Amazon.com
Shortly after Elaine Pagels' two-and-half-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare lung disease, the religion professor found herself drawn to a Christian church again for the first time in many years. In Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas Pagels, best know for her National Book Award-winning The Gnostic Gospels, wrestles with her own faith as she struggles to understand when--and why--Christianity became associated almost exclusively with the ideas codified in the fourth-century Nicene Creed and in the canonical texts of the New Testament. In her exploration, she uncovers the richness and diversity of Christian philosophy that has only become available since the discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts.
At the center of Beyond Belief is what Pagels identifies as a textual battle between The Gospel of Thomas (rediscovered in Egypt in 1945) and The Gospel of John. While these gospels have many superficial similarities, Pagels demonstrates that John, unlike Thomas, declares that Jesus is equivalent to "God the Father" as identified in the Old Testament. Thomas, in contrast, shares with other supposed secret teachings a belief that Jesus is not God but, rather, is a teacher who seeks to uncover the divine light in all human beings. Pagels then shows how the Gospel of John was used by Bishop Irenaeus of Lyon and others to define orthodoxy during the second and third centuries. The secret teachings were literally driven underground, disappearing until the Twentieth Century. As Pagels argues this process "not only impoverished the churches that remained but also impoverished those [Irenaeus] expelled."
Beyond Belief offers a profound framework with which to examine Christian history and contemporary Christian faith, and Pagels renders her scholarship in a highly readable narrative. The one deficiency in Pagels' examination of Thomas, if there is one, is that she never fully returns in the end to her own struggles with religion that so poignantly open the book. How has the mysticism of the Gnostic Gospels affected her? While she hints that she and others have found new pathways to faith through Thomas, the impact of Pagels' work on contemporary Christianity may not be understood for years to come. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
Special edition including the complete text of the Gospel of Thomas
Elaine Pagels, one of the world’s most important writers and thinkers on religion and history, and winner of the National Book Award for her groundbreaking work The Gnostic Gospels, now reflects on what matters most about spiritual and religious exploration in the twenty-first century. This bold new book explores how Christianity began by tracing its earliest texts, including the secret Gospel of Thomas, rediscovered in Egypt in 1945.
When her infant son was diagnosed with fatal pulmonary hypertension, Elaine Pagels’s spiritual and intellectual quest took on a new urgency, leading her to explore historical and archeological sources and to investigate what Jesus and his teachings meant to his followers before the invention of doctrine–and before the invention of Christianity as we know it.
The astonishing discovery of the Gospel of Thomas, along with more than fifty other early Christian texts unknown since antiquity, offers startling clues. Pagels compares such sources as Thomas’s gospel (which claims to give Jesus’ secret teaching, and finds its closest affinities with kabbalah) with the canonic texts to show how Christian leaders chose to include some gospels and exclude others from the collection we have come to know as the New Testament. To stabilize the emerging Christian church in times of devastating persecution, the church fathers constructed the canon, creed, and hierarchy–and, in the process, suppressed many of its spiritual resources.
Drawing on new scholarship–her own, and that of an international group of scholars–that has come to light since the publication in 1979 of The Gnostic Gospels, Pagels shows that what matters about Christianity involves much more than any one set of beliefs. Traditions embodied in Judaism and Christianity can powerfully affect us in heart, mind, and spirit, inspire visions of a new society based on practicing justice and love, even heal and transform us.
Provocative, beautifully written, and moving, Beyond Belief, the most personal of Pagels’s books to date, shows how “the impulse to seek God overflows the narrow banks of a single tradition.” Pagels writes, “What I have come to love in the wealth and diversity of our religious traditions–and the communities that sustain them–is that they offer the testimony of innumerable people to spiritual discovery, encouraging us, in Jesus’ words, to ‘seek, and you shall find.’”
Customer Reviews:
She writes convincing material, but.......2007-08-27
WOW! She really writes convincing material and writes it well! She made me scared to study Gnostic writings, I was afraid they'd be right and I'd have to rework my faith of almost 40 years. As another reviewer pointed out, she does not really explore the Gospel of Thomas in this book...instead she trashes the Gospel of John. I found this curious. If the Gnostic writings are so great, then let's study them! But I have come to understand that the modern Gnostic movement is not about believing in Gnosticism...it is about NOT believing in the books of the New Testament. For after reading her book, I went on a journey of studying Gnostic writings as well as how the New Testament Canon was formed. Some of the major themes that are ascribed to Gnosticism by Pagels and others today are simply incorrect. The Gnostics did not believe in tolerance, they were a 'holier than thou' elistest group. And they also believed that salvation was only for men (Jesus is quoted as saying that he would turn Mary into a man so she would reach her spiritual path). The Gnostics were also strongly antisemitic. But Pagels doesn't share this information. And all this was the opposite in the teachings and actions of the apostles and early church, who were open,tolerant, and believed all were equal in Christ-including women.
However, in accepting books as being holy and to be used for doctrine, the early church followed some basic rules. The book had to be written by an apostle or someone who had been with an apostle, and the book had to agree with the teachings the apostles had given. Paul's letters are the earliest documents, and the doctrines he taught are the basis of Christianity, and these doctrines agree with writings of the other apostles. These works were written while people who knew the apostles were still alive. The Gnostics writings came later and were recognized as forgeries. They completely disagreed with the earlier teachings of the apostles: they were not like a different denomination of Christianity, they were a different religion altogether. The early church was tolerant, except when it came to untruth, and therefore the early church leaders tried to expose the hoax of Gnosticism. George Washington worked to prove the letters which were supposedly from him as a spy to the English govenment were forged letters. He did not do this for power or in order to suppress some secret. He did it because the letters were forgeries. In the same way the early church denounced the writings of the Gnostics: they did so because the writings were forgeries.
