Comments on: Reading the Gospel of Judas in the Context of Early Christian Literature http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/04/28/reading-the-gospel-of-judas/ A National Blog of Literature & Discussion Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:47:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Gene Paul Strayer http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/04/28/reading-the-gospel-of-judas/#comment-1905 Gene Paul Strayer Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:13:49 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/04/28/reading-the-gospel-of-judas-in-the-context-of-early-christian-literature/#comment-1905 I very much enjoyed your comment, Frank. When in 1964 I applied for a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship I was examined by a group of three or four questioners about my interests in theology. One asked me what I thought of Judas. I replied, "I rather like the view of Judas in Kazantzakis' novel, 'The Last Temptation of Christ,' in which Jesus forces Judas to bring about the death of Jesus." The examiners also questioned my interest in Albert Schweitzer. At least, I did receive a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. It was only a year later that I learned that Schweitzer and Kazantzakis were close friends, and that Kazantzakis drew much from Schweitzer's theology. I very much enjoyed your comment, Frank.

When in 1964 I applied for a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship I was examined by a group of three or four questioners about my interests in theology. One asked me what I thought of Judas. I replied, “I rather like the view of Judas in Kazantzakis’ novel, ‘The Last Temptation of Christ,’ in which Jesus forces Judas to bring about the death of Jesus.” The examiners also questioned my interest in Albert Schweitzer. At least, I did receive a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship.

It was only a year later that I learned that Schweitzer and Kazantzakis were close friends, and that Kazantzakis drew much from Schweitzer’s theology.

]]> By: David Lee Rubin http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/04/28/reading-the-gospel-of-judas/#comment-274 David Lee Rubin Thu, 06 Jul 2006 02:09:16 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/04/28/reading-the-gospel-of-judas-in-the-context-of-early-christian-literature/#comment-274 Green's Phi Beta Kappa key was hand-delivered in Paris by A. James Arnold, a professor in UVa's Department of French. Green’s Phi Beta Kappa key was hand-delivered in Paris by A. James Arnold, a professor in UVa’s Department of French.

]]> By: G.F. Birchard http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/04/28/reading-the-gospel-of-judas/#comment-242 G.F. Birchard Wed, 14 Jun 2006 04:05:44 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/04/28/reading-the-gospel-of-judas-in-the-context-of-early-christian-literature/#comment-242 Frankly, we don't know the sources the author of the gospel of Judas. The oral history is long lost. The assertion that the Gospel of Judas is just a work of the imagination of a Gnostic is simply an assertion. The nominalist argument concerning Gnostic attributes is a fine example of circular reasoning. It provides no independent information. We learn nothing by calling the of Judas Gnostic, then rejecting it because it is (presumably) Gnostic. Rather thatn reject the Gospel of Judas I suggest we examine its content. The idea that Judas was doing the will of God is not unreasonable. The writers of the synoptic gospels were quick to blame Judas for being a traitor, but Judas played a role that led to the resurrection. The Gospel of Judas focuses on the resurrection, not the death of Jesus. In doing so, it allows us the possibility of seeing Judas in a more favorable light than shown in the four canonical gospels. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Frankly, we don’t know the sources the author of the gospel of Judas. The oral history is long lost. The assertion that the Gospel of Judas is just a work of the imagination of a Gnostic is simply an assertion. The nominalist argument concerning Gnostic attributes is a fine example of circular reasoning. It provides no independent information. We learn nothing by calling the of Judas Gnostic, then rejecting it because it is (presumably) Gnostic. Rather thatn reject the Gospel of Judas I suggest we examine its content.

The idea that Judas was doing the will of God is not unreasonable. The writers of the synoptic gospels were quick to blame Judas for being a traitor, but Judas played a role that led to the resurrection. The Gospel of Judas focuses on the resurrection, not the death of Jesus. In doing so, it allows us the possibility of seeing Judas in a more favorable light than shown in the four canonical gospels. The first shall be last and the last shall be first.

]]> By: Barry Anderson http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/04/28/reading-the-gospel-of-judas/#comment-240 Barry Anderson Sat, 10 Jun 2006 01:11:20 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/04/28/reading-the-gospel-of-judas-in-the-context-of-early-christian-literature/#comment-240 This seems like a sound assessment of the status of the Gospel of Judas; at least an apt criticism of the assertion that scholars report it as giving new insight into the relationship of Jesus with Judas. This sort of thing has been suggested before. Has anyone - say, Elaine Pagels or Bart Ehrmann - offered such a suggestion about this gospel? I think there's a typo in the quotation from Julien Green, in the first line. I would suppose it reads "que lorsque Thomas . . ." I think it's apt to credit Green as a serious reader, as this entry does, but perhaps it's a bit of an overstatement to say he did not have an extensive formal education. I think that three years was the norm for pursuing an undergraduate education when he studied at Virginia, and I think it was often the case that students left the University without taking a degree when he was a student. But the observation may intend no more than to observe that he didn't acquire any postgraduate degrees. In that vein, my understanding is that the University's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa wanted to confer an honorary membership on him, but couldn't, because he wouldn't come back to Charlottesville to have that honor bestowed on him. As the only non-French member of the Academie Francaise, he may reasonably have regarded that honor as superfluous. This seems like a sound assessment of the status of the Gospel of Judas; at least an apt criticism of the assertion that scholars report it as giving new insight into the relationship of Jesus with Judas. This sort of thing has been suggested before. Has anyone – say, Elaine Pagels or Bart Ehrmann – offered such a suggestion about this gospel?

I think there’s a typo in the quotation from Julien Green, in the first line. I would suppose it reads “que lorsque Thomas . . .”

I think it’s apt to credit Green as a serious reader, as this entry does, but perhaps it’s a bit of an overstatement to say he did not have an extensive formal education. I think that three years was the norm for pursuing an undergraduate education when he studied at Virginia, and I think it was often the case that students left the University without taking a degree when he was a student. But the observation may intend no more than to observe that he didn’t acquire any postgraduate degrees.

In that vein, my understanding is that the University’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa wanted to confer an honorary membership on him, but couldn’t, because he wouldn’t come back to Charlottesville to have that honor bestowed on him. As the only non-French member of the Academie Francaise, he may reasonably have regarded that honor as superfluous.

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