Questions arise about scholars who collaborated in National Geographic’s Gospel of Judas

Catholic News Agency ^ | April 24, 2006

[Suzy Quzy]

This book is a bunch of crap....however did you know there were TWO Judas Apostles?

[gaspar]

Elaine Pagels made her bones in the atheist/agnostic community with The Gnostic Gospels, 1979. It was known then that if anything she was a gnostic herself -- and took especial glee from twisting Christian tails, just as the heretical Gnostics did in the early centuries following the death of Christ. As for the book on Judas, I recall that Iraneus writing in the 3rd century rejected it out of hand (sorry, I don't have the book at hand but I believe it was in "Against Heresies").

[klossg]

I watched it over the weekend. It is interesting in that it places the document being written around 260 AD to 380 AD via carbon dating. It also talks about the documents journey since being found in the 80s. Basically it proves fairly convincingly that it is most likely the document that St. Irenaeus of Lyon (Asia Minor) debunks in his writings.

St. Irenaeus was most influenced by St. Polycarp. (The documentary doesn't go into that - just says he was a bishop of Lyon. St. Polycarp knew the Apostles or their direct disciples personally. He speaks of John in his writings quite a bit. So, Irenaeus isn't just flying off the handle as a clueless bishop when he condemns the Gospel of Judas. But, the documentary does its best to paint St. Irenaeus's writing as based on nothing but that "there are 4 corners of the earth, four directions on a compass and therefore 4 gospels" ... until the last few minutes of the documentary. Finally the documentary states what was the kernel of St. Irenaeus's writing against the heretical writing.

The documentary spends only the last 15 minutes or so of the 2 hour show actually discussing the content of the actual document (The Gospel of Judas.) It does link it to the other Gnostic writings and the Gnostic movement. It says that the Gnostics were called heretics. But, it definitely leaves it up in the air why the gnostic Gospels and other writings were rejected by the church. The documentary works to show that the selection of the 4 Gospels was more random and that Christianity was more diverse and that many of the Christians used the 30 or so Gnostic Gospels in services and study.

It is not a danger to solid Catholics. Actually parts of it are so blatant in its Christian hate, that even Christian haters may wonder why it is so jagged. The documentary even asks if Judas should be made into a saint. National Geographic didn't make a convincing case for the Gospel. And it even unmasks some of the Gnostic ideas, such as their disbelief in the Resurrection. It was interesting though and some one who is clueless might be led astray. But if you want a good laugh or see a pathetic attempt to elevate Judas to the level of saint ... watch it.

[Unam Sanctam]

Ad hominem arguments are fellatious.

Why bring Monica Lewinsky into it?

[muir_redwoods]

"Ad hominem arguments are fellatious."

You mean they suck?

[TennesseeGirl]

No agenda here. (fill in a mental picture of me rolling my eyes with exasperation)

[windcliff]

ping

[guinness4strength]

Nice read, but even as a sympathetic Christian, I found the piece a bit too offended by the alleged gospel.

Let's examine it plainly: one of the disciples had to betray Jesus or prophecies would be left unfilfilled. It's therefore logical Jesus may have chosen his betrayer, as he chose them all in the first place.

Peter denies him three times and is made the "rock of the Church."

[JmyBryan]

I believe you miss my point. I'm saying that the point of the telecast is to promote or manufacture controversy where none exists, not to be a balanced or varied consideration of the theological implications of the document. I submit that few "orthodox" scholars would participate in a show that promotes this kind of hype.

IMHO few scholars, for or against traditional interpretation of the NT, find the Gospel of Judas all that revolutionary.

[onedoug]

I've always assciated Pagels with paganism as her name and works appeared early in our forays into those fields.

Amy Jill Levine did a fairly balanced job in that Teaching Company series I have of The Old Testament.

They can stick their "pro-abortion" credentials though.

I'm not familiar with the others.

Two questions still relieve some of the controversy of this however (for me anyway):

1)How could Christianity have proliferated without Judas? and,

2)How could America have been founded without Christianity?

This seems much ado about nothing. But then, I come at it from a Jewish perspective.

[Continental Soldier]

Is it possible for anyone to report anything without bias anymore? Does everyone have an agenda? Is every opportunity before the microphone or the camera merely a chance to advance that agenda? What ever happened to Sgt. Joe Friday? "The facts, just the facts, ma'am!"

[NYer]

Does everyone have an agenda? Is every opportunity before the microphone or the camera merely a chance to advance that agenda?

So long as it will debunk christianity .... yes! Where are the voices denegrating Islam?

[Tax-chick]

Where are the voices denegrating Islam?

Dead?

[Radix]

"Judas, the closest friend of Jesus..."

Really?

Was that from the Gospel of Judas?

[Radix]

How did I know you were gone B/4 I even clicked on your name?

[Teófilo]

Read also "Bearer of Bad News: A brief analysis of the so-called “Gospel of Judas," in three parts:

Part I

Part II

Part III

A full version in Acrobat PDF will be available tomorrow in Vivificat!

-Theo

[ArGee]

According to Pagels, the story of the betrayal of Judas gave birth to an anti-Semitic sentiment among Christians.

I have never heard this theory. From what I understand, the origin of the deadly split between Church and Synagogue is not very clear. Obviously there were episodes such as the stoning of Stephen in the book of Acts, and Saul handing Christians over to the Priests as recorded in that same book. But Christianity was a sect of Judaism practiced solely by Jews until the dispersion after Stephen's stoning. The early followers of Jesus did their initial preaching in the Synagogue, only preaching to non-Jews after the Synagogue had rejected them. Peter had to have a visit from the Holy Spirit to preach to non-Jews and had to defend himself in front of a Council in Jerusalem for the practice. And even though Paul was considered the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul was an observant Jew.

What we do know is, at some point the Jews added a 19th prayer to their list of 18 daily blessings, the prayer cursed the apostate. This is believed to be a curse against those who became Christians. Also (not sure which happened first) the Church decided that it was wrong to remain Jewish if you converted to Christianity and so outlawed Jewish observances.

To blame any of that on Judas, who was only one of 12 Jews who were considered Apostles, is just plain stupid.

Shalom.

[Northern Yankee]

I like the picture!

(fill in a mental picture of me rolling my eyes with exasperation)

Join the club. ; )

[NYer]

Thank you for the post! Most fascinating.

I am a Roman Catholic practicing my faith in a Maronite (Eastern) Catholic Church. Of all the Catholic Churches, the Maronites retain the Jewish heritage more than the others, through the use of Aramaic/Syriac in their liturgy and the architectural design elements of their churches.

What we do know is, at some point the Jews added a 19th prayer to their list of 18 daily blessings, the prayer cursed the apostate. This is believed to be a curse against those who became Christians.

Do you have a link? I would be most interested in reading through these prayers. Thanks!

[SuziQ]

the text portrays Judas as “not the evil, corrupt, devil-inspired follower of Jesus who betrayed his master; he is instead Jesus' closest intimate and friend, the one who understood Jesus better than anyone else,

But, but, I thought that Dan Brown said that person was Mary Magdalene! ;o)

Is anyone truly surprised that this herd of independent minds was behind the special on the "Gospel of Judas"?