomas, you'll discover a different kind of Christ--a wandering spiritual teacher from Galilee who performs no miracles, reveals little prophecy, announces no apocalypse, and dies for no one's sins. --P. Randall Cohan
Book Description
A fresh, authoritative English translation, with an informative introduction, fascinating explanatory notes, and the Coptic text, with interpretation by Harold Bloom, our pre–eminent literary critic.
Customer Reviews:
For a nonexpert, a thought-provoking volume.......2007-07-04
This is a Gospel allegedly authored by Judas Thomas the Twin. This Gospel does not provide a narrative analysis as the four Gospels of the New Testament do. The focus is the (page 5) "sayings of Jesus." As such, this work is closer to what is called a (page 7) "a collection of sayings." The introductory essay (an introduction and a rather difficult concluding essay by Harold Bloom sandwich the slim volume of sayings) notes that there are three explanations for the "Gospel of Thomas," one of which is that it is (page 13) "independent of the New Testament synoptic gospels, but it is related to oral or written traditions similar to those behind the synoptic gospels." Marvin Mayer, the book's editor, suggests that the Gospel of Thomas (page 13) "preserves sayings that at times appear to be more original than the New Testament parallels."
Bloom's concluding essay uses this Gospel to raise interesting questions about Biblical understanding. Not being an expert, I say nothing more. Individual readers will need to examine his work for themselves and come to their own judgments.
The Gospel itself is interesting, given that quite a few of the "sayings" are very close to what is in the traditional four Gospels. One example:
55 Jesus said, "Fortunate are the poor, for yours is heaven's kingdom."
110 Jesus said, "Let someone who has found the world and has become wealthy renounce the world."
Other apothegms:
1 And he said, "Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death."
95 Jesus said, "If you have money, do not lend it at interest. Rather give [it] to someone from whom you will not get it back."
And one final saying (discussed at length in the introduction and in Lane's work on the Bible):
114 Simon Peter said to them, "Mary should leave us, for females are not worthy of life."
Jesus said, "Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter heaven's kingdom."
What to make of the Gospel of Thomas? I'm not an expert, but I do find this interesting reading. What it portends for an understanding of Scripture I must leave to others. But the questions that come to mind as one reads the essays and, even more, the text itself, makes this an interesting expenditure of mental energy.
3 Stars and a half..........2007-02-23
I didn't bother reading the introduction and commentary, I went straight for the juice and read the ghospel. As a deist I didn't find it so much different from other ghospels, a bit shorter maybe, but about the same. Maybe less jolly and honky dory, a bit more down with life, good and evil are the same and all that. A bit closer to some eastern phylosophy sort of meaning, but still the same, jesus is the choosen one, he shows the way, but then will leave and leave us to dwell with the BS.
As footnote, did you know that "ghospel" is a wrong word? The original ghospels were written by greeks and they titled them "Evangels", which means "good news". Speaking of greek, I liked a lot the facing text in greek and coptic. I do suggest this edition of the book to curious ones, at the end of it all is a quick read.
Ham on Wonder Bread. .......2006-05-28
Meyers sandwiches the 114 sayings of Thomas (in English and Coptic), and his commentary on that text, between two essays: his introduction, and a dozen or so pages from the famous humanist, Harold Bloom.
The middle sections may or may not be worth the price of the book. (I haven't looked over the notes yet.) I find Thomas a bit "hammy," both in the sense that (having read a few Taoist and Buddhist works) Gnostic metaphysics strike me as pretentious, and in the sense that in their lack of historical or moral interest, they are "un-kosher," don't sound like a Jewish prophet. This doesn't sound like Jesus to me; it sounds like an Alexandrian philosopher. But it's worth reading Thomas for his importance in modern Jesus debates.
Surrounding the text one finds two slices of "wonder bread" of doubtful nutritional value.
Meyer properly attempts to put Thomas in context, but offers some dubious arguments in the process. He repeats the standard Jesus Seminar line that Q is very like Thomas. The view that Thomas is an early text is often based on the assumption that both are "sayings Gospels." (A rather oxymoronic concept.) More importantly, as I show in Why the Jesus Seminar can't find Jesus, and Grandma Marshall Could, Q is radically different from Thomas. First, even the Jesus Seminar version of Q contains some stories and miracles, which Thomas does not. More fundamentally, while Q contains some of the most profound moral teaching in all literature, Thomas edits almost all of it out. Q is 37-50% moral teaching; Thomas is about 2%, and even that can be pretty anemic. ("Don't lie, and don't do the things you hate.") Odd that a "sayings Gospel" would edit out the Sermon on the Mount! Even odder that Meyer does not notice! Nor do other Jesus Seminar scholars, Elaine Pagels, or Harold Bloom.
