Profs & Pints Denver: The Bible’s Hidden Books

Profs and Pints Denver presents: “The Bible’s Hidden Books,” an exploration of the fascinating world of Christian apocryphal literature, with Christy Cobb, associate professor of Christianity at the University of Denver and biblical scholar with a focus on the New Testament and early Christian texts. 

[Doors open at 5 pm and the talk begins at 6:30.] 

Some of the most interesting reading you’ll encounter in a Roman Catholic Bible consists of ancient Jewish texts that circulated alongside, but ended up excluded from, the writings that became scripture. You won’t find such texts in most Protestant Bibles at all, while they’re the single best source of the story underlying the Jewish celebration of Hannukah. 

In addition to these Jewish texts, early Christians also wrote a number of interesting texts—in the form of gospels, letters, acts, and apocalypses—that never made it into the final New Testament canon. They include background on Jesus’s childhood, dramatic tales of the apostles’ travels, accounts of martyrdom, and vivid descriptions of heaven, hell, and the afterlife.  

The explanation for why such texts were excluded from the biblical canon tells us a lot about the story of early Christianity. By examining them we get a lot of insight into how religions are intertwined, as well as how sorting out their histories and their judgements of what to tell followers can be a messy affair.  

Come gain a much better understanding of the origins, importance, and meaning of apocryphal literature with Dr. Christy Cobb, a scholar of ancient texts.  

She’ll discuss how the New Testament canon developed and how the process of deciding which texts counted as scripture was gradual, complex, and sometimes contested.  

You’ll learn how some of the apocryphal texts expand upon familiar biblical characters, such as Mary Magdalene, Peter, and Judas. Others introduce relatively unknown characters such as Thecla, a missionary companion of Paul and an incredibly courageous woman who faced down lions and killer seals.  

Professor Cobb, whose research and teaching focus heavily on slavery, gender, and sexuality in antiquity, also will consider the ways that other women and enslaved persons are depicted in these texts. Her talk will leave you with a much richer and more nuanced understanding of the underpinnings of faith. (Advance tickets $13.50 plus processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with student ID.)

Image: From “The Martyrdom of the Seven Maccabees,” an 1863 painting by Antonio Ciseri (Public Domain).

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