Modern apocrypha: An attempt at cultural analysis

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the phenomenon of modern apocrypha from the perspective of cultural studies. The term ‘apocrypha’ is usually associated with early Christian and Gnostic texts, but the tradition of unorthodox writings is also continued in modern Western culture. It is not easy to formulate a comprehensive definition of apocrypha by analyzing this phenomenon only from the perspective of literary, historical and religious studies. The phenomenon of apocrypha is so complex that it should be described based on a kind of methodological bricolage. This method should allow one to understand the role that apocrypha play in modern culture. Many scholars have noticed that it is not possible to point to clear and obvious criteria that would allow us to assign a given text to the category of apocryphal writings. Most typologies of texts which are epistemologically valuable and which help scholars to identify certain features of apocryphal writings do not take into consideration the cultural qualities of non-canonical, unorthodox narratives. From the perspective of cultural studies, modern apocrypha can be seen not only as literary or religious texts but also as an important element of cultural autocommunication. As an element of cultural metacognition, apocrypha can also be regarded as a medium of cultural memory and collective identity.