Morrice, William G. Hidden sayings of Jesus: words attributed to Jesus outside the four Gospels. London: SPCK; Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson, 1997

Buck, Erwin

English

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 25
Issue 1 Contextual Perspectives in Pastoral Care and
Counselling
Article 16
5-1-1999
Hidden sayings of Jesus: words attributed to Jesus
outside the four Gospels
Erwin Buck
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Buck, Erwin (1999) "Hidden sayings of Jesus: words attributed to Jesus outside the four Gospels," Consensus: Vol. 25 : Iss. 1 , Article
16.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol25/iss1/16
126 Consensus
both time and space considering how the biblical authors themselves use
scripture, and investigating such ancient methods as the sensus plenior,
modern approaches such as deconstruction, and paying particular attention
throughout to the contribution made by various hermeneutics of suspicion.
In fact, this book would also make a nice preacher’s companion to Robert
Grant and David Tracy’s A Short History of the Interpretation of the Bible.
The book’s seventeen chapters are divided into four sections,
corresponding to the division of genres, and within each section, Goldingay
considers his chosen interpretive models. One strategy for using the book
might be to read the opening paragraph of each chapter. Here Goldingay
poses some general questions for each model and something of the
trajectory he will take in his dialogue with it. One quickly infers that Goldingay
himself favours an interpretive approach which (a) rests on historical critical
exegesis; (b) assumes an authoritative “place one might stand’’ to evaluate
interpretation; and (c) favours expository preaching (it would have been good
for him to admit these preferences more explicitly). Of course, these
preferences are widely shared, and one strength of the book for most
“mainline’’ preachers and teachers is that Goldingay’s questions are similar
to those we ourselves would ask (or have asked!). This reader did find his
treatment of other models open, and even-handed, though readers more
fully committed to philosophical, “suspicious”, or “pre-critical” approaches
may find Goldingay’s preferences a stumbling block.
Henry Langknecht
Emmanuel College
Hidden Sayings of Jesus: Words attributed to Jesus outside the
four Gospels
Williann Morrice
Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997
250 pages
This book presents “a fairly comprehensive, though not exhaustive”
collection of 253 extracanonical sayings of Jesus in English, each graded
from A to D according to its probable authenticity. It includes a brief survey
of the formation of the New Testament canon and a rationale of the author’s
methodology. The individual sayings, each followed by a very brief
commentary, are drawn from a wide range of sources, including New
Testament variant readings, the Gospel of Thomas, apocryphal gospels,
early patristic literature, and the Koran.
Book Reviews 127
From the vast storehouse the author evidently selected those sayings
I
which he considered most likely to be authentic. Morrice distinguishes
I
between external and internal tests of authenticity. Although he avoids the
i| traditional technical terminology, his external tests correspond roughly to the
criterion of multiple attestation and his internal tests are approximately
equivalent to the criteria of dissimilarity and cohesion of the “Second Quest”.
In his assessment, it is the criterion of cohesion which seems to carry
most weight. “Those [sayings] that are virtually identical with the canonical
I
text...will normally be marked with an A. Where a saying is very close to one
i
or more in the New Testament, it is quite possibly authentic and will be
;
marked with a B. Where it is obviously true to the spirit of Jesus as we know
that from our reading of the New Testament but there is no clear canonical
parallel, it will be given a C rating” (25). The grades range from “most likely
authentic” (A), “some doubt” (B), “more doubtful” (C), to “the most
doubtful” (D).
I
One wonders what the author means by “authentic”, since he evidently
j
considers all the sayings of Jesus in the New Testament to belong to this
j
category, thus disregarding the findings of redaction critical and historical
I
Jesus research. The problem is compounded by the fact that these
i (assumed to be) authentic sayings become the standard by which the
authenticity of extra-canonical sayings is measured.
The Gospel of Thomas supplies the bulk of the sayings covered in this
book (55-140). Thomas is not gnostic, argues Morrice, but encratite, and he
holds that the encratite orientation is foreign to the spirit of Jesus, and that
all sayings which show traces of it must be graded D. When these criteria are
applied, reports Morrice, the resulting profile of the authentic sayings “is
broadly in line with the portraits drawn by New Testament writers” (215).
One might have expected as much, since “one of the main criteria of
authenticity that has been applied is compatability [sic] with what we already
know of Jesus from the canonical gospels” (216). A circular argument?
The book is aimed at the “general readership” (vii). The specialist will
lament the author’s imprecision. Yet the lay person, too, may be left in the
lurch. Does the educated non-specialist have enough background to be able
to deal with sentences like: “the absence [in Thomas] of the allegorical
interpretation found in all three synoptic gospels confirms the view that it was
the work of the early Church though it may well be true to the mind of Jesus”
(73)?
The book shows that a wide variety of sayings have been attributed to
Jesus and that the authenticity of such sayings is not to be taken for granted.
This will give lay persons something to think about.
Erwin Buck
Lutheran Theological Seminary


