The Bible and Beyond Podcast Episode
What Kind of Person Was Judas Really?
What the Gospel of Judas can tell us
An Interview with Dr. David Brakke
Dr, David Brakke
Dr. David Brakke discusses his new translation and commentary on the Gospel of Judas. The basic message is that Jesus is explaining to Judas why his own terrible sacrifice is necessary for God to set the universe right. In doing so, the author of the gospel is critiquing his contemporary Jesus-followers for their ritual practices of sacrifice. Such sacrifices distort the true relationship between the human (dying mortals) and spiritual (non-dying) part of one’s being.
Professor David Brakke studies and teaches the history and literature of ancient Christianity from its origins through the fifth century, with special interests in asceticism, monasticism, “Gnosticism,” biblical interpretation, and Egyptian Christianity. In our podcast interview, we discuss his new book The Gospel of Judas: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (Anchor Yale Bible; Yale UP 2022) which explores the early history of the Gnostic school of thought through exegesis of a key source. He is the Joe R. Engle Chair in the History of Christianity and Professor of History at the The Ohio State University.
Brakke is also the president of the International Association for Coptic Studies and a member of the Board of Consultants of the Journal of Religion. From 2005 to 2015 he served as editor of the Journal of Early Christian Studies, which is sponsored by the North American Patristics Society.
He has produced three courses with “The Great Courses” (aka Wondrium), including one on “Gnosticism” and another on early Christian apocrypha. He also maintains a page on Academia.edu that includes access or reference to his other books and articles.
This is a fascinating topic and conversation. Really makes one stretch mentally. Towards the end when talks about the Gospel not being about Good News, but perhaps really calling us to look at our own behavior, about what gods we are serving when we spend money, vote, etc. and what harm that might be causing others is truly needed introspection in our world today. Studying racial justice and civil rights history reveals the extent that many of us, maybe most that are listening, have privilege that has been ‘bought’ by the mistreatment or neglect of many others in our society. Wow! Thank you Shirley, for this profound interview. I will listen again.