Elaine Pagels, née Hiesey, (born February 13, 1943), is the Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University. The recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, she is best known for her studies and writing on the Gnostic Gospels. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. ... The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent grantmaking institution. ... The Gnostic Gospels are a class of writings about the life of Jesus which are associated with the early mystical trend of Gnostic Christianity. ...

Biography

Pagels was born in California, graduated from Stanford University (B.A. 1964, M.A. 1965) and, after briefly studying dance at Martha Graham's studio, began studying for her Ph.D. at Harvard University as a student of Helmut Koester. She married theoretical physicist Heinz Pagels in 1969. At Harvard, she was part of a team studying the Nag Hammadi library manuscripts. Upon finishing her Ph.D. from Harvard in 1970, she joined the faculty at Barnard College, where she headed the department of religion from 1974. This article is about the U.S. state. ... Stanford redirects here. ... A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B.) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... A Master of Arts is a postgraduate academic masters degree awarded by universities in North America and the United Kingdom (excluding the ancient universities of Scotland and Oxbridge. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... For the supercentenarian, see Martha Graham (supercentenarian). ... Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ... Harvard redirects here. ... Helmut Koester (born 1926) is a German-born American scholar of the New Testament, and currently Research Professor of Divinity and Ecclesiastical History at Harvard Divinity School. ... Theoretical physics attempts to understand the world by making a model of reality, used for rationalizing, explaining, predicting physical phenomena through a physical theory. There are three types of theories in physics; mainstream theories, proposed theories and fringe theories. ... Heinz Pagels (1939 – 1988) was an American physicist who headed the New York Academy of Sciences. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... The Nag Hammadi library is a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts discovered near the Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi in 1945. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Barnard College, founded in 1889, is one of the four undergraduate divisions of Columbia University. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ...

Writing career

In 1975, after studying the Pauline Epistles and comparing them to Gnosticism and the early Church, Pagels wrote the book The Gnostic Paul. This book expounds the theory that Paul of Tarsus was a Gnostic whose influence on the direction of the early Christian church was great enough for the creation of forged additions such as the Pastoral Epistles (those to Timothy and Titus) to make it appear as if Paul supported their interpretation rather than Gnosticism. Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Early Christians is a term used to refer to the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth, before the emergence of established Christian orthodoxy. ... The Gnostic Paul is book by Elaine Pagels, a well respected scholar of gnosticism and also Princeton Universitys Professor of Religion. ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ... The three pastoral epistles are books of the canonical New Testament: the First Epistle to Timothy (1 Timothy) the Second Epistle to Timothy (2 Timothy), and the Epistle to Titus. ... For other uses of Timothy, see Timothy (disambiguation). ... In the Christian New Testament, Titus, (a common Roman name, meaning honourable) was a companion of Paul of Tarsus, mentioned in several of Pauls epistles, including the Epistle to Titus. ...

Her study of the Nag Hammadi manuscripts was the basis for The Gnostic Gospels (1979), a popular introduction to the Nag Hammadi library. The bestselling book won both the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Book Award and was chosen by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best books of the twentieth century. In a different measure of its influence, the conservative Christian Intercollegiate Studies Institute listed it as one of the 50 Worst Books of the Twentieth Century^[1]. Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) is an American association of approximately seven hundred book reviewers. ... The National Book Awards is one of the most preeminent literary prizes in the United States. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Inc. ...

In the book she argued that the Christian church was founded in a society espousing a number of contradictory viewpoints. Gnosticism as a movement was not very coherent and there were several areas of disagreement between different factions. Gnosticism attracted women in particular because of its egalitarian perspective which allowed their participation in sacred rites. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Egalitarianism is the moral doctrine that equality ought to prevail among some group along some dimension. ...

In 1982, Pagels joined Princeton University as a professor of early Christian history. Aided by a MacArthur fellowship (1980–85), she researched and wrote Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, which examines the creation myth and its role in the development of sexual attitudes in the Christian West. In both The Gnostic Gospels and Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, Elaine Pagels examines the way that women have been viewed in Christian history. Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a major private grant-making foundation based in Chicago that has awarded more than US$3 billion since its inception in 1978. ... Creation beliefs and stories describe how the universe, the Earth, life, and/or humanity came into being. ...

In April 1987, Pagels' son Mark died after five years of illness, and in July 1988 her husband Heinz Pagels died in a mountain climbing accident. Her personal tragedies deepened her spiritual awareness, and led Pagels to begin the research leading to The Origin of Satan. This book hypothesizes that the figure Satan became a way for orthodox Christianity to demonize their religious opponents, other Christian sects and the Jews. Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the concept of Satan. ...