But I as said at the beginning, Pagels writes very well and very convincingly. I'm glad I read the book, for it sparked an indepth study of the early church which I am still pursuing.
Well written.......2007-07-19
I found this book well written and compelling , but not over the top. A good work to introduce and explain the relevance and works discovered known as the Gospel of Thomas.
An Argument for Gnosticism.......2007-04-27
Raised within the confines of fundamentalist religion, we found that asking Biblical questions could be extremely hazardous to our religious existence. After being excommunicated for numerous such affronts to the sanctity of the written word, we are especially appreciative of Ms. Pagels and her untiring efforts to shed light on so many of the lesser known aspects of early Christianity. Some readers have expressed their disappointment, feeling the book devotes too much attention to the formation of orthodoxy, the evolution of the Gospel of John and the suppression of many books labeled Gnostic. But, as pointed out by Pagels, these events still play a role in our cultural history and untangling these, ". . .complex strands have practical consequences as well as intellectual ones." We may not be aware of the cultural wallpaper we have assimilated until it is pointed out that it is indeed wallpaper, and it may be in need of refurbishing. As noted in the book, "orthodoxy tends to distrust our capacity to make such discriminations and insists on making them for us." It would be difficult to fully appreciate the radical differences contained in the Gospel of Thomas if we did not examine the thought processes involved in suppressing it.
As Pagels develops her arguments, she demonstrates how orthodoxy created an ever widening chasm that placed God, His only-begotten son and the church fathers on one side, and the congregation of sinners on the other. The increased value bestowed on Jesus by the church, equaled the speedy demotion of a flock whose only hope lay in their unquestioning belief in him. The writer of the Gospel of Thomas had the effrontery to suggest that Jesus' real message lay in his knowledge that all men, including him, were one with God. And, "Thomas' Jesus directs each disciple to discover the light within" through gnosis, an experiential knowing gained through a connection with higher consciousness. Shockingly, this message took church fathers out of the loop by suggesting that each person had an equal opportunity to save themselves. It is not surprising then that heresy was originally defined as "the act of choice!"
Orthodoxy attempted to control the people through selective information and the lack of choice. We, on the other hand, can easily miss the gifts offered by the Gospel of Thomas because we are inundated with information and choke on the multitude of choices offered to us on a daily basis. If we dismiss the Gospel of Thomas as another curiosity, we will miss the invitation Thomas' Jesus extends," If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you." Books such as Pagels' "Beyond Belief" and Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus" offer proof that there is little reason to take a literalist view of the Bible. This does not mean that Jesus' teachings are inaccessible. It does mean that we must each choose whether we will be one who accepts what is found outside us, or one who searches for the answers within. Pagels' book offers a great platform for exploration.
Lee & Steven Hager are the authors of Quantum Prodigal Son: Revisiting Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Perspective of Quantum Mechanics
Orthodoxy vs. Gnosticism.......2007-03-19
My primary interest in reading this book was to better understand and appreciate the evolution of Christian thought and belief in the early church. On this score, Elaine Pagels definitely does not disappoint.
I found her choice of beginning this work with an intensely personal description of the spiritual journey she faced during her young son's fatal illness to be surprising at first, but through her book I came to understand why she introduced this work in such a way: all spiritual journeys are intensely personal. The authors of the "Secret Gospel of Thomas", the Gospel of John, and the later Church Fathers who built upon these writings, all faced challenging times. In seeking answers to the challenges they faced, they engaged in their own personal spiritual journeys, which resulted in their recording what they learned and believed in the texts that have been passed down to us.
Elaine Pagels engages us in the challenges and spiritual journeys of these early Christian writers, both known (mostly proponents of what became the roots of Christianity as we know it today); and unknown (mostly the authors of the Gnostic books found in the Nag Hammadi library, such as the Gospel of Thomas; and other works).
The Gnostic authors and their adherents found themselves marginalized if not actively persecuted as the well-organized and controlled universal Church took hold in the ancient world. Gnosticism is an intensely personal form of faith, where one seeks to find Spiritual truth for oneself instead of unquestioningly adopting an external authority's view.
Dr. Pagels referees for us the centuries-long debate between early Christian Fathers and their Gnostic counterparts - helping us see how the debate between control of doctrine vs. freedom of exploration changed and grew over time. She seeks to help us understand the complexities of the central question for us: What is truth, and what is lies? In making our spiritual journeys, how can we tell them apart? How do we find that truth for ourselves without falling into error?
The roots of that debate reach far back into Jewish history: centuries before Jesus started teaching. Therefore, Dr. Pagels knows she cannot answer the question. Instead, she seeks to help us understand the issues and the context within which we, as Christians, make our own journeys in search of spiritual truth.
The great authors of Orthodoxy - Tertullian, Athanaeus and Irenaeus, among others, all saw that allowing too much freedom of exploration often led to spiritual error and excess. On the other hand, they appreciated the importance of needing to explore one's own faith for oneself, and did not want to create a rigid and inflexible Christian faith that could not tolerate such journeys of faith. They understood that a balance between the two extremes must be found.
