A DEBATE on the Gospel of Thomas:

'Gospel' of Thomas debated at Midwestern

Posted on Mar 13, 2009 | by Tammi Reed Ledbetter

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)--With the Easter commemoration of Christ's resurrection only a month away, two Christian origins scholars took to the stage at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to evaluate the Gospel of Thomas as a means of better understanding the historical Jesus.

Most of the dialogue dealt with the date of the manuscript and the degree to which it parallels the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. However, the missing emphasis on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus left many in the crowd doubting Thomas.

Sharing the platform with Midwestern President R. Philip Roberts were Stephen J. Patterson, who sought to glean new insights into the life of Jesus by studying the Gospel of Thomas, and Craig A. Evans, who found little or no early or authentic material beyond what is preserved in the New Testament Gospels.

[...]

Sounds like it was an interesting discussion. And an interesting lecture series.