Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity
by By Pagels, Elaine H. and King, Karen L.
Category: Religion , Christianity , History

When the Gospel of Judas was published by the National Geographic  Society in April 2006, it received extraordinary media attention  and was immediately heralded as a major biblical discovery that  rocked the world of scholars and laypeople alike. Elaine Pagels  and Karen King are the first to reflect on this newfound text and  its ramifications for telling the story of early Christianity. In  Reading Judas, the two celebrated scholars illustrate how the  newly discovered text provides a window onto understanding how  Jesus followers understood his death, why Judas betrayed Jesus,  and why God allowed it.   Most contemporary readers will find passages in the ancient  Gospel of Judas difficult to comprehend outside of its context in  the ancient world. Reading Judas illuminates the intellectual  assumptions behind Jesus teaching to Judas and shows how conflict  among the disciples was a tool frequently used by early Christian  authors to explore matters of doubt and disagreement. Presented  with the elegance, insight, and accessibility that has made  Pagels and King the leading voices in this field, this is a book  for academics and popular audience both. Pagels's five previous  books, including The New York Times bestseller Beyond Belief, and  Kings The Gospel of Mary of Magdala prove that there is a  considerable audience eager for this kind of informed and  engaging writing.