|
|

Details
of the book:
hard-back, dust-jacket and covers in full-colour, a quality book,
160 pages, 235 x 162 mm, calligraphy by John Blamires, published
by Sessions of York, England, 1998, price UK£14.95
Obtainable from bookshops
quoting ISBN 1-85072-213-7
or by e-mail from
www.cygnus-books.co.uk
In
USA click on www.quakerbooks.org
and
search for gospel thomas
Customer reviews from Amazon:
***** First
hand spiritual understanding, September 30, 2004
Reviewer: Haydon Bradshaw from Somerset, England.
One of
the most respected spiritual teachers in Britain. Thomas is thought
to have been unable to write and to have dictated these
unfamiliar statements of Jesus
perhaps on different occasions and in no apparent order. Hugh McGregor Ross
has regrouped the statements by subject, greatly helping the reader's
understanding.
His scholarly notes on each section provide insight of considerable depth arising
from a lifetime of spiritual work rather than dry academic punditry. Very attractive
to anybody wishing to find a fresh, strong, clear view
of Jesus's teaching.
Maybe not many know of this book but it could become a classic
as reader's enthusiasm
fires their friends This is a real scoop!
*****review of Jesus untouched, March 29, 2004
Reviewer: a.pollock from London England I heard about the book and then read
it. I reccomend this to any person who is interested in spiritually and the truth
of the words spoken by Jesus. It is well written and you can understand the words
of Jesus. I found it very profound.
Enjoy It!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
*****Wonderful
analysis of the Gospel of Thomas, February 14, 2001
Reviewer: Thom Hartmann (email2thom@cs.com) from Montpelier, VT USA This book
is the most cogent, insightful, detailed, and thoughtful of those written on
the Gospel of Thomas. Brilliant!! A must-read for anybody interested in the early
history of the church or the true teachings of Jesus.
|
This
is the book that presents the results of the experiment described
in the display panel Discovery!!! on the Thomas home-page. It presents
every one of the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas but in a different
sequence from the higgledy-piggledy arrangement in the original
version.
Thus
merely by putting together sayings with like-for-like meanings,
a coherent set of spiritual Teachings of Jesus is revealed. This
has not previously been done.
What
the book does is to provide the data from which the reader may himself
or herself discern the Teachings that are hidden in the Gospel.
To aid this, in a few places a more liberal or flexible translation
from the ancient document is used, adding some extra words. Intentionally,
the book does not give commentaries on the sayings nor try to spell
out the Teachings. Thus
each group on a distinctive Teaching is followed, only where it
seems they might be helpful, by Notes; in some cases these are expanded
to become essays of spiritual import. These, set in ordinary type,
are provided to help the reader find the inner meanings of the sayings
and the significance of the Teachings. They provide clues, sign-posts
pointing to the right direction, and guide-lines to check that a
useful path is being taken. They do not attempt to give or explain
the inner meanings of the sayings, for that would negate the method
used by Jesus which requireds the recipient of his sayings to do
some work in order to find the inner meanings always at a higher
or deeper level than can be set down in mere words. The
title of the book is chosen to give a clue to the reader that the
Gospel of Thomas is a pre-Christian book, and that its Teachings
are independent of, even different from, the doctrines of the Church.
Here
is the Table of Contents, with the names that have been given to
each identified Teaching, together with a sentence added here to
give clues to what is meant.
SETTING
THE SCENE
Escapes and Discoveries
The ancient text went through an alarming set of escapes, some
from the hands of the Church
The Thomas Text
The
Thomas People
Literary
Features
Relationship
with the Bible
THE
TEACHINGS
The Good News Brought by Thomas
The Summary
The logia 0 to 3 are seen here as a summary of the Gospel and
illustration of Jesus' speech
Discrimination
Discrimination is a vital teaching of some spiritual traditions,
but its use by college lecturers or clergy in the pulpit would be
calamitous
Seeing the Master
Jesus prompts us to develop a third eye with which we can discern
spiritual qualities
Turning to the Master
We are urged to turn towards Jesus the Teacher
To
Know and Metanoia
To Know is a paramount Teaching, and Metanoia is the transformation
of our awareness
Birth
and Death
Jesus answers our most fundamental questions: From Whence? Where
To?
Light at the Centre
Light is a synonym for spiritual Truth; his emphasis that it
exists at our Centre
Finding
the Light at the Centre
Guidance how we find that Light
Quenching
Ahamkara
Introducing a concept absent from our western culture and our
language,
but one of the most basic in other spiritual traditions
Oneness
We find here the culmination of the Teachings in this Gospel
Spiritual
Life
Essential reiteration of the centrality of spirituality
From
Small Things Great Grow
Emphasis on growth from seed to maturity
The
Way to the Kingdom
Guidelines for our journey
Spiritual
Richness
The rewards, here and now
Monakos
and Courage
Making clear that independence and courage are needed
Images
Perhaps one of the most profound themes in these Teachings
Happiness
A reiteration of Jesus' frequent reference to happiness and joyousness
Old
Order and New Way
Emphasis that what Jesus brings is fundamentally new
Beyond
Femininity
Showing Jesus respected the worth of the feminine aspect
Wealth
in Poverty
Surprise at the contrast with materialism
Austerity
A discipline to lay aside materialism
Jesus' Disappointment
Jesus recognizes his message is not being received
Wise
Sayings
Sayings outside the Teachings but full of wisdom
The
Consummation
The opening pages of the Gospel revealed in their full meanings
back
to top
|