[lbo-talk] The Gospel of Judas - Wrong Version?

[Paul]

Yes, I agree with Jim that the gnostics certainly thought of themselves as 
Christian, just as the rest of the Christian community of the time ruled 
that they were not.  I was trying not to assume anything one way or the 
other (apologies to Jim if that didn't come through) - I think it gets into 
an irresolvable "What is a Christian?" debate.

My concern was that the media coverage was blurring the historical truth - 
that this Gospel was being presented as far closer to the canon and its 
compilers than it really was.

I think that the historical insights being blurred away are valuable.  And, 
of course, we get some insight (for better or worse) into our own times by 
observing the "spin" put on history.  I am thinking of the way the (far 
more important) Gnostic texts from the Nag Hammadi Library have been 
handled over the years (neglect and taboo, new age mystical hit, today's 
empty hype and spin, etc) or to a lesser extent the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Paul

Jim (Shak El), quoting me, writes:
>The main problem with this text (tho right on the money on most of its 
>points) is the assumption that the Gnostics were not Christian. The 
>gnostics themselves certainly thought so.
>
>Paul <paul_ at igc.org> wrote:
>Sorry to come to this late, but it does fit 'talk of the day'.
>
>The media coverage of the 'Gospel of Judas' have left me perplexed. I am
>no expert but there are points that seem obviously newsworthy and relevant
>to both theological meaning of the find and even to current political .....