What and when?
This thought-provoking course unlocks religious and historical mysteries about the ancient text, the Gospel of Thomas, and its relationship to the Bible. Discovered near the caves of Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945, this gospel continues to inspire and surprise, provoking its readers with many questions for us to discuss.
The course consists of seven sections which can be taken independently or in group discussions. The cohort for this course begins Wednesday, March 1. We meet weekly from 7:30 – 8:30 pm Eastern for seven weeks.
Shirley Paulson
Shirley Paulson, PhD is the founder and principal producer of Early Christian Texts: The Bible and Beyond. This website features her online teaching, blog, and podcasts highlighting the work of other scholars. Shirley’s academic work focuses on early Christian writings, especially those relating to healing practices and theology. Her book is Illuminating the Secret Revelation of John: Catching the Light, (Cascade Books, 2022), and she contributed to a chapter in Westar’s After Jesus Before Christianity (HarperOne, 2021). She currently serves on the Westar Institute’s Board of Directors. Prior to this work, Shirley served as the first Head of Ecumenical Affairs for the global headquarters of the Christian Science Church and served on the Board of the North American Academy of Ecumenists.
First page of the
Gospel of Thomas
This image (in public domain) is a picture of page in the codex that includes the Gospel of Thomas. This shows the end of the Secret Revelation of John (with the title at the end), followed immediately with the Gospel of Thomas, which is the bottom of the first and whole of the second pages.
How wide spread the Gospel of Thomas was in antiquity
This Google map (provided by Apple) shows the extent of the spread of where the Gospel of Thomas was probably read or known in antiquity. This extends from Rome in the west as far east as India, and as far south as Ethiopia.
The Gospel of Thomas is one of the 52 books in these codices found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt
These books, known as codices comprise the 'Nag Hammadi Library.' This is what was found in central Egypt in 1945, to the great surprise of archaeologists and scholars. Its 52 books (within the 13 codices) included over 40 new texts that the modern world had never seen. Consider how the New Testament only includes 27 books, in comparison with this major discovery of new works related to Jesus.
Curriculum
- 9. The Gospel of Thomas and Wisdom Literature (4:43)
- 10. Finding Connections (2:20)
- 11. Why the Gospel of Thomas is Considered Classic Wisdom Literature (6:40)
- 12. What to Expect in Books of Wisdom (7:04)
- 13. Jesus Teaches Parables in the Gospel of Thomas (4:19)
- 14. Diving Deeper into the Gospel of Thomas Parables (9:28)
- Optional Quiz
- 15. Why the Gospel of Thomas COULD Be in the Bible (4:51)
- 16. The Gospel of Thomas Sounds Biblical (3:48)
- 17. Was the Gospel of Thomas Written at the Wrong Time? (6:31)
- 18. The Bible Took its Own Good Time (5:26)
- 19. Twists and Turns (4:52)
- 20. Summarizing Available Pieces of the Puzzle (6:05)
- 21. CAN the Gospel of Thomas Be in the Bible? (4:23)
- Assignment: What Do You Think?
- 26. What to Do About Saying #114 (2:49)
- 27. Jesus's Attitude About Women in the New Testament (3:24)
- 28. Gender and Women in 1st and 2nd Centuries CE (3:59)
- 29. Gender and Women in the Gospel of Thomas (7:51)
- 30. A First Look at the Controversial Saying #114 (3:49)
- 31. A Gender-based Interpretation of Saying #114 (6:26)
- 32. A Misfit Interpretation of Saying #114 (4:41)
- 33. A Spiritually Focused Interpretation of Saying #114 (7:06)
- Assignment: Your Interpretation of Saying #114
- 34. Imagine the Value of the Gospel of Thomas (2:15)
- 35. The Breadth of Early Christ Movements (4:10)
- 36. Where Could the Gospel of Thomas Have Taken Hold? (3:24)
- 37. What Was the Gospel of Thomas Used For? (4:53)
- 38. The Gospel of Thomas Teaches How to Heal (4:06)
- 39. "That Which You Look for Has Come"
- Optional Quiz for Sections 4-7
- 40. Conclusion: The Gospel of Thomas IS Going Public
Featured Courses by Shirley Paulson
All of these courses expand our understanding of the Bible by putting it in context with more recent discoveries of early Christian writings.