In fact, in my analysis of Thomas and the Gospels, I found that Thomas was less like the canonical Gospels than any other ancient writing I surveyed. The convention of calling it a "Gospel" at all is, in my opinion, highly dubious.
Meyer claims that the "absence of allegorical interpretations" in Thomas' version of the parable of the sower "helps confirm that such elements were added later," and therefore Thomas contains material that predates the Gospels. But scholars like Sanders and Jenkins have rebutted this argument. John Meier, N. T. Wright, and Richard Hays also give reason to believe Thomas depends on the canonical Gospels. Meyer is honest enough to admit that some scholars take this view. The problem is (I argue) "early Thomas" scholars get the worst of the debate. In fact, often they simply ignore opposing arguments. (Pagels admitted to me she had not read Meier or Wright's views on Thomas.)
While a good writer, Harold Bloom is in even further over his head. He uncritically accepts the view that Thomas offers an "earlier Jesus." Both Meyer and Bloom repeatedly cite Burton Mack, whose gifts, in my opinion, are more those of a myth-maker than a historian. Bloom also glibly repeats Meyer's error about Thomas being similiar to "Q."
Bloom expresses amazement that the Gospels contain only a few Aramaic sayings of Jesus: "If you believed in the divinity of Jesus, would you not wish to have preserved the actual Aramaic sentences he uttered?" The answer is, first of all, Jesus may have spoken mostly in Greek. But also, Bloom seems to have a less sophisticated and more magical notion of language than the early Christians. In the Christian Scriptures, Jesus is the "Logos," the translation into humanity of the nature of God. By speaking in different languages in Acts, the Holy Spirit in effect blessed all languages, and the act of translation.
Bloom asks, "Is it not an extraordinary scandal that all the crucial texts of Christianity are so suprisingly belated?" He should know better. The earliest extant Buddhist text is from 600 years after the Buddha. The earliest account of the resurrection, by contrast, was written a mere 20 years after the fact, and the first extant text is a mere 90-100 years later. Nor is 40 years (to Mark) so long; I could transcribe 1st hand accounts of the bombing of Nagasaki (where I once lived) tomorrow, from eyewitnesses, 61 years after the fact.
Misleading To Scientific Researchers .......2006-02-25
If you buy this book seeking futher knowledge of the man Jesus, you will discover the writing to be based on unbelievable script. It is totally unlike any other writings found regarding the person, the man, that lived two thousand years ago. Christ would have been appalled at events attributed to him and this book is unacceptable to any Christian. The gnostics were a sect of people who believed themselves to be enlightened and had a following just as many false teachers throughout the centuries have influenced the easily suggestible person.
This book was attributed to Thomas! This alone would defy belief in the script of this book as being written by the disciple. Although Thomas tended towards skepticism at Christ's ressurection, he stood in awe as he realized it was the man he had followed and believed to be the Son of God. Thomas undoubtedly would have condemned this book. To say a false teacher named Thomas may have written the book is possible, but the person who wrote the script appears to be having sport with the true follower of Christ.
I have just finished watching a rather informed history of the gnostics on the "History Channel", and the saga of their lives and travels were nothing new or wise, just as we find today in so-called scholars who endeavor to establish a scientific path of Christ's life. Men of yesterday were given to forgeries just as we find in our generation, so if you are in quest of the truth of the times and life of Jesus, forget it, you won't find it here.
Focus on the actual text...avoid the commentary.......2006-01-30
For any true believer and follower of Christ and his teachings, this book will most definitely be a rare and invaluable jewel. The mysteries, admonishments, knowledge, wisdom and understanding reflected by Christ in these sayings will speak to the very heart and spirit of the individual who is truly seeking. There is most definitely a direct correlation with the teachings, and sayings of Christ that are most familiar and recognized in the canonized four gospels.For the believer, my suggestion is to search and study these sayings as you would any other scripture, recognizing the living spirit behind all scripture that speaks to the spirit within.
