Rehabilitating the traitor in Taylor Caldwell's I, Judas

 

Die rehabilitasie van die verraaier in Taylor Caldwell se verhaal I, Judas

 

 

F. Hale

School of Ecclesiastical Sciences Potchefstroom, Campus North-West University Potchefstroom. E-mail: fh243@cam.ac.uk

 

 

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ABSTRACT

During the course of the previous century, authors from various genres attempted to clear the name of Judas Iscariot, or alternatively, tried to explain why he betrayed Jesus Christ. One of the most ambitious attempts at this was that of the well-known British-American author Taylor Caldwell in her book called „I, Judas' (1977). The strategy supporting Caldwell's partial exculpation of Judas is analysed against the background of various early descriptions of Judas. The conclusion is that Caldwell's excessively fertile literary imagination, combined with the encroachment of postbible traditions in this apparent first-person narrative of the accused disciple undermines the credibility of her alternative perception of Judas.

Key concepts: betrayal of Jesus, biblical novel, Judas Iscariot, Caldwell, Taylor

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OPSOMMING

Gedurende die vorige eeu het skrywers in verskillende genres gepoog om Judas Iskariot se naam in ere te herstel, of om te verduidelik waarom hy Jesus Christus verraai het. Een van die mees ambisieuse pogings in hierdie verband was die bekende Brits-Amerikaanse skrywer Taylor Caldwell se boek Ί, Judas' (1977). Die strategie vir Caldwell se gedeeltelike verontskul-diging van Judas, word teen die agtergrond van verskeie vroeëre beskrywings van Judas geanaliseer. Daar word tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat Caldwell se uitermate vrugbare literêre verbeelding, tesame met die indringing van na-bybelse tradisies in hierdie oënskynlik eerste-persoon verhaal van die beskuldigde dissipel, die geloofwaardigheid van haar alter-natiewe persepsie van Judas ondermyn.

Kernbegrippe: Bybelroman, Judas Iskariot, Caldwell, Taylor, verraad teenoor Jesus

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