Excellent Introduction to Gnostic Gospels
936744
This is a great introduction to the gnostic gospels and the history of the early church. It will teach you what these gospels are, and some of the debates regarding how they possibly influenced the early church, as well as how and why they might have been originally shut out of the bible. It is a scholarly text more than a personal guide to practicing christianity, but may enrich your understanding of christianity in a personal way. It does not walk through each gnostic gospel and lay out what they say, it instead approaches them from the perspective of the major theological themes that ended up defining christianity.
39977
This book helped me re-evaluate my conception of how one approaches historical Jesus studies by disorienting my view of Jesus. Tripp Fuller has a gentle and easily accessible way of delving into very difficult subjects surrounding theology and history. Though you may not agree with his conclusions throughout the book, it is a great introduction that can be used as a platform for further research into the subject. Highly recommended for beginners, whether young or old! Really loved the four characters present throughout the text as commentators!
3045813
Mr. Cooper gives a very clear explanation of Theosophy and Reincarnation. This book was pretty much my introduction to these subjects. I first checked it out from my local library and liked it so much I had to have my own copy for reference. I would highly recommend this modestly priced book to anyone who wanted a concise, introductory read on these subjects.
4772194
Ancient Gnostic texts reveal a long-forgotten relationship with between humanity and the divine, and a surprisingly unique perception of the divinity among these circles.
This book presents the latest translations of four texts from the Nag Hammadi library of Gnostic texts. The four texts chosen are classic Gnostic scriptures of particular importance to early Christianity. They are, "The Secret Book of James" (written by Jesus' brother), "The Gospel of Thomas" (the most prominent classic of Gnostic Christian spirituality, by Jesus' twin, Judas Thomas), "The Book of Thomas", and "The Secret Book of John" (by Jesus' disciple, John the fisherman).
Amazingly, each of these four authentic texts are specifically identified by the mysterious ancient authors, in the first verses, as containing secret information from Jesus Christ himself! These texts in particular make an essential contribution to our understanding of Gnosticism and its role in early stages of the development of Christianity, seeming to shed welcome new light on some previously uncertain aspects of the Christian religion.
We should be extremely grateful for the opportunity to read these fascinating documents, which were until recently all but lost forever. The Gnostic movement was systematically oppressed, and its legacy systematically destroyed, long ago by its powerful opponents. The Gnostics were triumphant in this epic story, because, in their wisdom, they deliberately sealed away their sacred knowledge to be re-discovered at a time in the distant future when they would be respected and appreciated. The Nag Hammadi library comprises 52 documents in 13 books, most of which were entirely unknown to until the Nag Hammadi artefacts were discovered.
In this book an informative introduction, including the intriguing story behind the texts, prepares a clear passage for the reader's journey into this repository of ancient wisdom. The notes at the end of the book provide a concise commentary, with useful explanation and reference to other scriptures including the Bible, to complete the reader's learning experience. The relatively thin size of this volume makes it highly accessible - most people could easily read the whole book in a single weekend!
If you have the slightest interest in history or religion - especially Gnosticism or Christianity, then you will certainly enjoy this book.
The texts in this book really are an amazing and important part of human history, and everyone should at least have a look at them.
1361021
If one does not know the non-canonical books related to the New Testament, this is a thorough albeit heavy introduction to some. Following the organizational device of the Jesus Seminar, Taussig reflects the consensus of nineteen Jewish and Christian scholars gathered in New Orleans in 2012 to explore selected offerings, comparing these books to Biblical texts. Close to 600 pages, the book has an excellent index and study guide along with an appendix listing major writings not included in this book.  Each of the Books included are preceded with a short introduction. Some of the non-canonical Books are juxtaposed with Biblical texts, some not. Letters of Peter and Jude, the Gospel of Mary and Truth and some scattered poems and prayers stand alone with only a brief comment preceding it. Some books in the Bible also have introductions before their inclusion in this book with no real explanation as to why. As such, the setting can be somewhat confusing, not unlike the modern Bible. This book will not be read in one sitting or ten. But if one is interested in taking a nibble of serious thinking from time to time, the effort can be rewarding.
1082984
Dean Overmans "A Case for the Divinity of Jesus" is an excellent source for investigating: 1) some of the earliest claims about Jesus, 2) what those claims tell us about Him, and 3) arguments against some modern claims that certain doctrines developed late or were only one small view in a vast sea of views of who Christ is. While the divinity of Jesus is an underlying theme that unifies the work, it is really more of a compilation of arguments defending the orthodox or historical view of Jesus against modern criticisms than it is just a book defending His divinity.

