This paper has two goals: to narcissistically acknowledge and celebrate the publication this past summer of the third volume of the More New Testament Apocrypha series, edited by me with contributions from numerous SBL and NASSCAL (North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocryphal Literature) members, and to consider, where we as members of the field might go next in our editing and translation efforts. The question is raised, in part, because Eerdmans, the publisher of the MNTA series, has said that it will publish additional volumes, and I am continually asked whether there will be More MNTA, to which I respond, “Why do you hate me so?” Because the volumes are a LOT of work and as my wife will attest, editing makes me very grumpy. I also have projects of my own to write; a scholar cannot live on editing alone. And I have to wonder how much additional volumes of MNTA are really needed, given the other options that have become available over the past few years for scholars to publish both texts and translations.
So this paper asks “What More Do You Need?” and by “you” I really mean “we,” the Christian apocrypha scholars of SBL and NASSCAL and anyone who studies and reads this material. As scholars who, I hope, want to collaborate, where do we go from here? What projects do we want to collaborate on? How …
]]>This paper has two goals: to narcissistically acknowledge and celebrate the publication this past summer of the third volume of the More New Testament Apocrypha series, edited by me with contributions from numerous SBL and NASSCAL (North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocryphal Literature) members, and to consider, where we as members of the field might go next in our editing and translation efforts. The question is raised, in part, because Eerdmans, the publisher of the MNTA series, has said that it will publish additional volumes, and I am continually asked whether there will be More MNTA, to which I respond, “Why do you hate me so?” Because the volumes are a LOT of work and as my wife will attest, editing makes me very grumpy. I also have projects of my own to write; a scholar cannot live on editing alone. And I have to wonder how much additional volumes of MNTA are really needed, given the other options that have become available over the past few years for scholars to publish both texts and translations.
So this paper asks “What More Do You Need?” and by “you” I really mean “we,” the Christian apocrypha scholars of SBL and NASSCAL and anyone who studies and reads this material. As scholars who, I hope, want to collaborate, where do we go from here? What projects do we want to collaborate on? How …
]]>Aageson, James. After Paul: The Apostle’s Legacy in Early Christianity. (CATALOG)
Brepols
Shoemaker, Stephen. The Dormition and Assumption of the Virgin Mary. (CATALOG)
Cambridge University Press
Jacobs, Andrew. Gospel Thrillers: Conspiracy, Fiction, and the Vulnerable Bible. (CATALOG)
Fortress Press
Heil, Uta, ed. The Apocryphal Sunday: History and Texts from Late Antiquity. (CATALOG)
InterVarsity Press
Laird, Benjamin P. Creating the Canon. (CATALOG)
Mohr Siebeck
Goldstein, Miriam. A Judeo-Arabic Parody of the Life of Jesus. The Toledot Yeshu Helene Narrative. (CATALOG)
Miroshnikov, Ivan (ed.). Parabiblica Coptica. (CATALOG)
Nagel, Peter. Codex apocryphus gnosticus Novi Testamenti. (CATALOG)
Lundhaug, Hugo, and Christian H. Bull (eds.). The Nag Hammadi Codices as Monastic Books. (CATALOG)
Eerdmans
Burke, Tony (ed.). New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. Vol. 3. (CATALOG)
Lollar, Jacob (trans.). The Doctrine of Addai and the Letters of Jesus and Abgar. (CATALOG)
Yale University Press
Smith, Geoffrey S., and Brent C. Landau. The Secret Gospel of Mark: A Controversial Scholar, a Scandalous Gospel of Jesus, and the Fierce Debate over Its Authenticity. (CATALOG)
]]>Aageson, James. After Paul: The Apostle’s Legacy in Early Christianity. (CATALOG)
Brepols
Shoemaker, Stephen. The Dormition and Assumption of the Virgin Mary. (CATALOG)
Cambridge University Press
Jacobs, Andrew. Gospel Thrillers: Conspiracy, Fiction, and the Vulnerable Bible. (CATALOG)
Fortress Press
Heil, Uta, ed. The Apocryphal Sunday: History and Texts from Late Antiquity. (CATALOG)
InterVarsity Press
Laird, Benjamin P. Creating the Canon. (CATALOG)
Mohr Siebeck
Goldstein, Miriam. A Judeo-Arabic Parody of the Life of Jesus. The Toledot Yeshu Helene Narrative. (CATALOG)
Miroshnikov, Ivan (ed.). Parabiblica Coptica. (CATALOG)
Nagel, Peter. Codex apocryphus gnosticus Novi Testamenti. (CATALOG)
Lundhaug, Hugo, and Christian H. Bull (eds.). The Nag Hammadi Codices as Monastic Books. (CATALOG)
Eerdmans
Burke, Tony (ed.). New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. Vol. 3. (CATALOG)
Lollar, Jacob (trans.). The Doctrine of Addai and the Letters of Jesus and Abgar. (CATALOG)
Yale University Press
Smith, Geoffrey S., and Brent C. Landau. The Secret Gospel of Mark: A Controversial Scholar, a Scandalous Gospel of Jesus, and the Fierce Debate over Its Authenticity. (CATALOG)
]]>S19-114 Christian Apocrypha (9:00 AM to 11:30 AM)
Lily Vuong, Central Washington University, Presiding
Benjamin Lensink, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen: “Look at These Two Ugly Men, Whose Teeth Are like Milk and Their Lips Are like Soot: Demons in the Apocryphal Acts of Thomas.”
