Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity

What can I say? If you see biblical texts as literature,Judas is an intriguing character.

Confirmed what I already knew in my heart was true.

Think you know what Christianity is and how it came to be? Think again. The Gospel of Judas gives another take on what Christians thought in the first few hundred years after Christ: one that didn't make it into the Bible. It gives interesting thoughts that help to fill some of the holes left in the New Testament. Elaine Pagels and Karen L.King do a fantastic job of presenting the history and...more

Think you know what Christianity is and how it came to be? Think again. The Gospel of Judas gives another take on what Christians thought in the first few hundred years after Christ: one that didn't make it into the Bible. It gives interesting thoughts that help to fill some of the holes left in the New Testament. Elaine Pagels and Karen L.King do a fantastic job of presenting the history and opinions surrounding this crucial time and relating it to those texts that made it into the Bible as well as others that didn't. An absolutely fascinating read. I thought it would be a bit dry given the topic, but the content and style are far from it. It is a shame that much of the Gospel was lost due to damage and translation   hide

Really enjoyed it!

Early Christianity was filled with heated debates that would shape the heart of the church (and provide fodder for even more heated debates about theology in the centuries to come). History is written by the victors, it is said, and that is true in Christian tradition. Our Bible is made up of only “approved” gospels which told a specific (though sometimes contradictory) story. There were...more

Early Christianity was filled with heated debates that would shape the heart of the church (and provide fodder for even more heated debates about theology in the centuries to come). History is written by the victors, it is said, and that is true in Christian tradition. Our Bible is made up of only “approved” gospels which told a specific (though sometimes contradictory) story. There were other gospels, however, that were left out of the approved cannon. It was hoped that these lost gospels would be forgotten and left to history. But new discoveries have brought many to light. The Gospel of Judas is one of those discoveries and for anyone interested in how the early church developed the gospel itself and the Pagels / King book “Reading Judas” is a must read.   hide

really made me think - Some of the stuff that is in the Gospel of Judas is off the wall, but it helps to give you an understanding of the history of the early church