Ultimately, and as Dr. Pagels says in her book, it is not right, or wise, to accept spiritual authority without question, or to seek to eliminate the rich spiritual diversity found throughout the Christian world. Diversity brings strength and vitality, but too much diversity brings conflict and destruction. There is no simple answer to the question: we must each find an answer for ourselves.
Dr. Pagels' work is easy to read, well researched, well footnoted, and thought provoking. While I highly recommend this book, I would have to agree with what others here have said: that the title is misleading. This book focuses more on the evolution of orthodox Christianity than it does on the Gnostic tradition, or on the Gospel of Thomas itself. I give it a four star recommendation.
The Gospel of St John is more accurate.......2007-02-09
If you want a review of the gospel of Thomas look to the references cited in this book. The end notes are an excellent source of research in early Christian texts. This book is about the gospel of St John, how the politics of the time shaped what was written and how the work of Origen and the Emperor Constantine decided what gospels would constitute the New Testament. The writing is uneven or perhaps it needed tighter editing to have the work flow in a more even pace.
This mis-naming and awkward, read as uneven, pace seems to be characteristic of Pagels, her origin of Satan had similar problems. What she clearly possesses is the desire to ferret out the details and offer a plausible explanation.
Customer Reviews:
I am enjoying this book........2007-05-12
This book has opened up a whole new path to prayer for me. It is what I was looking for. Centering Prayer,Contemplative Prayer, is explained well inThomas Keating's book.
A fresh organization.......2007-03-08
For those of you who have read the original edition of this book over the last twenty years, I think you will be pleased, as I am, with the reorganization and clarifying language that is in the 20th Anniversary edition. Because this is a book that one reads every year or two, it is well worth the small investment to purchase this refined, fresh organization and clarity of statements. For those of you who were hoping for inclusive language - sorry, at age 84 I can appreciate that inclusive language for God is a stretch too far. However, in his recent talks, Fr. Keating is care-filled to accommodate those for whom masculine pronouns for God are an offense.
The Best Book on Contemplation Available.......2007-03-01
As a long term student of contemplative paths for over thirty years and with ten years experience of teaching groups, I found this book the most inspiring and refreshing work I have seen on the subject. My own background has included practical study of contemplation under various spiritual directors, ranging from the traditional Christian approach, to Egyptian Hermetism, Tibetan Dzogchen, Jnana yoga, influences from other Eastern practises and the Toltec Warrior path.
The most significant factor when reading something penned from such a great depth of experience culminating in real wisdom, is the absolute authority with which the author writes. His description of the actual states experienced, the practicalities of making real progress and the methods for handling difficulties, make it abundantly clear that he draws on a profound depth of real experience. It is as important a milestone in spiritual literature as the works of Meister Eckhart, the Cloud of Unknowing and The Ascent of Mount Carmel by Saint John of the Cross, but presented in a form that makes it both palatable to and immediately useful for the modern reader.
This is a wonderfully inspiring and significant work, of great value to anyone, from any background, who is seriously seeking direct experience of Self Realisation, be they a beginner or an old hand. It succeeds in crossing the apparent divides between different traditions, by focusing on the practicalities, in a delightful and humorous style. Reading this book is like sitting by the fire with an old friend.
Customer Reviews:
Not such a great interpretation of a Great Gospel.......2007-08-06
A great collection of sayngs from presumably during the time of Jesus. Its heartening to know after reading this and the Gospel of Mary and Judas that there was a greater truth revealed by Jesus than what the Church wants us to believe!!
Stevan L. Davies has done a wonderful job in trying to be very objective in his interpretation of the Gospel of St. Thomas and therefore this book lacks the spiritual intensity required in interpreting such great texts especially when I compare it to the Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Jean-Yves Leloup. I found many interpretations lacking depth and were purely literal translations. For example Saying 56 and 80 can be interpreted to mean that whoever has realized God would find that the material world is but just a corpse and not worthy of him. There are many others such as this.
The forward by Andrew Harvey is, as some others have commented, bombastic and clearly off mark from the central theme of the Gospel.
A great Gospel and highly recommended for the spiritually inclined and critically minded!!
The Most Sacred Understanding of the Historical Jesus Ever Written.......2007-05-22
This is the second book review I have done. Each relate to the profound text that is "The Gospel of Thomas." Stevan Davies is a Master at explaining "The Gospel of Thomas." He has spent over 20 years in study of the Master! I have much respect for other texts that are said to revere "The Gospel of Thomas." However, none are in comparison to the work Stevan Davies has done! I admit that I love all the commentary books on the gospel and each are special in their own way! Marvin Meyer is great on historical research and others on a universal application of Jesus' teachings and how they apply to other religions! But Stevan Davies
truly brings his gospel to life! He is a true believer just like me! All we have to do is recognize what is already before us. This is the hope that just might save the world! As a "Thomas Christian" I would make this required reading for all who seek a true spirituality. This text is more than just a Bible for "Thomas Christians" it is the very sacred source of eternal Life!
The Gospel of Thomas that is translated and annotated by Stevan Davies in the Shambhala Library is the same text but different editions of the same book.
Shining a light on the Gospel of Thomas.......2007-02-20
While the Gospel of Thomas itself is a great source of quotations to ponder and meditate on, this book offers some insights and direction to understanding what was intended.
The annotations help provide some context of the historical period that the Gospels were written, along with corresponding sayings incorporated into the New Testament Gospels.
The foreword by Andrew Harvey provides an inspiring viewpoint that sets the scene for reading the sayings attributed to Jesus.
