The Gospel of Judas

The Gospel of Judas (2000), a work of religious historical fiction by Simon Mawer, tells the story of an American priest who finds a scroll telling a very different version of Christ’s crucifixion than the one found in the Bible. Critics praise the book for blending literary suspense with a complete reinterpretation of Christianity. A British author and high school teacher with a degree in zoology, Mawer taught biology at St. George’s British International School in Rome. He has been shortlisted for numerous literary awards, including the Man Booker Prize and the Walter Scott Prize.

The Gospel of Judas is set in the present day. Father Leo Newman, an American priest committed to Catholicism, doesn’t struggle with the demands of celibacy. He has only ever had one sexual experience, and it was so bad that he has never given sex much thought. Nevertheless, Father Newman feels something is missing in his life. He is unsure whether he is just lonely or if he is experiencing a true crisis in faith.

As the book begins, Father Newman listens to a woman’s confession. Drawn to the sound of her voice and her perfume, he thinks about her when the confession is over. He doesn’t expect to ever meet the woman again, but attending a congress reception later that evening, he recognizes her voice from across the room.



Madeleine, a middle-aged married woman, obviously finds Father Newman attractive. Sex is against his commitment to God and with his limited sexual experience, he doesn’t know how to respond to her flirtation. Still, the encounter stays with him, and he wonders if God brought Madeleine into his life for a reason beyond hearing her confession.

Meanwhile, Father Newman undertakes a new research project. Archaeologists recently unearthed a scroll written by Judas Iscariot in the first century AD; Father Newman is one of the few scholars who can translate the language. Discrediting everything we know about Christ’s crucifixion, the text has far-reaching implications for Christianity. If the text is authentic, it is one of the most significant finds of all time.

Father Newman must determine the scroll’s validity. He is worried about what will happen if the scroll is real. He doesn’t think his faith can survive another blow, and if the Bible turns out to be false, he is convinced he will leave the priesthood forever. Meanwhile, he spends more time with Madeleine, not knowing how much longer he can remain celibate.



The Roman Catholic Church urges him to declare the text a forgery. There is too much invested in the current understanding of Christ’s crucifixion, and the Church won’t support another interpretation. Father Newman is torn between proving his loyalty to God and proving his loyalty to the Church.

As Father Newman investigates the Gospel of Judas, he muses over the concept of betrayal. He thinks back to his childhood and his relationship with his mother. He idolized his mother, but she shattered his illusions when she cheated on his father with an Italian man. Father Newman wonders if she shaped his attitude toward sex and if she is the reason he associates sex and passion with infidelity and weakness.

He understands that he must get over his mother’s betrayal to move forward with Madeleine. As he obsesses over a sexual relationship with Madeleine, he stops focusing so much on the Gospel of Judas, while the Church continues to pressure him into declaring the invalidity of the text.



Father Newman sleeps with Madeleine, and they begin an affair. He wrestles with his conscience because, now, he has betrayed his relationship with God, Christ, and the Church. Madeleine tells him that she loves him and wants to leave her husband. Father Newman tells the Church about his relationship and leaves the priesthood. He hasn’t yet reached a conclusion on the Gospel of Judas, but deep down, he suspects the document is real.

Father Newman marries Madeleine, and they are happy together for a time. He still cares about religion, but it is no longer the center of his world. However, before long, he is attracted to a new woman, and his relationship with Madeleine falls apart. He decides that he is just like his mother and his relationships are doomed to fail.

Father Newman tells the Church that the Gospel of Judas is real. Refusing to believe him, they call him “Judas the Betrayer.” In response, Father Newman retreats from public life and moves in with this new woman. An artist, Magda helps Father Newman explore new facets of his religion, sexuality, and nature. He decides that it doesn’t matter whether the Gospel of Judas is real or not—it doesn’t change the heart and soul of Christianity.