Christianity

The Gospel of Thomas is a non-canonical early Christian text discovered in 1945, comprising 114 sayings, or logia, ascribed to Jesus. Unlike canonical Gospels, it doesn’t narrate Jesus’s life, death, or resurrection, instead emphasizing spiritual wisdom and introspective spirituality.

Many of its sayings parallel those in the New Testament, but others are unique, cryptic, fostering personal interpretation. A notable theme is the divine within individuals and ‘knowing oneself’ to find the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’. A typical saying, 113, states, “The kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and people do not see it.”

Though not included in most Christian bibles due to its non-canonical status and late discovery, the Gospel of Thomas offers an alternative perspective on early Christian thought, focusing less on institutionalized religion and more on individual spiritual exploration. It doesn’t echo key Christian concepts like original sin or Jesus as the messiah, making it a distinct piece in early Christian literature.

The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage by Jan van Ruusbroec (1293-1381), a monk, writer, and mystic, outlines a mystical journey of the soul’s union with God, with Christ as the Bridegroom. Ruusbroec describes this path through stages of virtue—humility, charity, obedience, and others—emphasizing both active and contemplative practices.

Through cultivating a pure heart and soul, individuals strive to achieve unity with God, guided by these principles. This journey ultimately aims at divine oneness, reflecting Ruusbroec’s profound contributions to Christian mysticism.

The Didache, or “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” is an early Christian document dating to the first century. The text begins with a discussion of the “Two Ways,” contrasting the path of life, characterized by love of God and neighbor, with the path of death, marked by sin and vice.

The Didache also includes instructions for rituals such as baptism, Eucharist, fasting, and prayer, stressing the importance of communal worship and the proper conduct of Christian leaders. The text is valued for its insights into early Christians’ ethical and liturgical practices, reflecting a community striving to live according to Jesus’s teachings.

The Gospel of Mary, an early Christian Gnostic text discovered in the late 19th century, centers on a dialogue between Mary Magdalene and the other disciples of Jesus after his resurrection. In this text, Mary Magdalene is presented as a leading disciple, uniquely understanding Jesus's teachings.

The text explores the nature of the soul, spiritual salvation, and the process of achieving gnosis or direct knowledge of God. Mary describes a vision she had of Jesus, who imparts teachings on the ascent of the soul past hostile powers seeking to hinder its progress towards eternal life.

It also contains discussions about the errors of religious hierarchies and the value of personal, experiential knowledge of the divine. The Gospel of Mary challenges conventional gender and authority structures, emphasizing the equal worth of all followers of Christ's teachings.