The foreword also outlines the importance of saying 22, illustrating how it reveals the order "of the transformations that have to be undergone by every seeker if the 'Kingdom-consciousness' is to be realized."
The annotations offer evidence of the implied meanings to the sayings. The 'Kingdom-consciousness' is often related back to the creation stories of Genesis 1 & 2, with the creation of Adam and Eve, and the Garden of Eden. Not mentioned in the book, but perhaps apt, is Qabalistic Tree of Life, with Malkuth representing Kingdom. As with the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas that the Kingdom is within, and outside of you, there is a comparison within the Qabala that Kether is in Malkuth, and Malkuth is within Kether. To me, this suggests that by "entering" the Kingdom (or attaining "Kingdom-consciousness") one may reconnect with with the Divine.
Although the title suggests that in part this is the Gospel of Thomas "explained", it certainly isn't a spoiler of the mystery of each of the sayings. While some of the annotations certainly suggest the likely meaning of the saying it is still made clear that the sayings are ambiguous, and open to interpretation by the reader.
All of this presents a new and revolutionary view of a Christianity wildly different than any of the mainstream and orthodox Christianities that exist today. One in which Jesus is a fiery-spirited 'teacher' who leads by example, and imparts a wisdom of Self-growth (via Self Knowledge) that will allow anyone to know that the Kingdom of God is here now, and accessible (if only you have eyes to see and ears to hear). The sayings certainly fit with Hermetic teachings, and the elements of synthesis within them point to a spiritual alchemy.
Steven Davies (along with Andrew Harvey in the foreword) has done an excellent job of opening up the Gospels of Thomas to assist readers in quickly becoming acquainted with the themes and symbolism with this unique Gospel.
"Jesus said: I have thrown fire on the world. Look! I watch it until it blazes."
Gospel of Thomas.......2006-11-10
Excellent, a good start to continue your Journey. May God and God's light be in You.
Insights from the past.......2006-11-07
--Simon Peter said to them: Mary should leave us because women are not worthy of the life. Jesus responded: Look, I'll lead her in order to make her male so that she can become a living spirit as you males are. For each woman who makes herself male will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.--
When I've read this passage to my biblical studies and history classes in seminary, they can usually agree readily that this might not have been the best document to include in the canon of scripture, at least when thinking about it from a `preachability' standpoint, particularly if one tends toward literalist interpretations. But many of the passages in the Gospel of Thomas defy simplistic interpretation and understanding because they really are of a different world and different worldview, and have not had a long history of hermeneutic development as have other, equally difficulty canonical passages.
The Gospel of Thomas gained a significant audience during the first decades after its discovery in the Egyptian desert in 1945. Part of a collection that has come to be called the Nag Hammadi scriptures, they were discovered only a few years prior to the Dead Sea Scrolls, another set of documents that has been pivotal in increasing our understanding of the religious culture of the time two thousand years ago.
One scholar classified the Gospel of Thomas along with most other non-canonical gospels as failing to gain widespread acceptance not primarily because of the content, but because of the style - the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are all narrative in their development; they tell stories and narrate a history in addition to giving the wisdom of Jesus. The Gospel of Thomas, like many of the other, is more a collection of sayings, more on the order of the book of Proverbs or Ecclesiastes than Mark or John. According to Stevan Davies, `The format of the Gospel of Thomas is little more than a disorganised list.... The Gospel of Thomas is about as primitive a form of text as there can be: a simple list with one thing following another in a manner that is much more reminiscent of oral tradition than of literary construction.'
The Gospel of Thomas is perhaps best understood as a Gnostic text (though there are some who would dispute that). Andrew Harvey, series editor of the Skylight Illuminations set in which this book falls, writes:
`The Gospel of Thomas is more than the most exciting archaeological find of the last century, even more than another gospel to add to the four canonical ones. It is far more than another Gnostic text, or one that carries on the tradition of Jewish wisdom sayings, or, as some have also claimed, a cross between the two. These are scholarly descriptions and distinctions, fascinating and helpful in their way, but they do not begin to describe the extraordinary importance of the Gospel of Thomas, or to show how it can be used today by all sincere seekers to awaken their divine identity and to focus its powers on a radical transformation of the world.'
There are 114 passages (not quite verses in the traditional since, but closer to verse-size than chapter-size). Each one is here presented in new translation by Davies, laid on with only a few (sometimes only one) per page, with commentary on the facing page. This commentary is primarily looking at social, historical, philosophical and theological ideas rather than linguistic and translation issues; thus, it is accessible to the general reader, but will need to be supplemented for the scholar. Davies avoids jargon and terminology with which only scholars would be comfortable, again in an effort to make the Gospel of Thomas generally accessible to non-professional readers.
Those who are looking for forbidden fruit might look elsewhere. As Davies points out in the introduction, we have no proof that this book was deliberately excluded by those councils and decision-makers who solidified the canon as we now have it - indeed, they might not have even been aware of the existence of the Gospel of Thomas, which might have been a more regional text in circulation and popularity. Still, its rediscovery has not provoked widespread movements to reopen the canon. It has provided fascinating insight into the early Christian world, and provided a new lens through which to assess how some people understood the person and phenomenon of Jesus.
This is a very good text to use to be introduced to the Gospel of Thomas, to some of the less-traveled by-ways of early Christianity, and to ideas of spirituality that are both Christian and foreign.
As for the opening passage -- that is actually the conclusion of the Gospel of Thomas. Remembering that the writers (and intended audience) would not have taken the terms 'male' and 'female' to be literal, flesh-and-blood attributes is the key to understanding this passage.
