Christian Apocrypha Research Articles

«Здесь геометрия становится уже религией»: метафорика неэвклидовой геометрии в теоретических построениях Д.С. Мережковского

The article examines Dmitry Merezhkovsky’s tendency – previously unnoticed, but variously shown – to present his theoretical reasoning through images and concepts referring to non-Euclidean geometry, as well as through the concepts of multidimensional spaces, mystically interpreted. It is shown that such an approach is a stable figurative-theoretical method of Dmitry Merezhkovsky, to which he resorts in a large number of works – from the earliest to the lates. Geometric and spatial metaphorics dating back to Fyodor Dostoevsky and Vladimir Solovyov, and actively engaged by his contemporaries, is an essential feature of his worldview. It is emphasized that, in contrast to the authors who used the concepts of the “fourth dimension” and “non-Euclidean space” to illustrate occult, mediumistic or astral concepts, Merezhkovsky applies them to Christian mystics, describing the phenomena of “miracle”, “kingdom of God”, “eternal life” and so on. The evolution of the corresponding views of D. Merezhkovsky from 1907 to 1939 is traced, the sources that influenced their formation are established, among which are Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Bugaev, Anton Kartashev, Ernest Renan, Christian apocrypha. It is noted that in a number of cases the corresponding reasoning and images of Merezhkovsky were reflected in the works of Andrei Bely.

The Ideal Feminine: Gender, Regendering, and Competition in the Acts of Thecla and the Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena

Abstract: This article offers a close literary and feminist reading of the Acts of Thecla ( A. Thecl. ) and the Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena ( A. Xanthipp. ). Although the former is ubiquitous among Christian apocrypha and feminist studies, the latter has received relatively little scholarly attention despite the fact that both stories share interest in ascetic practices and conflict with patriarchal institutions, albeit in strikingly different ways. By focusing on the views expressed and actions taken with regard to ascetic practices by the female protagonists, I argue that A. Xanthipp. can be read as a response to A. Thecl . and as evidence of the regendering of women's ascetic renunciation, but also as an indication of competing ideas and intra-Christian disputes over marriage, ascetic practices, and the role of women in late antiquity.

Self-Destruction of Idols in Arab Muslim Historiography

Abstract The article deals with a potential source and the subsequent borrowing of the motif of the self-destruction of the pagan idols. This motif is common in Eastern Christian apocrypha and hagiographic tales and also in the Arab Islamic tradition. In Muslim historiography, among stories about the destiny of ancient Arabian images, such a motif is found only twice. Both legends are connected with pre-Islanic Ḥaḍramawt, the autonomous region in Yemen. One legend deals with the idol called al-Djalsad, an object of veneration mostly by a tribe of al-Sakūn. It was represented in the shape of a white anthropomorphic rock with a black head. The other tale narrates about the domestic statue made of cornelian that belonged to the local notable Wā’il b. Ḥudjr. The subject of the spontaneous fall of idols appears to reflect a rivalry, especially in the spiritual sphere, between the tribal confederation al-Sakūn and the descendants of the indigenous sedentary population of Ḥaḍramawt. Their struggle for power in the early Islamic empire manifested in the most apparent way in Egypt, where they could borrow the motif of idols’ self-destruction from the Copts. Thus, in Chapter LXXIX of the Chronicle by John of Nikiu compiled in the late 7th–early 8th century AD obviously in Greek a tale about the childhood of St Theophilus, the Coptic Patriarch in AD 385–412, is preserved. According to it, in his presence, the statues of Artemis and Apollo became overthrown in a shrine situated in the district of Memphis.

