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Beyond belief : the secret Gospel of Thomas
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Beyond belief : the secret Gospel of Thomas

by Elaine Pagels

This study examines the origins of Christianity and the formation of the New Testament canon by analysing early texts such as the Gospel of Thomas. It explores the historical development of church doctrine and the suppression of diverse spiritual traditions in the early faith.

Accession 28726 ISBN 0375501568 Publisher Random House
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Curated Derived
Belief Discovery History Religion
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on_shelf
True
position_updated_at
2026-06-04 14:46
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vertical
Details

Physical

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spine_text
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Metadata

Book form
LOCATION HISTORY
M:S3:17 4 Current vertical
6 days, 3 hours ago
1 week, 5 days ago
3 weeks, 5 days ago
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Last synced 2026-05-21 01:58 (2 weeks, 6 days ago)

Identity

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Beyond belief : the secret Gospel of Thomas
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28726
vernon_slug
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Descriptive

production_date
2003
object_type
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object_status
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brief_description
This book explores how Christianity began by tracing its earliest texts, including the secret Gospel of Thomas, rediscovered in Egypt in 1945. The astonishing discovery of the Gospel of Thomas, along with more than fifty other early Christian texts unknown since antiquity, offers startling clues. Pagels compares such sources as Thomas's gospel (which claims to give Jesus' secret teaching, and find its closest affinities with kabbalah) with the canonic texts to show how Christian leaders chose to include some gospels and exclude others from the collection we have come to know as the New Testament. To stabilize the emerging Christian church in times of devastating persecution, the church fathers constructed the canon, creed, and hierarchy - and, in the process, suppressed many of its spiritual resources. -- publisher

Subjects & people

authors→ author (initial fill only)
Elaine Pagels
tags→ tags
Cults, Religions, Christianity, Bible, Bible. New Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc., Gnosticism
subject_people
subject_objects

Cover image

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52726

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