First published in 1979 to critical acclaim, winning the national book award and the national book critics circle award, the gnostic gospels has continued to grow in reputation and influence over the past two decades. The gospel of thomas also known as the coptic gospel of thomas is a noncanonical sayings gospel. Pagels s breakthrough book, were discovered in 1945 at nag hammadi, in upper egypt. Gospel of thomas prof gilles quispel nag hammadi earliest. During the first half of the book, pagels provides a detailed explanation of how she believes the gospel of john was written in response to the gospel of thomas, which was found among the nag hammadi library in 1945. The gnostic gospels modern library 100 best nonfiction books series by elaine pagels. Elaine pagels, nee hiesey born february, 1943, is an american religious historian.
It was discovered near nag hammadi, egypt, in december 1945 among a. Discovered among the gnostic texts found in egypt in 1945, this gospel from thomas gives the reader a fresh vision of christs teachings. Pagels is best known for her research into early christianity and gnosticism, explicated in the gnostic gospels, published in 1979, which explored conflicts in the early history of the christian church revealed in the nag hammadi library, leatherbound papyrus books discovered near the egyptian town of nag hammadi in 1945. Her notable books included the gnostic gospels 1979, the origin of satan 1995, beyond belief. The gospel of thomas gives you a first opportunity to join her in charting a wider horizon of christian spirituality. Elaine pagels on ancient interpretations of genesis. The gospel of thomas also suggests that jesus is aware of, and criticizing the views of the. Part of the the nag hammadi library nag hammadi scriptures collection. Presumably he was at least half joking, but the fact that he could say the words suggests the degree to which the subject of beyond belief veers away from what would become the christian tradition. Elaine pagelss gnostic gospels, which won the national book. New perspectives on jesus message elaine pagels on. The gnostic gospels is a landmark study of the longburied roots of christianity, a work of luminous scholarship and wide popular appeal.
At the center of beyond belief is what pagels identifies as a textual battle between the gospel of thomas rediscovered in egypt in 1945 and the gospel of john. Special edition including the complete text of the gospel of thomas elaine pagels, one of the worlds most important writers and thinkers on religion and history, and winner of the national book award for her groundbreaking workthe gnostic gospels, now reflects on what matters most about spiritual and religious exploration in the twentyfirst century. At a time when books about angels make the bestseller lists, it is refreshing to have one about the devilif only to remind us that religion is not all sweetness and light. Of all these suppressed gospels, far and away the poster child is the gospel of thomas. Elaine pagels has riveted readers and audiences everywhere with her clear and provocative explorations of the testaments of early christianity. Its about a religious text that is little known the secret. Thirteen leatherbound papyrus codices buried in a sealed jar were found by a local farmer named muhammed al. Pagels has conducted extensive research into early christianity and gnosticism her bestselling book the gnostic gospels 1979 examines the divisions in the early christian church, and the way that women have been viewed. Pagels, a princeton scholar who did her undergraduate and masters work at stanford in the mid1960s, came to national prominence in 1979 with her awardwinning book the gnostic gospels, an analysis of 52 ancient papyrus manuscripts that were found hidden in. Pagels, for example, says that johns gospel makes two references to the inability of the world. Had i known the gospel of thomas, a buddhist monk once told author elaine pagels, i wouldnt have had to become a buddhist.
The gnostic gospels by elaine pagels mimadamos by chadi b. Free of dogma, zenlike wisdom graces the pages of this scholarly yet immensely readable work. The following translation has been committed to the public domain and may be freely copied and used, changed or unchanged, for any purpose. What quispel held in his hand, the gospel of thomas, was only one of the fifty two texts discovered at nag hammadi the usual english transliteration of the. Scholar elaine pagels explores the gnostic gospels. Elaine pagels, american educator and scholar of the origins of christianity. E laine pagels, professor of religion at princeton university, became famous well, at least well known with the publication of her book, the gnostic gospels, in 1979. The text of the gospel of thomas from the scholars version translation published in the complete gospels. Scholars speculate that the works were buried in response to a letter from bishop athanasius declaring a strict canon of christian scripture. A vast collection of materials and audio lectures dealing with gnosis and gnosticism, both. Elaine pagelss gnostic gospels, which won the national book critics circle award and the national book award in 1980, introduced the general public to. This bold new book explores how christianity began by tracing its earliest texts, including the secret gospel of thomas, rediscovered in egypt in 1945. But recently professor helmut koester of harvard university has suggested that the collection of sayings in the gospel of thomas, although compiled c. Elaine pagels, the gnostic gospels vintage books, 1979, 1989, and beyond belief, the secret gospel of thomas random house, 2003.
Inside were scrolls containing a hitherto unseen book. The secret gospel of thomas, was found among the papyrus volumes. Liberal scholars such as john dominic crossan and elaine pagels faun over this work. She has written several other books as well on the history of christianity. The gospel of thomas, the subject of pagels 2003 book beyond belief. Elaine pagels on ancient interpretations of genesis yeshiva.
The story of the storytellers the gospel of thomas. She was one of the group of scholars who translated the nag hammadi scrolls, found in the egyptian desert in 1945, and so we met her in her office for a brief discussion. The secret gospel of thomas, and the more about elaine pagels. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading beyond belief. This is unfortunate because otherwise there are many things to admire about the book, including the scholarship it represents and the questions it raises. She is the harrington spear paine professor of religion at princeton university. It was discovered near nag hammadi, egypt, in december 1945 among a group of books known as the nag hammadi library. Elaine pagels is the harrington spear paine foundation professor of religion at princeton university. The peasants who found the jar containing the manuscripts feared. Rubbish from the second century that is still rubbish 1 is an apt description of the gnostic views advanced in elaine pagels s beyond belief. One of these documents found at nag hammadi begins with the scribal note in the margin, the gospel according to thomas.