Towards the Communicative Strategies of Russian Modernism: the Poetic Correspondence of V. Bryusov and A. Bely

The object of this article is the poetic correspondence of Valery Bryusov and Andrei Bely in the 1900s. The analysis allowed us to draw a number of conclusions about the communicative strategies of Russian modernism. Firstly, in the structure of the correspondence, the dominant genre setting for dialogue with the addressee is identified, which allows identifying these poems as messages. This, on the one hand, makes it possible to fit the messages of Bryusov and Bely into the all-symbolist poetological and communicative context of the early twentieth century, when this genre was a kind of mainstream. On the other hand, the analysis of genre dominants allows us to identify their genre renewal associated with the formation of an original metastructural cycle resembling a "novel in letters", the heroes of which are Bryusov and Bely, simultaneously combining the roles of author and addressee. Secondly, in the titles of the poems under consideration ("Balder Loki", "Balder II", "Ancient Enemy", "Magician"), mythological codes are revealed, genetic links are established with Christian apocrypha and Scandinavian legends, in which the author's "I" and "you" of the addressee are associated with images of light and dark forces rooted in religious and pagan traditions. Thirdly, with the help of the biographical method, the parallels of the lyrical plots of the poems with the life and creative relationships of the poets are established. As a result, the poetic correspondence of the masters of symbolism is interpreted as a philosophical duel implicitly realizing dramatic situations of personal and "workshop" relationships, with a clear separation of aesthetic and ethical roles, these roles structure the plot of an epistolary "novel", the vicissitudes of which are reduced to binary oppositions of "light" and "darkness", heavenly and earthly, divine and demonic principles. However, at the same time, this exchange of messages appears as a dialogue about the poet's role in symbolist discourse, a dialogue reflecting different vectors of creative aspirations of symbolists and, consequently, the ambivalent tendencies of the current towards both consolidation and separation.

The Apostles Peter, Paul, John, Thomas and Philip with their companions in late antiquity. Edited by Tobias Nicklas, Janet E. Spittler and Jan N. Bremmer. (Studies in Early Christian Apocrypha, 17.) Pp. xiv + 340 incl. 7 colour and black-and-white ills and 2 tables. Leuven: Peeters, 2021. €74 (paper). 978 90 429 4553 1

The Apostles Peter, Paul, John, Thomas and Philip with their companions in late antiquity. Edited by Tobias Nicklas, Janet E. Spittler and Jan N. Bremmer. (Studies in Early Christian Apocrypha, 17.) Pp. xiv + 340 incl. 7 colour and black-and-white ills and 2 tables. Leuven: Peeters, 2021. €74 (paper). 978 90 429 4553 1 - Volume 74 Issue 2

Dynasty and the Christian Apocrypha

Dynasty and the Christian Apocrypha

New Directions in Research on Christian Apocrypha

New Directions in Research on Christian Apocrypha

«Сон Богородицы» в русских рукописных и фольклорных традициях (XVII – начало XXI в.)

“The Dream of the Virgin” is one of the most widespread Christian Apocrypha. It is known among many European peoples, mainly Orthodox and Catholic, namely Belarusians, Bulgarians, Bosnians, Gagauz, Greeks, Irish, Spaniards, Italians, Macedonians, Germans, Poles, Portuguese, Romanians, Russians, Serbs, Slovenes, Ukrainians, French, Croats, etc. The “Dream of the Virgin” is most widely represented in the folk traditions of Eastern, Southern, Central and Western Europe. Some countries have an old scholarly tradition of studying this plot. Such well-known philologists as Alexander Veselovsky in Russia and Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu in Romania wrote about it as early as the 19th century. In the 20th century, this text was studied a lot in Italy, Germany, Romania, Russia, etc. The article proposes a preliminary classification of the main genre versions of the “Dream of the Virgin” in Russian manuscript and folklore traditions.

The Apostles Peter, Paul, John, Thomas, and Philip with Their Companions in Late Antiquity. Edited by Tobias Nicklas, Janet E. Spittler, and Jan N. Bremmer. Studies in Early Christian Apocrypha 17. Leuven: Peeters, 2021. 340 pp. 74€.

