John and Thomas: Gospels in Conflict?: Johannine Characterization and the Thomas Question [Paperback]

Christopher W. Skinner (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"To my knowledge no other narrative-critical study has settled a historical-critical debate so convincingly."
--R. Alan Culpepper
McAfee School of Theology
Mercer University

From the Back Cover

"Skinner's argument 'that the Fourth Gospel's portrayal of Thomas is part and parcel of its overall treatment of 'uncomprehending' characters is persuasive. This presents a significant challenge to the view that the negative portrayal of Thomas is a clue to John's polemic against the Gospel of Thomas."
--Charles H. Talbert
Baylor University

"John and Thomas--Gospels in Conflict? is a first rate use of solid narrative study in the service of important historical questions and theories about early Christianity. This combination is rare, but is applied with such skill, that the results are clearly worth the effort. Read and learn more about John, Thomas, and the flaws of some readings of the Gospel of John's role in early Christian disputes."
--Darrell L. Bock
Research Professor of NT Studies,
Dallas Theological Seminary

"Christopher Skinner offers us an engaging perspective on the role of Thomas in the Gospel of John that has clear implications for understanding both the functions of Johannine characterization and John's relationship to the Gospel of Thomas. What a shrewd argument! To my knowledge no other narrative-critical study has settled a historical-critical debate so convincingly."
--R. Alan Culpepper
McAfee School of Theology
Mercer University 

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Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock Publishers (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1606086146
• ISBN-13: 978-1606086148
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,530,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Christopher W. Skinner (Ph.D., The Catholic University of America) is Assistant Professor of Religion at Mount Olive College in North Carolina. 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 written or edited 5 books. A native of Chesapeake, Virginia, he currently lives in eastern North Carolina with his wife Tara and their three children. You can contact him at [e-mail].

Blogs:
http://pejeiesous.com
http://mountolivereligion.wordpress.com

Website: www.christopherwskinner.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have for Thomas and John Studies, September 9, 2009

By 

Michael W. Grondin (Mt. Clemens, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: John and Thomas: Gospels in Conflict?: Johannine Characterization and the Thomas Question (Paperback)

This book is an important contribution to Thomasine and Johannine studies, and should be read by those on both sides of the aisle. It begins with a very fine historical overview of the literature on the John-Thomas question, including summaries of the views of Riley, Pagels, and DeConick. This is followed by a chapter on methodology, and then the heart of the book, which is a nuanced examination of the interactions between Jesus and most of the other characters in the Gospel of John. This latter portion of the book is divided into four chapters, examining in turn the interactions between Jesus and (1) Thomas, (2) Peter, (3) other disciples, and (4) "others" (viz., Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, and the sisters Martha and Mary). Skinner is intimately familiar with many major exegetical works on GJn, and it shows, as he weaves his interpretations with an eye to the question of how the treatment of the Thomas character compares to the treatment of other characters. Although in the end he concludes that Thomas is treated no differently, and that that conclusion undermines the theories of Riley et al, Skinner also expresses an understanding of the intuitive force behind those theories, which rest not only on certain interpretations of GJn (which Skinner argues are inadequate), but also on some historical considerations which are beyond the scope of this book. Overall, a learned and detailed examination of how the Johannine author used his characters, against which any analysis of the character of Thomas alone must be measured.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Narrative-critical blow to the Community Conflict Hypothesis, July 18, 2009

By 

Jason Poling (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: John and Thomas: Gospels in Conflict?: Johannine Characterization and the Thomas Question (Paperback)

Skinner's dissertation offers a serious critique of the community-conflict hypothesis (i.e., the idea that John's gospel was written against the backdrop of an intramural conflict between inferred "Johannine" and "Thomasine" communities) by examining the ways in which the author of the Fourth Gospel portrays minor characters.

Contrary to the common reading of John as anti-Thomas, Skinner demonstrates that most minor characters in John are portrayed in mixed light, Thomas not least among them, and that other characters such as Peter come off much worse than Thomas does.

This student of Frank Moloney's (Catholic University of America) has produced a clear and compelling argument, presented with grace and vigor, that seriously undermines the presuppositions undergirding the approaches taken by scholars like Elaine Pagels who portray the Fourth Gospel as anti-Thomas propaganda.