Lost Books of the New Testament

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COURSES > LIFELONG

Although 27 books were included in the fourth century anthology known as the New Testament, early Christians produced a great many more books considered sacred by various communities.  Among these other books were additional gospels, acts of the apostles, epistles and apocalypses.  In this course, we will read and discuss a selection of the surviving “lost books” that did not make it into the Bible (as well as several of the canonical books that did) in order to get a sense of the works themselves, the similarities and differences among them and between them and the canonical works, and of the process that led to the creation of the Christian canon.

Texts
  • Ehrman, Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament
  • Ehrman, Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture & the Faiths We Never Knew
  • New Testament
TAUGHT: WINTER 2005, SUMMER 2009