Benjamin M.J. De Vos, Ghent University: “A Disabled Saint and True Beauty: The Voice of Mattidia in the Pseudo-Clementine Homilies.”
Franz Gilbert Hetroza Biantan, University of Texas at Austin: “Acts of Thomas and Slavery in the Silk Road.”
Eric Cregheur, Université Laval: “The Acts of Thomas and of Peter? A Close Look at an Intriguing Text.”
Thomas Tops, Universität Regensburg: “Apostleship and Mission in the Acts of Andrew and the Acts of John.”
S19-311 Christian Apocrypha (4:00 PM to 6:00 PM)
Theme: Translating Christian Apocrypha
Tony Burke, York University: “What More Do You Need? The Next Wave in Christian Apocrypha Texts and Translations.”
David Calabro, Brigham Young University: “The Arabic History of Elijah in Deep Translation.”
Jacob A. Lollar, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Universität Regensburg): “Thekla in the Syriac Traditions: Critical Edition in Light of ‘New Philology.’”
Respondent: Janet Spittler, University of Virginia
S20-109 Christian Apocrypha (Joint Session with Syriac Studies) (9:00 AM to 11:30 AM)
Theme: Syriac Apocrypha
Kristian Heal, Brigham …
S19-114 Christian Apocrypha (9:00 AM to 11:30 AM)
Lily Vuong, Central Washington University, Presiding
Benjamin Lensink, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen: “Look at These Two Ugly Men, Whose Teeth Are like Milk and Their Lips Are like Soot: Demons in the Apocryphal Acts of Thomas.”
Benjamin M.J. De Vos, Ghent University: “A Disabled Saint and True Beauty: The Voice of Mattidia in the Pseudo-Clementine Homilies.”
Franz Gilbert Hetroza Biantan, University of Texas at Austin: “Acts of Thomas and Slavery in the Silk Road.”
Eric Cregheur, Université Laval: “The Acts of Thomas and of Peter? A Close Look at an Intriguing Text.”
Thomas Tops, Universität Regensburg: “Apostleship and Mission in the Acts of Andrew and the Acts of John.”
S19-311 Christian Apocrypha (4:00 PM to 6:00 PM)
Theme: Translating Christian Apocrypha
Tony Burke, York University: “What More Do You Need? The Next Wave in Christian Apocrypha Texts and Translations.”
David Calabro, Brigham Young University: “The Arabic History of Elijah in Deep Translation.”
Jacob A. Lollar, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Universität Regensburg): “Thekla in the Syriac Traditions: Critical Edition in Light of ‘New Philology.’”
Respondent: Janet Spittler, University of Virginia
S20-109 Christian Apocrypha (Joint Session with Syriac Studies) (9:00 AM to 11:30 AM)
Theme: Syriac Apocrypha
Kristian Heal, Brigham …
The exploits of the apostles are documented in a wide assortment of apocryphal acts composed between the second and sixth centuries, with expansions and transformations made in the centuries thereafter. A parallel stream of traditions is transmitted in a variety of lists of apostles and disciples that both inspired and were inspired by the apocryphal acts. Unfortunately, little scholarly attention has been paid to the lists—few have been translated into English, some have not yet been published, and with one exception, no survey of the material has appeared in apocrypha collections.
