Hidden Gospels

This text disputes the myth that Jesus was a subversive mystic whose true ideas were suppressed by early Church authorities. It offers as evidence the fact that supporting texts for this idea are younger than the gospels and resists its revolutionary claims as an alternative Christianity. The rediscovery of several lost texts of early Christianity, which contain long-lost accounts of the life of Jesus, has aroused great public interest and media excitement. Some writers claim that these 'hidden gospels' - particularly the famous Gospel of Thomas - provide revolutionary new information about the life of Jesus and about the early days of Christianity. This book tells how these ancient works were rediscovered, and how and why people came to make such far-reaching claims about them, claims which could have a dramatic effect on the faith and practice of contemporary Christianity. Although these texts have received a great deal of attention, Jenkins argues, their historical value is vastly inflated. Hidden Gospels debunks excessive claims about the historical value and importance of these texts, and argues that the writings are popular because they seem to justify radical, feminist, and post-modern positions in the modern churches.