My suggestion would be to purchase the book for its actual text, and not the unnecessary insertion of Harold Blooms dissertation found in the back of the book. His essay tries to separate the consistent unity behind the scriptures of the old and new testament; and to as well separate the Christ that is found in cannoned scripture from the Christ reflected in the writings of Thomas. However I suggest that the individual judge for themselves of how much benefit they will receive from the added insight.
Book Description
Pioneering visionary Neil Douglas-Klotz reveals a very contemporary spiritual message by translating Jesus' sayings and stories directly from the Middle Eastern language Jesus actually spoke.
Customer Reviews:
Nothing New.......2006-01-03
Three stars may be a bit generous. The author presents his alternate translations of the gospels as new and unencumbered by centuries of politically motivated clergy and scholars. However, there is nothing new, nothing ground breaking here. Douglas-Klotz would have us believe that scholars, both ancient and modern, have ignored the alternatives he proposes, and that the verdict of centuries of evolution in biblical translation and exegesis have it all wrong. He would also have us believe that modern scholars are either ignorant of ancient Aramaic or deliberately continue some "Da Vinci Code" cover-up of the "real Jesus." Sorry "Da Vinci Codes" fans, but there is no cover-up, no attempt to "hide" Jesus by the evil Church. There are very good reasons why the Gospel of Thomas and other writings, well known for centuries, did not make it into the cannon of scripture. The various modern translations of the Christian Teatament are based on critical scholarship that involves the consideration of historical, archeological, and literary context. The choice of translation is a painstaking and multi-disciplinary process, something the author does not demonstrate. Rather, he simply offers his own personal preferences in translation that sound biased in favor of what some have called "New Age," but what I suspect is based on his own Sufi belief system. While I certainly respect this spirituality, it bears no resemblence to the linguistic, historical, and literary evidence that has been well established about Jesus of Nazareth. The reader who would know the "real" Jesus would be well served by reading the classic "Jesus Before Christianity" by Albert Nolan. While it will not please the "New Age" reader, it will provide a deeply spiritual and scholarly approach to the Jesus that sparked the greatest spiritual revolution in history. Having said all this, I must say that I find the author's translations intriguing and, if put in perspective, may add something of value to the prayer life of Christians not bound by conservativism. But, really, there is nothing out there that establishes Jesus as a mystic!
Ancient renderings are suspiciously modern........2005-04-27
All right, I admit it - I never finished this book, even after three tries. Why? Because the author's renderings of the New Testament Greek into the original Aramaic were so embarrassingly contrived to dovetail with modern New Age and feminist concepts that I just couldn't take it any more.
Don't get me wrong - I am all for the effort to get behind the Greek to the (presumably) original Aramaic to see if new light can be shed on difficult, ambiguous, or controversial passages of the New Testament. But Douglas-Klotz takes such liberties with his translations that we are moved farther away from - not closer to - the world of Jesus. He tries too hard to make the text come alive, and we are left with fluff (e.g., addressing God as "Father/Mother") that has no credibility when attributed to first-century Jews. Compared to Douglas-Klotz's overblown and pretentious "renderings," the straightforwardness of the original Greek comes as a profound relief.
Scholarship is one thing, but pandering to people's biases is quite another. Douglas-Klotz is guilty of the latter, and the reader will have to look elsewhere for a credible effort to unveil the Aramaic underpinnings of the New Testament.
Beautiful!.......2004-07-13
The only complaint that I have about this book, is the explanation (which is repeated at least once per chapter), that this is merely the author's own interpretation of Scripture, and he encourages his readers to do their own research. While I am no expert in the Aramaic language, I do have some understanding of the nuances of the Semitic languages, and how difficult it is to translate from one language to another. So this particular translation is merely one of many. This author's interpretation of the Holy Scripture does give me pause, and I intend to learn some Aramaic, and study such early Bibles as the Dead Sea Scrolls, so I may have a deeper understanding of the Bible and Jesus' message.
New Age folk still coming out of the woodwork.......2004-05-16
It's not surprising that folk gravitate to such a CLAIM of new revelation as that made by Douglas-Klotz. This is certainly not the first time (and probably not the last) that vast numbers have been taken in by a RE-WRITING of portions of the Bible based upon a pretense of scholarship. What a contemplation . . . that minds are disposed to find this one man's translation of the Bible more trustworthy than that of Tyndale or that produced by the panel assembled for the King James Version (constituted by MANY linguistic experts in ancient languages with credentials far exceeding and out-weighing that of Douglas-Klotz)! Even Young, Darby, and a host of others having independently corroborated the accuracy of these earlier translations doesn't seem to constitute much of an impediment for folk rushing head-long into the opines of Douglas-Klotz' claim to "new revelation" based upon HIS linguistic expertise.