The urge to list apostles has its origins in the New Testament, with the call of the Twelve in the Synoptic Gospels (Mark 3:13–19 par.; also Acts 1:13); but these are not just a list of names, even at this early stage there is additional information provided: nicknames (Peter, the sons of thunder), relationships (Peter and Andrew are siblings; as are the two sons of Zebedee; James is the son of Alphaeus; Judas [not Iscariot], in Luke, is the son of James), and places of origin (Simon is a Canaanean; Judas is from Iscariot), and roles (Judas is a traitor; Matthew is a tax collector). There are also discrepancies between the lists: Thaddaeus (sometimes Labbaeus) in Matthew and Mark is absent in Luke, replaced by Judas son of James; Simon is not a Canaanean but a Zealot in …
]]>The exploits of the apostles are documented in a wide assortment of apocryphal acts composed between the second and sixth centuries, with expansions and transformations made in the centuries thereafter. A parallel stream of traditions is transmitted in a variety of lists of apostles and disciples that both inspired and were inspired by the apocryphal acts. Unfortunately, little scholarly attention has been paid to the lists—few have been translated into English, some have not yet been published, and with one exception, no survey of the material has appeared in apocrypha collections.
The urge to list apostles has its origins in the New Testament, with the call of the Twelve in the Synoptic Gospels (Mark 3:13–19 par.; also Acts 1:13); but these are not just a list of names, even at this early stage there is additional information provided: nicknames (Peter, the sons of thunder), relationships (Peter and Andrew are siblings; as are the two sons of Zebedee; James is the son of Alphaeus; Judas [not Iscariot], in Luke, is the son of James), and places of origin (Simon is a Canaanean; Judas is from Iscariot), and roles (Judas is a traitor; Matthew is a tax collector). There are also discrepancies between the lists: Thaddaeus (sometimes Labbaeus) in Matthew and Mark is absent in Luke, replaced by Judas son of James; Simon is not a Canaanean but a Zealot in …
]]>Besides the well-known apostle James, son of Zebedee (often called James the Great or Elder), three other men by the name of James appear in the New Testament Gospels: 1. James, son of Alphaeus, who is listed as one of the Twelve in all three Synoptics, 2. James the Less or Younger, who is said to be the son of Mary (not the Virgin, but identified, via John 19:25, as Mary, wife of Clopas and cousin to the Virgin Mary) and brother to Joseph/Joses (Matt 27:56; Mark 15:40), and 3. James the Righteous/Just, brother of Jesus. Often these three figures are conflated, so James Alphaeus’s place among the apostles is frequently supplanted by Jesus’ brother, despite the apparent lack of interest in Jesus’ ministry shown by him and his brothers in the canonical Gospels. Outside of the Gospels, James the Just appears also in Acts, Galatians (in both described as the “brother of the Lord”), and as the author of an epistle (calling himself “a servant of God and of Jesus Christ”). Because of the confusion of the Jameses, there are very few apocryphal texts and traditions about the son of Alphaeus. James the Just fares better, but much of what is said about him derives …
]]>Besides the well-known apostle James, son of Zebedee (often called James the Great or Elder), three other men by the name of James appear in the New Testament Gospels: 1. James, son of Alphaeus, who is listed as one of the Twelve in all three Synoptics, 2. James the Less or Younger, who is said to be the son of Mary (not the Virgin, but identified, via John 19:25, as Mary, wife of Clopas and cousin to the Virgin Mary) and brother to Joseph/Joses (Matt 27:56; Mark 15:40), and 3. James the Righteous/Just, brother of Jesus. Often these three figures are conflated, so James Alphaeus’s place among the apostles is frequently supplanted by Jesus’ brother, despite the apparent lack of interest in Jesus’ ministry shown by him and his brothers in the canonical Gospels. Outside of the Gospels, James the Just appears also in Acts, Galatians (in both described as the “brother of the Lord”), and as the author of an epistle (calling himself “a servant of God and of Jesus Christ”). Because of the confusion of the Jameses, there are very few apocryphal texts and traditions about the son of Alphaeus. James the Just fares better, but much of what is said about him derives …
