The Gnostic Gospels

By: Elaine Pagels

Narrated by: Lorna Raver

The Gnostic Gospels provides engaging listening for those seeking a broader perspective on the early development of Christianity. Author and noted scholar Elaine Pagels suggests that Christianity could have developed quite differently if Gnostic texts had become part of the Christian canon.

Without a doubt: Gnosticism celebrates God as both Mother and Father, shows a very human Jesus's relationship to Mary Magdalene, suggests the Resurrection is better understood symbolically, and speaks to self-knowledge as the route to union with God. Pagels argues that Christian orthodoxy grew out of the political considerations of the day, serving to legitimize and consolidate early church leadership. Her contrast of that developing orthodoxy with Gnostic teachings presents an intriguing trajectory on a world faith as it "might have become."

©1979 Elaine Pagels (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The first major and eminently readable book on gnosticism benefiting from the discovery in 1945 of a collection of Gnostic Christian texts at Nag Hammadi in Egypt." --The New York Times Book Review

A bit disappointed...

The books contents were rather shallow compared to the source material.
I wish that there were more quotes and passages to the actual gospel and less speculation on the authors part.

Great History Lesson :)

The narrator had a great easy to understand clear voice. I really appreciate now the struggle that some people had to go thru to even get access to these things.

Memorable Conclusion

Christianity has persisted because Catholicism provides stronger argument for faith than does Gnosticism according to Pagels.

A New Perspective on the Birth of Christianity

Like most wells of knowledge, the implications are vast, and the questions unending; this book reveals much of Christianity's founding history in rarely discussed detail, opening the readers' eyes to a new perspective.

Just the beginning

Beautifully narrated, and a good introduction to the subject matter. Now I have more questions, of course, so I know this was just the beginning for me. Grateful to both author and narrator for giving me back some things I couldn't learn effectively at the hands of lofty theology professors once upon a time.

Great Information, Incredible Reading!

As someone with only cursory knowledge of Gnosticism this book was an excellent starting point.
It’s examination of early Christianity was humanizing.

I could listen to Lorna Raver read a Car Owner’s Manual and I would be in heaven. She’s incredible, warm, and authoritative all at the same time.

Review

Provide great information in both religions and gnostic history. Recommend it for any student if faith.

Informative

I am new to early Christianity and I like to hear the many accounts of the early churches or belief. Gnostic gospels are something important to know about and how they’ve changed the course of history.

So glad...

... I've finally read/heard this book! I consider myself pretty adept at studying/analyzing, but fully grasping the history and reasoning behind the Church and how it seems EVERYTHING was heresy at some point, and my own logical questions concerning the philosophical tenets AND holes in orthodox Christianity... but in this single book, it all makes me sense!

Feed your mind

This book is a well written, academic analysis on the birth of Christianity. If you only know what the church tells you, or the poorly translated and hand selected passages of the orthodox new testament, then you're just a sheep. The Immortality Key by Brian Muraresku is a great, and more fun, read for before or after this book.