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The Apocryphal Jesus
12 hours and 32 minutes
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. Here 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, and more. By exploring the stories and ideas that shaped the foundations of Christian thought-and continue to influence Christianity today-The Apocryphal Jesus is a must-have course for skeptics, seekers, and believers interested in the foundations of Christianity.
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. Here 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, and more. By exploring the stories and ideas that shaped the foundations of Christian thought-and continue to influence Christianity today-The Apocryphal Jesus is a must-have course for skeptics, seekers, and believers interested in the foundations of Christianity.
13 pages, Audible Audio
Published March 31, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 29, 2025
Very interesting lecture about the New Testament Apocrypha.
Brakke has a nice voice and does a good job explaining what apocryphal books are and are not, and why were certain ones kept out of Biblical canon.
In the early centuries of the Christian church, there wasn't a New Testament, so he explains who, why, and when the decisions to cut or keep the letters and stories were made.
As you probably know, nothing was set in stone for quite some time, but as the church grew in popularity, it became important to the theologians and church leaders to try to get some kind of an orthodox set of rules going. With lots of separate sects spread all over, different texts were being read as scripture that the church in Rome didn't support. Or at the very least, weren't 100% sure they supported.
The debates raged for centuries, and what we have at the end of it is what the vast majority of Christians recognize as the New Testament.
But what about the rest of the texts?
The skinny gist is that a couple almost made it into the New Testament, quite a few were still considered fine to read for study just not to be read during services, and some were dismissed as heretical after a long time in circulation. We still see the influences of some of these apocryphal texts in medieval iconography AND in Bible stories that most Christians think they know.
The story of Peter being hung upside down from a cross (from the Acts of Peter) is one such example.
There's a lot to be learned from what didn't make it into the Bible, especially about what some early Christian sects believed. The gnostics always fascinate me, but so do the sects that preached total celibacy - even for married couples! It's also incredible to see the war of the sexes play out as leaders and believers went back and forth over the roles women could and should play in the church.
If you're interested, this is a good one. I'd definitely listen to more lectures from Brakke.
Recommended.
Brakke has a nice voice and does a good job explaining what apocryphal books are and are not, and why were certain ones kept out of Biblical canon.
In the early centuries of the Christian church, there wasn't a New Testament, so he explains who, why, and when the decisions to cut or keep the letters and stories were made.
As you probably know, nothing was set in stone for quite some time, but as the church grew in popularity, it became important to the theologians and church leaders to try to get some kind of an orthodox set of rules going. With lots of separate sects spread all over, different texts were being read as scripture that the church in Rome didn't support. Or at the very least, weren't 100% sure they supported.
The debates raged for centuries, and what we have at the end of it is what the vast majority of Christians recognize as the New Testament.
But what about the rest of the texts?
The skinny gist is that a couple almost made it into the New Testament, quite a few were still considered fine to read for study just not to be read during services, and some were dismissed as heretical after a long time in circulation. We still see the influences of some of these apocryphal texts in medieval iconography AND in Bible stories that most Christians think they know.
The story of Peter being hung upside down from a cross (from the Acts of Peter) is one such example.
There's a lot to be learned from what didn't make it into the Bible, especially about what some early Christian sects believed. The gnostics always fascinate me, but so do the sects that preached total celibacy - even for married couples! It's also incredible to see the war of the sexes play out as leaders and believers went back and forth over the roles women could and should play in the church.
If you're interested, this is a good one. I'd definitely listen to more lectures from Brakke.
Recommended.
September 15, 2022
A well done presentation rich in historical documents some only released a few decades ago.
June 1, 2025
learning more about my religions lore <33
June 24, 2022
Christianity did not shape itself out of whole cloth and the traditions, topology and beliefs which shaped it needed defenders for resolving outstanding issues. The apocryphal books mentioned in these lectures show the written record of some of the arguments and possible solutions to the issues.
Erasmus showed that there was no Trinity within the bible and the world’s greatest thinker, Newton agreed. The books that didn’t make it into the Bible, nevertheless, still went into forming the shape of what was to come. These lectures show why those books are important for understanding the process of history.
Sola scripta makes no sense when the scripture is not well defined, or when the one uniform belief in the certainty of the Trinity is not explicitly mentioned in the scripture itself unless an appeal is made to books outside of the bible such as some of these apocryphal books.
