The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice

The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice

The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice

The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice

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Overview

The Gospel of Thomas—a book of sayings and wisdom of Jesus compiled as early or earlier than the New Testament gospels—can transform your spiritual life.

There are many academic commentaries on the Gospel of Thomas, but this book has a different aim. It is meant to be a guidebook, that is, a translation of the sayings into daily practice. The goal of such practice is to become Jesus's twin. This does not, of course, mean becoming an olive-skinned, bearded Mediterranean peasant wearing sandals. It is more about manifesting in our lives the same Christ consciousness revealed in the person we know as Jesus of Nazareth.
—from the Introduction

In the decades since its discovery, the Gospel of Thomas has intrigued people of all faiths around the world. Shedding new light on the origins of Christianity, the Gospel of Thomas raises questions about whether the New Testament’s version of Jesus’s teachings is entirely accurate and complete. In the Gospel of Thomas we see Jesus as a wisdom-loving sage, sharing aphorisms about the value of the present and each person’s role in the creation of the Kingdom of God here on earth. But these inspiring sayings can leave you wondering, "What next?"

Now you can learn how to start applying Jesus’s wisdom to your own life—and, in turn, to the world around you. This unique guidebook leads you through Thomas, offering practices that help you translate Jesus’s wisdom into a more fulfilling, enriching daily life, including:

  • Becoming a Spiritual Adult
  • Sorting Out the Old and the New
  • Being a Healing Presence
  • Daring to Be a City on a Hill
  • God’s Reign Calls for Ready Hands
  • Spirituality Is Not Skygazing
  • And much more …


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781594730474
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Publication date: 06/01/2004
Series: SkyLight Illuminations
Pages: 162
Sales rank: 1,141,485
Product dimensions: 2.36(w) x 3.54(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Ron Miller is the chair of the Religion Department at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois, where he has taught for thirty years, and cofounder of Common Ground, an adult education group for interfaith religious study and dialogue since 1975. Miller is the author of many books and articles, including The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice, named one of Spirituality & Health's 50 Best Spiritual Books of the year; The Hidden Gospel of Matthew: Annotated & Explained and Healing the Jewish-Christian Rift: Growing Beyond Our Wounded History (all SkyLight Paths). His website is www.ronmillersworld.org.


Stevan Davies is professor of religious studies at Misericordia Universityand has studied the non-canonical gospels and acts for over thirty years. Among his books are The Gospel of Thomas: Annotated and Explained, The Secret Book of John: The Gnostic Gospel—Annotated and Explained (both SkyLight Paths) and The Revolt of the Widows: The Social World of the Apocryphal Acts. He has also published books about the canonical Christian scriptures including New Testament Fundamentals and Jesus the Healer: Possession, Trance and the Origins of Christianity. His website (http://users.misericordia.edu/davies/thomas/Thomas.html) is a leading Internet resource on the Gospel of Thomas.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix
Prelude: The Faith of a Thomas Believer xv

1 Becoming a Spiritual Adult 1
2 Making Life All of a Piece 9
3 Sorting Out the Old and the New 13
4 Religion, Organized and Unorganized 21
5 Being a Healing Presence 31
6 Peace, Bad and Good 35
7 Childlike, Not Childish 41
8 Daring to Be a City on a Hill 49
9 Becoming Totally Receptive 55
10 Now/Here or Nowhere 61
11 Marinating in Mystery 67
12 Jesus for Christians and Non-Christians 77
13 Making Space for the Spirit 91
14 Experiencing God's Reign 101
15 God’s Reign Calls for Ready Hands 107
16 Spirituality Is Not Skygazing 117

Notes 125
Select Bibliography 129

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