Philip Jenkins on Alexandrian Attitudes and the Unveiling the Mysteries of the "Secret Gospel of Mark"

In 1973, Morton Smith announced a discovery that promised to reshape our understanding of the New Testament. Smith's book, "Clement of Alexandria and a Secret Gospel of Mark," claimed that in 1958 he had found an unknown letter from Clement of Alexandria at the monastery of Mar Saba in Palestine. This letter, addressed to one "Theodore," discussed various versions of Mark's Gospel circulating in Clement's era. Besides the canonical Gospel, there was also a secret version and another, condemned by Clement, altered by the Carpocratian sect to include overt sexual content. This discovery suggested that early Christian doctrine involved esoteric or mystical teachings that were later lost.

However, the authenticity of this find has been hotly debated. Many believe it to be a hoax, inspired by fiction. Philip Jenkins is among those who think Smith's discovery was fictional from the start, influenced by novels. While one fictional source is well-known, Jenkins believes he is the first to draw attention to another.

Smith's discovery was initially taken seriously, even being published by Harvard University Press. The Secret Gospel of Mark purportedly contained passages with a young man whom Jesus instructed by night. The Carpocratians, a sect condemned by Clement, allegedly added sexual content to this text. While Clement's church condemned the deviant version, it approved the mainstream clandestine text. This expanded Gospel, most of which is now lost, became known as the Secret Gospel of Mark.

This finding had profound implications. It suggested that much early Christian doctrine was transmitted through esoteric teachings, much of which was subsequently lost. The question remains: did Secret Mark ever exist? Is Clement's supposed letter authentic, or is it an early forgery or even a modern one by Smith himself?

The Ongoing Debate

Tony Burke's edited collection, "Ancient Gospel or Modern Forgery? The Secret Gospel of Mark in Debate," brings together scholarly essays on this controversy. Regardless of which side you take, the book is worth reading for its model of critical scholarship and civil debate.

Arguments against the authenticity of Secret Mark are compelling. It's hard to believe such an epochal discovery was made by a scholar who had been writing about the passages elaborated in Clement's letter. Smith had been working on Clement and planning a book on Mark's Gospel a decade before his alleged discovery. Additionally, Smith had a deep personal interest in occult and antinomian traditions and corresponded with Gershom Scholem, a great scholar of Jewish mysticism. Smith's 1978 book, "Jesus the Magician," depicted Jesus as a wandering sorcerer. From this perspective, the alleged letter of Clement was precisely what Smith might have hoped to find to confirm his beliefs.

The Influence of Fiction

In 2001, Philip Jenkins noted an odd fact about the location of Smith's alleged find. In 1940, Canadian evangelical James H. Hunter published "The Mystery of Mar Saba," a novel about Nazi agents planting a forged gospel text at Mar Saba to undermine Christian morale. This proto-Indiana Jones thriller, which ran into multiple editions, depicted a plot eerily similar to Smith's alleged discovery.

If Secret Mark was a hoax, Smith might have been signaling this by choosing Mar Saba, showing his contempt for the gullibility of academia. They missed the clues hinting at forgery and accepted the idea of placing Jesus in a homoerotic context, a notion shocking even in 1973.

But another novel might be even more relevant to this discussion: Angus Wilson's "Anglo-Saxon Attitudes," published in 1956. This satire tells the story of an academic fraud at an archaeological site, synthesizing real episodes of fraud and discovery in British archaeology. It involves a 1912 excavation revealing a phallic fertility idol in an Anglo-Saxon bishop's grave, suggesting clandestine syncretism in early Christianity.

Striking Parallels

Wilson's novel describes a forgery planted in an early Christian site, involving a bishop named Eorpwald, a disciple of Archbishop Theodore. Clement's supposed letter was addressed to a "Theodore." The idol's discovery promised to rewrite church history, suggesting clandestine controversial practices coexisted with Christian orthodoxy. Similarly, Secret Mark suggested a hidden layer of Christian doctrine.

Wilson's character, Gilbert Stokesay, planted the idol to disgrace his father and discredit the historical establishment, much like how Smith’s alleged discovery might aim to shock the scholarly community.

When Smith was working in 1958, "Anglo-Saxon Attitudes" was popular. Given Smith's reported sexuality, he might have had a particular interest in Wilson's novel, noted for its groundbreaking depiction of gay subculture.

Conclusion

The striking parallels between Wilson's novel and Smith's discovery of Secret Mark suggest that the latter might have been inspired by fiction. Smith's alleged find at Mar Saba, echoing themes from contemporary novels, strains credulity. The simplest explanation for the Mar Saba affair, considering the clues and Smith’s background, points to a deliberate hoax.

Philip Jenkins, a distinguished professor of history at Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion, presents these insights. For more detailed exploration, see his article here.