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  • The Gnostic Gospels

  • Written by: Elaine Pagels
  • Narrated by: Lorna Raver
  • Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (25 ratings)

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The Gnostic Gospels

Written by: Elaine Pagels
Narrated by: Lorna Raver
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Publisher's Summary

The Gnostic Gospels provides engaging listening for those seeking a broader perspective on the early development of Christianity. Author and noted scholar Elaine Pagels suggests that Christianity could have developed quite differently if Gnostic texts had become part of the Christian canon.

Without a doubt: Gnosticism celebrates God as both Mother and Father, shows a very human Jesus's relationship to Mary Magdalene, suggests the Resurrection is better understood symbolically, and speaks to self-knowledge as the route to union with God. Pagels argues that Christian orthodoxy grew out of the political considerations of the day, serving to legitimize and consolidate early church leadership. Her contrast of that developing orthodoxy with Gnostic teachings presents an intriguing trajectory on a world faith as it "might have become."

©1979 Elaine Pagels (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

What the critics say

"The first major and eminently readable book on gnosticism benefiting from the discovery in 1945 of a collection of Gnostic Christian texts at Nag Hammadi in Egypt." --The New York Times Book Review

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Fantastic

I will be returning to this again in the future. Truly profound audiobook. The secret knowledge.

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Incredible view points.

Never have I learned so much about the earliest sect of Christianity as much as I did in this book.

Growing up in an Orthodox religious household I've serious evaluated and revamped my entire perception of what religion, spiritual connections and hierarchies is all about.

It literally flew off the shelf with truth, insight and unbiased view points.

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