The Bible's proverb states "there is safety in the multitude of counselors" - and how easily that truth is jettisoned and substituted with one man's claim to accuracy accompanied by what is merely "a multitude of OPINIONS" of his groupies! Of course OPINIONS are often disguised under a cloak and claim of scholarship, and in this case an intriguing offer of Aramaic freshly spoken and heard is yet a further enticement. But how sad that so many will embrace the spiritual SPIN on such crucial texts of the Bible simply because it is interlaced with the offers that the author makes with regard to being able to hear the texts in their original language.
As Douglas-Klotz opines his view - egg-headed pundits and readers who have a dearth for critical thinking seem to be scurrying in much haste to make this all out to be a bonafide "new revelation"! Is it that they are merely finding great contentment in a "translation" (really merely an "interpretation") of the scriptural texts that steal away the proper rendering that would lay bare their soul's need for God's redemption? - - - However, the full context of Jesus' teaching and that of the Bible in its entirety points to and emphasizes mankind's need for salvation and how that salvation is found ONLY in Jesus.
The author's New Age slant that would obviate that is unmistakable (even though it comes under the guise of "translation" and cloaked in some ability in the Mid-eastern languages). It's clear to me that most of the other reviewers' commentaries that I've read point to how they are eager to embrace this author's slant. (That is understandable in that it leaves open, meshes with, promotes, and affords the widest path possible for accommodating the varied opinions over what is spiritual truth.) This so falls in line with the Bible's explanation as to REALLY why the gospel is HIDDEN to so many: It is hidden to those whose hearts remain closed to God and what He genuinely declares (see Matthew 13:10-16; 1 Cor.2:6-8; 2 Cor.3:14, & 2 Cor.4:3-4).
Yet notwithstanding, the intellectual banter will undoubtedly go on between those who have genuine revelation from God and those whose minds are blinded by the state of their own unredeemed hearts . . .
Towards the One.......2003-07-22
I am really grateful to Neil Douglas Klotz to have written this book because his translation based on his heart felt mystical point of view allowed me to reconcile myself to Jesus and his teaching. (I was an altar boy who left the catholic church as a teenager). His interpretation shows to the mystic that Jesus teaching is similar in content to all the great teachings of all the great spiritual traditions. The emphasis is on experiencing and manifesting the qualities of being in the spirit of love, harmony and beauty.
Book Description
The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture helps the church navigate its challenges and opportunities in the context of our electronic culture. Author Shane Hipps interprets and explains this culture, as well as the implications for our faith and the church. Providing both history and prophecy, The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture invites us to engage new cultural realities while staying connected to our spiritual heritage.
Customer Reviews:
A Must Read for the Church.......2007-03-20
Shane Hipps has a knack for being able to effectively read the pulse of our media drenched culture without falling into the polarized positions of most 'Christian' books. Most treatments of culture either wag their finger from afar (void of authentic engagement or understanding), or they immerse themselves so deeply in popular culture, losing their sense of perspective (void of the countercultural nature of the church). Shane avoids both by gleaning from the wisdom of cultural/media prophet Marshall McLuhan, who coined the phrase, 'the medium is the message' as well as the concept of a 'global village'. His application of McLuhan's thought has stunning pertinence to contemporary Christianity.
The fair, balanced, and thoughtful treatment results in some fantastic thoughts on how media shapes our faith, our gospel and our church. Though involved with the emerging church, Hipps doesn't use the book as a platform for mere emerging church promotion. He does offer a strong (but well informed) critique of the evangelical seeker church method, but he also offers some valid warnings for leaders in the emerging church as well.
This book is a powerful took in drawing the reader far enough away from the electronic media that has become commonplace in our lives and our faith, so that we are better able to focus and evaluate. His prescription is not the way of the Luddites or the Amish (although he is a Mennonite!). He instead challenges the reader to understand the power of electronic media, apply our faculty to think critically, and choose to use our media wisely and authentically.
Two thumbs up here. I consider this book a 'must read' for all church leaders.
Starts well finishes poorly.......2007-02-15
Some great thoughts in the book. Starts very well and finishes poorly. The first part is definitely helpful... if you are into doing and thinking about church differently then this may be your book.
