Who was Jesus really? The drive to answer this question was present in medieval times and is still present today. It’s a loaded question. Some seek to validate their Christian faith, while others seek to find flaws in the figure so many hold in high esteem. Either way, it is a challenging question that relates to the treatment of apocryphal writings such as the Gospel of Thomas.
In the Gospel of Thomas, full attention is given to Jesus’ childhood. In canonical scripture, the only insight given regarding Jesus’ early life is his interaction with teachers in the temple at age twelve (Luke 2:41-52). The Gospel of Thomas includes this anecdote, but also tells of his younger more immature years. This text portrays Jesus as a child prone to tantrums and petulance, yet having godly powers and superiority. Apocryphal writings like the Gospel of Thomas are often seen as being in contention with the canonical books of the Bible. Focusing in on this issue, people want to know what apocryphal writings can tell us about Jesus.
Annette Yoshiko Reed looks beyond this traditional conversation surrounding the New Testament apocrypha, and instead turns to how apocryphal writings influence people and their perspectives. I find this take on apocrypha refreshing, as it focuses more on the impact of apocrypha instead of strictly engaging and evaluating the content. Browsing Reed’s tumblr, it is fascinating to see how apocrypha has captured the imagination of animé artists. This re-purposing of apocryphal writings shows how texts are continuously being re-imagined and used in different ways today in different cultures and communities. It is important to consider not only how biblical stories are “reinvented”, but also how apocryphal texts experience this reinvention too.
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