]]>The text has been championed by only a few previous scholars—chiefly François Bovon and Christopher Matthews. M. R. James (1924: 438–39) early on declared that Acts Phil. belongs to the “secondary” stage of development of the apocryphal acts because it borrows material from the earlier texts, including part of the hymn material from the Acts of John and the Peter’s speech from the cross from the Acts of Peter. But Acts Phil. is still pretty early, likely composed not long after the others (fourth century but drawing upon material from the third). The diminishing of its importance has resulted in its virtual exclusion from Christian apocrypha collections, or at least the English compendia, which only present portions or summaries. But don’t despair, English readers can find it in the affordable translation by Bovon and Matthews (2012). And it’s worth seeking out, because this text …
]]>The text has been championed by only a few previous scholars—chiefly François Bovon and Christopher Matthews. M. R. James (1924: 438–39) early on declared that Acts Phil. belongs to the “secondary” stage of development of the apocryphal acts because it borrows material from the earlier texts, including part of the hymn material from the Acts of John and the Peter’s speech from the cross from the Acts of Peter. But Acts Phil. is still pretty early, likely composed not long after the others (fourth century but drawing upon material from the third). The diminishing of its importance has resulted in its virtual exclusion from Christian apocrypha collections, or at least the English compendia, which only present portions or summaries. But don’t despair, English readers can find it in the affordable translation by Bovon and Matthews (2012). And it’s worth seeking out, because this text …
]]>My third day in Denver began early with a pilgrimage (of sorts) to Red Rocks Amphitheatre. To people of my age and musical interests, Red Rocks is famous as the recording site of U2’s career-breaking Under a Blood Red Sky EP and video. Plenty of other bands have played the venue also, some even willing to bring a larger show to this smaller theatre (aprox. 9500) just for the joy of playing in this stunning, and storied, location. I convinced two friends (and fellow U2 fans), Phil Harland and Bob Derrenbacker, to join me for the trek and we hailed an Uber to take us there. Once we arrived, we hauled our creaky bones up and down the flights of stairs, stood on the stage (if only I had brought an instrument; I could then say I played at Red Rocks!), and just soaked in the atmosphere. Bob even played a couple of U2 songs on his phone to capture the spirit of that seminal event. I think I even saw tears welling in Bob’s eyes. Quoting Nigel Tuffnell of Spinal Tap, I said, “It really puts perspective on things, though, doesn’t it?” On cue, Bob responded, “Too much. There’s too much fucking perspective now.”
With some Red Rocks merch in hand, we headed back to the conference centre for afternoon sessions. Jacob Lollar (Universität Regensburg) started the Apocryphal Acts session with “Canonizing Thekla: The Acts of Thekla and Her Legacy in the Syriac Tradition.” Lollar remarked that much work …
]]>My third day in Denver began early with a pilgrimage (of sorts) to Red Rocks Amphitheatre. To people of my age and musical interests, Red Rocks is famous as the recording site of U2’s career-breaking Under a Blood Red Sky EP and video. Plenty of other bands have played the venue also, some even willing to bring a larger show to this smaller theatre (aprox. 9500) just for the joy of playing in this stunning, and storied, location. I convinced two friends (and fellow U2 fans), Phil Harland and Bob Derrenbacker, to join me for the trek and we hailed an Uber to take us there. Once we arrived, we hauled our creaky bones up and down the flights of stairs, stood on the stage (if only I had brought an instrument; I could then say I played at Red Rocks!), and just soaked in the atmosphere. Bob even played a couple of U2 songs on his phone to capture the spirit of that seminal event. I think I even saw tears welling in Bob’s eyes. Quoting Nigel Tuffnell of Spinal Tap, I said, “It really puts perspective on things, though, doesn’t it?” On cue, Bob responded, “Too much. There’s too much fucking perspective now.”
With some Red Rocks merch in hand, we headed back to the conference centre for afternoon sessions. Jacob Lollar (Universität Regensburg) started the Apocryphal Acts session with “Canonizing Thekla: The Acts of Thekla and Her Legacy in the Syriac Tradition.” Lollar remarked that much work …
]]>Day 1 started by packing up my car with local SBLers and heading to the airport. Since I volunteered to drive, my wife advised me to …
]]>Day 1 started by packing up my car with local SBLers and heading to the airport. Since I volunteered to drive, my wife advised me to …
]]>This past week I turned my attention away from the five “great” apocryphal acts and worked on some later acts focusing on the companions of Paul: Barnabas, Timothy, and Titus. I figured these texts would make a gentle re-entry into the project. All three main texts appear in MNTA 1 and have companion e-Clavis entries, so the scholarship should be up-to-date. Well, it’s been more difficult than I thought.