There’s never a justifiable reason for closing one’s mind to other sources when the only reason not to would involve special pleading for one’s own special book or belief system. Special pleading is never reasonable when one applies it to everything else except for one’s own faith. These books are worthy of study as much as Revelations is within the Bible. A committee determined the content of the Bible and they decided not to include these books. Even if you accept that committee’s judgement, these books are still worth while for other reasons.
Dr. Brakke puts each mentioned book into the context of the time period and showed what each book was trying to get at. For example, the female character Becca was to show that women were worthy of speaking and leading in church; or that Peter was the real super apostle not Paul; or an argument had to be made for the Trinity in as much as the New Testament had no mention of the Trinity; or Joseph the step-father of Jesus was very old when he met Mary; or the wise men had names which the New Testament glossed over; and other such items that the Bible never mentions but are all covered in these books mentioned in these lectures.
I’ve recently read all the apocryphal books mentioned in this lecture. I found the lecture more edifying and explanatory than the actual texts because while reading the books on my own, at times I would lose the meaning behind the meaning of each book. That’s the strength of these lectures. It always keys the listener to the meaning behind the meaning of the books and Dr. Brakke would contextualize each book while summarizing the more important parts of the narratives.
Erasmus showed that there was no Trinity within the bible and the world’s greatest thinker, Newton agreed. The books that didn’t make it into the Bible, nevertheless, still went into forming the shape of what was to come. These lectures show why those books are important for understanding the process of history.
Sola scripta makes no sense when the scripture is not well defined, or when the one uniform belief in the certainty of the Trinity is not explicitly mentioned in the scripture itself unless an appeal is made to books outside of the bible such as some of these apocryphal books.
There’s never a justifiable reason for closing one’s mind to other sources when the only reason not to would involve special pleading for one’s own special book or belief system. Special pleading is never reasonable when one applies it to everything else except for one’s own faith. These books are worthy of study as much as Revelations is within the Bible. A committee determined the content of the Bible and they decided not to include these books. Even if you accept that committee’s judgement, these books are still worth while for other reasons.
Dr. Brakke puts each mentioned book into the context of the time period and showed what each book was trying to get at. For example, the female character Becca was to show that women were worthy of speaking and leading in church; or that Peter was the real super apostle not Paul; or an argument had to be made for the Trinity in as much as the New Testament had no mention of the Trinity; or Joseph the step-father of Jesus was very old when he met Mary; or the wise men had names which the New Testament glossed over; and other such items that the Bible never mentions but are all covered in these books mentioned in these lectures.
I’ve recently read all the apocryphal books mentioned in this lecture. I found the lecture more edifying and explanatory than the actual texts because while reading the books on my own, at times I would lose the meaning behind the meaning of each book. That’s the strength of these lectures. It always keys the listener to the meaning behind the meaning of the books and Dr. Brakke would contextualize each book while summarizing the more important parts of the narratives.
December 9, 2017
Fantastic course! I definitely recommend this, even if you're not a Christian. It's a great history about our religious tradition and the origins of the New Testament.
October 21, 2019
As a fan of Professor Erhman's 'Lost Christianities', I thoroughly enjoyed Professor Brakke's clear, well-organized presentation of his examination of non-canonical Christian literature from the first through fourth centuries CE. Unlike Erhman, Brakke presented more measured descriptions early Christian writings that most people (most notably, Christians) are completely unaware. Mostly importantly, Brakke places these writings in the context (time) in which the proto-orthodoxy was written...what authors may have been influenced by earlier apostles.
One of the apocryphal gospels clarified an aspect of the Jesus story giving me new information about the birth and childhood of Jesus and about the background of Mary, his mother, while others explained the story of Joseph, Jesus’s alleged human father. Turns out that old Joe had been previously married, with kids of his own (hence Jesus' brothers). His marriage to Mary was more of a divine arrangement that was never consummated!
I encourage all interested in considering these lectures to refer to the review by Challenger...it really sums up my thoughts on this great course.
Coupons and sales are not apocryphal, but well defined and should be consummated!
One of the apocryphal gospels clarified an aspect of the Jesus story giving me new information about the birth and childhood of Jesus and about the background of Mary, his mother, while others explained the story of Joseph, Jesus’s alleged human father. Turns out that old Joe had been previously married, with kids of his own (hence Jesus' brothers). His marriage to Mary was more of a divine arrangement that was never consummated!