Addresses the needs, concerns and future of a dynamic church structure........2006-11-05
THE HIDDEN POWER OF ELECTRONIC CULTURE: HOW MEDIA SHAPES FAITH, THE GOSPEL AND CHURCH is essential reading for any believer who wants to understand how gospel is presented through media filters. From questions of the neutrality issue in media analysis to cultural opportunities the church has missed and how the church can take advantage of cultural trends, THE HIDDEN POWER OF ELECTRONIC CULTURE addresses the needs, concerns and future of a dynamic church structure.
Insightful.......2006-08-08
If you liked "The Long Tail", "Tipping Point", and "Freakonomics," you'll find practical, lucid, and intelligent perspectives within the pages of The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and Church.
Asks the Right Questions.......2006-07-17
The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture is undeniably one of the most significant books that I've read this year. Shane Hipps has taken the discussion of changing forms in church - whether worship, or preaching, or leadership, or church governance - and raised a new, often ignored set of questions. He states this in his introduction:
"A host of books and articles have been written on what has changed and how the church ought to respond to those changes. However, few writers have made a serious effort to understand why these changes have occurred...I propose that the answers to the question of why these changes have come about can be found in part by exploring the nature and effects of media and technology on culture." (p. 16-17)
And this is exactly what this book does. Hipps proposes a model in which these questions can be considered and then uses that model to tackle some of the pressing form-related questions that the western church faces at the beginning of the twenty-first century. To be sure, much of the book is an application of Marshall McLuhan's writings from the mid- to late-twentieth century. But, for those (like myself) who have never read McLuhan, he distills the essence of McLuhan's thought and connects it with current discussion and debate. For those who have already read McLuhan, I suspect that the book may offer just as much for exactly those reasons. In short, this is a wonderful, readable book that will aid the church in her often tumultuous dialogue with a media-savvy culture.
Book Description
Back in print--new paperback edition of the first-person testimones of women near Jesus who never got to tell their stories--until now!
Customer Reviews:
A Must Read!!!.......2004-01-28
This is truly a must read for laity and clergy alike. The book is not only inspiring, but also thought provoking. Ms. Coffey reaches deep into the gospels and weaves ancient stories that can help each of us live in today's contemporary society. This book deserves a bravo!!!!
Women brought to life.......2000-12-11
I found this book to be wonderfully moving. It helped me to understand the women of the bible within the context of their everyday lives. And so it made me more able to then relate their lives to mine. This book is an exciting read for women (or men) who want to know the women of the bible on a more personal, emotional and every day level. It's also a great jumping off point for prayer, meditation, or bible study.
Encouragement to women of faith.......2000-01-02
A rare book of encouragement to all the silent Christian women. Funny, moving and a very good read.
Book Description
This incisive critique thoroughly and convincingly debunks the claims that recently discovered texts such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, and even the Dead Sea Scrolls undermine the historical validity of the New Testament. Jenkins places the recent controversies surrounding the hidden gospels in a broad historical context and argues that, far from being revolutionary, such attempts to find an alternative Christianity date back at least to the Enlightenment. By employing the appropriate scholarly and historical methodologies, he demonstrates that the texts purported to represent pristine Christianity were in fact composed long after the canonical gospels found in the Bible. Produced by obscure heretical movements, these texts have attracted much media attention chiefly because they seem to support radical, feminist, and post-modern positions in the modern church. Indeed, Jenkins shows how best-selling books on the "hidden gospels" have been taken up by an uncritical, drama-hungry media as the basis for a social movement that could have powerful effects on the faith and practice of contemporary Christianity.
Customer Reviews:
Too lightweight for scholars, too heavy for average joes, but a lot of sense that ought to reach the public.......2005-12-03
Philip Jenkins' HIDDEN GOSPELS is an examination of the current fads of presenting non-canonical gospels as exciting, illuminating finds. Everyone has heard before, usually about the Gospel of Thomas found at Nag Hammadi in 1947, that some recently found document will show us what Jesus really taught, and how traditional Christianity bears little resemblance to the faith. The work might be seen as a complement to Luke Timothy Johnson's similar work THE REAL JESUS (San Francisco: Harper, 1997); where Johnson sought to reassure readers that the canonical gospels and epistles are trustworthy historical sources, Jenkins aims to show how the non-canonical writings are not.
