The hypothesis that the Fourth Gospel is a theological response to the Gospel of Thomas is a recent development in the study of the New Testament and early Christianity. Assuming an early date for the Gospel of Thomas, the proponents of this hypothesis argue that the supposed ‘polemical’ presentation of Thomas in the Fourth Gospel is evidence of a conflict between the early communities associated respectively with John and Thomas. However, a detailed narrative study reveals that the Fourth Gospel portrays a host of characters–disciples and non-disciples–in an equally unflattering light where an understanding of Jesus’s origins, message, and mission are concerned. The present study attempts to demonstrate that the Fourth Gospel’s presentation of Thomas is part and parcel of its treatment of ‘uncomprehending’ characters. If this thesis is correct, it poses a significant challenge to the assumption that the Fourth Gospel contains a polemic against Thomas, or that it was written in response to the Gospel of Thomas or the community associated with Thomas.
Circa l’autore
Christopher W. Skinner (Ph.D., The Catholic University of America) is Associate Professor of Religion and Director of the Honors Program at the University of Mount Olive where he was the 2013-2014 Professor of the Year. He has also taught at East Carolina University, Loyola University (Maryland) and the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University, where he was the Dunning Distinguished Lecturer for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship during the 2008-2009 academic year. His research interests include narrative hermeneutics, the canonical Gospels (with specific emphasis on the Gospel of John and the Gospel of Mark), the Gospel of Thomas, the historical Jesus, and the intersection between the Bible and popular media. In addition to numerous articles and essays, he has published seven books. He is a long-suffering fan of the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Orioles. A native of Chesapeake, Virginia, he currently lives in eastern North Carolina with his wife Tara and their three children.