The Gnostic Thomas: An Introduction to the Gospel of Thomas

It’s fashionable among scholars to say that the Gospel of Thomas is not gnostic. Indeed, excessive interpretations and wrong assumptions about Gnosticism have dogged the interpretation of this text in the past. But “gnostic” is a matter of definition, and definitions can be enlightening or unhelpful. Key features like salvation by gnosis, opposition to archons, the inner light, opposition to flesh, opposition to the world, and a seekership outlook combine to make the Gospel of Thomas a key instance of Gnostic spirituality. This book introduces the Gospel of Thomas as a gnostic text designed to convince outsiders that Jesus was himself a gnostic and spoke the original gnostic truth. Key topics include Thomas on Jesus, Thomasine ethics, Thomas on women, Thomas and the Synoptics, Thomas on John, and Thomasine deification—becoming Jesus’ spiritual twin. The book is designed for readers with both spiritual and scholarly interests. Read more