Amazon.com
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
This resource encourages a deeper understanding of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ by harmonizing the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John so as to assemble as many details as possible into a chronologically meaningful sequence.
Customer Reviews:
the Church says, "NO!".......2007-09-19
You know, one of the early Christians attempted to harmonize the four gospels. His text was lost to history? Why? Because God gave us four DIFFERENT gospels for a reason! The Church has always rejected harmonizations. Don't buy this one.
Intriguing Way of Seeing Jesus in Fuller Dimension.......2005-07-12
I probably read the Gospels four times a year; so I'm very familiar with the details. This book added a lot to my perspective and understanding of Jesus's earthly ministry by filling in gaps by the overlapping of the records. His ministry had several distinct shifts with regard to His public and private life which became clear. The scholarly notes were also very helpful. Believe it or not I went through this book in less than two weeks (not because it is short, it has the entire text of M,M, L, J but ) because it was so interesting.
some errors in parallelism.......2003-10-27
This parallel uses the NASB study bible notes and comments. It is basically very good except for some paralleling. The authors claim chronology parallelism only, but there are some cases of topic parallelism. One example is claiming that the sermon on the mount and the sermon on the plane are the same event.
Parallel Gospels are very good for lay readers. You can use this one as long as you do not take as a Gospel truth (sorry for the pun) that the paralled passages are always identical events.
Valuable tool for all students/readers of the Bible.......2002-07-18
The book is well-coordinated and provides excellent footnotes which further amplify and clarify the Scripture in its historical/theological context. This edition, in the New American Standard Version, is easy to read, although I personally prefer the elegance of the King James Version (albeit that version does contain some obsolete and obscure words). It is wonderful to be able to compare the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John side-by-side! I had a similar scholarly volume during my college days but somehow it and I parted company over the years (My old edition had a _sewn_ binding. Unfortunately, this edition has glued-in pages -- but the book should endure fairly well with reasonable care).
You won't go wrong with this fine reference. It is certainly helpful to anyone who desires a fuller understanding and appreciation of the New Testament, especially regarding the life and sayings of Jesus.
Excellent chronology of Jesus' life.......2002-01-03
This harmony of the gospels was recommended to me by a retired professor from Taylor University. I found the arrangement of material very defensible and very well organized. The essays at the end of the book give a good introduction for the uninitiated in fundamental problems in modern "criticism". Useful information on dating of events in the gospel narratives are also provided. I take exception to the critic who claimed that "The actual date of Christ's birth and death is written in stone and correlated by the Jubilee records." This view is held by a tiny minority, some of whom, to be charitable, have dubious academic credentials. On the other hand, both Thomas and Gundry, have published a number useful pieces of scholarship many of which can be purchased through Amazon.
I found the most obvious thing to jump out at me was the development of the controversies between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, and between Jesus and the village of Capernaum. Without some form of chronological guide it can be difficult to see the connections between events during Jesus' life. I found this to be the most helpful aspect of reading Thomas and Gundry's Harmony.
Book Description
Millions of readers have turned to Elaine Pagels for her clear and insightful books about the Gnostic Gospels—the teachings of Jesus that have been lost for centuries. Sounds True is proud to present the first widely available audio recording of this extraordinary scholar as she explores the text that has changed the way many of us think about the message of Christ: The Gospel of Thomas. The stunning archaeological discovery of these lost scriptures of early Christianity in 1945 has revealed exciting new dimensions to the wisdom passed on from Jesus to his disciples. In her analysis of this revived gospel, Dr. Pagels reveals that Thomas was not a "doubter" of Christ—rather, his thoughtful inquiries reflected and brought out the deepest truths that Jesus had to offer. Thomas' account depicts a Jesus who taught us that the "Kingdom of Heaven" is not a separate realm, but a state of divinity that we all can reach. He is even called the "twin" of Jesus—a metaphor for the possibility that all of us can achieve the same state of divine grace embodied by Jesus. Elaine Pagels has riveted readers and audiences everywhere with her clear and provocative explorations of the testaments of early Christianity. The Gospel of Thomas gives listeners a first opportunity to join her in charting "a wider horizon" of Christian spirituality.
Customer Reviews:
Thomas vs John.......2006-11-06
The CD is absolutely worth listening to! The discoveries and points of view given by E. Pagels are fascinating. Nevertheless, my feeling is that both THOMAS and JOHN can be both read as gnostic texts, without them being antagonistic. In fact, I really enjoy THOMAS and JOHN and I read them both as beautiful gnostic creations, but I know they can have been manipulated to serve egoistic purposes. JOHN is quite anti-semitic in form, if read with very catholic eyes, but at the same time it is very gnostic and dualistic in essence if read with a higher and more spiritual level of understanding. Anyway, I believe we have to read those texts with a MENTAL and HERMENEUTICAL FILTER, and with caution. After applying the filter with our minds and hearts, it is a delight to read those seemingly antagonistic texts as THOMAS and JOHN.
Divine Light.......2006-09-13
Jesus said, "I am the light that is over all things. I am all: From me all has come forth, and to me all has reached. Split a piece of wood; I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there." (as recorded on page 14)
Dr. Elaine Pagels presents an intriguing introduction for the Gospel of Thomas. She is the best-selling author of The Gnostic Gospels. Do these new teachings shed new light on the words of Christ from the Bible? An English translation is included in an 18-page supplement along with two CDs.
