The Gnostic Gospels | Elaine Pagels

The Gnostic Gospels | Elaine Pagels | Gnostic gospels

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The Gnostic Gospels

	The Gnostic Gospels Elaine Pagels Vintage, 1989 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 183 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A provocative study of the gnostic gospels and the world of early Christianity as revealed through the Nag Hammadi texts.

The Gnostic Gospels

If you're wondering what gnosticism is all about Pagels' book is a very clear and easy read. I would highly recommend it.

Gnostic gospels

The product arrived quickly and the quality was excellent. I had the subject on hard back, but listening to the subject on CD impacted the delivery and allowed others to join in and listen. Looking for other products like it...on CD

Gnostics Can't Be Easily Written Off

There is a temptation among "Christians" today to totally write off the "gnostics" becasue they were heretics....which, in reality, means they"they thought differently from the way do...we are right..so they must be wrong..."

This is not an easy book to read, but it does offer keen insight into the early days of the church, the politics--and there were politics--in putting the Bible together, what was in, what was out.

Chapters on The Apostle's Creed are exceptional. You will never look at the Apostle's Creed again the same way...it is a much a political statement as it is a statement of faith...

Not an easy book, but a good book...well worth the read....

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History of the Early Church

The Gnostic Gospels is a scholastic look at some of the forces that threatened to split the early Christian Church. The battle, as portrayed by Pagels, was between Orthodoxy and Gnosticism. Her argument is based on ancient texts discovered in 1945 in Egypt. She talks about the battle between the Orthodox "winners" and the Gnostic "loser" on issues such as the nature of God, the meaning of the resurrection, and the role of the episcopacy. Since the Orthodox won the battle, our understanding of Christianity is descended from Orthodox beliefs.

Although Pagels puts forth her case strongly, I am left feeling unconvinced by her argument. Although Gnosticism did not win the battle, much of their beliefs have remained vital. Their understanding of approaching God through knowledge has many similarities to mysticism. Process Theologians share Gnosticism's view of God as part of Creation, as opposed to the ultimate source of Creation. In addition, Pagels paints Gnostics as a unified group. In fact, there were many sects that make up those who Pagel calls Gnostics.

For those who are new to Christianity in the early years following the death of Jesus, this book holds much valuable information. However, I feel that Pagel overstates her case and, as a result, comes off as a bit shallow and uncertain.

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