The Moral Character Development of the Boy Jesus in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas

Abstract

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.