"Is Judas a Traitor or a Strategist? A Structural Hypothesis on Judas"

This paper reconstructs the actions and intentions of Judas Iscariot, who has been imprinted in Christian tradition as the ultimate "traitor." The conventional image of Judas was fixed upon selective gospel passages, with insufficient consideration of the historical, social, and personal belief contexts. This study analyzes the biblical text, the Jewish national movement of the 1st century, and the power reconfiguration of the early church, arguing that Judas was not merely a betrayer but a strategist pursuing national liberation and ideals. Furthermore, it highlights how the theological distortion of concentrating the "sin of disbelief" on Judas must be reinterpreted within the socio-psychological structure of scapegoating.