In the first CD, Elaine Pagels introduces us to:
The History of Early Christianity
The Gospel of Thomas
The Secret Words of Jesus
The Good News: Knowing Who You Are
Jesus as the Only Son of God
Who Was Thomas?
Question and Answer Session
Elaine Pagel's Personal and Spiritual Journey
On the second CD, she presents ideas about the possible Eastern influences of the Gospel of Thomas, the different levels of Jesus' teachings and how we date the Scriptures. Audience participation becomes intriguing when they answer some of the questions.
This CD set sheds an especially interesting light on the topic of Jesus as the original light. Is the light in Genesis an ordinary light? This is explained as the divine light or source of divine energy.
The irony of listening to this CD set is that you may come away with less doubts and more enlightenment. Dr. Elaine Pagels presents a topic that not only expands our knowledge about Jesus Christ, it also creates a greater curiosity and understanding about the Kingdom of Heaven. I now understand the Kingdom of Heaven as an invisible dimension, where we experience an enlightened state of kindness and peace when we follow the commandments of Christ.
~The Rebecca Review
Dr. Pagels is great, as usual.......2006-09-01
Dr. Pagels addresses an audience, discussing her view of the Gospel of Thomas, one of the earliest non-canonical gospels. Thomas is not a story of Jesus, rather it is a collection of sayings atttributed to him. Several are familiar and/or similar to sayings in the canonical gospels, while others are not. Many are a bit puzzling, for even Dr. Pagels. However, they are truly powerful upon reading them, and accompanying the CD is a compilation of Thomas, which really needs to be read prior to listening to the CD. Mark the ones that are puzzling to you and you will find them probably addressed on the CD! She also makes some interesting contrasts between the Gospel of John and Thomas, indicating perhaps an early rivalry in spiritual points of view. There is a concern I have regarding the quality of a portion of the second CD. It is very hard to hear the questions from the audience, and it sounds extremely "tinny" when someone in the audience is speaking. It is rather distracting and not of the quality that other Sounds True recordings are. The previous reviewer must not have listened to all the second CD, so just be aware of this should you purchase. You will love Dr. Pagels' voice and the way she interacts with her audience. Enjoy!
An informative perspective with respect to the attributes and teachings of Jesus Christ.......2006-07-04
The audio-book edition of The Gospel Of Thomas: New Perspectives On Jesus' Message as written and read by Elaine Pagels (Professor of Religion, Princeton University, New Jersey) offers an informed and informative perspective with respect to the attributes and teachings of Jesus Christ as presented through the interpretive ideals of Apostle Thomas as revealed in his apocryphal gospel. Deftly covering a vast array of theological inquiries and historical scholarship relevant to the its original rejection from the approved canon of scriptures that were to become the New Testament, The Gospel Of Thomas offers readers an insightful grasp of Thomas' writings including his concept of "the light within us all", the influence of Eastern thought in the teachings of Jesus, who Mary Magdalene was in the Gospel attributed to the apostle Thomas, the gnostic scriptures interpretation, and perspectives into some of the most puzzling Christian koans from both the canonical and gnostic texts. This flawlessly recorded 2 CD audiobook edition of The Gospel Of Thomas includes an 18-page study guide, has a running time of 1 2/4 hours, and is very strongly recommended for anyone with an interest in gnostic literature in general, and the Gospel of Thomas in particular.
Book Description
This book is the fruit of Fr. Dubay's many years of study and experience in spiritual direction and in it he synthesizes the teachings on prayer of the two great doctors of the Church on prayer--St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila--and the teaching of Sacred Scripture.
But the teaching that Fr. Dubay synthesized is not collected from Teresa and John for contemplatives alone. It is meant for every Christian and is based on the Gospel imperative of personal prayer and the call to holiness. All the major elements of these great teachers are ordered, commented on and put in the context of their scriptural foundations. Here is an outstanding book on prayer and the spiritual life written by one of the best spiritual directors and retreat masters of our time, and based on the writings of the Church's two greatest mystical doctors.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Book.......2007-06-01
This book combines readings from the saints and makes it easy to follow. Wonderful insight into how we are to act as christians and the goals each of us could aspire to. For Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
Excellent and compelling.......2007-04-23
This book is a superior examination of prayer, the spiritual life, as discussed by Saint Teresa of Jesus, Saint John of the Cross and the holy Gospels. The author examines almost every aspect of prayer life. I must say this is not a book one would choose for light reading. It is well written, and Fr. Dubay has a no-nonsense type of writing style which is easy to digest. This book can transform one's prayer life if read in the proper light.
An excellent introduction into the thought of two Carmelite saints.......2006-12-18
I have to frankly admit that I was deeply attracted to this book for two reasons. First, I really like the presentations that Fr. Dubay gives on EWTN and Second, the revies here on Amazon were really high. Also Ignatius press prints good solid orthodox books on doctrine and spirituality. What I got out this book is the Eastern Orthodox concept of theosis (or santification in the Western sense); God became man so man can become god; as St. Athanatius would say. Here we encounter Sts. Teresa and John's well proven path to holiness and as the author makes it quite clear this path is what God askes of us all. The chapter on growth really is practical in saying what you must do in order to gain infused contemplation and by gain, I mean receive as a free gift of God, because infused contemplation is not gained by any techniques. Only avoidance of sins, humility, charity and love to our neighbors, gentleness to ourselves, avoidance of idle talk and too much TV and a great love for God can prepare us to recieve the gift of infused prayer. Sin and "un-love" darkens the mirror on our souls that must reflect the light of God.I also loved the humainty of St. Teresa and how she was loved and deeply loved her friends, something some people do not expect of saints. Overall a book that I will come back to again and again. The only thing I didn't like to much was that I wish the author would have spent more time on explaining to beginners (like myself) what to do. For this reason I bought and plan to read his Prayer Primer by Charis Press. Other recommendations on prayer that I found useful: "God and You" by William Barry SJ, "Opening to God" and "When the Well Runs Dry" by Thomas Green SJ, "Arise From Darkness" by Fr. Benedict Groeschel,
"The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology", "Beginning to Pray" by Anthony Bloom, and "The Art of Prayer" by Fr. Romano Guardini.
