RT Article
T1 The Moral Character Development of the Boy Jesus in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas
JF Journal for the study of the New Testament
VO 38
IS 2
SP 219
OP 240
A1 Whitenton, Michael R.
LA English
YR 2015
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1776996976
AB Whether or not the boy Jesus in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas (IGT) is portrayed as an ‘idealized child’ or a true-to-life child is a question that, whether implicitly or explicitly, lies at the heart of some of the most recent contributions to this second-century supplement to the Gospel of Luke. However, the potential contribution of ancient conceptions of child development to this conundrum has remained thus far overlooked. This article addresses this lacuna by approaching the characterization of the boy Jesus in IGT from the perspective on ancient views of childhood development, tracing his age-specific acquisition of self-control and benevolence for others across the narrative. Cast in this light, IGT imagines what sort of child would develop into Luke’s Jesus and, in so doing, supplements what may have been perceived to be lacking in the third gospel.
K1 Moral Development
K1 Jesus
K1 character development
K1 Self-control
K1 Infancy Gospel of Thomas
K1 Apocryphal Gospels
DO 10.1177/0142064X15609212