Overman begins by looking at the very early creedal formulas and hymns that precede and are recorded in the NT documents. He does a good job of showing that the early church had a high Christology (view of Jesus) right from the very beginning. He goes on to argue that the gospels present a view of Jesus as divine through key expressions used of Jesus and through certain actions of the disciples towards Him, and that the gospels (and entire NT) is reliable history from very near the time of the actual events. He also has a good chapter on oral tradition and how it provided a solid foundation for the historical facts to be captured and written by the NT authors. Based upon this foundation, Overman then investigates the plausibility of the resurrection event as a capstone to the first part of the book.

In the last part of the book, Overman argues against the hypothesis that the Gnostic gospels provide historically reliable sources providing alternate versions of Christianity. This is a good section that provides some key details on The Gospel of Thomas and an interesting linguistic argument against it being a first-century work. He ends the book with some thoughts on exclusive religious claims and how to have meaningful conversations with people who have different belief systems. Overall, this is a good resource that covers a number of important and interesting topics about Jesus and the case for the historical Christian view.
1683880
A most important book for those who want a clear look at who said what in the gospels and what it means.
692773
Michael Bird's Introducing Paul (IVP in England used the whimsical title A Bird's Eye View of Paul for this same volume there) is a great little introduction to Paul's life and thought. In this short book, obviously intended as a college or seminary text, Bird covers the necessary ground for an intro, dealing with matters of upbringing and training, Paul's conversion, his literary legacy, the important components of his thought, and his ethics and spirituality. Bird's coverage of these areas is uniformly well written and up to date, reflecting the latest issues and advances in scholarship without giving over to a faddish interpretation of the apostle. One leaves the pages understanding the contested ground but at the same time having a well-grounded understanding of Paul's theology that reflects both the best of the historic interpretations of Paul and some important modifications and improvements from the "new perspective."

Bird does a great job of situating Paul in his second-temple Jewish context, and notes how the Old Testament and Judaism provide the important seedbed and framework for his thought, while also noting the role of Rome in his thinking.

Bird's book is my favorite introduction to Paul that I have so far encountered. He straightforwardly deals with the important issues, he gives solid background and well-reasoned and balanced conclusions, all the while inviting the reader into Paul's rich and gospel-focused world. An extremely good book; thanks Mike.
1308680
D.A. Carson and Douglas Moo join together to write this introductory text to the New Testament. The authors take a book-by-book approach to breaking down the New Testament. Each chapter is a stand-alone study of a book or books of the Bible.

Every chapter examines a particular book based on content, author, audience, date written, reason for the book, adoption into canon, recent studies, contribution and more. The authors make an in-depth examination of each book. They investigate and analyze each letter methodically. Carson and Moo do a balanced job and include the major dissenting opinions and the views of detractors.

While the bulk of the book is theological in nature it includes scrutiny from historical, sociological, linguistic, and anthropological perspectives. The authors are brilliant at contextualizing the writers, recipients and settings for the original letters. There is a detailed picture painted explaining why each letter was written.

Carson and Moo address historical and modern controversies within each letter. Liberal, conservative and outlandish viewpoints are represented. The authors critique the major positions and offer solid scrutiny to benefit the reader.

This book is written at an academic level, but it is certainly practical for casual readers. The high level analysis within this book lends itself nicely to both individual reading and group studies. The novice theologian and the scholar will find this as beneficial read. Without a doubt, this is a superb introductory overview of the books of the New Testament.
1400523
Dr. Cosby has created a great tool to plunge into the Gospels in a way that a beginning student may be starving for and that even a more advanced student would find helpful. He combines his vast knowledge of the world of the authors and hearers alongside with an inductive question-asking approach that will spur the reader on to learn it for themselves. Cosby has great insights and helpful warnings away from poor, but common, exegetical fallacies of popular Christianity. To the reader's benefit, it is very well written, and far from dry.

My only complaint would perhaps be directed towards the helpfulness of some of the questions. Many questions seem somewhat obvious and unnecessary. This could, however, be my own bias coming through. Having gone through many of his classes myself, I am able to anticipate the points he is going to make. I am sure that for students who have never actually sat down and wrestled with behind the scenes information about the Gospels, these questions would certainly be a catalyst for their own questions and ponderings. On the whole, if you go through this book, you will come out with a great understanding of the Evangelists' writings as well as the first significant steps toward finding the historical Jesus amidst all the noise that surrounds that search today.

