Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal [Paperback]

Frederick Ramsay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 2007

Questions about JUDAS ISCARIOT tantalized scholars, clergy, and laypersons. Why did he betray JESUS, then no more than an obscure itinerant rabbi? Why did Jesus select him to be one of his closest and most trusted associates in the first place? Jesus claimed a special relationship with God. Should he not have anticipated his betrayal? Is it possible, then, that the two were co-conspirators in Jesus martyrdom?Unlike the many recent "Gospels of Judas" which appeared after the release of the National Geographic special, this book tells a plausible and compelling story-a story of a boy turned man but whose loyalty will be compromised by zealotry on the one hand and vanity on the other.The child Judas, the illegitimate offspring of a Jewish woman and a Roman soldier, struggles to understand his mother's god, a god who allows terrible things to happen to him and his family. Despairing, he abandons any hope of ever finding that god and becomes a survivor in the brutal streets that characterized the Roman Empire in the first century.Later, as a young man determined to avenge the wrongs committed against his mother and sister, he returns to the land of his birth hoping to join the rebels led by Barabbas, only to be betrayed by them as well. Beaten and broken he is brought to the community of Zealots at Qumran and eventually to the one forming around Rabbi Jesus.During this journey he discovers God and is baptized into messianic anticipation. His enthusiasm for revolution lead him to out-guess God. He proceeds down a path that will result in a difficult, and for him and others, fateful choice.In the end, faced with the consequences of that decision, friendless and without his master, he retreats to the outskirts of Jerusalem there to bring an end to his journey, perhaps to start another. Audience: Readers of religious fiction, historical fiction-believers and non-believers alike. Iscariot will appeal to all segments of society. It is primarily an unraveling of a mystery, not

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Frederick Ramsay was born in Baltimore, the son of a respected teacher, researcher, and scientist. He is a graduate of the McDonogh School and Washington and Lee University. He received his doctorate from the University of Illinois. After a stint in the Army, he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, where he taught, engaged in research, and served as an Associate Dean. During this time he also pursued studies in theology and in 1971 was ordained an Episcopal priest. In 1991 he accepted a full time position as Rector of Saint Andrew's Church in Pasadena, Maryland. He is now retired from full-time ministry.Frederick Ramsay is no stranger to theological controversy. He is one of the co-authors of The Baltimore Declaration, a tract that created a minor firestorm in the church. Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal, while a fictional account of the life of that enigmatic figure, promises to raise many questions about Jesus, his followers, and the canonical gospelsHis first novel, Artscape, was published by Poisoned Pen Press and launched July, 2004. His second, Secrets, also published by Poisoned Pen Press, was released in August of 2005. Impulse, a book set in Baltimore County, Maryland at a private school launched in July of 2006. It received a starred review and was designated as one of the best one hundred books of 2006 by Publisher's Weekly. His latest mystery, Buffalo Mountain, is scheduled for release in August of 2007He is an iconographer, an accomplished public speaker and once hosted a television spot, Prognosis, on television. He is a frequent workshop leader and speaker at The Southern California Writers Conferences. He currently lives in Surprise, Arizona with his wife and partner, Susan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (April 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 143430227X
• ISBN-13: 978-1434302274
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,181,804 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one you really want to read, July 27, 2007

By 

Bette Dowdell "Author of "How to Be a Chr... (Phoenix AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal (Paperback)

Fred Ramsay sure knows how to tell a story! Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal is a one-sit book: You get it, you sit down to read it, and you can't get up until you're done.

The book is a fictional account of Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, but you don't have to know the actual history to enjoy the story.

If you like mysteries, you'll like this book. If you like historical novels, you'll like this book. If you like Christian novels, you'll like this book. Heck, if you enjoy reading at all, you'll like this book.

Ramsay takes readers on a fast-paced romp. Lots of writers can do that-although he does it far better than the average bear. What's truly unique is readers don't need to know the history to fully enjoy the book. If you know the Bible story, you'll enjoy the book's congruity with the Scriptures. If you don't know the Bible story, you'll simply rock along enjoying the book.

As you may have gathered, I really like this book-and I'm not a big fan of most fiction.

However, I do have a rather large bone to pick about one of the back notes Ramsay included to add historical details should the reader be interested.

In the back note about the Crucifixion, Ramsay says the Bible's description of that day's events cannot be accurate and seemingly dismisses one part of the story concerning the guards. I have two problems with this: First, the story about the Roman guards is supported in other materials, and the guards were definitely Roman, not from the temple as Ramsay posits.

Second, Christians cannot pick and choose which parts of the Scripture to believe. We may not understand it all, but that's simply a matter of further study. Approaching the Bible as if it were a smorgasbord, wherein we pick and choose the items we like, destroys its integrity, and we lose the solid rock on which we stand. Some liberal scholars (so-called) take the pick-and-choose approach, but that's about ego, not about God's word. I don't get the idea Ramsay's part of that sad group.

It may be that Ramsay is hatching a plan. The actions of the Roman guards that he cites are quite inexplicable unless you understand the political intrigue involved. Perhaps this fine writer has set us up for another page-turner. That would be a good thing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars About Judas: a Gospel of Betrayal, by Fred Ramsay, July 6, 2007

By 

Charles M. Rollhauser (maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal (Paperback)

About Judas: a Gospel of Betrayal, by Fred Ramsay

Fred Ramsay is the kind of character who looks at things from an angle that most people have never considered. Once, long ago, I compared him to Gary Larson, the artist behind the "Far Side" cartoons. I explained that when Larson had made a cartoon of a dog scratching, he drew it from the flea's perspective. (I believe the caption was, "The claw, the claw's back! Quick! Grab the kids!") As the rector of our little church, Fred's sermons were compelling not only because of his great knowledge of Scripture but also because this ability to look at things from this "Far Side" perspective.
What does all this have to do with a fictional look at the life of the most despised apostle? The "Far Side" look at Judas has to handle who Judas was, why the other apostles disliked him, how he actually came to betray Christ, and what became of him. The novel is also about how Fred Ramsay handles these differing views of Judas. He does all of this and makes it an interesting, no compelling story.
First, the author knows what he's talking about in terms of the history and culture of the area. Second, the characters in his story are realistic and credible, both from a first century perspective and a twenty-first century point of view. Third, he tells the story in an interesting, intimate way - in the first person. And then, there's that unexpected ending.
Anyone with any interest in reading about the saints and sinners in the early Christian Church, anyone interested in feeling what life under Roman rule was really like, and anyone who wants an easy-to-read story about living in turbulent times will be interested in this book.