SkyLight Illuminations

Apocryphal Tales from the Childhoods of Mary and Jesus-Annotated & Explained

By: Stevan Davies (Translator), PhD A. Edward Siecienski (Foreword by)

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Paperback | 1 May 2009

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178 Pages

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20.96 x 13.34 x 0.64

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The three principal infancy gospels-the Infancy Gospel of James, the Book of Joseph the High Priest, and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas-are accounts of the birth and early life of Mary and of the birth and early life of Jesus. These apocryphal stories are fictions but nevertheless of great historical interest in terms of the beliefs and storytelling of early Christians, for they are the sources of well-known Christian legends as well as some of Christianity's beloved heroes and heroines. Now you can experience the mystery and amusement of these charming folktales without any previous knowledge of early Christian history or thought. This SkyLight Illuminations edition offers insightful yet unobtrusive commentary that explains references and philosophical terms, shares inspiring interpretations of famous spiritual teachers, and gives you a deeper understanding of the sources of devotion Christians feel for the holy infant Jesus. Sharing these folktales told by the ordinary people of early Christianity provides access to the great insight these writings offer into the Christian people's religion of ancient times rather than to the religion of the literate elites

Industry Reviews

"Accessible and insightful ... helps us appreciate the imaginative storytelling in these narratives as well as their piety and theological content-and even their occasional humor. An ideal starting point for the study of these fascinating gospels."
-Robert J. Miller, author, Born Divine: The Births of Jesus and Other Sons of God

"Clear, accurate and fun to read.... I love this book! Weaves solid historical scholarship with a deep appreciation for folk traditions and fiction. Gives us a sense of the creativity involved in thinking about the infancy of Jesus and his mother, Mary. I will assign it for students next semester."
-Jane Schaberg, professor of religious and women's/gender studies, University of Detroit Mercy

"Filled with incidents that are magical, touching, humorous, even shocking, but always entertaining. Davies' translations are appropriately idiomatic, and his comments are informative and insightful by comparing these stories not only to pagan, Christian and Jewish parallels but also to versions of some of the stories in the Qur'an."
-Ronald F. Hock, professor of religion, University of Southern California

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Non-Fiction Religion & Beliefs Christianity The Historical Jesus Bibles Aspects of Religion for Non-Christians Spirituality & Religious Experience

Foreword	p. v
Introduction: Tales from the Childhood of Mary and Jesus	p. ix
The Gospel of James	p. 1
Joachim and Anne: The Gift of Mary	p. 3
Mary: The Story of Her Birth	p. 9
Mary: Raised in Blessing and Purity	p. 13
Joseph: Mary's Protector	p. 19
Mary: Miraculous Conception	p. 29
Joseph and Mary: Accused and Tested	p. 33
Mary and Joseph: The Christmas Story	p. 41
The Magi: In Search of a King	p. 53
Herod: The Murder of Zechariah	p. 57
The Gospel of the Infancy	p. 63
A Cave, Not a Stable: The Nativity Story	p. 65
A Sinful Mary and the Anointing of Christ	p. 71
Jesus in the Temple	p. 73
The Magi and Herod: Varying Views of Jesus	p. 75
Into Egypt: The Holy Family in Flight	p. 77
Exorcising a Deaf and Dumb Demon	p. 83
The Bridegroom Mule: A Brother Restored	p. 87
Bandits: In Them, Jesus Sees His Destiny	p. 93
Balsams in His Path: The Holy Child Returns	p. 95
The Co-Wife's Punishment	p. 97
Satan's Bite: The Young Judas Iscariot	p. 101
Divine Mischief: The Boy Jesus at Play	p. 103
The King, Christ and a Snake	p. 107
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas	p. 111
The Introduction to the Gospel of Thomas	p. 113
Clay Sparrows: A Dark Miracle	p. 115
The Vengeful Boy: Christ in Conflict	p. 119
The Young Healer Explores His Powers	p. 125
Divine Carpenter: Jesus Adjusts His Elder's Mistakes	p. 127
The Pupil Teachers His Teacher	p. 129
The Miraculous Physician	p. 133
In the House of My Father: Jesus in the Temple	p. 135
Notes	p. 138
Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 140
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

SkyLight Illuminations

Apocryphal Tales from the Childhoods of Mary and Jesus-Annotated & Explained

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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