Since its discovery in the mid-1940s, the
Gospel of Thomas has aroused the interest of scholars and general readers alike.
Thomas, the Other Gospel provides a clear, comprehensive, nontechnical guide through the scholarly maze of issues surrounding the Coptic text. In it, Nicholas Perrin argues that the Gospel derives not from the era of Jesus or even the apostles but from the late second century AD. Further, contrary to what many scholars believe, he maintains that the Gospel was originally written in Syriac rather than in Greek, and he concludes that the real value of the
Gospel of Thomas lies not in what it might be thought to say about the “real Jesus” but in what it tells us about early Christianity.
“The Gospel of Thomas has been at the center of a great deal of recent speculation about Christian origins, but few people actually know what it is, and what is in it. Nicholas Perrin is at the cutting edge of serious Thomas scholarship, and this book makes accessible to a wider audience his brilliant reconstruction of how the document came to be written, what it meant then, and what it means now. This book brings a much-needed corrective to the wilder flights of speculation, and blows a breath of fresh and sane air through the entire conversation.” —N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham and author of Simply Christian
“A learned and careful analysis of the contemporary state of study of the Gospel of Thomas that decisively calls into question the paradigm that seeks to place Thomas well within the first century. Here we have judicious scholarship from an expert in Thomas that demands a reassessment of the current state of research on Thomas, its dating, and its place in the development of early Christianity.” —Marianne Meye Thompson, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Fuller Theological Seminary
“Believe me when I say this: not only is this book academically rigorous and paradigm-shifting, Thomas, the Other Gospel is delightful to read. Pleasurable prose and suggestive scholarship make Nick Perrin’s book a stunning achievement that can set the standard for the next generation of scholarship.” —Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University
