The Bible and Beyond Podcast Episode

What Is the Apocrypha and Why Read It?

An Interview with Dr. Brandon Hawk

Dr. Brandon W. Hawk, photo by Susan Hawk

Dr. Brandon Hawk’s new book, Apocrypha for Beginners: A Guide to Understanding and Exploring Scriptures Beyond the Bible, is an easy-to-read and indispensable book for people seeking to understand all the extracanonical writings—sometimes called apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, or deuteroncanonical writings. Although they are not in the Bible, they all relate to the Bible in some important way, from the earliest Hebrew texts through the Middle Ages and teach us something about the Bible’s impact on world thought.

In addition to his book Apocrypha for Beginners, Dr. Hawk writes about pop culture uses of the Middle Ages for his website, the Washington Post, The Public Medievalist, Forces of Geek, and The Conversation. He is an Associate Professor of English at Rhode Island College. A Star Wars fan, he recently collaborated on a series of videos about the connection between Star Wars and medieval manuscripts. His other books are titled Preaching Apocrypha in Anglo-Saxon England (2018) and The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the Nativity of Mary (2019).

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