Why did Jesus choose Judas? Did he repent? Did he have a choice?
Everyone has been face-to-face with a Judas-type persona. Recognizing them could spare us considerable suffering. And like Judas, one in 25 individuals can be labeled a sociopath. This is an epidemic. These people have no conscience, or a severely damaged one at best. They commit crimes without guilt and leave shattered relationships in their wake. Antisocial individuals--such as Judas--lack any regard for the moral or legal standards of society. Charm and deception are their skills. The epidemic of crime in our culture cries out for help to identify and deal with the antisocial personalities that move among us. They have fooled most of us. As dean of students and chair of a Christian University discipline committee for more than 30 years, author and professor Tom Ewald experienced the necessity of identifying the deviant antisocial students like Judas.
In Judas and the Criminal Mind, Dr. Ewald explains how the Bible gives three reasons for Judas's betrayal. All biblical passages referring to Judas Iscariot are examined and tools of social science are applied. These accounts show how Judas could hide among Jesus' closest associates yet emerge to betray his master and commit high treason. The words of Jesus, other New Testament passages, and contemporary psychiatry provide ample support for an antisocial criminal diagnosis of Judas Iscariot. Ancient and contemporary works which treat Judas as a hero or as a well-intentioned but mistaken victim are also examined. His deception contributed to the death of Christ, but God's redemptive plan was unimpeded.