Something to watch out for will be his inductive study of Paul's writings, due to be published in 2006. Apostle On The Edge: An Inductive Guide To Paul has gone through many years of classroom study by Messiah College students. It is similar in format and may be even better in content, as Pauline studies seems to be an even greater passion for Dr. Cosby.
1987208
As an introduction to this insightful work, Hans Jonas opens with one of the most illuminating overviews of the condition of the Greco-Roman and the Orient from times of Alexander the Great to the early centuries of the Christian Era.  Then, moving into the Gnostic texts, Jonas discusses the meaning of "gnosis", as the ancient man understood it, along with other terms pervasive throughout Gnostic literature.  At last, in part one, Jonas describes the extent of the Gnostic movement, and ultimately sets the stage for his in-depth analysis of the various schools and Gnostic systems of thought in part two, namely those of Simon Magus, Marcion, Valentinian, Hermes Trismegistus, and the infamous Manes.  In part three, Jonas deals with the Gnostic cosmology and morality, with some of the new discoveries in the field, and finally, in the epilogue, he closes with a dissertation on Gnosticism, Existentialism, and Nihilism.  Hans Jonas' work, overall is an excellent, comprehensive study of the multifaceted belief systems of the Mediterranean World.  While his treatment may exhaust even the most concentrated of readers, it nevertheless will furnish such a wealth of knowledge that it will act as a superb reference tool and will be a valuable source for religious, cultural, or philosophical studies.
1040307
This volume provides a general introduction to the troubling history of these two great world religions over the last 2,000 years (or so).  Starting with a lucid explanation of pagan anti-Semitism in the Greco-Roman world, Cohn-Sherbok takes us through centuries of violence and antipathy that culminated in the Holocaust of the mid Twentieth Century.  He also concludes with brief chapters on post-Holocaust anti-Semitism, and on the possibilities for Jewish-Christian reconciliation.  The latter, especially, provides a crucial "uplift" for the reader.

This is a very readable text.  It is NOT clogged with dense lists of demographic information or by obscure theological discussions.  It provides, rather, a general overview of the demographic issues which contributed to Christian violence against Jews through the ages; as well as a digestable level of insight into the theological issues that contributed to and justified this violence.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the cultural causes of the Holocaust, the reasons for the existence of the state of Israel, or the theological differences between Judaism and Christianity.  I use this book as my core text in the college course, "Jesus and Judaism," that I teach.

Along these lines, I would also recommend "Liberating the Gospels" by John Shelby Spong and "Why the Jews?" by Prager and Telushkin.
3394176
My primary interest in reading this book was to better understand and appreciate the evolution of Christian thought and belief in the early church.  On this score, Elaine Pagels definitely does not disappoint.

I found her choice of beginning this work with an intensely personal description of the spiritual journey she faced during her young son's fatal illness to be surprising at first, but through her book I came to understand why she introduced this work in such a way: all spiritual journeys are intensely personal.  The authors of the "Secret Gospel of Thomas", the Gospel of John, and the later Church Fathers who built upon these writings, all faced challenging times.  In seeking answers to the challenges they faced, they engaged in their own personal spiritual journeys, which resulted in their recording what they learned and believed in the texts that have been passed down to us.

Elaine Pagels engages us in the challenges and spiritual journeys of these early Christian writers, both known (mostly proponents of what became the roots of Christianity as we know it today); and unknown (mostly the authors of the Gnostic books found in the Nag Hammadi library, such as the Gospel of Thomas; and other works).

The Gnostic authors and their adherents found themselves marginalized if not actively persecuted as the well-organized and controlled universal Church took hold in the ancient world.  Gnosticism is an intensely personal form of faith, where one seeks to find Spiritual truth for oneself instead of unquestioningly adopting an external authority's view.

Dr. Pagels referees for us the centuries-long debate between early Christian Fathers and their Gnostic counterparts - helping us see how the debate between control of doctrine vs. freedom of exploration changed and grew over time.  She seeks to help us understand the complexities of the central question for us: What is truth, and what is lies? In making our spiritual journeys, how can we tell them apart?  How do we find that truth for ourselves without falling into error?

The roots of that debate reach far back into Jewish history: centuries before Jesus started teaching.  Therefore, Dr. Pagels knows she cannot answer the question.  Instead, she seeks to help us understand the issues and the context within which we, as Christians, make our own journeys in search of spiritual truth.

The great authors of Orthodoxy - Tertullian, Athanaeus and Irenaeus, among others, all saw that allowing too much freedom of exploration often led to spiritual error and excess.  On the other hand, they appreciated the importance of needing to explore one's own faith for oneself, and did not want to create a rigid and inflexible Christian faith that could not tolerate such journeys of faith.  They understood that a balance between the two extremes must be found.

