What do the Gospels of Thomas, Mary, and Judas have in common? Despite their cultural popularity—thanks largely to sources like The Da Vinci Code—these are works of fiction, commonly known as the apocryphal gospels, that fail to tell the faithful and true story of Jesus Christ.

In Apocryphal Gospels: Separating the Real Jesus from the Fan Fiction, Gregory R. Lanier provides readers with a sober, balanced, and historically grounded treatment of this body of literature. He meticulously compares these fascinating, yet unreliable texts with the four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), demonstrating the veracity and historical reliability of the New Testament accounts and making a compelling case for the true Jesus.