The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the Nativity of Mary

The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew is one of the most important witnesses in Western Europe to apocryphal stories about the lives of Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and Mary's parents, Anna and Joachim. As a bestseller of mainstream medieval Christianity, this Latin apocryphon is a keystone in the explosion of apocryphal literature in the Middle Ages. Despite its apocryphal status, the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew remained both popular and influential throughout the Middle Ages and into the early modern period, as its popularity and influences may be traced in Christian literature, visual arts, liturgy, and theological perspectives still revered by Roman Catholic theologians. The gospel is also a significant work for considering the history of monasticism and the cult of the Virgin Mary. This book presents the first English translation of the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew with a full introduction and commentary, as well as translations of related works with accompanying commentaries. ""Brandon Hawk's book offers a fascinating insight into the mercurial life of the apocryphal Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew. Its informative introductions, lucid translations, and very useful notes reveal the richness and ever-changing character of this medieval bestseller. A must-read for anyone interested in ancient or medieval Christianity."" --Zbigniew Izydorczyk, Professor, University of Winnipeg Brandon W. Hawk is Assistant Professor of English at Rhode Island College. He is the author of Preaching Apocrypha in Anglo-Saxon England (2018).