Quote:
Originally Posted by Victoria
I had hoped to nominate Elaine Pagels’ Beyond Belief, the Secret Gospel of Thomas.
The Amazon description is 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.”
The Gospel of Thomas was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945 as part of the Nag Hammadi library. The topic may sound dry and academic, but I found it fascinating.
I also found it quite moving. It’s a reflective, quietly written book and I thought the author was quite insightful. She was very open about her struggles with spirituality, and the impact of the loss of her young son. It’s a fairly short book and I actually felt a bit bereft when it was over.
PS:
The description says “she arrives at an ever-deeper conviction in her own faith..” - I wouldn’t describe it that way -which sounds ‘one and done’. I’d say she’s more of a seeker / wrestler than the description implies. |
I remember reading
this article in the Washington Post late last year, about Pagels' most recent book, a personal reaction to religion referencing her losses.