136 of 151 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Fine Contribution from Prof. Robinson, April 7, 2006
In recent times, there seems to be a resurgence of interest in the history of religion, and especially in Christian origins and the early "gospels" which didn't make it into the Christian New Testament. This can be seen, for example, in the fairly large number of "popular" books published during the past decade which deal with these topics. Most of these works have been written by qualified scholars rather than by nonprofessionals and are targeted to the ordinary non-specialized reader. I think this point is important because for all too long the writing of religious history has been geared toward the university student or other working scholars in the field. Part of this interest may be the result of recent publications and TV documentaries about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi codices. Almost everyone is interested in a mystery and new discoveries within the disciplines of biblical archaeology and New Testament history have certainly supplied the content for a contemporary religious detective story.
I have met many people, for instance, who have read Elaine Pagels' "The Gnostic Gospels" or her tempting work "The Origin of Satan" and expressed an interest in pursuing further study of these subjects. I have discussed Burton Mack's "The Lost Gospel: The Book of Christian Origins" with young people who surprised me with their interest in this topic. I remember when "Eyewitness to Jesus: Amazing New Manuscript Evidence About the Origin of the Gospels" by Carsten Peter Thiede and Matthew D'Ancona first appeared on the scene and the controversy it generated among some young college students of my acquaintance. And, of course, there are the ever-popular books by Professor Bart Ehrman, such as his recent "Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew" and, even more recently, "Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code," his response to Dan Brown's controversial best-selling book (and forthcoming movie) "The Da Vinci Code."
Now we seem to have another major event about to occur in the world of religious history and early Christianity, this time dealing with what is called "The Gospel of Judas." And that is what James Robinson's new book, "The Secrets of Judas: The Story of the Misunderstood Disciple and His Lost Gospel," is all about. The original document, designated as "The Gospel of Judas," has been, according to Professor Robinson, "kept under wraps until now, to maximize its financial gain for its Swiss owners. The grand expose is being performed by the National Geographic Society, timed for the greatest public impact, right at Easter. Those on the inside have been bought off (no doubt with considerably more than thirty pieces of silver), and sworn to silence on a stack of Bibles -- or on a stack of papyrus leaves." Robinson's book was obviously rushed into print (there are citations from as late as February of this year) and I suspect this was done to predate National Geographic's "Grand Event" and provide a contextual background for it when it occurs.
Professor Robinson is not entirely happy about the protocols surrounding this happening. He writes in the Preface to the book: "I write as a scholar, and, as you will see as you read my narration, I have been involved to a very large extent over the past generation in this adventure. Yet you will also see me, in my capacity as scholar, expressing dismay, even disgust, over much of what has gone on. I lay it all out, with as much documentation as I can muster, for you to see for yourself." And so he does! His statement should whet anyone's appetite for a good historical mystery story and modern-day adventure into the secret world of acquiring (stealing included), hiding, and selling of antiquities. Chapter Five of the book is entitled "The Peddling of 'The Gospel of Judas'." Notice the word "peddling." That ought to give you a clue as to what the author thinks about the whole affair.
This is not a long book (184 pages of actual text) and I read it in one day. It does, however, provide sufficient information to prepare the reader for the "Grand Event." Furthermore, it will probably challenge your current thinking about Judas Iscariot -- after all, he was the "bad" guy who betrayed Jesus. Robinson suggests some other interpretations regarding Judas' behavior different from what most of us have heard as part of traditional Christianity. In other words, the "case" against Judas may have to be rethought; he may deserve another chance to explain himself and his role in the Easter story. To help us out here, Professor Robinson provides an historical examination of biblical writings about Judas and of references to him found in ancient sources outside of the Bible.
I highly recommend this book to all readers interested in religious history and the controversies surrounding new findings about early Christianity. Also, if you read it soon enough, you will be aptly prepared for National Geographic's "Grand Event" and you will have enough information to make an evaluation for yourself as to the circumstances leading up to it. If you like a story full of intrigue and mystery, you'll enjoy "The Secrets of Judas." Professor Robinson is certainly qualified to present this material to the general public. He is a professor emeritus at Claremont Graduate University, is widely known for his pioneering work on the Nag Hammadi codices, and was the general editor of "The Nag Hammadi Library in English" (a reference I have had in my personal library for some years).
Personal Note: I just took a break from writing this review (today is April 6th) to watch the CBS Evening News and they broke the story about the public exhibition of the Judas documents. The panel announcing the news was, indeed, sitting behind a table with a "National Geographic Society" banner across the front. It seems that the "Grand Event" has now commenced.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Know what you buy, April 23, 2006
Like my topic says, be sure you know what you buy. Robinson is giving details on how the book was found, compiled, traded, stolen and so fourth around the world. He goes into why it has been covered up for so long, instead of actually getting into what is written in the Gospel of Judas. If you want to know the History of this Gospel, and why it took so long to surface into the public eye, then I highly recommend this book. However, if your looking into the Gospel of Judas itself, what it says, and it's meanings, I would advise a different book.
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