Hidden sayings of Jesus: words attributed to Jesus outside the four Gospels

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 25Issue 1 Contextual Perspectives in Pastoral Care andCounsellingArticle 165-1-1999Hidden sayings of Jesus: words attributed to Jesusoutside the four GospelsErwin BuckFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationBuck, Erwin (1999) "Hidden sayings of Jesus: words attributed to Jesus outside the four Gospels," Consensus: Vol. 25 : Iss. 1 , Article16.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol25/iss1/16126 Consensusboth time and space considering how the biblical authors themselves usescripture, and investigating such ancient methods as the sensus plenior,modern approaches such as deconstruction, and paying particular attentionthroughout to the contribution made by various hermeneutics of suspicion.In fact, this book would also make a nice preacher’s companion to RobertGrant and David Tracy’s A Short History of the Interpretation of the Bible.The book’s seventeen chapters are divided into four sections,corresponding to the division of genres, and within each section, Goldingayconsiders his chosen interpretive models. One strategy for using the bookmight be to read the opening paragraph of each chapter. Here Goldingayposes some general questions for each model and something of thetrajectory he will take in his dialogue with it. One quickly infers that Goldingayhimself favours an interpretive approach which (a) rests on historical criticalexegesis; (b) assumes an authoritative “place one might stand’’ to evaluateinterpretation; and (c) favours expository preaching (it would have been goodfor him to admit these preferences more explicitly). Of course, thesepreferences are widely shared, and one strength of the book for most“mainline’’ preachers and teachers is that Goldingay’s questions are similarto those we ourselves would ask (or have asked!). This reader did find histreatment of other models open, and even-handed, though readers morefully committed to philosophical, “suspicious”, or “pre-critical” approachesmay find Goldingay’s preferences a stumbling block.Henry LangknechtEmmanuel CollegeHidden Sayings of Jesus: Words attributed to Jesus outside thefour GospelsWilliann MorricePeabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997250 pagesThis book presents “a fairly comprehensive, though not exhaustive”collection of 253 extracanonical sayings of Jesus in English, each gradedfrom A to D according to its probable authenticity. It includes a brief surveyof the formation of the New Testament canon and a rationale of the author’smethodology. The individual sayings, each followed by a very briefcommentary, are drawn from a wide range of sources, including NewTestament variant readings, the Gospel of Thomas, apocryphal gospels,early patristic literature, and the Koran.Book Reviews 127From the vast storehouse the author evidently selected those sayingsIwhich he considered most likely to be authentic. Morrice distinguishesIbetween external and internal tests of authenticity. Although he avoids thei| traditional technical terminology, his external tests correspond roughly to thecriterion of multiple attestation and his internal tests are approximatelyequivalent to the criteria of dissimilarity and cohesion of the “Second Quest”.In his assessment, it is the criterion of cohesion which seems to carrymost weight. “Those [sayings] that are virtually identical with the canonicalItext...will normally be marked with an A. Where a saying is very close to oneior more in the New Testament, it is quite possibly authentic and will be;marked with a B. Where it is obviously true to the spirit of Jesus as we knowthat from our reading of the New Testament but there is no clear canonicalparallel, it will be given a C rating” (25). The grades range from “most likelyauthentic” (A), “some doubt” (B), “more doubtful” (C), to “the mostdoubtful” (D).IOne wonders what the author means by “authentic”, since he evidentlyjconsiders all the sayings of Jesus in the New Testament to belong to thisjcategory, thus disregarding the findings of redaction critical and historicalIJesus research. The problem is compounded by the fact that thesei (assumed to be) authentic sayings become the standard by which theauthenticity of extra-canonical sayings is measured.The Gospel of Thomas supplies the bulk of the sayings covered in thisbook (55-140). Thomas is not gnostic, argues Morrice, but encratite, and heholds that the encratite orientation is foreign to the spirit of Jesus, and thatall sayings which show traces of it must be graded D. When these criteria areapplied, reports Morrice, the resulting profile of the authentic sayings “isbroadly in line with the portraits drawn by New Testament writers” (215).One might have expected as much, since “one of the main criteria ofauthenticity that has been applied is compatability [sic] with what we alreadyknow of Jesus from the canonical gospels” (216). A circular argument?The book is aimed at the “general readership” (vii). The specialist willlament the author’s imprecision. Yet the lay person, too, may be left in thelurch. Does the educated non-specialist have enough background to be ableto deal with sentences like: “the absence [in Thomas] of the allegoricalinterpretation found in all three synoptic gospels confirms the view that it wasthe work of the early Church though it may well be true to the mind of Jesus”(73)?The book shows that a wide variety of sayings have been attributed toJesus and that the authenticity of such sayings is not to be taken for granted.This will give lay persons something to think about.Erwin BuckLutheran Theological Seminary

https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1512&amp;context=consensus

Hidden sayings of Jesus: words attributed to Jesus outside the four Gospels

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