This is my On the Road Lecture Series about the lost Christian
gospels, gospels that were excluded from the New Testament canon and
forbidden by the Church. Many of these gospels have been recovered from the dry sands of Egypt, found in ancient tombs or buried for almost two thousand years in clay jars. Why were they forbidden and lost? Can they
tell us anything about Jesus and early Christianity? Or our own
spirituality? Contact me directly (adeconick@rice.edu or 713-348-4995) to arrange a booking for one or more of the lectures in this exciting new series.
Apocryphal Christianity
What do the forbidden gospels
have to say about Jesus and early Christianity? Are they fabrications
having nothing to do with history as some scholars would have us
believe? Or do they provide useful information that was lost in the
canonical telling of the Jesus story? This lecture makes a strong
argument that the apocryphal materials must be consulted by those
interested in the history of Christianity, or we run the risk of
creating an "apocryphal" Christianity based solely on the New Testament
witnesses.
The Silenced Voices of Early Christianity
Christianity
in the second century was only in its youth. It hadn't figured itself
out yet. It was trying to determine its relationship with Judaism, its
understanding of women, its sacred scripture, and its interpretation of
scripture. For every one of these issues, there were Christians with
several answers. And many of these Christians formed their own
communities. They talked to each other. They argued with each other.
They agreed and disagreed. It is within this complicated and
confrontational environment that mainstream or apostolic Christianity
emerged. Who were the apostolic Christians? What faith were they
defending? What other forms of Christianity existed? What were the
disputes all about? Why did apostolic Christianity emerge as victor?
What Can the Gospel of Thomas Tell Us about Jeus and the First Christians?
Professor DeConick has recovered from the Gospel of Thomas the earliest
Christian gospel, the Kernel Gospel of Thomas. This lecture takes you
through her scholarly journey, as the earliest speeches of Jesus
emerged from her research. These speeches are remarkably similar to Q,
and appear to have been used by the first Christians from Jerusalem as
preaching handbooks preserving the oldest sayings of Jesus.
The Mystical Gospel of Thomas
This lecture examines
the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas that speak about mystical theology
and practices, sayings involving renunciation of the body, divine
self-knowledge, and visions of God and his Son. Their orientation is
not that of classic Gnosticism as scholars in the past have argued, but
a Christian mysticism of the East that appears to be a precursor of
Eastern Orthodoxy.
A Gnostic Catechism
Who were the Gnostics? Where did
they come from? What did they believe and practice? This lecture is a
Gnostic orientation, examining its development beginning in the first
century in Alexandria, Egypt in the lodges of the Hermetics to classic
Gnostic systems in the second century.
What does the Gospel of Judas Really Say?
Is the
Gospel of Judas the “good news” about Judas as National Geographic has
led us to believe? Or is something more sinister going on? This lecture
will take you through Professor DeConick’s first readings of this
Gospel in Coptic and correct the numerous translation problems found in
the National Geographic publication, word choices that appear to her
not only to be problematic, but problematic in a certain way. The
(mis)translation of several phrases support National Geographic’s
provocative and sensationalist interpretation, while the “corrected”
translation does not. The corrected translation shows that Judas was as
evil as ever – a demon, in fact – and certainly no Gnostic.
Where Were the Women? What the Gospel of Mary Magadalene Has to Tell Us
Who was Mary Magdalene really? A prostitute? A loyal disciple? Jesus’
wife? This lecture will explore these themes and more as it unpacks the
theology of the Gospel of Mary, a Gnostic “midrash” gospel. Mary
emerges from the text as an early Gnostic church leader administering
the eucharist and presenting a homily on its benefits, which include a
mystical transfiguration and ascent to God.
Sex and the Gnostic Mysteries
The Gospel of
Philip says, “Great is the mystery of marriage!” This lecture addresses
issues of sacred sex and the Bridal Chamber, a great communal wedding
at the end of time. Why was sex so important to the Gnostics? Because
the redemption of God depended on it.
Additional lectures will be added from time to time. Lectures on other gospels can be requested.
