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
Stevan Davies is professor of religious studies at Misericordia University and has studied the non-canonical gospels and acts for over thirty years. Among his books are The Gospel of Thomas: Annotated and Explained, The Secret Book of John: The Gnostic Gospel--Annotated and Explained (both SkyLight Paths) and The Revolt of the Widows: The Social World of the Apocryphal Acts. He has also published books about the canonical Christian scriptures including New Testament Fundamentals and Jesus the Healer: Possession, Trance and the Origins of Christianity. His website (http: //users.misericordia.edu/davies/thomas/Thomas.html) is a leading Internet resource on the Gospel of Thomas.
A. Edward Siecienski, PhD is assistant professor of philosophy at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and also serves as Clement and Helen Pappas Professor of Byzantine Civilization and Religion at the college's Interdisciplinary Center for Hellenic Studies.