We sit down with Dr. Andrew Jacobs, scholar of early Christianity and advisor/lecturer at the University of Virginia, to explore his book, “Gospel Thrillers: Conspiracy Fiction and the Vulnerable Bible.”

Jacobs traces how he stumbled onto this pulp-friendly genre two decades ago in a Virginia used bookstore and found a recurring formula: a lost or secret gospel, shadowy forces, high-stakes chases, and an anxious fascination with how the Bible shapes identity and power in American culture. From Cold War roots to “The Da Vinci Code” era, he shows how these novels mirror public fantasies about academics, archeology, and hidden truths, and why the Bible functions as a totem even for secular audiences.

[https://ia801009.us.archive.org/30/items/audio-final-gospel-thrillers/AUDIO%20FINAL%20GOSPEL%20THRILLERS.mp3]