The Apostles Peter, Paul, John, Thomas, and Philip with Their Companions in Late Antiquity. Edited by Tobias Nicklas, Janet E. Spittler, and Jan N. Bremmer. Studies in Early Christian Apocrypha 17. Leuven: Peeters, 2021. 340 pp. 74€. - Volume 91 Issue 4

Once Again on the Story about Jesus the Dyer

For a long time, a number of religious stories of Early Christian Apocrypha, including the so-called Infancy Gospels, have been on the periphery of the mainstream evolution of Christianity; yet changing, they sometimes penetrated even into other cultures (e.g., Islam). Among them is a tale about the miracle worked by the child Jesus at the dyers workshop, namely: with one dye he dyed clothes in different colors (as a variant: he made clothes of different colors white). Reviewing all multilingual versions of the story, the essay tentatively attempts to trace its origin.

Reconstruction of Tradition and Religious Imagination in Early Apocryphal Writing

Studies of the Christian apocrypha have paid relatively little attention to the authors' self-awareness and intentions. The authors of the Apocrypha often impersonate characters of the apostolic generation or write about events that could not have been known to them. This leads to the suspicion that they are deliberately trying to manipulate the reader by directly deceiving him. In contemporary scholarship, apocryphal literature is often described as "forgery". We believe that in many cases this is not an accurate characterisation. The aim of the authors was not manipulation, creating a power relationship of authority with the reader, but the reconstruction of tradition by responding to a new Sitz im Leben. The article emphasises the secondary, derivative character of apocryphal literature. The authors of the Apocrypha were convinced of the veracity of their texts because they systematically relied on sources that were reliable from their point of view: the future canonical gospels, the oral contents, often with folkloric features, theological topoi taken over from the previous generation. This made it possible to attribute their work to the apostles or their companions, since the belief of the time was that the work of the disciples could rightly be attributed to the teacher. It is very likely that some of the works reflect the experience of altered states of consciousness.

Opera Evangelica: A Lost Collection of Christian Apocrypha

Within the holdings of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto there is a curious, rarely examined handwritten book entitledOpera Evangelica, containing translations of several apocryphal works in English. It opens with a lengthy Preface that provides an antiquarian account of Christian apocrypha along with a justification for translating the texts. Unfortunately, the book's title page gives little indication of its authorship or date of composition, apart from an oblique reference to the translator as ‘I. B.’ But citations in the Preface to contemporary scholarship place the volume around the turn of the eighteenth century, predating the first published English-language compendium of Christian apocrypha inprintby Jeremiah Jones (1726). A second copy of the book has been found in the Cambridge University Library, though its selection of texts and material form diverges from the Toronto volume in some notable respects. This article presentsOpera Evangelicato a modern audience for the first time. It examines various aspects of the work: the material features and history of the two manuscripts; the editions of apocryphal texts that lie behind its translations; the views expressed on Christian apocrypha by its mysterious author; and its place within manuscript publication and English scholarship around the turn of the eighteenth century. Scholars of Christian apocrypha delight in finding ‘lost gospels’ but inOpera Evangelicawe have something truly unique: a long-lost collection of Christian apocrypha.

Staging Rachel: Rabbinic Midrash, Theatrical Mime, and Christian Martyrdom in Late Antiquity

AbstractLamentations Rabbah Proem 24, a late ancient rabbinic midrash, is in many ways a unique text within the entire rabbinic corpus. It presents an extraordinary array of characters (including Abraham, Moses, the Torah, and even the alphabet) who are called upon to placate God, but fail. As their quest proves inconclusive, the biblical Rachel jumps into the fray to tell her story: how out of sisterly compassion she allowed Leah to take her own place in the conjugal bed on “her” wedding night. Disclosing to her sister the secretive “signs” she had shared with Jacob, Rachel crawled under the nuptial bed to respond to Jacob whenever he spoke. This scandalous autobiography transforms an apparent instance of illicit sex, the ideal material for theatrical stage mimes, into an act of martyrdom and sublime compassion. This article argues that the performance culture of the late ancient Mediterranean world provides the key for assessing this text’s originality. We begin with an analysis of the text, drawing attention to its theatrical qualities and its relationships with contemporary visual imagery (mosaics) and texts from outside the rabbinic milieu (Christian Apocrypha). We then examine the casting of midrashic Rachel as a response to both the mimic adulteress and the Christian martyr. Finally, we consider rabbinic familiarity with mime, particularly with its usefulness as a social mediator and agent of collective catharsis. It is precisely these aspects of mimic performance, we argue, that Rachel’s vignette appropriates in this fascinating rabbinic text.

