The Lost Sayings of Jesus: Teachings from Ancient Christian, Jewish, Gnostic And Islamic Sources--Annotated & Explained (SkyLight Illuminations) (Paperback)

by Andrew Phillip Smith (Author), Stephan A. Hoeller (Foreword)
Key Phrases: extracanonical sayings, sayings tradition, secret sayings, Gospel of Thomas, Holy Spirit, Gospel of John (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"An invaluable contribution to historical Jesus research.... Insightful, even-handed and refreshingly succint ... an essential collection." -- Rev. Jeffrey J. Bütz, author of The Brother of Jesus and the Lost Teachings of Christianity

"Compelling and enlightening.... Allows us to hear the wisdom that was Jesus." -- Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author of The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness: Preparing to Practice

"Excellent ... an invaluable aid in our endeavor to hear [Jesus's] authentic voice." -- Ron Miller, author of The Hidden Gospel of Matthew: Annotated & Explained

"If the gospels represent the tip [of Jesus's sayings], Andrew Phillip Smith has provided the rest of the iceberg. Here is proof that [Jesus's] voice has never fallen silent." -- Robert M. Price, professor of scriptural studies, Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary

"Marvelous.... Will provide spiritual seekers, committed Christians, and academic scholars [insight into] sayings attributed to Jesus that they may not know existed. A valuable sourcebook and significant contribution to the study of the history of Christian ideas." -- Stevan Davies, professor of religious studies, College Misericordia and author of The Gospel of Thomas: Annotated & Explained

Product Description
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are not the only record we have of the words spoken by Jesus. Designed to challenge, enlighten and inspire, they are also quoted in a wide variety of other ancient sources--including the Qur'an, writings by early Christian church fathers, and fragments of lost gospels only recently discovered. Some of these sayings are familiar; many are surprising; all expand our conventional understanding of the scope and essence of Jesus's original teachings.

More than a "Christian" compilation, this collection of more than three hundred sayings reveals a Jesus whose words encapsulate spiritual truths that resonate across religious boundaries. From the encouraging "I am hope for the hopeless," to the wise and practical "Love those who hate you and you will not have an enemy," to the candid "Give no opportunity to the evil one," these pointed sayings not only reveal how Jesus was understood and portrayed across a wide variety of cultures long ago--they will also penetrate to your heart, challenge your assumptions, and energize your own spiritual quest.

Now you can experience the wisdom and power of Jesus's sayings even if you have no previous knowledge of these little-known texts.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Skylight Paths Publishing; Annotated edition (May 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594731721
• ISBN-13: 978-1594731723
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #793,117 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended reading for all students of the Abrahamic religions , June 3, 2006

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

The Lost Sayings Of Jesus: Teachings From Ancient Christian, Jewish, Gnostic, And Islamic Sources--annotated And Explained is expertly translated and annotated by Andrew Phillip Smith is a compendium of the timeless wisdom of Jesus of Nazareth drawn from sources that include not only the New Testament, but writings from many of the non-canonical ancient writers of the Apocrypha, early church fathers, the Qur'an, the Talmud, and other fragments of the Gnostic gospels recently discovered, restored and translated. The Lost Sayings Of Jesus offers readers an impressively organized body of annotated quotes and excerpts arranged in of five basic sections with the "sayings" on the right page and the commentaries on the left page: Christian Sayings, Jewish Sayings, Gnostic Sayings, Islamic Sayings, and two additional sections "Further Traditions, Fictions, And Forgeries", and "Suggestions for Further Reading". A core addition to personal, seminary, academic, and community library reference collections, The Lost Sayings Of Jesus is very highly recommended reading for all students of the Abrahamic religions offering as complete and engaging collection as is currently possible on the many teachings ascribed to Jesus of Nazareth, whom some called a prophet and others the Christ.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A nice collection of Jesus' sayings, August 1, 2007

By	Jyriii - See all my reviews

This book contains sayings attributed to Jesus from various sources. I quickly counted (about) 119 sayings from Christian sources, 26 from Jewish sources, 88 from Gnostic sources, 95 from Islamic sources and 27 from elsewhere ~ 355 altogether.

On every other page the author has added his own comments, but I didn't care about them myself. From the Gnostic sources have been excluded at least "Dialogue of the Savior", "Apocryphon of James", "Book of Thomas the Contender" and "Gospel of Mary"... All in all - certainly not definitive, but a nice collection of sayings.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No More Middle Man!, April 23, 2006

By	Mary Mother "God's Servant" (Richmond Virginia) - See all my reviews

Well researched and footnoted compilation of all the sayings of Jesus.Why not read the words that are attributed directly from Jesus and not from others interpretations?Readers are not only given the saying but an excellent description and source of the saying as well.No stone is left unturned and leaves the reader with God given inspiration and wisdom directly from Jesus himself.Highly recommended to those who want to reflect on the Word of God.