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They were Christ's closest companions, disciples and followers.

Meet Jesus' inner circle- those first charged with spreading His Gospel message. How much can we know about these remarkable individuals? The Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles reflect only a fraction of the legends passed down by early Christians. The Church Fathers wrote down some these stories, while others were collected in literature known as the apocryphal acts of the apostles.

Through these remarkable lectures, Professor Andrea Molinari, President of the Blessed Edmund Rice School for Pastoral Ministry, introduces you to this fascinating body of literature that has so influenced Christian history. From these works, we learn of Peter's upside-down crucifixion, Paul's beheading, and the major legends of Andrew, Thomas, John and others.

You will encounter the apostles working fantastic miracles, preaching electrifying sermons, overcoming forces of nature, and challenging the powerful elite with their messages. This is a literature that at once entertains and inspires by demonstrating how the weak are strong and the strong are made weak before God's power.

With this order you will receive, free of charge, a detailed Electronic Study Guide. With your confirmation email, you will receive a link that will take you to this Electronic Study Guide, which includes outlines for each topic, review questions and suggested readings for further study. The link to access this Electronic Study Guide will also be included on the case of your CDs or DVDs. You are allowed to print up to 7 copies of your guide. Simply click on the link, or type it into your browser, to access the file.

About Your Presenter

Andrea Lorenzo Molinari, Ph.D., is the President of Blessed Edmund Rice School for Pastoral Ministry, a satellite location for theological studies in connection with Barry University (Miami, FL), where he holds the rank of associate professor. He received his Ph.D. from Marquette University (New Testament and Early Christianity, 1996).

He is author of four books, The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles (NHC 6.1) (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 2000); "I never knew the man": The Coptic Act of Peter (Papyrus Berolinensis 8502.4) (Paris: Editions Peeters, 2000); Climbing the Dragon's Ladder: The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2006); and, most recently, Romans and Christians A.D. 64 (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2009). In addition, he has published a number of scholarly articles on various topics related to apocryphal acts of the apostles, the Nag Hammadi Library, and women in early Christianity, as well as a variety of popular theological pieces.

Topic Titles

• Introduction to the Apocryphal Acts
• The Popularity of Legends Concerning the Apostles in the Earliest Christian Centuries
• What Kind of Stories?: Some General Characteristics of the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles
• Genres that Influenced the Development of the Apocryphal Acts
• "Have I Got a Deal for You!" The Apostle as Spokesman for a Theological "Product" in the Apocryphal Acts
• Sexual Asceticism: Why so Anti-Sex?
• Women in the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles: Figures and Roles
• Introduction to the Apocryphal Acts of John
• Introduction to the Apocryphal Acts of Paul
• Introduction to the Apocryphal Acts of Peter
• Introduction to the Apocryphal Acts of Andrew
• Introduction to the Apocryphal Acts of Thomas