Secret Jesus
Film Summary
52:00 mins
Civilizations & History
Worldwide
Brief Summary
"Billions of people around the world feel they know Jesus Christ and his story intimately from what is recorded in the Bible's New Testament. However, there are other, alternative versions of the story of Jesus that have remained hidden for well over a thousand years….. This ""secret Jesus"" is revealed in the so-called Lost Gospels, some thirty early Christian texts that weren't included in the Bible. They tell stories of a very different man and life story. This new programme from National Geographic Television explores these alternate visions of Jesus and reveals why these stories all but disappeared from history. We start by introducing the Lost Gospels: how they were rediscovered, what they contain and the fact that they challenge the Jesus that modern Christianity has embraced for 1,500 years. Taking the story of the Jesus we know: through childhood, early adulthood, his disciples, crucifixion and resurrection, we re-tell the story of Christ’s life, as told by some of the Lost Gospels. Their accounts of Jesus as a child are often controversial and suggest a boy struggling to come to terms with his own unfathomable powers. But stories of the next stages of his life challenge the very foundations of modern Christianity. There are no official accounts of Jesus’ life between the ages of 12 and 29 and these missing years have given rise to legends that Jesus travelled abroad, possibly in Asia. Gnostic writings for example have similarities to eastern religions, leading some modern day followers to believe Christianity has connections to Buddhism. Experts will examine and debunk these alternative stories. Through different Lost Gospel accounts we examine the end of Jesus’ life and his ultimate crucifixion. We also look at alternative accounts of the resurrection. According to the Koran for example, Jesus does not die on the cross but swoons and in the coolness of the tomb revives. Finally we review how the New Testament itself was born. Why were the Lost Gospels left out of the Bible? Were they suppressed by the Church, or did the early Christians feel that these alternate stories of Jesus were not authentic? The experts will disagree on whether these other Gospels tell us anything legitimate about the historical Jesus, but one thing is certain, these stories reveal the fascinating richness and diversity of the early Church as it sought to clarify just who Jesus was and what he meant to the faithful. "
Year Filmed: 2006
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