Unfortunately for fans of this gospel, its contents suggest a date of AD 180 or later. Published in 1896, this document featured a mystical dialogue between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. The whole idea of hidden gospels and lost Christianity . . . But wait, hidden documents have been discovered that can overthrow this conspiracy. During times of social change, people cling to interpretive stories that give meaning to life, featuring clearly defined good guys and bad guys.
Bad guys are the evil Roman church, a stereotype that has endured for centuries.
Thus there exists a powerful desire to inflate the importance of recovered texts, to place them as early as possible in history, and to use them to challenge historic faith. Jenkins explains his thesis in language that is both clear and fair. He relies on facts to speak for themselves, though there is one fact that points beyond itself toward something worthy of further contemplation on this spiritually significant weekend. Search the archives of the Los Angeles Times for similar stories. You will not be charged to look for stories, only to retrieve one.