8: Important Key Topics Flashcards
Explain: “History is written by the victors.” How does this apply to our main concerns in this course?
Winston Churchill says: “History is written by the victors.” For example, when Canada was colonized by the British during the Conquest in the mid 1700s, it became the anglophones who dominated Canadian politics, policies, governing, education, economy, etc. The First Nations and Francophones lost the war, and Canadian history was written by the British. This applies to our main concerns in this course, because the same can be said about Christian tradition. The proto-orthodox group won the war in early Christianity and got to write history. The losers of the war drifted into obscurity, forgotten by history, their scriptures censored and then eventually lost They eventually were even persecuted. (e.g. Pope Leo I orders Gnostic texts to be burned in 447 CE, however, heretics were also burned sometimes too).
Heretics and Orthodox are made by councils (official decrees). The winners get to decide who is right and who is wrong. There were no such things as “heretics” until the Council of Nicea. Therefore, the victors get to write history.
How were politics involved in the selection of books for the canon?
Later on when they came to decide which was the right and wrong factors of Christianity, politics played a great role. The New School has the tendency to claim that the development of so-called “orthodoxy” in Christianity is mainly (or even purely) a result of POLITICAL FACTORS. In short, it’s a question of control! The New School considers the early orthodox bishops as the victors in the struggles that characterized early Christian history. Hence, these victorious bishops got to decide what was right and what was wrong.
Significance of the form of the gospel of Thomas – link with Q document
Thomas is a Gospel of 114 sayings, and over half of the sayings of Thomas can be linked with what is found in the Synoptic Gospels (79 out of 114)
For example, beatitudes, the happy lion, the Kingdom of the Father, etc.
Thus, some scholars have linked it with the Q document (a theoretical document that is imagined as a sayings gospel from with Matthew and Luke are written)
At least some parts of Thomas may be traced to an earlier period, at least to the time of Mark, Matthew and Luke
However, along the way, some sayings (that are more explicitly gnostic in character) where added on through time
The most probable model for the origination of the sayings in Thomas is that it represents a theological stream that appeared in the second century from the Synoptic Gospels, but includes several logia from traditions independent from the Synoptics.
It is probable that the author compiled the sayings which characterize Jesus in the way that the author feels is most authentic
How did the discovery of the gospel of Thomas strengthen the belief in the possibility of a Q document?
The Q document is part of the widely accepted “two-source hypothesis” for explaining the Synoptic Gospels relations to each other
It is imagined as a “Sayings Gospel”
Some scholars objected to this hypothetical source saying that there could not be just a “sayings gospel”
However, the discovery of Thomas vindicated this argument; it shows that there were indeed sayings gospels in the ancient world
Do The Non-Canonical Christian Writings have any value at all? Can they speak to us and teach us important things?
The non-canonical Christian writings are highly valuable because they give insight into the early Christian communities. Just as the canonical books tell about the first and second century Christian movement, and the communities in dialogue and conflict with each other, so too do the non-canonical gospels. From these writings, we can study how the proto-orthodox movement won, and have a better understanding of why Christianity came to be what it is today.
Was it right for orthodox Christianity to suppress The Non-Canonical Christian Writings?
Perhaps it was unethical/immoral for Christianity to suppress these writings in ancient times. In history, it is important to research and determine the truth (e.g. what really happened at the Battle of Dieppe?), and the proto-orthodox essentially did this, except the difference is that it was their truth. Therefore, it is not justifiable for them to impose their own, personal convictions onto others as the truth.
However, the suppression of writings which countered an Emperor;ss vision for the world has occurred often in history. For example, the Pope banned a number of liberal books in libraries in Quebec during the ultra monastic years. I am not justifying the suppression of the non canonical books, but it is critical to recognize the purpose for which it was done, in the particular historical context in which it took place. Christianity may not have survived if it was extremely diverse, and so the proto-orthodox movement aimed to ensure that their belief system won over all others by suppressing any belief systems that opposed theirs.
However, it is certainly not right for these writings to be suppressed today. It is irresponsible to teach the Christian faith from a one-sided viewpoint. The non canonical writings hold equal importance with the canonical writings when studying Christianity’s roots. It is important to know about the early Christian communities that fought for the formation of the Christian dogma, and understanding the groups that they were battling against (and why they were battling against them) is significant history that ought not to be overlooked.
What have we lost because of their suppression?
Because of the suppression of the non-canonical writings, we have lost much of the rich diversity that existed in early Christianity, and instead we are left with a one-sided worldview (picture of reality) that is influenced by Roman social order and hierarchy, and is founded on the oppression of certain groups. For this reason, studying religion from a history-critical method is crucial for distinguishing accuracies from inaccuracies, and determining what Jesus intended for the world, and what the early proto-orthodox movement, Constantine, and Church Fathers intended for the world.
