The discovery of the manuscript of the "Gospel of Judas" has aroused great controversy not only among Bible scholars but also among all people convinced that Judas was the traitor par excellence. In this work, two experts on the Gnostic gospels address the questions raised by this important finding: How could a Christian imagine that Judas – the traitor – was Jesus' favorite, as this gospel proposes? If he was a faithful devotee, why would he give up his master? Why is the author of this gospel filled with anger toward the other disciples? What vision of God does the author offer? The answers to all these questions lead directly to the heart of the discussions that definitively shaped Christianity.

From Karen King's new translation of the incomplete Coptic manuscript, Elaine Pagels and King provide the necessary elements to understand the deep meaning of the gospel. Written in a climate of persecution, when Christian martyrs were considered heroes of the faith, its author condemns Church leaders who encouraged believers to give their lives as a sacrifice offered to God. What kind of God is this, the author asks, who desires the blood of his son and his followers?

The Gospel of Judas introduces us to the vibrant and tumultuous beginnings of Christianity and addresses such controversial issues as the nature of God, the meaning of Jesus' death, and the suffering of martyrs—issues of enormous interest both today and nineteen centuries ago.