Carmelite Spirituality.......2005-10-22
This is probably the best overall introduction to Carmelite spirituality available in English. Fr. Dubay presents the essential teachings of John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila in easy to understand language.
This is not a book one can or should read in a day or two. It is one of those rare books that you must live with for quite a while. It is challenging and comforting in it's presentation of the christian's call to total discipleship. My copy is all marked up and underlined.
His treatment of the Mansions (Teresa's analogy of the soul's journey to Divine union) is wonderful. Fr. Dubay shows the ways we can get off track and the subtle temptations that would divert us from following Jesus with courage and determination.
This book is not only for the beginner, though it is certainly that, but the best summary of Carmelite spirituality one can read. After going through this book the reader will have a very good and usable knowledge of the Carmelite way to God.
Highly Recommended.
The universal call.......2005-10-19
Thomas Dubay has given us a masterful overview in well organized, lucid style, on the works of the towering mystical doctors of the church. His book, steeped in the peerless wisdom of Teresa and John of the Cross, requires careful, attentive reading on every page. The reader will be rewarded with an increased understanding of these two saints whose hearts were enkindled with divine love, and whose lives were incandescent with joy.
A central theme of the book is that God's call to contemplative prayer and, in its highest form, transforming union with Himself, is for every believer, not just for a "fortunate few" enclosed within monasteries. "Scripture knows nothing," Dubay writes, "of two ways to God and two differing prayer paths, one for the many, the other for the few."
Many readers will be surprised to learn that contemplative prayer is "infused," a grace coming directly from God, and not something they can laboriously acquire through techniques or discipline. Every believer is called by "the still, small voice within," as Elijah was. At the beginning of this ancient spiritual journey, we use discursive and vocal prayer, and our own meditations on scripture. We do our part, as much as we can; seeking God's presence, avoiding sin, practicing faith, hope, and charity, striving to bring our own wills in accordance with God's. In His time, and subtly at first, the wonderful-beyond-words grace from the Lord begins to flow.
Dubay clearly, matter-of-factly details, from the writings and the lives of Teresa and John, what to expect as we enter this most holy, most challenging of all human endeavors. His book is an invaluable aid to all Christians, from those on the first steps of the age-old path, to those traveling on its higher reaches.
Customer Reviews:
My #1 refereene for studying the Gospel.......2007-06-08
I can't read the KJV any better than the normal person, and I use other versions to fill in the gaps, but I always go to the KJV for the placement of "ands", "buts", and "thens". This does a better job than most by actually putting the verses right next to each other. If I'm studying a passage from the Gospel, I start here and then use the other translations (Amplified for understanding older words, and NASB for the readability) to help. Seeing the same events recorded by different authors adds credibility and more understanding to anything, and this is no exception. I have other parallel Bibles, but I like this one the best.
The best Harmony of the Gospels available today !!!.......2007-01-20
The Horizontal Harmony of the Four Gospels in Parallel Columns provides the reader a panoramic perspective on the life of the Jesus Christ - the greatest man who ever lived on this earth. There are only four authentic accounts of his mortal life and these are known as the Four Gospels i.e. Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. Since each writer had his own unique style, emphasis and purpose to record the events in the life of Jesus, any effort to study the life of Christ must include the complete study of all the four Gospels. And what better way to study the Gospels than to study them in parallel with harmony. As stated in the book, harmonies are based upon the Gestalt principle that the whole of anything is greater than the sum of its parts. Since each Gospel represents a part, the greater message of the life of Jesus can only be seen when all the four accounts are arranged together.
Though there are a few other harmonies of Gospels available, I think this harmony employs the best way to harmonize the accounts of the four Gospels. Most of the Harmonies use a variation of parallel columns. That is, they use variable number of columns ranging from one to four as they are needed on any given page depending upon the same events recorded in different Gospels. This may be very confusing for a person while studying when trying to keep track of which gospel is being read. A two column page may have either Mathew and Mark or Mathew and Luke or Mark and Luke, depending upon the event being recorded in the respective Gospels. For example, there will be only one column in such harmonies to describe the birth of John the Baptist as it is recorded only in the Gospel of Luke whereas there will be four columns to describe the crucifixion of Christ, the same being recorded in all the Gospels. Thus, there is no fixed column for each Gospel within which the events are confined to and you have to constantly bear in mind which of the gospels you are currently reading.
The Horizontal Harmony of the Four Gospels in Parallel Columns is an excellent attempt to solve the above problem. Each page is divided into four equal-width columns representing the four gospels in the order in which they are found in the New Testament i.e. Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. By using four continuous equal-width columns throughout, the book becomes not only a reading experience but a visual experience. One can readily see just by turning pages how much in common Mathew, Mark and Luke have and why they are called the synoptic gospels. One can even easily determine by looking at the empty space in the respective column if any Gospel is silent about any particular event which is recorded in the other gospels. Thus, whether or not an event is described in any of the four gospels, the columns always express what each Gospel records about it. So, in describing the birth of John the Baptist, only the column corresponding to the Gospel of Luke will have any printing with all the others being empty giving a clear indication that it is recorded only by Luke.
