Food for thought (is also Re: The Gospel of Thomas

[rj]

dm
> Crossan traces how the Jesus of the sayings gospels
> (the Gospel of Thomas rj mentions being one of them) became the Jesus of
> the synoptic gospels (the gospels we're familiar with in the New
> Testament), and how the original "Jewish Christian" community grew into the
> Church.

But it's what was left out, or suppressed, (or reinterpreted), which is
interesting, apparently, particularly in this context of how the
original Jewish Christian enclave became formalised into an institution,
certainly as interesting as what was left in.

The Jesus of Thomas's Gospel tells his followers, like the Cynics, to
live like the birds and the flowers (crows and ravens/larks and
blackbirds; anemones), and not to think of tomorrow. He tells them that
they can achieve their own salvation, that salvation (i.e. "God") is
*within* each individual, rather than endorsing its availability through
"the Church" and its bishops. In fact, Elaine Pagels (I think) noted
that this Jesus would have been an opponent of "the Church". 

Not really disputing your post at all though, Doug. The program did seem
to depict the "historical Jesus" as more of a riddler and provocateur,
though, and ultimately a "failure", than the synoptic gospels would have
Us believe.

IN *GR*, Slothrop's story is a living out of the path Thomas's Jesus
advocates, I think.

best