Looking at texts from the Gospels from Nag Hammadi to the Dialogues with the Risen Savior, Paul Foster shows how the apocryphal gospels reflect the diversity that existed within early Christianity and examines the extent to which they can be used to reconstruct an accurate portrait of the historical Jesus. Including discussions of controversies and case studies such as the alleged hoax surrounding the discovery of Secret Mark, Foster concludes that the noncanonical texts, considered in the correct context, offer us an important window on the vibrant and multifaceted face of early Christianity.