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Title: The Apocryphal Jesus
Author: The Great Courses
Narrator: Professor David Brakke
Format: Unabridged
Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
Language: English
Release date: 03-31-17
Publisher: The Great Courses
Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 131 votes
Genres: Religion & Spirituality, Christianity
Publisher's Summary:
The New Testament gives us 27 canonical texts - gospels, letters, and more - but these works are only a tiny fraction of the many volumes written about the life of Jesus, his family, and the apostles. This alternative body of literature falls under the category of "apocrypha", which means "hidden" or "secret", and it offers fascinating insights into the early Christian world. But these early Christian apocryphal works are more than historical curiosities.
The canonical Bible is one of the most influential books in all of Western history, but you might be surprised to find out how many gaps and contradictions the New Testament contains. Much of what we know about Jesus today actually comes from these apocryphal sources, so The Apocryphal Jesus is your chance to learn the true breadth and depth of the early Christian world. Over the course of 24 revealing lectures, Professor David Brakke of The Ohio State University takes you on a tour of this world and surveys the major apocryphal works that have survived.
From forged letters to newly discovered gospels, early Christian authors wrote reams of literature about Jesus, his family, and the apostles, drawing from an even larger oral tradition. Even though only a tiny portion of apocryphal works survive today, reviewing this literature gives us a host of new angles on well-known figures from the Bible, as well as insights that can't be found anywhere in the New Testament.
Among other topics, you will examine the cult of the Virgin Mary through the Proto-Gospel of James, survey the Gnostic vision presented in the Gospel of Judas, encounter a radically different view of Jesus' teaching in the Gospel of Thomas, gain new insights into early Christian life, and much, much more.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
Members Reviews:
Writings that influenced holy canons.
Behind the scenes where scholars dominate are the apocryphal works that influenced scripture - but how many people know about it? The author truly understands this field of knowledge and he managed to say it in language that somebody like me can grasp.
I like the way the author narrates. It's unique and down to earth. Maybe I'll one day read some of the most significant apocryphal texts. Or not. I trust the author as a guide to this literature.
Some of the topics covered peaked my interest. Joseph, Mary, Jesus' brothers and others - they are covered in ways that I never came across other than basic beliefs about them. The stories within along with the professor's explanations provide insight into the thinking about canonical selections as well as various Christian practices.
In a way, I think people who care about scriptures will want to know what scholars such as the author have found. On the other hand, exposure to all the miracles described in this other literature seems to me something that would make listeners skeptical.