New "Deep Dive" Podcast Episode 19: Smith and Landau's The Secret Gospel of Mark: A Controversial Scholar, a Scandalous Gospel of Jesus, and the Fierce Debate over Its Authenticity (Part One)

Podcast 19

Summary 

The Secret Gospel of Mark is a text that was announced to the world in 1960 by scholar Morton Smith. Smith claimed to have discovered an unknown letter by Clement of Alexandria that contained an excerpt from a longer, secret version of the Gospel of Mark. This secret version contains a story about Jesus and a young man that has been interpreted as implying a sexual relationship between the two. The text has been met with controversy, with some scholars arguing that it is a forgery, while others believe it to be an authentic ancient text. This book explores the history of the Secret Gospel of Mark and attempts to provide a new interpretation of the text based on recent scholarship. The authors argue that the truth about the Secret Gospel lies somewhere between those who claim it is a first-century text and those who claim it is a twentieth-century forgery. 

Arguments For and Against the Authenticity of the Secret Gospel of Mark 

● Arguments for Authenticity: ○ The announcement of the discovery of the Secret Gospel of Mark was made by Morton Smith, a respected scholar at Columbia University, in 1960. ○ Smith claimed to have discovered the text in a letter written by Clement of Alexandria, a prominent early Christian philosopher. 

○ This letter was found in the Mar Saba monastery near Jerusalem. 

○ Smith presented his discovery at the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis meeting, and it was also covered by major media outlets like the New York Times. 

○ Smith's presentation included a detailed linguistic analysis comparing the Letter to Theodore with Clement's other writings, concluding that Clement was the author. 

○ Some scholars believe the Secret Gospel of Mark may represent a proto-Mark, an earlier version of the Gospel of Mark, which is already considered the earliest of the four New Testament gospels. 

○ If authentic, the Secret Gospel could significantly impact our understanding of early Christianity and Jesus. 

● Arguments against Authenticity: 

○ The primary source for the Secret Gospel of Mark is a single manuscript, copied into a 17th-century book, which raises suspicions about its origins. 

○ For decades, the only evidence supporting the manuscript's existence was Smith's personal photographs. 

○ Some scholars claim to have identified signs of forgery in the manuscript's handwriting and the text itself. 

○ Critics have suggested that Smith, possibly motivated by his own sexuality, fabricated the letter and the Secret Gospel. 

○ These allegations, though refuted by some, have created a climate of suspicion around the text, leading many scholars to dismiss it as a forgery. 

○ The "conventional wisdom" in biblical studies today considers the Letter to Theodore and the Secret Gospel of Mark to be 20th-century forgeries. 

● Alternative Theories: 

○ The authors of The Secret Gospel of Mark: A Controversial Scholar, a Scandalous Gospel of Jesus, and the Fierce Debate over Its Authenticity, Geoffrey Smith and Brent Landau, propose a new theory that places the origins of the text somewhere between the 1st century and the 20th century. 

○ They advocate for a re-evaluation of the existing evidence and a broader scholarly conversation that includes diverse perspectives.