Fakes, Forgeries, and Fictions - Writing Ancient and Modern Christian Apocrypha - Proceedings from the 2015 York University Christian Apocrypha Symposium

Jul 31, 2026

Proceedings from the 2015 York University Christian Apocrypha Symposium examining how ancient and modern Christian apocrypha operate through pseudepigraphy, literary deception, forgery, and narrative invention. Contributions analyze the logic of forgeries, the relationship between pseudepigraphy and forgery, evidence from papyri and textual development, and questions of authorship construction. The volume also addresses clement of alexandria, persecution and suffering texts, Manichaean redaction, and reception in modern scholarship and media, including debates around the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages472

Reading Time19 h 49 min

AccessFree to download

List of Illustrations and Tables

Foreword

Preface

Abbreviations

Contributors

Introduction

Apocryphal Forgeries: The Logic of Literary Deceit

What Has Pseudepigraphy to do with Forgery?

Lessons from the Papyri

Under the Influence (of the Magi)

Behind the Seven Veils, II

Pseudo-Peter and Persecution

Paul as Letter Writer and the Success of Pseudepigraphy

"days of our Lives"

Manichaean Redaction of the Secret Book of John

"cherries at command"

Apocrypha and Forgeries

The Apocryphal Tale of Jesus’ Journey to India

Expanding the Apocryphal Corpus

Gender and the Academy Online

Slow Scholarship

Jesus’ Wife, the Media, and The Da Vinci Code

Responses to Mark Goodacre, James McGrath, and Caroline Schroeder

Bibliography

Fakes, Forgeries, and Fictions Fakes, Forgeries, and Fictions Writing Ancient and Modern Christian Apocrypha Proceedings from the 2015 York University Christian Apocrypha Symposium Edited by Tony BurkE Foreword by AndrEw GrEGory Fakes, Forgeries, and Fictions Writing ancient and Modern christian apocrypha Proceedings from the 2015 York University christian apocrypha symposium copyright © 2017 Wipf and stock Publishers. all rights reserved. except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th ave., suite 3, eugene, or 97401. cascade Books an imprint ofWipf and stock Publishers 199 W. 8th ave., suite 3 eugene, or 97401 [www.wipfandstock.com](www.wipfandstock.com) paperback isbn: 978-1-5326-0373-0 hardcover isbn: 978-1-5326-0375-4 ebook isbn: 978-1-5326-0374-7 Cataloging-in-Publication data: names: Burke, tony, 1968-, editor | gregory, andrew F., foreword. title: Fakes, forgeries, and fictions : writing ancient and modern christian apocrypha : proceedings from the 2015 York University christian apocrypha symposium / edited by tony Burke ; foreword by andrew gregory. description: eugene, or: cascade Books | includes bibliographical references and indexes. identifiers: isBn: 978-1-5326-0373-0 (paperback) | isBn: 978-1-5326-0375-4 (hardcover) | isBn: 978-1-5326-0374-7 (ebook) . subjects: apocryphal books (new testament) | apocryphal gospels | Jesus christ—Biography—History and criticism | church history—Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600. classification: Bs2850 F21 2017 (print) | Bs2850 (ebook) . Manufactured in the U.s.a. scripture quotations are from new revised standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 national council of the churches of christ in the United states of america. Used by permission. all rights reserved worldwide. To Éric Junod and Pierluigi Piovanelli, whose work on broadening the definition of Christian apocrypha made the 2015 York Symposium possible. Contents List of Illustrations and Tables | xi Foreword | xiii —Andrew Gregory Preface | xix Abbreviations | xxi Contributors | xxvii 1 introduction | 1 —Tony Burke 2 apocryphal Forgeries: The Logic of Literary deceit | 33 —Bart D. Ehrman 3 What Has Pseudepigraphy to do with Forgery? reflections on the cases of the Acts of Paul, the Apocalypse of Paul, and the Zohar | 50 —Pierluigi Piovanelli 4 Lessons from the Papyri: What apocryphal gospel Fragments reveal about the textual development of early christianity | 61 —Stanley E. Porter 5 Under the influence (of the Magi): did Hallucinogens Play a role in the inspired composition of the Pseudepigraphic Revelation of the Magi? | 79 —Brent Landau 6 Behind the seven Veils, ii: assessing clement of alexandria’s knowledge of the Mystic gospel of Mark | 95 —Scott G. Brown 7 Pseudo-Peter and Persecution: (counter-)evaluations of suffering in the Coptic Apocalypse of Peter (nHc Vii,3) and the Letter of Peter to Philip (nHc Viii,2) | 129 —Pamela Mullins Reaves 8 Paul as Letter Writer and the success of Pseudepigraphy: constructing an authorial Paul in the apocryphal corinthian correspondence | 152 —Gregory Peter Fewster 9 “days ofour Lives”: destructive Homemakersin the Passion of Andrew | 177 —Anne Moore 10 Manichaean redaction of the Secret Book of John | 194 —Timothy Pettipiece 11 “cherries at command”: Preaching the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew in anglo-saxon england | 207 —Brandon W. Hawk 12 apocrypha and Forgeries: Lessons from the “Lost gospels” of the nineteenth century | 231 —Tony Burke 13 The apocryphal tale of Jesus’ Journey to india: nicolas notovitch and the Life of Saint Issa revisited | 265 —Bradley N. Rice 14 expanding the apocryphal corpus: some “novel”suggestions | 285 —Eric M. Vanden Eykel 15 gender and the academy onl

FAQs

What main topics does the symposium volume cover?

It investigates fakes, forgeries, and fictions in Christian apocrypha, focusing on pseudepigraphy, literary deceit, textual development, authorship construction, and scholarly reception in modern discussions.

How do contributors connect pseudepigraphy with forgery?

Several essays compare pseudepigraphic practices to forgery by analyzing specific cases and arguing about the logic and implications of literary deception in ancient texts.

Does the book address the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife and modern media debates?

Yes. The contents include essays on online academic responses, slower scholarship in the digital context, and the relationship between Jesus’ Wife, the media, and The Da Vinci Code, followed by responses to major commentators.

Jul 31, 2026

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