As Easter season approaches, television networks seem sure to roll out their annual programs that revisit the question: What really happened to Jesus? The question rests on the sneaky assumption that the bodily resurrection of a historical figure is too unlikely — even implausible — so there must be another explanation. Finding that other explanation, though, requires other evidence, and that’s where the supposed “lost” gospels come into play, such as the Gospel of Thomas or the Gospel of Peter.

The alternate theory suggests that, immediately following the death of Jesus, various ideas about His identity and mission emerged. Some believed Him to be nothing more than a profound teacher. Others thought He was a social revolutionary. Still others claimed He was divine and actually rose from the dead. Each perspective produced its own set of documents to support its view. Eventually, those who believed Jesus was divine gained enough support to certify their version of Jesus (recorded in the four biblical Gospels), suppress the other versions (like the “lost” Gospels of Thomas and Peter), and so consolidate the church’s power. Therefore, the four accounts in the Bible represent only one perspective and can’t be taken as historical truth. This theory takes different forms but was popularized through the liberal scholarship of The Jesus Seminar and, more notably, Dan Brown’s best-selling novel, “The Da Vinci Code.”