The Apocryphal Jesus
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The Apocryphal Jesus
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Narrated by:
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David Brakke
About this listen
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. ©2017 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2017 The Great CoursesListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Apocryphal Jesus
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kris Lane
- 04-04-24
Engrossing
A thorough and fascinating exploration of early Christian texts which we draw so much tradition from yet seem to fear exploring. Balanced perspective with good historical insight.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- The Crack In Space
- 09-11-23
A fun romp through the apocrypha
A reflective look through the books, letters, and revelations that could have become canon. Each lecture covers a specific book or era of apocrypha and how it relates to the period in which it was written and the canon of our modern Bible. Great listen.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rob Sedgwick
- 13-12-17
Good start but becomes dull
What did you like best about The Apocryphal Jesus? What did you like least?
The first 4 or 5 lectures I thought were brilliant and I thought I was going to love this course. However, as it went on it got more and more obscure and the gospels reviewed became increasingly obscure and irrelevant.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
I thought there was insufficient material for a course of this length. I'd halve the second part of the course and maybe miss some bits out altogether,
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jason
- 13-06-17
Interesting, but not riveting.
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
If I had a friend who was particularly interested in Christian theology (which I don't) I might recommend it.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
I can't go there for fear of being blasphemous...
What three words best describe Professor David Brakke’s performance?
Not bad. His delivery was good.
Could you see The Apocryphal Jesus being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?
I think Mel Gibson as Jesus would probably not work again. Probably not going to ever end up on screen.
Any additional comments?
I kept going back to the book, even though it was not really holding my attention, but that would be more a reflection on me than the good Professor's abilities or the subject matter. If you are into theology, this might really light you up.
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