Jenkins begins by explaining earlier waves of non-canonical mania, noting that the same views held today by groups like the Jesus Seminar were briefly entertained by earlier scholars but ultimately discarded just to rise again at the end of the 20th century. He also explains exactly what these non-canonical sources are. Since the Gospel of Thomas is the darling of the Jesus Seminar crowd, it takes a central place in his discussion. Many points of the Gospel of Thomas, he says, may in fact be authentic, and find corroboration with the hypothetical source of the synoptic gospels, Q. However, it was undoubtedly completed as a very late date (end of the 2nd century) and is filled with gnostic additions.
Having already brought up the subject of Gnosticism, Jenkins then gives a history of the movement, and makes the prudent conclusion that, whatever it was, it was not the original authentic Christianity. Using sources like the Pauline epistles and the writings of Polycarp and Ignatius, Jenkins says it is obvious that the liturgical, repentant church that came to shine as Christian orthodox was in fact the continuation original movement started by Jesus. Gnosticism, on the other hand, shows up only in the 2nd century and its leaders bend over backward to prove they have any claim to historicity.
Why are these claims so popular, that the non-canonical gospels tell the true story and maybe Gnosticism was the real deal? Jenkins notes the current influence of feminism on scholarship; some academics don't feel orthodox Christianty treats women correctly, and so it is out to show that heterodox traditions--which supposedly asserted the equality of the sexes--is the right way. And a rejection of tradition spread from these discontented academics to the public by way of a media that loves scandalous news.
My only real complaint about the work is that it is full of truths the public needs to hear--next time you hear a friend talking about how the evil patriarchal Catholic Church squashed Jesus' real teachings, this is the antidote--but it may be too brainy for laymen. Academics, on the other hand, will find the book far too lightweight. Perhaps we are still in need of a guide showing the waywardness of non-canonical sources that can be fearlessly given out to any fellow on the street.
Excellent Overview of Gospel Research and Current Cliches.......2004-09-06
A solid, excellent, easily readable and informative book on current notions about the Jesus of history, and about research in New Testament studies. When so many foolish ideas are floating around about what we know or don't know about Jesus Christ, books like this are needed. They help the public put things in some kind of perspective. Jesus is not simply a subject of secular study right now, he is a target. I recommend this book.
Not a serious work but has some value.......2004-02-10
I am an educated layman with an interest in Q, the Gospel of Thomas, and Gnosticism. I find the work that various scholars are doing in these areas fascinating but also a little speculative, and I looked forward to reading Philip Jenkins' critique of the work. I was therefore disappointed to find that his book is primarily a popular survey and contains essentially no academic-quality discussion of the issues.
I was not at all surprised that Jenkins takes conservative positions in the book; what did surprise me is how reluctant he is to say what exactly his positions are. This is true for many specific historical issues such as the date and authorship of various NT and apocryphal texts, and even more true for major spiritual and social issues such as the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven and the role of women in the church. He was also very sparing in his citation of "mainstream" scholars, and, though he implies that they are busily working over the same issues as the "fringe" scholars (liberals, feminists, and seekers, i.e. New Agers and other free-thinkers) with whom he is mostly concerned, he never gives any account or indeed any idea at all of what the mainstream scholars have been doing for the past thirty years.
One of the funniest parts of the book is where he bemoans how the fringe scholars (especially the members of the Jesus Seminar) have dominated most popular media (TV and press) coverage of NT issues in recent years. He notes how the programs and articles are always careful to show a semblance of balance and always include mainstream as well as fringe scholars, but they always let the fringe scholars set the agenda and have the last word. It is hardly a mystery why this is. The media is looking for news. Could it be that the mainstream scholars have nothing new to say?
The titles of the book are not very descriptive. Their content is roughly as follows:
1 Finding and Seeking - here's the problem (no real content)
2 Fragments of a Faith Forgotten - interest in NT apocrypha in the US in the 19th and first half of the 20th century
3 The First Gospels? Q and Thomas - like it says
4 Gospel Truth - other apocryphal texts, especially other Nag Hammadi texts
5 Hiding Jesus: The Church and the Heretics - the rise of organization and orthodoxy
6 Daughters of Sophia - The feminist perspective on NT and the early church
7 Into the mainstream - penetration of fringe people and ideas into mainstream institutions (churches, academia, society at large)
8 The Gospels in the Media - TV and press coverage of NT issues
9 The Next New Gospel - now you know (no real content)
I actually found the book fairly informative. The author tells a lot about who the fringe people are, what they think, and what books they have written. (The footnotes at the end of the book contain a huge amount of bibliographical information.) I especially appreciated the information about the work of women scholars and church members in chapters 2, 6 and 7. For me reading Jenkins is a lot like reading the great heresiologists (Irenaeus, Hippolytus and Epiphanius). The orthodoxy is kind of dull but the heresies are really interesting.
