the secret Gospel of Thomas Pagels, Elaine H. 1943- creator text bibliography nyu New York Vintage Books 2004 1st Vintage Books ed monographic eng

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257 pages ; 21 cm [This book] explores how Christianity began by tracing its earliest texts, including the secret Gospel of Thomas, rediscovered in Egypt in 1945 ... [The author explores] historical and archeological sources to investigate what Jesus and his teachings meant to his followers before the invention of Christianity as we know it ... [She] compares such sources as Thomas' gospel ... with the canonic texts to show how Christian leaders chose to include some gospels and exclude others from the collections 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.-Dust jacket ch. 1. From the feast of Agape to the Nicene Creed -- ch. 2. Gospels in conflict : John and Thomas -- ch. 3. God's word or human words? -- ch. 4. The canon of truth and the triumph of John -- ch. 5. Constantine and the Catholic Church -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- The Gospel of Thomas -- Index Elaine Pagels Originally published: New York : Random House, 2003 Includes bibliographical references (pages 191-226) and index Criticism, interpretation, etc Criticism, interpretation, etc Christianity Essence, genius, nature BS2860.T52 P34 2004 229/.8 P133b 0375703160 9780375703164 NNCC 040429 20220511171344.0 55076968 eng