Peter Stanford (1) (1961–)

'Alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!' Jesus's words as found in the Gospel of Matthew could hardly be harsher. And Judas Iscariot has certainly suffered from bad press since the days of the early Church, his name held synonymous with the most despicable form of treachery. Yet, it has also become quite fashionable to recast Judas as an anti-hero, a Romantic figure or as a well-meaning, if misguided, disciple.

Whatever your take on Judas, this book will provide plenty of interesting material to ponder upon. It is nothing less than a cultural history of the figure of this controversial apostle, starting from his portrayal in the Gospels and ending with contemporary literary representations, via the apocryphal gospels, the writings of Early Church Fathers, medieval art and the upheavals of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Prior to each chapter there are alphabetical "encyclopaedic" entries defining words, concepts, myths or scraps of folklore associated with Judas.

Peter Stanford is a writer and journalist, a former editor of the Catholic Herald, and a regular contributor to The Tablet, The Sunday Times, The Guardian and The Observer. Knowing where the author is coming from helps to appreciate both the strengths and the weaknesses of this book. What struck me is that it often reads like an extended magazine article. On the plus side, this means that the book is flowing, highly readable and often entertaining. It is also evidently well-researched. That said, there aren't too many references. This is the price to pay for "readability" you might say. Well, not necessarily. A book I read earlier this year, [b:Miracles at the Jesus Oak: Histories of the Supernatural in Reformation Europe|1240360|Miracles at the Jesus Oak Histories of the Supernatural in Reformation Europe|Craig Harline|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1182181393s/1240360.jpg|1229031], was really fun despite being an academic text, each chapter supported by pages of notes, references and bibliography.

Stanford is a practicing Catholic and it was good to read a book dealing (at least partly) with Church history written by somebody who clearly has personal knowledge of Catholic doctrine and rituals. This doesn't mean that the book is biased - on the contrary, Stanford is not squeamish about underlining the anti-Semitic link that was often drawn in Christian circles between Judas "the traitor" and the Jewish people. Stanford considers this as one of the seeds of the Shoah. He makes the point that although the Nazis were certainly no Christians, and often found resistance from believers (including Catholics), they exploited a pre-existent streak of anti-Semitism, partly fomented by these 'symbolical' portrayals of Judas. It can make for uncomfortable reading, but it is a story which should be told, "lest we forget".

Whilst generally balanced, Stanford elsewhere succumbs to facile historical and religious prejudices. Thus, he has no problem referring to the 14th century as "the early Renaissance" (although, to me it clearly falls within the "late medieval period") but, in describing the virulent anti-Semitism of the nascent Reformation movement of the 16th century, he refers to it as retaining a "medieval" outlook. It seems that for Stanford "medieval" is a derogatory adjective rather than a historical term. Similarly, the book also propagates the "popular" view of religion being the scourge of science. The symbolical depiction in certain religious art of Judas giving birth to a baby at the moment of death is half-jokingly referred to as an indication of the Church's disregard for scientific correctness. In a chapter on the Enlightenment, when "the shackles on the late medieval mind were thrown off", Stanford comments that "the skies were surveyed not for angels with harps on clouds in heaven, but for the sun, the stars and the planets", blissfully disregarding the heritage of medieval astronomy.

I enjoyed a section on Elgar's oratorio "The Apostles" but again a certain "liberal Catholic" prejudice creeps in. Stanford correctly points out that Judas has an important role in Elgar's musical work and that the composer opts for a psychological and more "forgiving" interpretation of Judas's motives. He also convincingly argues that Judas's tortured mind could be a symbol of Elgar's grappling with his own religious doubts. Stanford however then adds that in the first decade of the twentieth century, the Catholic Church was at its most reactionary. The 'Modernist Controversy', a Vatican-inspired witch-hunt aimed at those Catholic theologians who were attempting to find common ground between science, philosophy and religion, was making it appear medieval to most onlookers" Now, I am no Elgar expert, but from what I've read about him over the years, my understanding is that most of his religious dilemmas had their roots in the consistent prejudice he faced as an upcoming composer trying to make his mark on a resolutely Protestant (if not anti-Catholic) Establishment. But of course, Stanford can't help making another "medieval" dig.

