Theology
I've gotten several questions about the image above. It's not Tiffany's, it's from a Medieval church in Germany. Like the Methodist hymn with words from the Gospel of Thomas, this image was influenced by information from the early source material used to create the canonical gospels. Unlike the Gospel of Thomas, discovered in Nag Hammadi in this century, the Coptic Gospel for the Animals was uncovered in Medieval times and possibly brought to Europe by the Knights Templar. In this text the story of "Jesus and the Spaniel" appears. Scholars date this material to 100-150 C.E. and admit to some obvious Essene influences. 
From the popularity of the stained glass image above, we have continued to search for little known religious art which may interest our visitors. This second image was found behind the plaster in the workshop wall of Sandro Botticelli. There is a similar painting in the Sistine Chapel without the spaniel. Art scholars believe that this was the original painting destined for the Sistine Chapel but rejected by Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere. Scholars say that in this painting, Jesus shows his love for Peter by letting him walk his dog. |
