A Social-Historical Study of Truth-Telling in the Acts of Peter and the Acts of Thomas.

• Applicant: Dr. Thomas Tops
• Subject Area: Roman Catholic Theology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 512257962

The early apocryphal acts of the apostles of the second and third centuries CE depict the travels of the apostles who were sent out to foreign countries to proclaim the truth of the teachings of Jesus. Although they lacked the credentials of citizenship, wealth, and high birth, they are depicted as successful truth-tellers. The project will provide the first systematic study of truth-telling in the Acts of Peter and the Acts of Thomas. The first objective is to develop a typology of the literary presentation of the truth-telling of Peter and Thomas. This typology will depict the plurality of the practices of truth-telling through which early Christians performed their identities; it will also explain these practices in their original philosophical and rhetorical contexts. The second objective of the project is to depict and explain how the Acts of Peter and the Acts of Thomas authorise Peter and Thomas as truth-tellers. I will examine which so-called constructive discourses are used to present Peter and Thomas as authoritative truth-tellers. Correspondingly, I will investigate the so-called corrosive discourses that are used to critique and remove the authority of the opponents of the apostles. Special attention will be given to the criteria these constructive and corrosive discourses apply to discern whether truth-telling is authentic or inauthentic. By attaining this second objective I will deepen our knowledge of: (1) the interrelation between truth-telling and authority in early Christianity; (2) the plurality of ways in which truth-telling was authorised in early Christianity; and (3) the historical dimension of truth, as truth is always embodied in concrete practices of truth-telling that require historically conditioned criteria to discern their authenticity. Given the project’s focus on the performative dimension of truth-telling, it is also expected that knowledge will be obtained of how the truth-telling of the apostles affects social categories, social relations, and society at large. The relevance of the project can be situated firstly in the field of early Christian studies, as it contributes to our knowledge of: (i) the political dimension of the Acts of Peter and the Acts of Thomas; and (ii) the identity formation of early Christians. Secondly, the project is relevant for the field of cultural studies, since it will advance our knowledge of the history of truth-telling and the role of authority herein. Finally, the project is incredibly timely. In a post-truth world, where truth-telling and facts are constantly being challenged, the project demonstrates that these modern anxieties are not unique, but were already an issue of concern in the early Christian world.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants