Leading Scholar on Early Christianity to Shed Light on Recently Discovered Gospels

WORCESTER, Mass. – Marvin Meyer, one of the foremost scholars on early Christianity, will give a lecture titled "The Gospels of Judas, Mary, and Thomas: The Good News About Marginalized Disciples in Early Christian Literature," on Thursday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross. The lecture, sponsored by the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, is free and open to the public.

Meyer’s talk will focus upon gospels discovered in the last century in the sands of Egypt that provide a mystical, gnostic perspective on Jesus and early Christianity. The talk will feature disciples who are typically marginalized in Christian literature - Judas Iscariot, Mary Magdalene, and doubting Thomas - but who now may be seen in a very different light.

“The gospels of Thomas, Mary, and Judas have all come to the attention of scholars and other interested readers in the past few years,” said Meyer, “and since their discovery they have suggested exciting new possibilities for how we may choose to read and interpret the history of the Christian movement, from the earliest days until the present.”

The ancient papyrus gospels portray Thomas as the guarantor of the sayings of Jesus, Mary as a beloved disciple, and Judas as the one who knew Jesus best and followed him with the greatest loyalty.

Meyer is the Griset Professor of Bible and Christian Studies and co-chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., where he is also director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute. He is the director of the Coptic Magical Texts Project of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity. Meyer is the author of numerous books and articles on Greco-Roman and Christian religions in antiquity and late antiquity, and on Albert Schweitzer's ethic of reverence for life. Among his recent books are The Gospel of Judas, The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus, The Gospels of Mary, The Gospel of Thomas, and The Nag Hammadi Scriptures. He has been interviewed on television programs that have aired on ABC, BBC, CNN, PBS, A&E, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, and the National Geographic Channel, where he translated a recently discovered gospel of Judas.

He received his B.A. from Calvin College, a master's in divinity at Calvin Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate School.

During his visit to Holy Cross, Meyer will also speak to philosophy professor Pedrag Cicovacki’s “Creating Values” classes about Albert Schweitzer, a humanitarian, theologian, concert organist, physician, and winner of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize.

To learn more about this program and other Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture events, visit www.holycross.edu/crec.

About The Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture provides resources for faculty and course development, sponsors conferences and college-wide teaching events, hosts visiting fellows, and coordinates a number of campus lecture series. Rooted in the College's commitment to invite conversation about basic human questions, the Center welcomes persons of all faiths and seeks to foster dialogue that acknowledges and respects differences, providing a forum for intellectual exchange that is interreligious, interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international in scope.  The Center also brings members of the Holy Cross community into conversation with the Greater Worcester community, the academic community, and the wider world to examine the role of faith and inquiry in higher education and in the larger culture.