Since Jesus did not write, how did his teaching come down to us? Stephen Patterson’s fascinating and wonderfully readable new book reveals how Jesus’ followers told, wrote, rewrote, and handed down his teachings.” — Elaine Pagels, author of Revelations
“This accessible but scholarly introduction to the earliest Jesus traditions shares academic discoveries that do not usually reach the pews. It is a salutary reminder of how little we know about early Christianity and will introduce readers to the enriching complexity of any major tradition.” — Karen Armstrong, author of Fields of Blood
“In this book Stephen Patterson, a leading scholar in the Jesus Seminar, explores the terrain of primitive Christianity. He explodes popular myths and proposes startling new possibilities. One does not have to agree with all of his conclusions to find this book both fascinating and mind expanding!” — John Shelby Spong, author, The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic
“Stephen Patterson’s The Lost Way is at once a crisp and readable introduction to two ‘lost’ gospels, the Sayings Gospel Q, and the Gospel of Thomas, and an exposé of the unnoticed ways that alternate views about Jesus are present in the books of the New Testament.” — John Kloppenborg, University of Toronto, author of Q, the Earliest Gospel
“Reorients our basic understanding of the origins of Christianity and reclaims the missing strain of ancient Christian wisdom as part of the story of Christian origins. An illuminating, informative, and refreshingly accessible read - a book for anyone interested in the earliest layers of Christian tradition.” — Pamela Eisenbaum, authof of Paul Was Not a Christian
“A leading scholar of the Jesus Seminar . . . Patterson argues that [the earliest] sources reveal a different, fuller version of the historical Jesus and the way of ‘Wisdom.’ . . . clearly presented . . . a fascinating account.” — Library Journal
In this book Stephen Patterson, a leading scholar in the Jesus Seminar, explores the terrain of primitive Christianity. He explodes popular myths and proposes startling new possibilities. One does not have to agree with all of his conclusions to find this book both fascinating and mind expanding!
Reorients our basic understanding of the origins of Christianity and reclaims the missing strain of ancient Christian wisdom as part of the story of Christian origins. An illuminating, informative, and refreshingly accessible read - a book for anyone interested in the earliest layers of Christian tradition.
This accessible but scholarly introduction to the earliest Jesus traditions shares academic discoveries that do not usually reach the pews. It is a salutary reminder of how little we know about early Christianity and will introduce readers to the enriching complexity of any major tradition.
Since Jesus did not write, how did his teaching come down to us? Stephen Patterson’s fascinating and wonderfully readable new book reveals how Jesus’ followers told, wrote, rewrote, and handed down his teachings.
Stephen Patterson’s The Lost Way is at once a crisp and readable introduction to two ‘lost’ gospels, the Sayings Gospel Q, and the Gospel of Thomas, and an exposé of the unnoticed ways that alternate views about Jesus are present in the books of the New Testament.
10/15/2014
Patterson (religious and ethical studies, Williamette Univ.; The Gospel of Thomas and Christian Origins) is a leading scholar of the Jesus Seminar and the Gospel of Thomas, an early manuscript containing sayings of Jesus. In his latest work, he introduces Thomas, the "Gospel of Q," and wisdom literature to a lay audience and gives a clear overview of the synoptic problem and the argument for "Q." He states, "We will never be able to transport ourselves back in time to experience in fullness the rich conversation that was going on about Jesus in the first 20 years after his death. But from the gospels we can get a sense of the gist…." Patterson argues that these sources in particular reveal a different, fuller version of the historical Jesus and the way of "Wisdom." Although evangelicals will disagree with the author's conclusions, the details of both sources and their impact on scholarship are clearly presented. Each chapter includes suggestions for further research. VERDICT This fascinating account will appeal to readers of John Dominic Crossan and Bart Ehrman. Recommended for both academic and public libraries with readers interested in theology or church history.—Ray Arnett, Fremont Area Dist. Lib., MI
