The Gospel of Peter: Directions and Issues in Contemporary Research

Abstract

Following a period of virtual neglect, interest in the Gospel of Peter has blossomed over the last three to four decades. In part this reflects the wider phenomenon of increased study of non-canonical texts, but more specifically this is also related to various theories that have suggested that traditions in this text may pre-date the forms of parallel traditions found in the canonical gospels. This article surveys three major issues that have surrounded the Gospel of Peter. These are: (i) its relationship to the canonical gospels; (ii) the identification of other fragmentary texts as manuscript witnesses to the text; (iii) the Christology and wider theological profile of the text.