Chapman professor to portray Judas Iscariot on April 6

If all they have ever said about Judas Iscariot is true  — that he was the greatest betrayer of all time; that he was actually a hero who carried out Christ’s plan; that he was a manipulator, a freedom fighter, a liar, a villain, a demon, or just a guy who was caught in the middle of one of the great dramas of all history – he would be one of the most complex figures of all time.  There are some who insist he was a real person, and others who say he’s a type or archetype, not a real man at all.  In any case, Judas is one of the most puzzling, divisive and fascinating figures in Western thought and religion.

Marv Meyer, Ph.D., chair of Chapman’s Religious Studies Department, will take on the role of Judas in the final event in Wilkinson College’s “A Night With…” series, on Tuesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Fish Interfaith Center’s Wallace All Faiths Chapel.  Admission is free and open to the public.

 ”A Night With…Judas Iscariot” will be a multimedia presentation featuring Dr. Meyer performing readings from the New Testament, the Gnostic Gospel of Judas and other texts, as he gives insight into the complexities of Judas.  Was Judas really the embodiment of evil?  Was he as bad as people think?  How was he used as an excuse — for centuries — for anti-Semitism?  How has he been portrayed in popular culture, in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” pop music and etc.?

Dr. Meyer was a member of the National Geographic team that translated the 2nd-century A.D. Gnostic manuscript “The Gospel of Judas” from Coptic, and is one of the world’s foremost experts on that text and on texts about Jesus outside the New Testament.  He is the author and editor of numerous books about ancient texts and religion, including
The Gospel of Judas
;
The Gospels of Mary: The Secret Tradition of Mary Magdalene
;
The Gnostic Bible
; and the recently released
The Gospel of Thomas, An Illustrated and Illuminated Manuscript
(with Carol W. Nichols).  He frequently appears as an expert commentator on television programs on The History Channel, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel and others.