I encourage all interested in considering these lectures to refer to the review by Challenger...it really sums up my thoughts on this great course.
Coupons and sales are not apocryphal, but well defined and should be consummated!
May 17, 2022
These lectures were really quite interesting. Brakke seeks to put apocryphal writings in context and make distinctions between the different labels attached to them, i.e., Gnostic, heretical, etc. His introduction is really helpful in situating the variety of writings that came to be called apocryphal and the seemingly arbitrary decisions that led some writings to be left out of the official cannon despite not having any heretical or objectionable content. He seeks to show the large influence these writings wielded in shaping popular Christian thought, both before and long after they were declared apocryphal. He points out the multiplicity of views that these writings spouse, from the slightly different to the radically opposed to mainstream orthodox thought. These explorations help the reader understand the diversity of beliefs during the early Christian centuries, as well as the contentious legacy of many of its early leaders/proselytizers and the hidden battles fought by partisans to assert this or that interpretation of their work. Definitely an interesting and thought-provoking work well worth the read for all those curious as to what all those other gospels have to say about Jesus and his work.
March 8, 2024
I went to Catholic School from first grade to twelfth where I had religion class every day and the nuns (Immaculate Heart of Mary) told us numerous stories about Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the apostles and others of the early church which are not found anywhere in the bible. At the time, I don't think anyone questioned where these stories came from, of if they did they were chalked up to the rich oral traditions of the church. But David Brakke has shown me that there is a rich Christian literature from the early church that most of us know nothing about. Or if we do know of them, they tend to be the Gnostic works which are heretical. I was quite shocked to learn this late in my life that there are a huge number of other works that are not heretical but were not deemed important enough to be included in the cannon of the bible. These include stories that go into considerable detail regarding the childhoods of Mary and Jesus, as well as explanations for the references in the New Testament to Jesus’ brothers that do not rely on St. Jerome's insistence that the word really means “cousin”, and many, many more aspects of the early church. Today, these books are referred to by the term apocrypha, and Brakke gives a fantastic introduction to them in this Great Courses work.
July 12, 2025
This is a series of lectures about different aprocrapha books and similar. It was highly interesting, though not quite the format I guess I was hoping for.
I was not/am not familiar with any aprocrapha books and what they are, which I feel like puts you a bit at a loss. Several terms and words and people were definitely beyond my understanding.
I did feel the author kept things very factual and even measured in terms of if the theology of certain books was aligned with mainstream Christianity or not and why. That was probably the most interesting parts, as well as learning why people wrote certain texts, well after the fact, or as forgeries.
I also learned a LOT about different stories of Jesus, about his family, his disciples and apostles, and lots of differing theologies about salvation and second coming and after life and trinity and so much more. Some of that is somewhat shocking and jarring to hear that people believed certain things, or some of which could be indeed authentic. It made me question some assumptions we have about who Jesus was strictly from the New Testament.
I thought it was good but not quite the easiest listen or understanding for me.
I was not/am not familiar with any aprocrapha books and what they are, which I feel like puts you a bit at a loss. Several terms and words and people were definitely beyond my understanding.
I did feel the author kept things very factual and even measured in terms of if the theology of certain books was aligned with mainstream Christianity or not and why. That was probably the most interesting parts, as well as learning why people wrote certain texts, well after the fact, or as forgeries.
I also learned a LOT about different stories of Jesus, about his family, his disciples and apostles, and lots of differing theologies about salvation and second coming and after life and trinity and so much more. Some of that is somewhat shocking and jarring to hear that people believed certain things, or some of which could be indeed authentic. It made me question some assumptions we have about who Jesus was strictly from the New Testament.
I thought it was good but not quite the easiest listen or understanding for me.
December 29, 2024
The Apocryphal Jesus by David Brakke is a great survey, but it is marred a little bit by a lack of overarching cohesion. In the spirit of After the Plague and Pirates, the course doesn't do much to establish a narrative that the apocryphal stories can be put onto, nor is it entirely obvious that the lectures' themes feed well into one another. As such, Brakke sometimes repeats himself, even from one lecture to the next, because almost all of them are self-contained units. Which puts me in an interesting spot. Brakke is arguably better than Bart Ehrman on the material, as he is no where near as "confident" in his judgments on the material. But Ehrman is much better on telling the story of the various tales related to biblical and apocryphal literature. As such, Brakke's work feels supplemental to Ehrman. You can use it to level up, boost, or enhance your understanding, but its perhaps not the best place to start.
