The discovery of the Gospel of Thomas has created an immense flurry of curiosity and speculation. Is the text real? Are these the authentic words of Jesus? If they are, what does it all mean? This new translation is surrounded by supportive material to help scholars and students alike explore these sayings in depth. Unlike other translations, Lynn Bauman's sensitive work is not simply a 'literal' translation. Based upon the principle of 'dynamic equivalency', its purpose is to propel the reader/listener into an equivalent experience of language and meaning as the original Coptic text but in English, with equivalent cultural terms and ideas. It is therefore fresher, more poignant, more direct, and more understandable without being a paraphrase. In addition, the text has with it a reader's guide. Each saying of Jesus is accompanied by a section that includes Questions for Reflection, an academic translation of each saying, and notes dealing with translation choices. This enables the student/reader to make discoveries on his or her own through suggestions and questions for consideration, meditation, and journalling.
Author description
Lynn Bauman is director of the Praxis Retreat and Learning Center in Telephone, Texas. He is a lecturer in Comparative Religion, Islamic Philosophy, Near Eastern Studies, Christian and World Spirituality. He lived for ten years in the Middle East, including seven years in Iran, where he studied Sufism and Islamic spirituality with Seyyed Hossein Nasr.
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