Jenkins Has Done It Again.......2004-02-09
This book needs to be taken for what it is. It's not a refutation of the Jesus Seminar and its findings, at least not primarily.
Rather, it is a sociological study of the modern "Quest for the Historical Jesus," including theories as to why it has taken the turns it has. This quest is not really a search for truth, as it is for self-validation of mores and principles deeply ingrained in the heart of modern, democratic man (eg. individualism, freedom from dogmatic strictures, etc.).
I think this book is an excellent companion to Luke Timothy Johnson's "The Real Jesus." (Johnson's book should be read for a specific critique of the Seminar and its methods.) The only fault I find with "Hidden Gospels" is Jenkins's tendency to repear himself over and over. This tendency is better syited to a classroom lecture rather than a book, I believe.
I wouldn't classify this book as a "must read," as I would Johnson's, but it's an excellent read nonetheless.
Like Johnson, I don't know if Jenkins can be said to have a conservative bias. If so, I don't see why on earth he ever would have left Catholicism for Anglicanism. The Anglican Communion isn't exactly known for moral conservatism or dogmatic conviction. I think this is why orthodox Christians, especially Catholics, find him so appealing. "Why would a 'liberal' support 'conservative' positions unless they were genuinely true?"
With cleverly disguised works of pseudo-scholarship like "The da Vinci Code" making the bestseller lists, "Hidden Gospels: How the Search for Jesus Lost Its Way" is a well-needed wake-up call for those wanting a clearer understanding of American religion, and the directions it has been, and is, heading.
Jesus Seminarians, eat your soup!.......2004-01-28
Hidden Gospels is like a bowl of split pea soup: nourishing, filling, but not what you would order at a fancy French restaurant. This bowl of history soup is just the cure if you have bought into radical Jesus theories. With caution, balance, fine judgement, and scholarly courtesy, (qualities often missing from works of the Jesus Seminar, still less the even more fringe stuff) Jenkins writes an excellent general survey of modern errors in the "search for Jesus." He concludes (rightly, I think) that the Gnostic and other "new gospels" have little if anything to say about Jesus, and that they are inferior to the canonical Gospels, both as historical sources and in terms of social merit. (Actually I think he goes too easy on Thomas, but that is another story.)
Probably the greatest contribution of this book is its discussion of the radical Jesus theories as modern myth, and the social forces that create that myth. He discusses not only scholars, such as Crossan, Funk, Mack, Pagels, and King, but also how their ideas "filter down" to the masses through junk novels, television, and movies. (A pity he didn't write this book after The Da Vinci Code and Pagel's new Thomas book; though it is always interesting to see people blunder into a trap publicly laid and waiting.)
Jenkins argues that the Gospels are superior to the Gnostics in terms of historical believability and social value. It is indeed ironic that the very people who blame Christianity for being mysogenist, distrustful of the body, and hierarchical, prefer Gnostic writings that (he suggests, and I also suspect) were probably the source of these qualities in later Christianity.
Elaine Pagel's best-selling new book, Beyond Belief, could almost have been written to illustrate Jenkins points. Jenkins reads hundreds of scholars with whom he disagrees, and carefully, politely points out their errors. Pagels, by contrast, could not be troubled to name a single scholar who dissents from her views, even such respected and careful historians as John Meier, N.T. Wright, or Jenkins himself. Nor do the Jesus Seminar' popular "Five Gospels" or "Complete Gospels" answer their critics. Radical biblical "scholarship" seems to be a hothouse phenomena, flourishing in a highly protected environment. Hidden Gospels is in part an explanation of this odd phenomena.
The main defects of this book have to do with Jenkin's methodological conservatism. The book is sometimes repetitive, the style sometimes ponderous. His refutations of Crossan and company are not as witty and fun as, say, N.T. Wright. Also, while Jenkins is wise to appeal to "consensus scholarly views," I wish he would have discussed the Gospels and Gnostic writings directly more than he does. (A fault he shares with Pagels.) Personally, I think the best argument for the Gospels, and against the Gnostics, is the works themselves. I can't see how anyone who has read both sets of documents can confuse them.