It’s Not So Secret Anymore

Editor's introduction to the issue on the special theme "The Study of Christian Apocrypha". Offers an overview of recent trends in the study of Christian apocrypha, brief summary of each article in the issue, and sets forth several recommendations for future research. The editorial introduction closes with a personal farewell and notes of appreciation, as this is his final editorial introduction as editor of the journal.

John Carey (trad.), The Ever-New Tongue: The Text in the Book of Lismore, Turnhout, Brepols, 2018, xii + 192 pages, ISBN 978-2-503-57929-0, 35 €.

The present volume is the fifteenth in AELAC (Association pour l’etude de la litterature apocryphe chretienne)’s Apocryphes series, which aims to present translations of important Christian apocrypha to a broad scholarly audience. It presents the earliest surviving recension (ca. 9th-10th cent.) of one of the most intriguing apocryphal compositions found in Old and Middle Irish, In Tenga Bithnua (The Ever-new Tongue; ITB henceforth). The editor and translator, John Carey, has previously produ...

Fakes, Forgeries, and Fictions: Writing Ancient and Modern Christian Apocrypha

Fakes, Forgeries, and Fictions: Writing Ancient and Modern Christian Apocrypha

Fakes, Forgeries, and Fictions: Writing Ancient and Modern Christian Apocrypha: Proceedings from the 2015 York Christian Apocrypha Symposium, edited by Tony Burke

Fakes, Forgeries, and Fictions: Writing Ancient and Modern Christian Apocrypha: Proceedings from the 2015 York Christian Apocrypha Symposium, edited by Tony Burke

Fan fiction and early Christian apocrypha

This article applies insights from the study of contemporary fan fiction to the early Christian Jesus tradition, in particular to so-called apocryphal literature. Both fan fiction and the apocrypha are representative of hypertextual literary practices where authors rewrite already existing narrative universes. In modern-day fandom, fan fiction is used for myth maintenance, for social and cultural identification and criticism, and for sharing interpretations of the shared narrative universe within the fan community. The article introduces the reader to fan fiction and fan fiction studies and discusses how these modern phenomena may shed heuristic light on the literary strategies and functions of early Christian apocrypha.

The Other Side: Apocryphal Perspectives on Ancient Christian "Orthodoxies" ed. by Tobias Nicklas et al.

