Reading the Gospel of Thomas from Here: A Trans-Centred Hermeneutic
This article adopts a trans-centered approach to reading the Gospel of Thomas, in particular key statements found in Gos. Thom. 22 and 114. Treatments of gender in the gospel are discussed from the author’s position as a queer woman of transgender experience, informed by postcolonial, feminist, and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Sheffield
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Journal for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://hcommons.org/deposits/view/hc:29256/CONTENT/4.-harl-sellew-final-61-96.pdf/ |
| _version_ | 1819001565096181760 |
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| author | Melissa Harl Sellew |
| author_facet | Melissa Harl Sellew |
| author_sort | Melissa Harl Sellew |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article adopts a trans-centered approach to reading the Gospel of Thomas, in particular key statements found in Gos. Thom. 22 and 114. Treatments of gender in the gospel are discussed from the author’s position as a queer woman of transgender experience, informed by postcolonial, feminist, and gender-critical theory and practice. Literary and historical comparisons with Philo of Alexandria and the apostle Paul are explored to uncover Thomas’s worldview, which is seen to be darkly critical of the material world, while being hopeful for spiritual transformation. Though the Gospel of Thomas participates in the prevalent masculinist ideology of most literature of the day, many of its sayings may garner a new or nuanced meaning when read through a transgender lens, including especially the demand for replacement of the outer person with the inner person (Gos. Thom. 22), and potential salvation through erasure of conventional gender difference in the making of an ungendered Living Spirit resembling Jesus (Gos. Thom. 114). |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T22:51:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-df13c08f7dd345c692c79caa55a5fe1b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2633-0695 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T22:51:14Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | University of Sheffield |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-df13c08f7dd345c692c79caa55a5fe1b2022-12-21T19:24:14ZengUniversity of SheffieldJournal for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies2633-06952020-01-0112619610.17613/4etz-b919Reading the Gospel of Thomas from Here: A Trans-Centred HermeneuticMelissa Harl SellewThis article adopts a trans-centered approach to reading the Gospel of Thomas, in particular key statements found in Gos. Thom. 22 and 114. Treatments of gender in the gospel are discussed from the author’s position as a queer woman of transgender experience, informed by postcolonial, feminist, and gender-critical theory and practice. Literary and historical comparisons with Philo of Alexandria and the apostle Paul are explored to uncover Thomas’s worldview, which is seen to be darkly critical of the material world, while being hopeful for spiritual transformation. Though the Gospel of Thomas participates in the prevalent masculinist ideology of most literature of the day, many of its sayings may garner a new or nuanced meaning when read through a transgender lens, including especially the demand for replacement of the outer person with the inner person (Gos. Thom. 22), and potential salvation through erasure of conventional gender difference in the making of an ungendered Living Spirit resembling Jesus (Gos. Thom. 114).https://hcommons.org/deposits/view/hc:29256/CONTENT/4.-harl-sellew-final-61-96.pdf/gospel of thomasgendertransgenderqueering jesusreader response |
| spellingShingle | Melissa Harl Sellew Reading the Gospel of Thomas from Here: A Trans-Centred Hermeneutic Journal for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies gospel of thomas gender transgender queering jesus reader response |
| title | Reading the Gospel of Thomas from Here: A Trans-Centred Hermeneutic |
| title_full | Reading the Gospel of Thomas from Here: A Trans-Centred Hermeneutic |
| title_fullStr | Reading the Gospel of Thomas from Here: A Trans-Centred Hermeneutic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reading the Gospel of Thomas from Here: A Trans-Centred Hermeneutic |
| title_short | Reading the Gospel of Thomas from Here: A Trans-Centred Hermeneutic |
| title_sort | reading the gospel of thomas from here a trans centred hermeneutic |
| topic | gospel of thomas gender transgender queering jesus reader response |
| url | https://hcommons.org/deposits/view/hc:29256/CONTENT/4.-harl-sellew-final-61-96.pdf/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT melissaharlsellew readingthegospelofthomasfromhereatranscentredhermeneutic |