August 8, 2022
An interesting but ultimately disappointing overview of the many writings written about the life of Jesus and his followers but largely rejected by religious leaders for one reason it another. My disappointment stems from the author’s failure to thoroughly explain why some of the writings, while arguably authentic, were rejected as part of the Christian canon, and his not reconciling those rejections with some books of the Bible that are generally thought to have been written by people other than those to whom they are attributed (like some of Paul’s letters). Regardless, while not wholly satisfying, it was interesting.
February 5, 2023
Having read through the Bible a few times, reading this solved a few mysteries for me about where people I know (including several pastors and Sunday school teachers) got some of their notions about New Testament history that don't come from the canonical books. I sometimes feel like there was some unintended spiritual malpractice in what I was taught, and it's at least somewhat refreshing to know that it didn't come from their imaginations, but it probably came from the imaginations of folks from early A.D.
December 3, 2022
i watched the video version of these lectures. one good point is Brakke's use of timelines. i want to know when books were written in comparison to other books of the bible. it is good for christians to get an idea of how and when and why books were chosen for the canonical list of 27. these lectures are useful when a muslim tries to disassemble christianity with textual objections and cites the apocryphal Infancy Gospels as canonical.
November 23, 2025
This was an interesting series of lectures. It opened my eyes to some aspects of the Bible and ancient texts that I wasn’t aware of before listening.
I would have liked more information on what was widely accepted, or not, and why. I find it fascinating to discover why certain texts were chosen and others not. It would have been nice to weed out what was generally accepted as authentic texts rather than forgeries.
Overall, worth the listen if this is something that interests you.
I would have liked more information on what was widely accepted, or not, and why. I find it fascinating to discover why certain texts were chosen and others not. It would have been nice to weed out what was generally accepted as authentic texts rather than forgeries.
Overall, worth the listen if this is something that interests you.
May 12, 2019
This was a very informative and well organized lecture series. It goes in depth to examine The Apocryphal Jesus and examines how Jesus was viewed in early groups from mainstream Christianity to those who were considered "heretics" by the church. This may have not been the "historical" Jesus, but it certainly shows readers the legendary Jesus of the early centuries of the common era.
April 12, 2024
Much information and insightful perspectives on early Christian literature. The book accompanying the CD set is helpful in that it has additional readings.
Overall, a bit dry, but still fascinating if one want's to put the time into learning about what early Christian communities felt was important in both information and perspectives.
Overall, a bit dry, but still fascinating if one want's to put the time into learning about what early Christian communities felt was important in both information and perspectives.
August 14, 2021
Prof. Brakke is a great teacher; this was not a subject that I thought I was interested in but it was fascinating. Apocryphal writings are a window into early history that I would never have discovered without this guide.
May 27, 2025
Catalog of ancient non-canonical texts which expand upon and "fill in the gaps" of the lives and events of the New Testament. Interesting, but the author's delivery frequently sent me into the arms of Morpheus.
June 22, 2017
I knew nothing about the Apocrypha before beginning this book but Professor Brakke explained everything in a style that was easy to understand and highly entertaining.
May 4, 2019
Wow. This was an interesting listen. I had no idea there were so many apocryphal texts, some with quite unique sayings.
June 4, 2020
While I disagree with Brakke's perspective on the canonical scriptures, this series provides a useful insight into the many apocryphal writings.
March 18, 2021
Well presented and full of interesting accounts from records not included in most mainstream Bibles such as as the Acts of Thomas/Gospel of Thomas.
July 24, 2021
Really interesting
dnf
September 21, 2021I liked this I just got bombarded with school
Read
July 9, 2022insightful. Overlaps reassuringly with other studies, and the voice is academic, rather than evangelical.
January 12, 2024
A overview of different apocryphal biblical texts. Sadly it became pretty boring about halfway through.
September 28, 2024
It's about half about Jesus and half about the other Apocryphal texts. Still good.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews