Shortly after Elaine Pagels' two-and-half-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare lung disease, the religion professor found herself drawn to a Christian church again for the first time in many years. In Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas Pagels, best know for her National Book Award winner The Gnostic Gospels, wrestles with her own faith as she struggles to understand when--and why--Christianity became associated almost exclusively with the ideas codified in the fourth-century Nicene Creed and in the canonical texts of the New Testament. In her exploration, she uncovers the richness and diversity of Christian philosophy that has only become available since the discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts.
At the centre 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. While these gospels have many superficial similarities, Pagels demonstrates that John, unlike Thomas, declares that Jesus is equivalent to "God the Father" as identified in the Old Testament. Thomas, in contrast, shares with other supposed secret teachings a belief that Jesus is not God but, rather, is a teacher who seeks to uncover the divine light in all human beings. Pagels then shows how the Gospel of John was used by Bishop Irenaeus of Lyon and others to define orthodoxy during the second and third centuries. The secret teachings were literally driven underground, disappearing until the 20th century. As Pagels argues this process "not only impoverished the churches that remained but also impoverished those [Irenaeus] expelled".
Beyond Belief offers a profound framework with which to examine Christian history and contemporary Christian faith, and Pagels renders her scholarship in a highly readable narrative. The one deficiency in Pagels' examination of Thomas, if there is one, is that she never fully returns in the end to her own struggles with religion that so poignantly open the book. How has the mysticism of the Gnostic Gospels affected her? While she hints that she and others have found new pathways to faith through Thomas, the impact of Pagels' work on contemporary Christianity may not be understood for years to come. --Patrick O'Kelley, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Yet again another super book! Beyond Belief The Secret Gospel of Thomas is yet again another super book by Elaine Pagels. In this highly readable book the author takes the readers on a jouney to show the important parts of the 'Secret Gospel' and how the mix with traditional understanding. I partticularly like the way the author mixes her own emotions with the story. Making this for me at least a powerful read.
A fine discernment of spirits With patient scholarship Pagels compares two versions of early Christianity - that found in the Gospel of Thomas, with that seen in the Gospel of John. She explores the differences in focus, meaning, and implications for Christians through the ages. Combining the skills of a linguist, a theologian and a fine critic of literature, she brings out the major contrasts in understanding between different groups of early Christians. Her work exposes ancient issues of spiritual discernment, where different speakers... more info
Not about what it claims to be about I would reinforce much of what 'calmly' says in her/his review: despite its subtitle, "The secret gospel of Thomas", the bulk of this book is about how the orthodoxy of Irenaeus gained control of the early church. There are some occasions where the author focuses on Thomas, and in particular the rivalry between the Gospels of John and of Thomas is well portrayed. But a reader who is expecting to find an exhaustive treatment of Thomas - despite the inclusion of the complete text of Thomas as an appendix... more info
Appeasing orthodoxy In "The Gnostic Gospels", although Pagels stated early Christianity had needed orthodoxy in order to survive, she lent an energetic voice to the Gnostics. But here, in "Beyond Belief", that voice is much weaker. Indeed, for a book subtitled "The Secret Gospel of Thomas", there is surprisingly not all that much about the Gospel of Thomas. When it is discussed, it is often in a comparison with the Gospel of John, such that the John receives a fair share of attention. Irenaeus seems to get more attention... more info
