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Overall Summary
Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas (2003), a work of Christian nonfiction by Elaine Pagels, explores the origins of Christianity and how it took shape. Pagels argues that there’s more to Christianity than rigidly adhering to one set of beliefs. A very popular book with both religious and academic readers, she is an award-winning writer who specializes in religion and history books. Her most significant achievement is proving that the earliest Christian church wasn’t unified as we previously believed.
The Gospel of Thomas is a book that explores the way Jesus’ followers interpreted his teachings. The book focuses on one text, which was found in 1900s and challenges the idea that there’s only one way to find God.
Pagels argues that Orthodox Christianity is inaccurate. It ignores Jesus’s original intentions for the church, which are outlined in scripture, including Gospel of Thomas. This book has received a lot of criticism from traditional Christians because it allows people to find God without following the doctrines of the Christian Church.
The chapter is divided into five parts. Each of these focuses on a different reason as to why the modern Christian Church is invalid. Proving that this religion should be inclusive is important because Jesus intended for everyone to follow it and not just sects and factions. Pagels admits that she has a Gnostic view on the subject, which colors everything in her book.
The first chapter discusses the author’s issues with Christianity. On one hand, she appreciates the comfort that it offers to its followers. However, she feels that there is no scope for debate on certain topics and this makes her uncomfortable.
Pagels’s son had a terminal disease, and she found peace by searching for God. However, Pagels realized that there is a difference between what we believe and what we feel. It is possible to love God without subscribing to regimented beliefs because God manifests in many forms.
In the first chapter, Pagels explores how Christianity began as a sect of Judaism. The Gospel of John was written to refute Thomas’s gospel because it had more liberal views that would be difficult to reconcile with the political landscape at the time. Although there is no proof that John read Thomas’s gospel, she believes he rejected its teachings completely.
In the third chapter, “God’s Word or Human Words?”, Pagels discusses how we should not be confined by any one set of scripture in our quest for spiritual enlightenment. We should also consider writers like Thomas who are often neglected when it comes to salvation and the afterlife.
The author questions the belief-based traditions of Christianity, arguing that politicians in ancient times wanted to seize power by prescribing their agenda. In order to achieve this, they promoted belief systems as truth and preached against freedom of thought.
In Chapter 5, “Constantine and the Catholic Church,” Pagels is still questioning her own beliefs. She wants to follow Christianity but knows that she will never be welcomed into the church unless she accepts its teachings without question. Pagels thinks Jesus didn’t want his church to be organized this way; he wanted people to find God on their own.
Pagels argues that the Christian Church is invalid. It cannot claim historical legitimacy because it ignores the full body of Christ’s teachings. The church is a manmade construct and, as such, it is shaped by human desires and selfish motivations. She addresses this topic in other works as well.