Her New York Times bestseller, Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas (2003), focuses on religious claims to possessing the ultimate truth. In it Pagels contrasts the Gospel of Thomas with the Gospel of John, and argues that a close reading of the works shows that while John emphasizes that Jesus is the "light of the world", Thomas teaches individuals that "there is a light within each person, and it lights up the whole universe. If it does not shine, there is darkness." Thomas also shares with other supposed secret teachings a belief that Jesus is not God but rather a teacher who seeks to uncover the divine light in all human beings. Pagels argues that the Gospel of John was written as a reaction and rebuttal to the Gospel of Thomas. In John, the apostle Thomas is portrayed as a disciple of little faith who cannot believe without seeing, and John places a very strong emphasis on accepting Jesus as the center of belief, which is the foundation of most traditions of Christianity today. During the time of persecution of Christians, the church fathers constructed the canon, creed and hierarchy, suppressing some of its spiritual resources in the process, in order to avoid conflict with Roman law and religion. The book also includes her personal exploration of the meaning of loss and tragedy. The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Time Saving Truth from Falsehood and Envy, François Lemoyne, 1737 For other uses, see Truth (disambiguation). ... The Gospel of Thomas is a New Testament-era apocryphon completely preserved in a papyrus Coptic manuscript discovered in 1945 at Nag Hammadi, Egypt. ... For other uses, see Gospel of John (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Jude Thomas. ... A biblical canon is a list of Biblical books which establishes the set of books which are considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular Jewish or Christian community. ... For other uses, see Creed (disambiguation). ... Using the term Roman law in a broader sense, one may say that Roman law is not only the legal system of ancient Rome but the law that was applied throughout most of Europe until the end of the 18th century. ...

Criticism

Pagels' book Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas has not been without controversy among Christians who adhere to traditional orthodox beliefs. Christians who dispute Gnostic theology have claimed that she asserts that man is divine and that she rejects the notion that God is the only divine being, that Christ was the unique God-man.

Pagels, in her review of the historical and theological implications of certain Gnostic texts, particularly the Gospel of Thomas, that were considered heretical by the early church because they presented a merely human Jesus and did not emphasize Jesus as divine, argues that Thomas’ gospel shows that other earlier Christians held different understandings of the meaning of the Christian gospel. Critics have countered that the Gospel of John, however, rejects the conviction that the divine dwells as ‘light’ within all beings. Pagels writes that in Thomas this is the hidden knowledge that Thomas' gospel proclaims. ^[2]

Her argument that John’s gospel was written to counter this “hidden ‘good news’” of the gospel of Thomas presents John and Thomas as offering equally valid views of Christianity, but it is claimed that Thomas was suppressed by a fabricated orthodoxy invented by Irenaeus and instituted through coercion. In Beyond Belief, Pagels claims that there are other equally valid historical views of Jesus' life as reflected by the Gnostic gospels. Her critics argue that the Gnostic teachings found in Thomas are incompatible with the writings of the New Testament and are rejected not out of institutional coercion, but because of a lack of credibility as an Apostolic text. [1]. Irenaeus (Greek: Εἰρηναῖος), (b. ... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ...

Recognition

In addition to the MacArthur award, Professor Pagels is also a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship and Rockefeller fellowships. Guggenheim Fellowships are awarded annually by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. ... The Rockefeller Foundation (RF) is a prominent philanthropic organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. ...

Books

• Johannine Gospel in Gnostic Exegesis: Heracleon's Commentary on John (1973), Society of Biblical Literature, 132 p. 1989 edition: ISBN 1-555-40334-4
• The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters (1975), Fortress Press, ISBN 0-8006-0403-2
• The Gnostic Gospels (1979), Vintage Books, 182 p., ISBN 0-679-72453-2
• Adam, Eve and the Serpent (1988), Vintage Books, 189 p., ISBN 0-679-72232-7
• The Origin of Satan (1995), Vintage Books, 214 p., ISBN 0-679-73118-0
• Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas (2003), Vintage Books, 241p., ISBN 0-375-50156-8
• Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity together with Karen L. King, (2007), Viking Press, 224 p., ISBN 0670038458

The Gnostic Paul is book by Elaine Pagels, a well respected scholar of gnosticism and also Princeton Universitys Professor of Religion. ...

Notes

External links

• Rogers, D. (2004) "The Gospel Truth" Stanford Magazine, January/February 2004. - A profile of Elaine Pagels in the Stanford alumni magazine.
• (n.d.) Book Review: Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas Southern Cross Review website. - A review of Pagels' book, Beyond Belief.
• Gross, M. (2004) Beyond Unbelief: A Critical Response to Elaine Pagels’ Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas Reformed Perspectives Magazine. 6(16).
• Paul Mankowski, S.J., "The Pagels Imposture", Father Mankowski, S.J., at the Pontifical Biblical Institute claims discrepancies between Pagels interpretation of texts and what the texts actually say.