Despite my reservations, I enjoyed this book overall, and look forward to sampling other works by Stanford, possibly starting with [b:The She-Pope: Quest for the Truth Behind the Mystery of Pope Joan|21098661|The She-Pope Quest for the Truth Behind the Mystery of Pope Joan|Peter Stanford|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394265240s/21098661.jpg|27900]...… (more)

'Alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!' Jesus's words as found in the Gospel of Matthew could hardly be harsher. And Judas Iscariot has certainly suffered from bad press since the days of the early Church, his name held synonymous with the most despicable form of treachery. Yet, it has also become quite fashionable to recast Judas as an anti-hero, a Romantic figure or as a well-meaning, if misguided, disciple.

Whatever your take on Judas, this book will provide plenty of interesting material to ponder upon. It is nothing less than a cultural history of the figure of this controversial apostle, starting from his portrayal in the Gospels and ending with contemporary literary representations, via the apocryphal gospels, the writings of Early Church Fathers, medieval art and the upheavals of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Prior to each chapter there are alphabetical "encyclopaedic" entries defining words, concepts, myths or scraps of folklore associated with Judas.

Peter Stanford is a writer and journalist, a former editor of the Catholic Herald, and a regular contributor to The Tablet, The Sunday Times, The Guardian and The Observer. Knowing where the author is coming from helps to appreciate both the strengths and the weaknesses of this book. What struck me is that it often reads like an extended magazine article. On the plus side, this means that the book is flowing, highly readable and often entertaining. It is also evidently well-researched. That said, there aren't too many references. This is the price to pay for "readability" you might say. Well, not necessarily. A book I read earlier this year, [b:Miracles at the Jesus Oak: Histories of the Supernatural in Reformation Europe|1240360|Miracles at the Jesus Oak Histories of the Supernatural in Reformation Europe|Craig Harline|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1182181393s/1240360.jpg|1229031], was really fun despite being an academic text, each chapter supported by pages of notes, references and bibliography.

Stanford is a practicing Catholic and it was good to read a book dealing (at least partly) with Church history written by somebody who clearly has personal knowledge of Catholic doctrine and rituals. This doesn't mean that the book is biased - on the contrary, Stanford is not squeamish about underlining the anti-Semitic link that was often drawn in Christian circles between Judas "the traitor" and the Jewish people. Stanford considers this as one of the seeds of the Shoah. He makes the point that although the Nazis were certainly no Christians, and often found resistance from believers (including Catholics), they exploited a pre-existent streak of anti-Semitism, partly fomented by these 'symbolical' portrayals of Judas. It can make for uncomfortable reading, but it is a story which should be told, "lest we forget".

Whilst generally balanced, Stanford elsewhere succumbs to facile historical and religious prejudices. Thus, he has no problem referring to the 14th century as "the early Renaissance" (although, to me it clearly falls within the "late medieval period") but, in describing the virulent anti-Semitism of the nascent Reformation movement of the 16th century, he refers to it as retaining a "medieval" outlook. It seems that for Stanford "medieval" is a derogatory adjective rather than a historical term. Similarly, the book also propagates the "popular" view of religion being the scourge of science. The symbolical depiction in certain religious art of Judas giving birth to a baby at the moment of death is half-jokingly referred to as an indication of the Church's disregard for scientific correctness. In a chapter on the Enlightenment, when "the shackles on the late medieval mind were thrown off", Stanford comments that "the skies were surveyed not for angels with harps on clouds in heaven, but for the sun, the stars and the planets", blissfully disregarding the heritage of medieval astronomy.

I enjoyed a section on Elgar's oratorio "The Apostles" but again a certain "liberal Catholic" prejudice creeps in. Stanford correctly points out that Judas has an important role in Elgar's musical work and that the composer opts for a psychological and more "forgiving" interpretation of Judas's motives. He also convincingly argues that Judas's tortured mind could be a symbol of Elgar's grappling with his own religious doubts. Stanford however then adds that in the first decade of the twentieth century, the Catholic Church was at its most reactionary. The 'Modernist Controversy', a Vatican-inspired witch-hunt aimed at those Catholic theologians who were attempting to find common ground between science, philosophy and religion, was making it appear medieval to most onlookers" Now, I am no Elgar expert, but from what I've read about him over the years, my understanding is that most of his religious dilemmas had their roots in the consistent prejudice he faced as an upcoming composer trying to make his mark on a resolutely Protestant (if not anti-Catholic) Establishment. But of course, Stanford can't help making another "medieval" dig.

Despite my reservations, I enjoyed this book overall, and look forward to sampling other works by Stanford, possibly starting with [b:The She-Pope: Quest for the Truth Behind the Mystery of Pope Joan|21098661|The She-Pope Quest for the Truth Behind the Mystery of Pope Joan|Peter Stanford|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394265240s/21098661.jpg|27900]...… (more)