Despite the hoopla, the supposed "newness" of this
interpretation of Judas is really not new at all, except for
its specific recent contextual occurrence. After all, it's
been around at least since Jorge Luis Borges wrote a piece
saying much the same thing in the
(I think) 1940s, entitled "Three Versions of Judas." R
--- Tim Wohlforth <
tim@timwohlforth.com> wrote:
> Okay, so it's a rather old story. However, now
we
> can understand it
> in a new light. Nothing like a new twist after
2,000
> years. It is
> difficult to discuss noir writing without sooner
or
> later touching on
> the theme of betrayal. That is, dealing with
Judas.
> We now learn
> that it is possible that Judas was a good
guy,
> Jesus' most loyal
> disciple, the betrayal orchestrated by
Jesus
> himself. There are even
> hints of the tradition gospels that suggest
this:
> that the
> crucifixion was part of some divine plan.
Think
> about it for a
> moment. If we are to accept for the moment
the
> Christian concept that
> Jesus was the son of God then when the Gospel
of
> Judas says "For you
> will sacrifice the man that clothes me" Jesus
is
> expressing a
> determination to free himself of his
human
> characteristics. Now that
> is a rather noir comment on the human condition.
He
> was relieved to
> be done with being like us. If, on the other
hand,
> Jesus was a
> mortal, then this casts him in a rather dark
light.
> That is he wished
> to be martyred in order to be remembered as
such.
> Sort of like
> Moussaoui.
>
> I am not testifying to the accuracy of the Gospel
of
> Judas, nor
> trying to say anything about religious belief
as
> such. I am trying to
> say something about story. To see Judas as a
good
> guy does not put a
> period to the story of betrayal. One way or
another
> betrayal is part
> of the broader human narrative along with
salvation.
> We live now and
> always have in a manichaean world. The noir
tale
> feeds on this and
> explores, so to speak, one side, the dark side,
of
> this larger
> story. The Gospel of Spade.
>
>
> Tim Wohlforth
>
tim@timwohlforth.com
> www.timwohlforth.com
>
>
>
>
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