Ultimately, and as Dr. Pagels says in her book, it is not right, or wise, to accept spiritual authority without question, or to seek to eliminate the rich spiritual diversity found throughout the Christian world.  Diversity brings strength and vitality, but too much diversity brings conflict and destruction.  There is no simple answer to the question: we must each find an answer for ourselves.

Dr. Pagels' work is easy to read, well researched, well footnoted, and thought provoking.  While I highly recommend this book, I would have to agree with what others here have said: that the title is misleading.  This book focuses more on the evolution of orthodox Christianity than it does on the Gnostic tradition, or on the Gospel of Thomas itself.  I give it a four star recommendation.
776327
"Agnosticism: A Very Short Introduction" is an excellent starting point for those who have little to no knowledge of what Agnosticism is all about.  In this concise book, Prof. Robin Le Poidevin provides a well-rounded view of Agnosticism, as well as a brief cursory glance at its history, and explains how Agnosticism, as a position in the argument over whether or not God exists, is not merely a "spineless" and indecisive compromise between Atheists and Theists (on a sliding scale), but a formidable position (not on a sliding scale) that considers the pros and cons of the arguments for belief or disbelief from both sides, as well as its own, and makes no conclusive or compulsory claims where the evidence obviously demands further investigation.  He also puts forward reasonable arguments that show the plausibility of a conclusion that stands in favor of a particular claim about the existence of God then contrasts it with the plausibility of a conclusion that stands in opposition to a particular claim about the existence of God, while leaving it open-ended for the reader to consider, by further investigation, then arrive at their own conclusions, even if those conclusions are themselves open-ended.

An excellent book and a great place to begin a journey in gaining an unbiased and unskewed understanding of Agnosticism.
346314
As the title suggests, this is a collection of works by Christians who lived in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. The following works are included: "On Marriage," and "On Spiritual Perfection" by Clement  of Alexandria (which are technically Stromata books III and VII, the former  which is only in Latin in the Ante-Nicene Fathers set.), "On  Prayer," "Exhortation to Martyrdom," and "Dialogue with  Heraclides," by Origen (all three books are absent from the  Ante-Nicene Fathers set). There are nice introductions to each book and  each author. Chadwick gives very detalied notes and explanations of  Origen's "On Prayer." This is an excellent book for 2 reasons.  First it is a great sample of the skilled thinkers of Alexandria. Second,  it acts as a good supplement to the Ante-Nicene Fathers set.
3596625
This is a terrific introduction to the Apostle Paul and the letters  attributed to him in the New Testament.  Roetzl is a superbly clear and  concise writer who knows how to write introductory material without  distorting and oversimplifying.  This is a well tested textbook, and the  new fourth edition brings it into line with the most current Pauline  scholarship.  Roetzl fully incorporates the continuing influences of the  "Sanders revolution" into his own understanding of Paul and his  writings.  The book provides a thorough treatment of each of the epistles  in terms of posible dating, situation, and literary structure before  explicating the primary themes.  Roetzl does divide the Paul's letters into  the categories of undisputed and disputed and treats them roughly according  to his own chronology.  Some will quibble with the ordering and the  categorization, but Roetzl is far from dogmatic on these positions.  Most  importantly, as the subtitle indicates, Roetzl takes seriously the role  Paul's letters play in an ongoing relationship with the churches to which  he writes.  In line with the the contemporary trend, he extends this  principle to Romans, moving further away from the older, non-situaltional  way of reading.  I have used this as a textbook with undergraduate students  and they have complimented it highly.
3567146
This book presents a reconstruction of Porphyry's third century work "Against the Christians" taken from the (probably 4th century) text of Macarius Magnes.  The excerpts by Porphyry are divided thematically and are accompanied by references to the biblical passages he was referring to.  Because almost no anti-Christian works survive from antiquity, this reconstruction is particularly valuable as an insight into how 'pagan' or non-Christian philosophers may have viewed Christianity.  Porphyry was obviously familiar with Christian teaching and scriptures, and composed a sophisticated refutation of its doctrine.  There were clearly many who were deeply familiar with Christian doctrine and did not reject it out of ignorance.  This book would primarily be important for studies on early Christianity, the persecutions and the religion's spread, as well as for philosophy.  Because this is one of the only extant philosophical sources that was directed against Christianity. the work is essential reading for Christian-'pagan' relations in the empire.  The epilogue to the book may provide a useful background for someone unfamiliar with the context.  The translation is good, and the book well-organized and easy to go through. Definitely recommended.