Joseph Barnabas appears in Acts as an “apostle” (14:14) and early recruit of the church in Jerusalem. He is introduced as a Jew from Cyprus who gave all of his money to the church (Acts 4:36–37). When Paul makes his first visit to the Jerusalem church, Barnabas comes to his defense (9:26–27) and then travels with Paul and John Mark until the group is divided (15:36–40)—Paul refuses to travel with John Mark because he had abandoned them in Pamphylia (13:13). Barnabas and John Mark sail away to Cyprus and …
]]>This past week I turned my attention away from the five “great” apocryphal acts and worked on some later acts focusing on the companions of Paul: Barnabas, Timothy, and Titus. I figured these texts would make a gentle re-entry into the project. All three main texts appear in MNTA 1 and have companion e-Clavis entries, so the scholarship should be up-to-date. Well, it’s been more difficult than I thought.
Joseph Barnabas appears in Acts as an “apostle” (14:14) and early recruit of the church in Jerusalem. He is introduced as a Jew from Cyprus who gave all of his money to the church (Acts 4:36–37). When Paul makes his first visit to the Jerusalem church, Barnabas comes to his defense (9:26–27) and then travels with Paul and John Mark until the group is divided (15:36–40)—Paul refuses to travel with John Mark because he had abandoned them in Pamphylia (13:13). Barnabas and John Mark sail away to Cyprus and …
]]>Bloomsbury
Robertson, David G. Gnosticism and the History of Religions.
McCollum, Joey, and Brent Niedergall. Acts of John.
Brill
Lanzillotta, Lautaro Roig, and Jacques van der Vliet. The Apocalypse of Paul (Visio Pauli) in Sahidic Coptic.
Cambridge
Baker, Robin. Mary Magdalene: A Cultural History.
Dabiri, Ghazzal, and Flavia Ruani. Thecla and Medieval Sainthood: The Acts of Paul and Thecla in Eastern and Western Hagiography.
Norman, Dawn LaValle. Early Christian Women. (Includes discussion of Thecla).
Eerdmans
Burke, Tony, ed. New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. Vol. 3. (Page proofs available for preview).
Fortress
Vanden Eykel, Eric. The Magi: Who They Were, How They’ve Been Remembered, and Why They Still Fascinate.
Mohr Siebeck
Reed, Annette Yoshiko. Jewish-Christianity and the History of Judaism: Collected Essays.
Le Boulluec, Alain. The Notion of Heresy in Greek Literature in the Second and Third Centuries. (French original 1985; newly translated into English).
Litwa, M. David. The Evil Creator. Origins of an Early Christian Idea.
Mendez, Hugo. The Cult of Stephen in Jerusalem: Inventing a Patron Martyr.
Peeters
Calzolari, V.M. The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles in Armenian. Studies on Early Christian Apocrypha 18.
Lehtipuu, Outi, and Silke Petersen, eds. Ancient Christian Apocrypha. Marginalized …
]]>Bloomsbury
Robertson, David G. Gnosticism and the History of Religions.
McCollum, Joey, and Brent Niedergall. Acts of John.
Brill
Lanzillotta, Lautaro Roig, and Jacques van der Vliet. The Apocalypse of Paul (Visio Pauli) in Sahidic Coptic.
Cambridge
Baker, Robin. Mary Magdalene: A Cultural History.
Dabiri, Ghazzal, and Flavia Ruani. Thecla and Medieval Sainthood: The Acts of Paul and Thecla in Eastern and Western Hagiography.
Norman, Dawn LaValle. Early Christian Women. (Includes discussion of Thecla).
Eerdmans
Burke, Tony, ed. New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. Vol. 3. (Page proofs available for preview).
Fortress
Vanden Eykel, Eric. The Magi: Who They Were, How They’ve Been Remembered, and Why They Still Fascinate.
Mohr Siebeck
Reed, Annette Yoshiko. Jewish-Christianity and the History of Judaism: Collected Essays.
Le Boulluec, Alain. The Notion of Heresy in Greek Literature in the Second and Third Centuries. (French original 1985; newly translated into English).
Litwa, M. David. The Evil Creator. Origins of an Early Christian Idea.
Mendez, Hugo. The Cult of Stephen in Jerusalem: Inventing a Patron Martyr.
Peeters
Calzolari, V.M. The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles in Armenian. Studies on Early Christian Apocrypha 18.
Lehtipuu, Outi, and Silke Petersen, eds. Ancient Christian Apocrypha. Marginalized …
]]>