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The Apocryphal Jesus: Legends of the Early Church
From Jesus' birth in a cave to Saint Paul baptizing a lion, Elliott offers a selection of early Christian legends which did not get into the Bible, yet have had a profound influence on art, literature, and theology from the second century through the Middle Ages and even modern times. Some
of these stories, especially those involving the Virgin Mary, have affected matters of doctrine. The apocryphal Acts offer a legendary history of the early church and some of the best examples of hagiography about Christianity's earliest saints. In this book Elliott provides introductions to each of
the most important and significant of these remarkable and often bizarre apocryphal texts.
of these stories, especially those involving the Virgin Mary, have affected matters of doctrine. The apocryphal Acts offer a legendary history of the early church and some of the best examples of hagiography about Christianity's earliest saints. In this book Elliott provides introductions to each of
the most important and significant of these remarkable and often bizarre apocryphal texts.
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 1995
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May 16, 2022
Good Broad Sampling of the Christian Extra-Canonical Traditions but Deeply Polemical in Tone
This book is an very mixed bag. While The Apocryphal Jesus: Legends of the Early Church is an good sampling of the many Christian extra-canonical traditions such as those contained within the apocryphal Acts and those apocryphal Gospels such as the Proto-Gospel of James, it's very polemical in tone. The section that deals with the stories about the missionary journeys of Jesus of Nazareth's apostles may be the best section of this book, although the introduction to these sections of the apocryphal Acts is so deeply polemical in tone. I actually have Harold W. Attridge's excellent translation of the apocryphal Acts of Thomas. The stories about the death of the Virgin Mary that are included here are interesting to read too although the introduction to these extra canonical traditions is also deeply polemical in tone.
Here's some of my main problems with this book: The polemical tone that he takes towards these traditions, especially the apocryphal Acts and the stories about the early life of the Virgin Mary and her death by labeling them as "anti-Jewish" whereas Jewish scholars such as Ora Limor have rightfully called into question this label as an good description of these stories of Mary's death(though it's certainty true that these texts helped indirectly to influence medieval Christian anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism in the Western Middle Ages.) Stephen J. Shoemaker's The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption and Les Traditions Anciennes Sur La Dormition Et L'Assomption de Marie: Etudes Litteraires, Historiques Et Doctrinales by Simon Claude Mimouni. Both Shoemaker and Mimouni have shown that these traditions belong to the realms of truly early Christian tradition with an even older(if mostly lost) prehistory but Mimouni argues for an Jewish Christian origin to these traditions where as Shoemaker doesn't. Though some of the other apocryphal texts can really be called anti-Jewish(or at least having some anti-Jewish tendencies), especially the apocryphal Gospel of Peter. His treatment of the apocryphal Acts is just as poor, especially when he discusses the possible historical value of these texts.
The introduction to the broad sampling of the extra-canonical texts in this book is deeply polemical in tone and so is the Epilogue of the book. You should rather read The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation instead. As for the possible historical value of the apocryphal Acts(in some ways) for knowledge of the earliest (Jewish) Christian missionaries and the first century church as well as the subject of missionary work in ancient Christianity in general, see Eckhard Schnabel's superb interdisciplinary two volume work Early Christian Mission. Also see all three of Thomas C. Oden's excellent books on early African Christianity in general: The African Memory of Mark: Reassessing Early Church Tradition, How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity and Early Libyan Christianity: Uncovering a North African Tradition
Also see the Indian Christian scholar Johnson Thomaskutty's excellent articles on the apostle Judas Thomas in the apocryphal Acts of Thomas as well:
https://ntscholarship.wordpress.com/2...
https://ntscholarship.wordpress.com/2...
https://ntscholarship.wordpress.com/2...
https://ntscholarship.wordpress.com/2...
Also see this great work by Sean McDowell as well.
https://digital.library.sbts.edu/hand...
This book is an very mixed bag. While The Apocryphal Jesus: Legends of the Early Church is an good sampling of the many Christian extra-canonical traditions such as those contained within the apocryphal Acts and those apocryphal Gospels such as the Proto-Gospel of James, it's very polemical in tone. The section that deals with the stories about the missionary journeys of Jesus of Nazareth's apostles may be the best section of this book, although the introduction to these sections of the apocryphal Acts is so deeply polemical in tone. I actually have Harold W. Attridge's excellent translation of the apocryphal Acts of Thomas. The stories about the death of the Virgin Mary that are included here are interesting to read too although the introduction to these extra canonical traditions is also deeply polemical in tone.
Here's some of my main problems with this book: The polemical tone that he takes towards these traditions, especially the apocryphal Acts and the stories about the early life of the Virgin Mary and her death by labeling them as "anti-Jewish" whereas Jewish scholars such as Ora Limor have rightfully called into question this label as an good description of these stories of Mary's death(though it's certainty true that these texts helped indirectly to influence medieval Christian anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism in the Western Middle Ages.) Stephen J. Shoemaker's The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption and Les Traditions Anciennes Sur La Dormition Et L'Assomption de Marie: Etudes Litteraires, Historiques Et Doctrinales by Simon Claude Mimouni. Both Shoemaker and Mimouni have shown that these traditions belong to the realms of truly early Christian tradition with an even older(if mostly lost) prehistory but Mimouni argues for an Jewish Christian origin to these traditions where as Shoemaker doesn't. Though some of the other apocryphal texts can really be called anti-Jewish(or at least having some anti-Jewish tendencies), especially the apocryphal Gospel of Peter. His treatment of the apocryphal Acts is just as poor, especially when he discusses the possible historical value of these texts.
The introduction to the broad sampling of the extra-canonical texts in this book is deeply polemical in tone and so is the Epilogue of the book. You should rather read The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation instead. As for the possible historical value of the apocryphal Acts(in some ways) for knowledge of the earliest (Jewish) Christian missionaries and the first century church as well as the subject of missionary work in ancient Christianity in general, see Eckhard Schnabel's superb interdisciplinary two volume work Early Christian Mission. Also see all three of Thomas C. Oden's excellent books on early African Christianity in general: The African Memory of Mark: Reassessing Early Church Tradition, How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity and Early Libyan Christianity: Uncovering a North African Tradition
Also see the Indian Christian scholar Johnson Thomaskutty's excellent articles on the apostle Judas Thomas in the apocryphal Acts of Thomas as well:
https://ntscholarship.wordpress.com/2...
https://ntscholarship.wordpress.com/2...
https://ntscholarship.wordpress.com/2...
https://ntscholarship.wordpress.com/2...
Also see this great work by Sean McDowell as well.
https://digital.library.sbts.edu/hand...
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