Judas: The troubling history of the renegade apostle Peter Sandford, Hodder & Stoughton (2016) five stars
Journalist and broadcaster and has written a wonderful, fascinating book investigating the most famous traitor in all of history. The book looks critically at whether Judas Iscariot deserves the scorn which has been poured on him since the time of the famous kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The reader will find it helpful to read the book in conjunction with watching the BBC One programme shown in March 2016 In the footsteps of Judas, presented by Preach columnist Revd Kate Bottley, to which Peter contributed.
The book looks at the various aspects of the facts and myths surrounding Judas. Did he act out of greed for silver as the agent of Satan? Or was he part of God’s plan for Jesus in fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies? The hard evidence for either view is very limited, as Judas is mentioned less than 30 times in the whole of the Bible. The polarisation of the actions of Judas are meticulously researched, tracing the history of the way in which the church and society has vilified the name of Judas (as well as the man). Also the way Judas has been used as a scapegoat to blame the Jews for a whole variety of perceived wrongs, and which has resulted in many pogroms. The book lays out the historical facts and how the name of Judas became synonymous with betrayal and treachery.
