The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles

THE APOCRYPHAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES: AN INTRODUCTION . By Hans-Josef Klauck . Waco, TX : Baylor University Press , 2008 . Pp. ix + 288 . Paper, $39.95 . Klauck's book, a translation of his 2005 German edition, is the first comprehensive investigation of the Apocryphal Acts since the late nineteenth century. The intervening years have witnessed a proliferation of scholarship on the textual, literary, and cultural aspects of these works. Klauck synthesizes these developments by offering examinations of the five major Apocryphal Acts (John, Paul, Peter, Andrew, and Thomas) as well as chapters on the Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles, the Pseudo-Clementines, and various minor acts from late antiquity. Except for these later acts, each chapter consists of subsections (each with their own bibliography) that cover a discussion of historical context of the text, a summary of its contents, a discussion of its influence on later literature, and a critical evaluation of its themes and characteristics. The final chapter offers reflections on the major social and theological dimensions that have occupied scholarly discussions (i.e., journeying, gnosis, marriage and celibacy, encounters with pagan culture, miracles, and women). The result is a much-needed resource that will become the standard reference work for Acts research. Not only will scholars value Klauck's command of both the primary and secondary source material, but his clear prose will also appeal to undergraduates embarking on their own journeys into the world of early Christian apocrypha

Apocrypha · Apostles · Appeal · Archaeology · Art · Honour · Literature · Scholarship · Theology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Classics · Historical and Linguistic Studies · History · Law · Philosophy