Sunday, April 09, 2006
If anyone needed any proof ...
... that just because a story appears on the front page of theNew York Times - and every other paper in the nation follows suit - doesn't mean the story really contains any worthwhile news, the story about the Gospel of Judas is what they've been looking for. David Kopel demonstrates why. I strongly suspect that if a document were discovered, dating to say A.D. 35, providing some corroboration of the resurrection story, it would not make the front page, even if it managed to make the paper. This particular "gospel" was discovered - what, 30-odd years ago? - and the only real purpose all the coverage served was to provide National Geographic a lot of free publicity.
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I agree the "Judas gospel" story is irrelevant. Apparently it is not even "news" as its existence has been known for some time.
ReplyDeleteIt was mainly reported as a non-event in the UK media (well, the Times anyway). In the Times, an expert was quoted as saying ...."An analogy would be finding a speech claiming to be written by Queen Victoria, in which she talked about The Lord of the Rings and her CD collection."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2121611.html
However, the Times and every other publication (and many blogs) have managed to make reams of newsprint or e-ink over it. Quite agree about the free pubicity for the National Geographic. Not unlike the DVC case, free publicity, US paperback edition, etc.
Hi, Frank,
ReplyDelete"Gospel of Judas" came up today, in Sunday School at First Prez-Midland. Some discussion ... but also the conclusion that it really was old news, dressed up in new clothes and re-presented for a new, largely secular purpose ...
That being said, though, I think some of the 'dismissed Gospels' - those that didn't make the 'cut' for the Bible, or even the Apocrypha, make for interesting reading ... entertaining, but also informative ... an insightful look at the competing belief systems, the outlooks, the values and the philosophies - both within the Church and without - that were promoted through the creation of those works ...
I agree, Jeff. I think the Gospel of Thomas, for instance, is very interesting. Such books also give one a better sense of what one might call Jesus's broader impact. My point about the Judas gospel is simply that the story was vastly overplayed - and overplayed tendentiously.
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