May 18, 2006

MINNEAPOLIS – Was Judas really a traitor or was he a faithful disciple fulfilling his mission? William Klassen's groundbreaking study of Judas within the context of first-century Judaism provides fresh scholarship at the center of The Gospel of Judas publicity.

Judas: Betrayer or Friend of Jesus?, a fascinating book published in 1996, sifts the evidence and startlingly concludes that in the earliest sources Judas was not a traitor. While the name Judas Iscariot evokes horror among many people, Klassen argues persuasively that Judas may have meant no harm in handing over Jesus to the religious authorities.

Judas: Betrayer or Friend of Jesus? traces the ways in which Judas is portrayed by the four writers of the gospels, showing how the picture was increasingly demonized as the later gospels were written and how the concept of Judas as traitor emerged.

"A courageous book that calls for a fundamental reassessment of one of the main characters of the New Testament story. . . . This is a book that will excite much discussion and will require everyone who reads it to think afresh. It will be the standard book on Judas in English for the next generation." – Peter Richardson, University of Toronto.

"This book is a remarkable tour de force. It offers the fullest discussion of the quest of the historical Judas available in English." – Bruce Metzger, Professor Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary Alumni Bulletin.

"This book is obviously the result of extraordinary research coupled with a real fascination and sensitivity to the subject." – Kim Paffenroth, Journal of Religion.

Contents
Introduction
1. The Name of Our Sources
2. The Name and Its Identifying Role
3. The Act of Judas: The Traditional Point of View
4. Judas as an Informer
5. Judas as Seen through the Eyes of Mark
6. Judas as Portrayed by the Gospel of Matthew
7. Judas Iscariot in the Writings of Luke
8. The Fourth Gospel
9. The Death of Judas
10. Theologians and Judas Iscariot
11. Judas as Seen by Jewish Interpreters
Conclusion
Suicide Note from Judas Iscariot, ca. 30 C.E.

William Klassen, Ph.D. is a graduate of Princeton Seminary and has taught New Testament at Cambridge University, Mennonite Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana, and Toronto Theological Seminary. He lives in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

Judas: Betrayer or Friend of Jesus?, Item Number: 0-8006-3734-8, Specs: 252 pages, 6" x 9," paperback, Price: $25.00.

To order Judas: Betrayer or Friend of Jesus? please call Augsburg Fortress at 1-800-328-4648 or visit the Web site at http://www.augsburgfortress.org/.

Augsburg Fortress