The Secrets
of Judas: The Story of the Misunderstood
Disciple and His Lost
Gospel
by James M.
Robinson
This book includes:
An historical examination of
biblical writings about Judas and of
references to him found in ancient
sources outside of the Bible.
The reasons the case against Judas
is not as clear as tradition has
taught.
The dramatic story of the recent
discovery of a fourth-century Coptic
document titled "The Gospel of Judas
Iscariot" and of the document's secret
sale by a Middle Eastern antiquities
dealer that led to its acquisition by a
Swiss foundation.
Professor Robinson says: "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. ... But it has
been 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."
Perfectly suited to readers of Bernard
Lewis and Karen Armstrong, God Against the
Gods is a dramatic and eye-opening epic of
the final struggle between monotheism and
polytheism in the ancient world. It was a
war fought by an Egyptian pharaoh, a
Jewish king, and a Roman emperor --
charismatic, visionary, and violent men
battling in the name of the Only True God.
Jonathan Kirsch demonstrates how the world
of classical paganism was in fact based on
religious liberty and diversity and how
the advent of monotheism brought -- in the
name of true belief -- holy war, crusades,
martyrdom, and inquisitions.
Lost
Christianities: The Battles for Scripture
and the Faiths We Never Knew, by Bart
D. Ehrman
"If you like mysteries, true detective
stories, and historical controversies,
Professor Ehrman's newest book is just
right for you. It is about early
Christianity, or more accurately, early
"Christianities." Why the plural? Simply
because in the first centuries after
Christ, there was no one single group
which could be called the authentic
"Christian" religion. There was, instead,
a diversity of Christian groups, each with
its own beliefs, practices, and sacred
texts. There was no New Testament. There
were many other books, gospels, epistles,
and so forth, other than those that would
eventually become the New Testament as we
know it today. These other books were
widely read and fervently followed by
various groups of early Christians."
Read the rest of Dr. Dolhenty's review
of this book. Click
Here.
A Fabulous
History of Christianity!
"By far, the best history of
Christianity I have found thus far.
Johnson, author of The Quest for
God does not shy away from the
religious controversies which have plagued
the religion over the centuries. Objective
and fair. Very interesting."
J.D.
The Best
Seller from Karen Armstrong
A fabulous history of the development
of mankind's concept of monotheistic
religion.
A History of God: The 4000-Year
Quest of Judaism, Christianity and
Islam
Three
religions at the
crossroads...
At a time when conflicts among three of
the world's major religions -- Islam,
Judaism, and Christianity -- are in the
global spotlight, Bruce Feiler offers a
stunning biography of the one man who
unites all three religions: Abraham. As we
struggle to find a path to peace among
these three religions, all warring in
Jerusalem, near the stone where Abraham
brought his son for sacrifice, this
captivating biography speaks to Abraham as
the metaphor he is: the historically
elusive man who embodies three religions,
a character who has shape-shifted over the
millennia to serve the clashing goals and
dogma of each religion. Anyone seeking to
understand the roots of tension in the
Middle East need look no further than the
final half of this book, where Feiler
interprets the meaning of Abraham as seen
through the prism of each religion.
Here are books
for the serious student of Christian
history. Good research requires having
original documents on hand when
needed.
Controversial,
yet one of the Modern Classics on the Life
of Jesus Christ
The Historical Figure of
Jesus
A Popular
History of the Church
Here is the story of a people and a
faith told with the authority of a
competent scholar in a lively style that
makes reading church history both
enjoyable and exciting. This book has
become a standard text in colleges around
the nation.