Reviewed by: The Other Side: Apocryphal Perspectives on Ancient Christian "Orthodoxies" ed. by Tobias Nicklas et al. Lorne Zelyck tobias nicklas, candida r. moss, christopher tuckett, and joseph verheyden (eds.), The Other Side: Apocryphal Perspectives on Ancient Christian "Orthodoxies" (NTOA/SUNT 117; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2017). Pp. 269. €120. This edited volume of fourteen essays addresses the problematic categorization of texts as "apocryphal"—"canonical" and "heterodox"—"orthodox." The editors indicate that the binary categories of "apocryphal" and "canonical" are anachronistic when attributed to texts before the fourth century c.e., and the classifications of "heterodox" or "orthodox" are also made from a later perspective, which produces a distorted image of the individuals and groups that produced and used these texts. The purpose of the volume is to show the limitations of these categories and to work toward a new description of "apocryphal" texts that more accurately represents their significance, function, and authority within the dynamic history of early Christianity (pp. 11-12). Christoph Markschies ("Models of the Relation between 'Apocrypha' and 'Orthodoxy': From Antiquity to Modern Scholarship") analyzes the meaning of models, "apocrypha," and "orthodoxy" from Origen, Eusebius, and Cyril of Jerusalem, to Nicklas and his own extensive publications, with methodological precision. I sympathize with his humorous (?) but honest reaction, that repetitive debates about terminology (especially "orthodoxy") inevitably lead to "a mixture of boredom and anger" (p. 22). Thankfully, many of the essays in this collection provide insightful examples of how "apocryphal" texts functioned in particular social contexts. Tobias Nicklas ("Beyond 'Canon': Christian Apocrypha and Pilgrimage") examines pilgrimage accounts that provide details about the ministry of Jesus, the apostles, and saints that are also found in "apocryphal" texts and traditions. For example, the Piacenza pilgrim visited the 'Lord's Field' near Jericho, which Jesus planted and now grows perennially (see Inf. Gos. Thom. 11/12; Papyrus Egerton 2 [2v]). Ismo Dunderberg ("Recognizing the Valentinians—Now and Then") shows how the validating acknowledgment of other viewpoints occurred along a spectrum, from Irenaeus's thoroughgoing disapproval of the Valentinians and their teachings, to Clement of Alexandria's approval of at least some Valentinian teaching, to Origen's complete agreement with a few of Heracleon's interpretations. Petri Luomanen ("The Nazarenes: Orthodox Heretics with an Apocryphal Canonical Gospel?") substantiates previous arguments and responds to critiques of his New Two-Gospel Hypothesis of so-called Jewish-Christian Gospels—Gospel of the Hebrews and Gospel of the Ebionites (the Nazarenes used a Syriac/East Aramaic translation of Matthew). Reidar Aasgaard ("The Protoevangelium of James and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas: Orthodoxy from Above or Heterodoxy from Below?") analyzes the social setting of these Gospels. While both are theologically "orthodox," broadly disseminated, and had a genercritical and synchronic readings of the Gospel of John. Whatever position one holds on the questions raised by this book, it deserves to be consulted by any scholar professionally involved in them. Francis J. Moloney, SDB, Catholic Theological College, University of Divinity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia tobias nicklas, candida r. moss, christopher tuckett, and joseph verheyden (eds.), The Other Side: Apocryphal Perspectives on Ancient Christian "Orthodoxies" (NTOA/SUNT 117; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2017). Pp. 269. €120. This edited volume of fourteen essays addresses the problematic categorization of texts as "apocryphal"—"canonical" and "heterodox"—"orthodox." The editors indicate that the binary categories of "apocryphal" and "canonical" are anachronistic when attributed to texts before the fourth century c.e., and the classifications of "heterodox" or "orthodox" are also made from a later perspective, which produces a distorted image of the individuals and groups that produced and used these texts. The purpose of the volume is to show the limitations of these categories and to work toward a new description of "apocryphal" texts that more accurately represents their significance, function, and authority within the dynamic history of early Christianity (pp. 11-12). Christoph Markschies ("Models of the Relation between 'Apocrypha' and 'Orthodoxy': From Antiquity to Modern Scholarship") analyzes the meaning of models, "apocrypha," and "orthodoxy" from Origen, Eusebius, and Cyril of Jerusalem, to Nicklas and his own extensive publications, with methodological precision. I sympathize with his humorous (?) but honest reaction, that repetitive debates about terminology (especially "orthodoxy") inevitably lead to "a mixture of...

Forbidden Texts on the Western Frontier: The Christian Apocrypha in North American Perspective, TonyBurke (ed.), James Clarke & Co., 2015 (ISBN 978‐0‐227‐17593‐4), xxviii + 370 pp., pb £27.50

Reviews in Religion & TheologyVolume 25, Issue 3 p. 448-450 Review Forbidden Texts on the Western Frontier: The Christian Apocrypha in North American Perspective, Tony Burke (ed.), James Clarke & Co., 2015 (ISBN 978-0-227-17593-4), xxviii + 370 pp., pb £27.50 Jacob A. Lollar, Corresponding Author Jacob A. Lollar jlollar@fsu.edu Florida State UniversitySearch for more papers by this author Jacob A. Lollar, Corresponding Author Jacob A. Lollar jlollar@fsu.edu Florida State UniversitySearch for more papers by this author First published: 26 July 2018 https://doi.org/10.1111/rirt.13289Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume25, Issue3July 2018Pages 448-450 RelatedInformation