The fresco is "Transfiguration", (1440-41) by
Fra Angelico.
This is the Background Sound Control
The background music is "Ja nuns hons pris" attributed
to RICHARD I Lionheart (1157-1199)
he purpose of this site is to provide
a variety of source material on early Christianity. Though more and more
books are dealing with Early Christianity, they all have their own biases.
I always want to read source material and then study various viewpoints
on that material. In my attempts to study the development of Christianity,
finding the actual source material was often a problem. I have found the
WEB to be a source for material that is either not in print or not readily
available. You will find both source material as well as opinions on all
of these sites. Hopefully you will find this material thought provoking.
I recommend two books for aids in studying early Christianity:
(1) "The Complete Gospels"(1992) Robert J. Miller, editor, Polebridge
Press. Contains all first and second century gospels and fragments currently
known. There is excellent commentary and background material on each gospel.
(2) "The New Jerusalem Bible: Regular Edition" (1985) Doubleday.
The currently approved Roman Catholic Bible. What I find interesting is
the very balanced and factual introductions to the books. For example it
explains both the traditional and current scholarly opinions regarding
authorship of each book. By the way, Tradition and Scholars agree some
of the time.
MY OWN BIASES
I am certain of only one thing as the result of my studies: Early
Christianity was not a monolithic apostolic force. There were many diverse
groups in the early years, all claiming to have the true teaching.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The New Testament and most Christian Beliefs weren't codified until
after the conversion of Constantine. Because of the confusing and conflicting
variety of teachings, Constantine started the system of Church Councils
that eventually lead to the "standardization" of Christianity. It was during
these Councils that decisions were made regarding which scripture was "Canon"
and what beliefs were true (and which were false). This process took several
hundred years.
The Nag Hammadi Library and the "Gospel of Q"
In December, 1945 a major archeological discovery was made in the
Egyptian Desert at a location called Nag Hammadi. Unfortunately the find
did not fit nicely into the accepted view of Judaic-Christian history.
So, unlike the Dead Sea Scrolls, their discovery has never generated the
interest of the Christian community. No articles in the popular press appeared.
The text of all the documents was printed in English in 1977, scholarly
books and papers have been written but most people have still not heard
about the Nag Hammadi Library.
In my mind the "Gospel of Thomas" is the most important of the
books found at Nag Hammadi. It is a "sayings" gospel (one that presents
"sayings" of Jesus rather than a presentation of his actions). It supports
the theory that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke used both the Gospel of
Mark as well as an earlier unknown gospel of Jesus' sayings. This unknown
gospel is referred to as "Q" from the German word for "Source".
In addition to the sayings found in the New Testament, the Gospel
of Thomas presents many sayings not found in the New Testament and variations
of other sayings. It is not considered to be the "Q" document itself but
a third variation of "Q". In fact, the sayings in the Gospel of Luke are
generally considered to be the closer to "Q" than the sayings in the Gospels
of Thomas and Matthew. The value in studying the "Gospel of Thomas" is
in its ability to present another view of Jesus and his teachings.
There are links listed below for the Nag Hammadi Library and the
Gospel of Thomas.
For more information on "Q" and the Gospel of Thomas, I suggest:
(1) "The Nag Hammadi Library" (1981) James Robinson, editor, Harper
& Row.
(2) "The Lost Gospel of Q & Christian Origins" (1993) by Burton
Mack, HarperCollins Publishers.
(3) There are also at least three English translations of the Gospel
of Thomas in print. I enjoyed the Marvin Meyer translation with commentary
and background information by Harold Bloom.(1992) HarperCollins Publishers.
Please note: both the "The Complete Gospels" and "The Nag Hammadi
Library" contain good translations of the Gospel of Thomas. It is also
available on-line: Gospel
of Thomas
he purpose of this site is to provide a variety of source material on early Christianity. Though more and more books are dealing with Early Christianity, they all have their own biases. I always want to read source material and then study various viewpoints on that material. In my attempts to study the development of Christianity, finding the actual source material was often a problem. I have found the WEB to be a source for material that is either not in print or not readily available. You will find both source material as well as opinions on all of these sites. Hopefully you will find this material thought provoking.
