NU Splash Biography

This class will explore some of the early Christian texts that were excluded from the official Christian canon. Hundreds of these texts exist, but only sixty-six were ultimately included in the Bible. What do they say? Why were they excluded? Some of the heretical texts examined will include the Infancy Gospel and the Gnostic texts, and we will focus on how culture, power, and theology interact in early Christian texts, and what this interaction has meant for the religion that has shaped a significant part of the world. This class is not a Bible study and prior knowledge of Christian texts is in no way required; this class is an objective look at heretical texts with a literary and historical lense. Students should expect a lecture-style class, and be open to offering their own interpretations.