This book is a model of scholarship. Prof. Gartner lays out very clearly the assumptions and methods within which he works. He states their limits plainly, draws his conclusions in a manner which is perfectly consistent with them, and weights his findings accordingly. I only wish that all such analysis was undertaken with this level of integrity. That said, my own study leads me to believe that of all the texts found in the so-called Nag Hammadi library (most of which are plainly Gnostic), slightly less than half of the "sayings" which make up the Gospel of Thomas (about 50 out of 114) are clear candidates for repositories of authentic teachings of Jesus. Extracting these teachings would be, of course, a formidable undertaking. Could this be done, however, the material uncovered would be an inestimably valuable addition to our understanding of the canonical gospels, including John. I hope that someone of Prof. Gartner's insight and integrity will someday undertake the task. Published 1961.