When her infant son was diagnosed pagels, a writer and thinker on religion and history, winner of the national book award for the gnostic gospels, reflects on what matters most about spiritual and religious exploration in the 21st century. In december 1945 an arab peasant was digging around a massive boulder in nag hammadi, upper egypt looking for sabakh, a soil for fertilizing crops, when he found an large earthen jar almost a meter high. Gospel of john aims to discredit evangel thomas, scholar says. It is based on the coptic text of nag hammadi codex ii, 2. The secret gospel of thomas vintage reprint by pagels, elaine isbn. Your new book puts forward the hypothesis that the canonical gospel of john may have been written in response to thomas gospel, to refute thomas. The secret gospel of thomas random house, 2003, pagels describes how early church leaders supressed another interpretation of jesus messageone found in the ancient documents pagels first popularized in her 1979 book, the gnostic gospels, winner of the national book award and the national book critics. Probably no scholar is more closely associated with the gospel of thomas than elaine pagels. This is the contemporary translation of the gnostic gospel of thomas with greek and coptic verses. The story of the storytellers the gospel of thomas from jesus.
Best known of the nag hammadi manuscripts a collection buried c. The gospel of thomas is a noncanonical sayings gospel. For information about the surviving manuscripts of the gospel of thomas, see the manuscript information page. While these gospels have many superficial similarities, pagels demonstrates that john, unlike thomas, declares that jesus is equivalent to god. The gospel of thomas in multiple translations along with a vast collection of material about the thomas tradition. Elaine pagels graduated from stanford university b. Pagels is a serious, recognized scholar of early christianity and its literature and history, and she now teaches at princeton. The secret gospel of thomas 2003, and why religion a personal story 2018. Visions, prophecy and politics princeton religious scholar elaine pagels puts the new testaments last book in historical context. The gospel of thomas, the subject of pagels 2003 book. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Special edition including the complete text of the gospel of thomas elaine pagels, one of the worlds most important writers and thinkers on religion and history, and winner of the national book award for her groundbreaking work the gnostic gospels, now reflects on what matters most about spiritual and religious exploration in the twentyfirst century. In her book the gnostic gospels, pagels comments on thomas 114, strange as it sounds, this simply states what religious rhetoric assumes.
In the winter of 1945, in upper egypt, an arab peasant discovered a large vessel. Elaine pagels, the harrington spear paine professor of religion at princeton. In 1945 a stone jar was found at nag hammadi in upper egypt containing. She is best known as the author of the gnostic gospels, published in 1979, which explored conflicts in the early history of judaism and christianity as revealed in the nag hammadi library, leatherbound papyrus books discovered near the egyptian town of nag hammadi in 1945.
As a young researcher at barnard college, elaine pagels changed the historical landscape of christianity by exploding the myth of the early church as a unified movement. This book describes the early schisms between what was to become the orthodox catholic. New perspectives on jesus message 9781591794127 by pagels, elaine and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books. I am there than either a political messiah or incarnate god many historians of religion now think the gospel of thomas is the. The jesus seminar even published a book titled the five gospels, which includes the canonical fourplus thomas. Elaine pagels biblical scholar, expert in gnosticism. In beyond belief, renowned religion scholar elaine pagels continues her groundbreaking examination of the earliest christian texts, arguing for an ongoing assessment of faith and a questioning of religious orthodoxy. When her infant son was diagnosed with fatal pulmonary hypertension, elaine pagels s spiritual and intellectual quest took on a new urgency, leading her to explore historical and archeological.
The secret gospel of thomas, is just out in paperback. The secret gospel of thomas by elaine pagels online at alibris. The recently discovered gospel of thomas was edited out of the new. The site includes the gnostic society library with the complete nag hammadi library and scriptures, and a large collection of other primary gnostic scriptures and documents. The gospel of thomas it does not tell the story of the life and death of jesus, but offers the reader his secret teachings about the kingdom of god. He hesitated to break it for fear an evil spirit might be inside, but the thought that it could contain gold overcame his fear and he smashed it. Thomas, one of the texts discovered at nag hammadi, is a collection of 114 sayings of jesus, with no narrative. Selected by the modern library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time the gnostic gospels is a landmark study of the longburied roots of christianity, a work of luminous scholarship and wide popular appeal. It contains a collection of sayings attributed to jesus, some of which, according to pagels, can be found in one or more of the other four official gospels but some of which stand entirely on their own. Funding for frontline is provided through the support of pbs viewers and by the corporation for public broadcasting.
Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end. The gospel of thomas collection the gnostic society library. Elaine pagels, the secret gospel of thomas her latest book, beyond belief. This site includes the entire nag hammadi library and a large collection of other primary gnostic scriptures and documents. The secret gospel of thomas kindle edition by pagels, elaine. A vast collection of materials and audio lectures dealing with gnosis and gnosticism, both ancient. Spurred on by personal tragedy and new scholarship from an international group of researchers, pagels returns to her investigation of the secret gospel of thomas, and. The gospel of judas and the shaping of christianity, the new york times bestseller beyond belief. She is the author of several books, including reading judas. Elaine pagels harry camp memorial lecturer, january 2630, 2004. Elaine pagels the gnostic gospels pdf 20 gram soul. This book explores how christianity began by tracing its earliest texts, including the gospel of thomas, rediscovered in egypt in 1945. The nag hammadi library also known as the chenoboskion manuscripts and the gnostic gospels is a collection of early christian and gnostic texts discovered near the upper egyptian town of nag hammadi in 1945. What quispel held in his hand, the gospel of thomas, was only one of the fiftytwo texts discovered at nag hammadi the usual english transliteration of the.
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