New "Deep Dive" Podcast Episode 22: 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 Four)

Podcast 22

Summary 

The text focuses on the discovery of a controversial text known as "The Secret Gospel of Mark" by scholar Geoffrey Smith. The text highlights Smith's meticulous linguistic analysis of the document, which he attributed to Clement of Alexandria, a prominent early Christian writer. Smith's findings caused a stir in the academic community, as he argued the text contained a secret gospel penned by Mark the Evangelist, revealing a libertine version of Jesus' teachings. The excerpts explore the ensuing debate about the text's authenticity and significance, including skepticism from scholars who doubted the document's historical validity and the potential implications for understanding early Christianity. The text ultimately describes Smith's struggle to find a publisher for his book on the "Secret Gospel," facing opposition from some academics who found his interpretation of Jesus' teachings and the historical implications of the document objectionable. 

 Morton Smith's Challenges in Publishing Research on the Secret Gospel of Mark 

● Smith faced many challenges in getting his research on the Secret Gospel of Mark published. Some were scholarly in nature, while others were more personal and political. 

● Smith was convinced that the Secret Gospel quoted in the letter he found was written by Mark the Evangelist or a close associate. Smith further argued that the Secret Gospel contained authentic teachings of Jesus, which presented Jesus in a very different light than the canonical Gospels. 

● Smith's ideas were controversial, and he faced pushback from other scholars, some of whom found his arguments religiously objectionable. 

● One of Smith’s biggest challenges was finding a publisher for his book. Oxford University Press, Smith’s initial choice, rejected the manuscript after a member of the editorial board objected to Smith's argument that Jesus may have taught a “libertine gospel.” 

● Smith eventually found a publisher in Harvard University Press, but it took nine years for the book to be published due to the complexity of typesetting a book with a lot of Greek text and Smith's busy schedule. 

● The long delay in publishing Smith's research impacted his career, as he was not able to share his findings with a wider audience for many years. When he finally published his book, he was met with a wave of criticism, some of which accused him of misinterpreting the evidence and even forging the manuscript. 

● Another challenge Smith faced was that other scholars could not access the physical manuscript of the Secret Gospel, which was located at Mar Saba monastery in the Judean Desert. Accessing the manuscript was very difficult, as Mar Saba was (and is) a remote and highly restricted location. 

● Scholars could only examine the black-and-white photographs Smith took, but even those were cropped by Harvard University Press, so the edges of the pages were not visible. 

In addition to these challenges, the sources note some personal details that may have affected Smith's career, such as: 

● Smith had a tendency to make new discoveries fit into his existing beliefs. 

● He was a contrarian and enjoyed challenging conventional thinking. 

It's important to note that the sources focus primarily on Smith's challenges in publishing his research and don't offer a lot of details about the overall impact on his career. They do, however, imply that the controversy surrounding the Secret Gospel significantly affected his professional life.