Reading Judas: The Truth Behind the Notorious Gospel of Judas Iscariot. Elaine Pagels and Karen L. King - Softcover

Karen L. King

3.75

1,413 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141030135 ISBN 13: 9780141030135

Publisher: Penguin Books, 2008

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Discover the true meaning of the lost Gospel of Judas ...Lost for 1,600 years, the "Gospel of Judas" has only now had its meaning unlocked for readers today. Its startling text included the claim that not only was Judas the favoured disciple of Jesus, but also that Judas was killed by the other disciples. Was Judas a betrayer or a loyal disciple? Did he write this shocking document? And what does it mean for us today? In "Reading Judas" Elaine Pagels and Karen L. King, world-renowned experts in religious texts, explore the meanings of this contentious gospel in detail. Here they reveal a gospel that, far from seeing Jesus' death as a sacrifice for humanity's sins, opposes the idea that God desires martyrdom and instead points towards a faith that is based on inner spiritual life. Containing a new translation of the "Gospel of Judas" from the original Coptic, "Reading Judas" radically challenges our notions of the Christian faith.

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About the Author:

Karen L. King is the Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Harvard University in the Divinity School. Trained in comparative religion and historical studies, her teaching and research specialities in the history of Christianity lie in women's studies, orthodoxy and heresy, and the Coptic Gnostic literature. Her publications include The Secret Revelation of John and The Gospel of Mary Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman. She is the recipient of awards for excellence in teaching and research, and has received grants from numerous organizations including the Ford Foundation. Her professional associations include membership in the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Biblical Literature, the International Association for Coptic Studies and Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. Elaine Pagels is Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University and the author of six previous books, including The Gnostic Gospels (winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Book Award) and the New York Times bestseller Beyond Belief. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey

From AudioFile:

The historical figure of Judas Iscariot is one of deep paradox--he was one of Jesus's handpicked followers, yet he is also the archetype of betrayal. Elaine Pagels and Karen King are both highly regarded yet unorthodox academics, from Princeton and Harvard, respectively. The professors attempt to recast the fallen disciple using the initial translation of the Judas document recently unveiled by the National Geographic Society. Justine Eyre reads the commentary, and Robertson Dean delivers the Judas material. Both try to create an air of reverence, but it ultimately falls flat under the weight of the dense Gnostic theology. Although audibly agreeable, the content overwhelms all but the most enthusiastic listeners. S.M.M. � AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright � AudioFile, Portland, Maine

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