Hidden Gospels, despite its styllistic flaws, is a vitally important and high-quality historical study. I hope future skeptical historians, and their publishers, will carefully consider the points Jenkins makes before throwing intellectual cotton candy like "Hidden Gospel of Thomas" or "Complete Gospel" at us, 99%air. Try the soup instead.
author, Jesus and the Religions of Man
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Los Evangelios Apocrifos/ the Apocryphal Gospels: Cronica Oculta Del Nuevo Testamento / Hidden Chronicle of the New Testament (Jesus De Nazaret Biblioteca / Jesus of Nazareth Library)
Manufacturer: Edaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Book Description
Surgidos de las profundidades del cristianismo, los textos apocrifos-es decir, ocultos- del Nuevo Testamento, apartados durante muchos siglos por la Iglesia Oficial, resurgen hoy de manera asombrosa. En efecto, cristianos y no cristianos se inclinan de nuevo con un interescreciente sobre estos escritos que revelan la diversidad y el vigor del cristianismo de los primeros siglos.
Esta obra presenta una seleccion de textos entre los cuales algunos son contemporaneos, o quiza incluso anteriores, a lso Evangelios del Nuevo Testamento. Su presentacion permite resituar algunos de ellos en su contexto y juzgar mejor su inpacto en la historia del cristianismo.
Customer Reviews:
La verdad ha vuelto.......2000-08-13
Aun no he leido este libro pero lo he estado buscando por todas partes ya que necesitaba alguna fuente mas fidedigna de lo que pasó en esa epoca. creo que es un excelente libro
Customer Reviews:
feminine in OT.......2007-01-09
Good for bible studies to get a sence of the Feminine lurcking in the Old Testament. Easy to read. Offs good discussion
Book Description
A fresh look at this ancient text reveals a Jesus you never knew
Matthew's gospel has been read and cherished by people around the world for almost two thousand years. But there is something hidden in the text that most readers fail to uncover—the true words and actions of Jesus that lie behind layers of interpretation from the community of first Christians.
The Hidden Gospel of Matthew: Annotated and Explained takes you deep into the text to discover the words and events that have the strongest connection to the historical Jesus. What did Jesus really say about the future of the world? What really took place after his crucifixion? Ron Miller reveals the underlying story of Matthew, a story that transcends the traditional theme of an atoning death and focuses instead on Jesus's radical call for personal transformation and social change. This hidden portrait of Jesus at times resembles the sage teacher of the Gospel of Thomas more than it does the redeemer of traditional Christianity, and presents truths consonant with our deepest human experience.
Book Description
This is a unique collection of the sayings attributed to Jesus that are not recorded in the four biblical gospels. They have been specially translated for this book from Coptic, Greek, and Arabic sources, drawing particularly on the Gospel of Thomas in the Nag Hammadi Library.
Hidden Sayings of Jesus forms a reliable guide to the range of sayings, introducing them for a broad, non-specialist audience and setting them in their historical and scriptural background with authoritative quotations from scholars. Each saying is given in full, graded as to its possible authenticity and accompanied by a short commentary. William Morrice examines what they can tell us about Jesus and his early followers and why they have aroused so much interest today.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent study of alleged quotes..........1999-09-12
These are my thoughts that I wrote" This work is a highly interesting one, in that the author carefully brings alleged sayings under a microscope. Focusing mainly on the 'Gospel of Thomas' which is not even a gospel, but a group of sayings, he examines each one carefully, bringing previous scholarship to bear. Since these are sayings and not a narrative, some of the sayings may have come from one of the four gospels, from eyewitnesses, from later writers, from an oral tradition, from the alleged "Q" or from opponents to the faith. Morrice informs us that the Gospel of Thomas may not even be of Gnostic origin. The original to this gospel may have come from Syria, and from a non-Gnostic Syriac Christian tradition having roots in Edessa. Along with 'Thomas' are other writings such as the Acts of Thomas, the Diatessaron, and maybe the Odes of Solomon. These all contain an extreme form of asceticism known as encratism and do not contain the usual Gnostic language and definitions. This discussion alone is worth the price of the book. Some of the Thomas sayings of Jesus are almost word for word renditions of well known 'four gospel' passages." CriticalReviews.com
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