Gnosticism and Early Christianity
Discover the hidden history of Gnosticism and early Christianity with curated books like Elaine Pagels' Beyond Belief and The Nag Hammadi Library. Explore alternative gospels, esoteric teachings, and the battle for orthodoxy in this essential reading list on Christian origins and Gnostic texts.
Book
Beyond Belief
by Elaine Pagels
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. 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 breathes new life into writings once thought heretical. As she arrives at an ever-deeper conviction in her own faith, Pagels reveals how faith allows for a diversity of interpretations, and that the “rogue” voices of Christianity encourage and sustain “the recognition of the light within us all.”
