The Secret Gospel

Více o knize

The extracanonical Secret Gospel of Mark is detailed in the Mar Saba letter attributed to Clement of Alexandria, discovered by Morton Smith in a 17th-century edition of Ignatius of Antioch. The authenticity of both the letter and the Secret Gospel is debated. The letter describes the Secret Gospel as a more spiritual version of Mark, aimed at fostering gnosis among advanced Christians and used in Alexandrian liturgies. It includes two excerpts: one detailing a woman seeking Jesus' help for her deceased brother, leading to the youth's resurrection, and another inserted in Mark 10:46 about the youth's sister and mother. Clement claims the excerpts are authentic but dismisses certain elements as later additions. The letter ends abruptly, leaving questions about its authenticity and the nature of the excerpts. Scholars have suggested that the Secret Gospel could resolve ambiguities in canonical Mark, particularly regarding the young man in the linen cloth and the narrative gap during the journey to Jericho. Various theories propose that canonical Mark may be a revision of Secret Mark. The Mar Saba letter's authenticity has been questioned, with its manuscript and the book it was found in now missing. Some scholars argue that the Secret Gospel is a legitimate early Christian text, while others see it as a later gnostic adaptation. The implications of the narrative suggest themes of initiation and the nature of Jesus' teachings, par