BEYOND BELIEF The Secret Gospel of Thomas

While DA VINCI CODE enthusiasts may suggest otherwise, the origins of Christianity are laid out rather plainly in the scrolls found at Nag Hammadi and the Dead Sea in the last century. Since publishing THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS in 1979, Elaine Pagels has been written some of the most accessible scholarly work about these texts. In BEYOND BELIEF she examines the Gospel of Thomas, discovered in 1945. This gospel suggests that there's a bit of divinity in all of us, an inclusive idea that appeals to many modern Christians -- and, indeed, to Pagels herself -- but not, alas, to Church fathers. Cassandra Campbell's narration is even and unadorned, making it a complement to Pagel's readable prose. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 04/ JAN 05]