< P> The announcement of the discovery of a previously lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot has electrified the Christian community. What we traditionally know of Judas from the Bible is sketchy at best. What Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us about this disciple who betrayed Jesus is inconsistent and prejudicial. So the revelation of an ancient gospel attributed to Judas raises the shocking possibility that this despised disciple saw his role in the Passion of Christ as integral to a larger divine plan& ndash; if Judas hadn't betrayed Jesus, Jesus wouldn't have been handed over to the authorities, crucified, buried, and risen from the dead Could it be that without Judas, the Easter miracle would never have happened? Was Judas merely doing God's will?< /P> < P> In The Secrets of Judas, James M. Robinson, an expert historian of Early Christianity, examines the Bible and other ancient texts including the recently published ancient gnostic gospel of Judas, to reveal what we can and cannot know about the life of the historical Judas, his role in Jesus' crucifixion, and whether the Christian church should reevaluate his intentions and innocence. Robinson will tell the sensational story of the discovery of a gospel attributed to Judas, and Judas' newfound meaning for history and Christian faith.< /P>
