The Apocryphal Gospels: An Introduction

(Paperback)

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In this book Hans-Josef Klauck provides a comprehensive introduction to the apocryphal gospels - the biblical and related writings which do not form part of the accepted canon of Scripture.Klauck classifies the material in various helpful ways: Agrapha (isolated sayings if Jesus), Fragments, Jewish Christian Gospels, Two Gospels of the Egyptians, Infancy Gospels, Gospels about Jesus' Death and Resurrection, Gospels from Nag Hammadi, Conversations with the Risen Jesus, Dialogues of Jesus with No Location, Legends about the Death of Mary, Lost Gospels, the Toledot Jeshu (an anti-gospel) . Each section is accompanied by a carefully related bibliography. This highly readable introduction takes account of all the latest international scholarship on the apocrypha and will be an invaluable resource for all scholars and students in the field.

Reviews

"..his approach is informed, balanced, and straightforward.... I recommend Apocryphal Gospels highly as an introductory text for graduate students and upper-level undergraduates and also as a vade mecum for anyone desiring a reliable update on the fascinating world of extra-canonical early Christian literature." -Catholic Studies, 2004
'[T]his book has the merit of full discussion of texts...Klauck further provides good bibliographical entries, including references to internet material...This book is a useful survey for further discussion, as it also pays attention to recent trends in scholarship.' A.L.A. Hogeterp, Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses -- A.L.A. Hogeterp, Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses, 81/4, (2005)
'This is...a useful introduction to the current state of scholarship, and makes auseful contribution to developing research in the study of early Christianity.' N.H. Taylor, King's College, London, Heythrop Journal
"I want to say from the outset that I recommend this volume to any serious scholar of Christianity...Modern writings about apocryphal gospels tend sometimes to promote unwarranted theories or further some ideological point an author wants to make. This book, in contrast, strikes one as balanced. Professor Klauck is particularly careful to provide sufficient context for each of the twelve types of gospel so that the reader can assess which theories are warranted by the evidence and which are not." -Anthony J. Blasi, editor of Handbook of Early Christianity: Social Science Approaches * Blurb from reviewer *

Author Bio

Dr. Hans-Josef Klauck is Professor of New Testament Exegesis, University of Munich, Germany.