Though the page or printing quality of this Harmony may not be able to match those found in other more expensive and sophisticated Harmonies, it remains the best Harmony of the Four Gospels available today because of the advantage it provides in its layout design as discussed above. So, go ahead and buy this Harmony and you will never ever need any other to study and to harmonize the events in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the Gospels.
Read the Gospels Again for the First Time!.......2006-03-29
"Seeing, they see not." "He that hath ears, let him hear."
These words are a admonition to avoid complacency--to avoid experiencing things on autopilot. The problem is that, on your fifth or your tenth or your twentieth trip through the gospels, it is easy for things to get stale.
Here is the value of Mumford's Harmony of the Gospels. It has renewed and reinvigorated the study of the gospels for me. Reading the harmony of the gospels (with its parallel columns for each of the gospels) has improved my understanding of the gospels in the following ways:
1. The chronology is clear;
2. Jesus's travels and the geography are easy to understand;
3. The tone and purpose of each gospel is more evident; and
4. The source or sources of each event or teaching is visually-depicted.
In short, I have loved the gospels since I was a boy but, in my mind, they were a mishmash. I didn't appreciate the separate contribution of each (and how they worked together) in conveying to us the life and teachings of Jesus. The Harmony of the Gospels has been a blessing.
parallel gospels.......2005-03-21
This is a helpful tool for the student of the New Testament. To be able to see all four gospels comparative reading on one page is delightful. Its helpful to maintain your thought without flipping between passages. I love it.
Book Description
Featuring an introduction by Forrest Church, this reissue of The Jefferson Bible offers extraordinary insight into the logic of Thomas Jefferson and the Gospel of Jesus. Working in the White House in 1804, Jefferson set out to edit the Gospels in order to uncover the essence of true religion in the simple story of the life of Jesus. Jefferson was convinced that the authentic message of Jesus could be found only by extracting from the Gospels Jesus' message of absolute love and service, rather than the miracle of the Annunciation, Virgin Birth, or even the Resurrection. Completed in 1819, this little book is the remarkable result of Jefferson's efforts.
Customer Reviews:
Piece of American History.......2007-09-24
This bargain is an impoprtant piece of American history. Jefferson was a diest, which they viewed God as like a fine clock maker and made the government intself, not the constitution. They got rid of anything supernatural from the Bible. It stands along side the King James Bible and the 1611 edition of the King James, the works of Martin Luther as one of the most important reads for a Christian in American history. I liked it a lot, but it's too skimpy a volume to be a classic, but it is famous.
The Jefferson Bible Worth Reading.......2007-09-13
First, and foremost from my perspective, I liked that Jefferson focused on the man Jesus and what He taught.
As I travel my spiritual path, my focus is also on the man Jesus, what He taught, how He lived and most of all how He treated others. Much could be learned and differences could be made today in our society if this were so. The four gospels were interwoven throughout the book which makes it easy to follow, I only wish the print had been larger. I was disappointed it was so very small and this made it much more difficult for me to read.
Wow.......2007-06-27
This was recommended to me about a year ago. Very interesting and attractive book
Jefferson's Bible--a lens that worked for him.......2007-03-23
It is interesting that any religious writing that is capable of being used in some way to detract from the "authority" of the church is so often the object of great discussion. Jefferson's Bible provides such an occasion, for no doubt Jefferson questioned some of the claims of the church that he felt to be unreasonable. That's the bind. We are attracted to Jesus but often repulsed by the Church. It is only fitting that we reclaim Jesus in any way that we can. Jesus is the chief metaphor revealing humanity at its best. Through this metaphor we learn of redemptive love. Jefferson found his lens by which to connect with Jesus. The rest of us must find our own lense--and one way we can do this, perhaps, is by trying to understand what others have done. Jefferson has left us a personal "testament" by having extracted those parts of the New Testament that spoke to him. Those parts of the Scripture are for him now "framed and on the wall", so to speak, and because the book has been published, his favorite Scripture portions are spotlighted for us in this book. I'm not sure he meant his special portions of the Scripture to be on public display. Perhaps each of us who are interested might find our own set of very special parts of the Bible? If we ourselves were to do this, that would probably have pleased Jefferson, in my opinion.
Founding "god" father.......2007-02-13
This streamlined synopsis of the teachings of Jesus Christ is drawn from the gospels of the bible without any religious dogma. The parables Jesus spoke are compiled nicely and provided me with the life lessons which I attempt to live by.
Average customer rating:
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Searching for Truth: Confessing Christ in an Uncertain World (Foundations of Christian Faith)
Thomas W. Currie
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ASIN: 0664501397 |
Books:
- Big Box of Boynton: Barnyard Dance! Pajama Time! Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!
- Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
- Buddhism without Beliefs
- Celtic Women's Spirituality: Accessing the Cauldron of Life
- Communion with God: An Uncommon Dialogue
- Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the
- Complete Audio Holy Bible: King James Version
- Conversations with God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1)
- Doing Justice: Congregations and Community Organizing
- Encountering the New Testament,: A Historical and Theological Survey (Encountering Biblical Studies)
Books Index
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