This text disputes the myth that Jesus was a subversive mystic whose true ideas were suppressed by early Church authorities. It offers as evidence the fact that supporting texts for this idea are younger than the gospels and resists its revolutionary claims as an alternative Christianity.

The first full-length critical analysis of the "hidden gospel" phenomenon shows why these texts arouse such interest and why they are so misleading. Brilliantly researched and sharply argued, "Hidden Gospels" unearths both the complex agendas and flawed methods of scholars who have created a whole new mythology about Jesus and the early church.

"...nontechnical, lucid, and well argued."--Choice