Beyond Belief

The Secret Gospel of Thomas

By: Elaine Pagels

Write A Review

Paperback | 4 May 2004

At a Glance

Paperback
272 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
19 x 8 x 1.5

Paperback

$31.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $7.94 with

In Stock and Ships next day

The astonishing discovery of the Gospel of Thomas, along with more than fifty other early Christian texts unknown since antiquity, offers startling clues. Pagels compares such sources as Thomas's gospel (which claims to give Jesus' secret teaching, and finds its closest affinities with kabbalah) with the canonic texts to show how Christian leaders chose to include some gospels and exclude others from the collection we have come to know as the New Testament. To stabilize the emerging Christian church in times of devastating persecution, the church fathers constructed the canon, creed, and hierarchy and, in the process, suppressed many of its spiritual resources. Drawing on new scholarship her own, and that of an international group of scholars that has come to light since the publication in 1979 of The Gnostic Gospels, Pagels shows that what matters about Christianity involves much more than any one set of beliefs. Traditions embodied in Judaism and Christianity can powerfully affect us in heart, mind, and spirit, inspire visions of a new society based on practicing justice and love, even heal and transform us.

Industry Reviews

"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

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $89.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Religion & Beliefs Christianity Biblical Studies & Exegesis Christian Theology Mind, Body, Spirit Religion Philosophy of Religion

From the Feast of Agape to the Nicene Creed	p. 3
Gospels in Conflict: John and Thomas	p. 30
God's Word or Human Words?	p. 74
The Canon of Truth and the Triumph of John	p. 114
Constantine and the Catholic Church	p. 143
Acknowledgments	p. 187
Notes	p. 191
Index	p. 227
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

Beyond Belief

The Secret Gospel of Thomas

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Christian Theology

The Jesus Bible [NIV Edition, Pink]

NIV Edition [Pink]

The Screwtape Letters: Letters From A Senior To A Junior Devil

C. S. Lewis Signature Classic

The Case For Christ

A Journalist's Personal Investigation Of The Evidence For Jesus

The Genesis 6 Conspiracy

How Secret Societies and the Descendants of Giants Plan to Enslave Humankind

The Gifford Lectures

Advancing Natural Theology

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Second Edition

The Sickness Unto Death

Penguin Classics

Iconic

Being God's Image in Your World

Waiting for God

Routledge Classics

NRSVCE Illustrated Catholic Bible, Comfort Print

Holy Bible [Black]

God, the Science, the Evidence

Mere Christianity [Gift Edition]

C.S. Lewis Signature Classic

The Problem of Pain

The Familiar Stranger

(Re)Introducing the Holy Spirit to Those in Search of an Experiential Spirituality

The Abolition of Man

Cold-Case Christianity (Updated & Expanded Edition)

A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels

Saints, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of

An authoritative guide to the lives and works of over 300 Christian saints, with beautiful images throughout

Christianity For Dummies

For Dummies

NKJV End-of-verse Reference Bible, Personal Size Large Print, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print

Holy Bible [Black]

Jesus and the Essenes

C.S. Lewis Signature Classic

The Great Divorce

Body of Proof

The 7 Best Reasons to Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus and Why It Matters Today

Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul

A Celtic Guide to Listening to Our Souls and Saving the World

The Divine Dance

The Trinity And Your Transformation

This product is categorised by