Beyond Belief

The Secret Gospel of Thomas

De: Elaine Pagels

Narrado por: Cassandra Campbell

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.”©2003 Elaine Pagels; (P)2004 Books on Tape

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Pagels has accomplished a very rare thing, an examination of early religious writings that is a good read, accessible, and at times even dramatic and poignant.” —The Columbus Dispatch

“This remarkable book will stir and provoke thought. It offers rewards to any reader concerned with the promise and power of faith, and the hunger for spiritual discovery.” —The Christian Science Monitor

“Lucid . . . a spiritual as well as an intellectual exercise. . . . [Pagels] seems to rejoice that in the earliest years of Christianity there existed these strange, dissident doctrines.” —Frank Kermode, The New York Times Book Review

"With the winning combination of sound scholarship, deep insight and a crystal clear prose style . . . [Beyond Belief] portrays the rich and beautiful heritage that was lost when champions of religious orthodoxy turned on many of their fellow Christians and declared them 'heretics'." —Los Angeles Times

“Brilliantly lucid, elegantly written . . . [Pagels’] book is so readable you can’t put it down.” — Providence Journal-Bulletin

“Just as topical today as it was nearly two thousand years ago. . . . Pagels is great at pulling together the details that allow us to understand not only what people were arguing about but why.” –San Jose Mercury News

“Majestic. . . . Exhilarating reading, Pagel’s book offers a model of careful and thoughtful scholarship in the lively and exciting prose of a mystery writer.” –Publishers Weekly

“This luminous and accessible history of early Christian thought offers profound and crucial insights on the nature of God, revelation, and what we mean by religious truth.” –Karen Armstong

“As relevant as today's front page.” –The Washington Post Book World

Not what I thought.

It promised to answer a question that I didn’t know I was asking when I first heard that there was a ‘Gospel of Thomas’. I wanted to know why it was excluded from what would become the Bible. I am also a bit troubled by the Gospel of John now. Unlike the author, who says she always liked this Gospel, I liked it less than the other three. There seemed dissonance with the other 3 and, not being a biblical scholar, I never questioned why. I just knew John was different and an outlier. Now I wonder if it was right to have been included with the other 3.

Exceptional exploration of the Bible

Loved the historical point of view and perspective.
Really opened my eyes to many possibilities.

Dr. Pagels hits a home run (almost a grand slam)

I am not sure why she did not include the full text of Thomas, perhaps in deference to her friends who have published the Gospel of Thomas already. I am sure her book has led to many purchases. I was expecting the Gospel of Thomas to be a part of the book, based on the title. She compares and contrasts Thomas to the Gospel of John. So, read these books first and keep them by your side as you read or listen to this book. I found the book a great read, with some pretty good insight into the mind and culture of early Christians and the way they approached and developed the canon. Her creativity and style are very engaging and you forget you are actually reading one of the very top scholars of pre-orthodox Christianity. She seems to also have a spiritual grasp of her subject and shares some of her own spiritual trials. This book is more than a history lesson, it is a spiritual lesson which should leave you with a deeper sense of connection to your Higher Power. I can't wait for her next book, it should be a grand slam!

Get Over "Belief"

This is an excellent book to help understand that the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, those that must be blindly "believed" in order to be "saved" and get into "heaven", are the product of a few delusional and power-hungry white men and have very little to do with the actual teachings of Jesus. They are simply interpretations by mere mortals - fallible, flawed and weak like everyone else - ,that through the ages have calcified into rigid dogma that "must be believed" in order to be "saved". This book sheds much needed light on the development of early Christianity. Thank you, Elaine Pagels

Chapters are not accurate

The chapter divisions for this audiobook do not match the chapters of the audio. This must be fixed.