Welcome to NASSCAL

The North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocryphal Literature is a scholarly organization dedicated to the study of the Christian Apocrypha, a vast assortment of texts that feature tales of Jesus, his family and his immediate followers but, for various reasons, are not included in the New Testament. These texts were composed as early as the first century, and the creation of apocrypha continues even to today. The society was founded in 2014 with the goal of fostering collaboration between scholars in the field and cognate disciplines, both within North America and abroad. It welcomes participation from scholars at all stages of their careers, including graduate study.

The society is currently involved in two projects: e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha (a comprehensive database featuring manuscript listings and bibliographical resources for each apocryphal text) and Early Christian Apocrypha (a series of pocket-size texts-in-translation published in conjunction with the Westar Texts and Translation Series). NASSCAL members also meet at a bi-annual conference held at various locations in North America. We encourage everyone—established scholars, independent scholars, graduate students—to become members. There is no membership fee! Simply sign up and take advantage of the resources and networking opportunities that the society provides. For further information about our activities and membership in the society, follow the links in the column to the left.